Out of state hunts

As turkey seasons come to a close nation wide, I’m already planning for next spring. If this is your first time checking out my blog I’m working on my grand slam of turkey hunting. I’m half way through my grand slam and can’t wait for the spring to continue my quest.

Over the next few months I will be telling you about planning an out of state hunt. There is a lot that goes into planning. Just like a vacation you want to find the best deals and have the best time for the budget you might be on. I will be the first to tell you that I’m not rich. I research long and hard to find the best possible hunt for my budget. I ask different people on websites and throughout the hunting community of whom and where they would recommend for my hunting destination.

When you’re planning an out of state hunt you need to first decide on your budget. Next you want to check that states Game and Fish website to check rules and regulations for a non resident hunter. It might even help to call the local Game and Fish and ask questions related to your hunt. Next is deciding on what type of hunt you would like to do, if you would like a do it your self hunt or an outfitter to guide you.

I will start the first part of my adventure with how I decided on where to take my Osceola turkey hunt. I knew as a member of the NWTF Osceola is only acknowledged for the grand slam if taken in Florida. The first thing I did was decide on if I wanted to take a do it yourself hunt on public land or book with a guide service or outfitter. I looked at all my options and decided my best bet was to book with an outfitter to have the best success rate on getting a bird. The next step was I performed a Google search for Florida turkey hunting. There were many outfitters that were listed. I picked out a few places that looked aright and picked up the phone and started calling. I wanted to know what there success rate for the past couple of years and if they had any references that I could contact. I called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to see how much non resident hunting licenses were and what I had to do to buy my license. I then started asking different friends and hunting forums about the outfitters I was looking at. After talking with a pro staff friend on mine Nancy Jo Adams, she recommended an outfitter she used on her Osceola hunt “Deep South Outfitters”.

That happened to be one of my top picks for an outfitter that I found on my search. I contacted the owner of Deep South Outfitters Capt. Billy Henderson. After talking with Capt. Billy on the phone my looking was over and I knew where I was going to book my hunt. He is great guy to talk with and even being over a year away he was set up to book my hunt for spring of 2011. He told me that he has had a 100% success rate for the past few years and that they even offered housing for hunters. I mailed him my deposit to book my hunt for this up coming spring and lock my spot for the time period of when I would like to start my hunt. Capt. Billy is a stand up guy and comes highly recommended. Feel free to click on the link on the left to see what they have to offer. From turkey, gator, even deep sea fishing trips Deep South Outfitters does it all. I’m very happy with my choice and can’t wait for my hunt.

Keep checking back to follow along on what all you need to do for planning your out of state hunt. I will cover everything from getting you firearm and gear to your destination, to planning everything needed for your up coming hunt.