I pride myself on being a DIYer, especially when it comes to my hunting. Few feelings match the sense of accomplishment when you harvest an animal without the aid of anyone else.
At least, that’s what we like to think of as hunters.
The truth is we took the knowledge we gained from someone else and applied it to our situation to be successful, and there’s nothing wrong with that fact.
So why is there often such a stigma around hiring a guide?
I think it’s primarily pride. As hunters, we think we’ve got it all figured out. However, after hiring several guides for my hunting adventures, I’ve grown to appreciate the knowledge and experience they have and can share with me.
Now, I plan to pass some of that knowledge on to you to help you see why hiring a hunting guide is a must, even for experienced huntsmen.
They’re An Expert on the Animal You’re Hunting
This should be pretty obvious, but a guide who’s been doing this for any number of years will have insights on the animals that others don’t.
This is the best way for beginners to shave years off their learning curve. While I never officially hired a hunting guide when I first began, my father was my guide, and he taught me countless things about the ducks and big game we were hunting.
As I’ve expanded my knowledge, I find myself wanting to pursue new game animals. While most have similar tendencies, they also have habits specific to the species that a guide will help me quickly identify and provide the best opportunity to harvest the animal.
Hire a guide to gain expertise about the animal you plan to hunt instantly.
They’re An Expert on the Area You’re Hunting
One of the most significant advantages you can have is understanding the terrain, and no one understands an area’s landscape better than somebody who has hunted there repeatedly.
A good guide, like the ones found at huntingtrips.com.au, will let you know what’s happening behind your target so you can safely fire your .270 Rem, or they’ll show you the easiest way to sneak up to the animal while you’re bow hunting, using the topography to your advantage.
Since they’re an expert on your hunting location, they’ll also know where the animals spend most of their time, so you won’t waste your time aimlessly wandering around looking for tracks.
Hire a guide to understand the land better and use it to your advantage while hunting.
You Can Always Learn Something from Everyone
I can’t lie; I’ve hired guides that were a bust, though I wasn’t using huntingtrips.com.au when I did.
However, I still learned something from those hunts. It might have been what not to do, or I might have picked up on something they were doing right, but I didn’t think it was correctly executed.
There is something to learn from every hunt, and if you want to be the greatest huntsman you can be, you must learn from various people. You can obtain many different perspectives on the situation and choose which one works best for that moment.
BONUS Reason!
A bonus reason to hire a guide is because you’re paying them to do most of the work. So, if you don’t have the time to put into scouting and preparing for the hunt, the guide will help with a lot of that.
I enjoy doing a lot of the work, but it’s also nice to have someone split the load with me and take on most of the responsibilities for the hunt.
Hiring a guide doesn’t guarantee success, but it definitely tilts the odds in your favor.
Parting Shots
Hiring a hunting guide is much like hiring a coach; they have experience and knowledge that most people don’t have, so you’ll have a step or two on other hunters this coming season.
If you’ve never hired a guide before, I strongly recommend that you do, especially if you’re pursuing a new species or hunting a new area.
While accomplishing challenging tasks on your own, like harvesting a new species, is terrific, nothing really beats having someone to share those memories with, even if you have to pay them a little to be there!
