HUNTING GUIDES AND HUNTING OUTFITTERS
As I travel to different areas of the United States and Canada to hunt whitetails I am always amazed at the diverse habitats different regions of the country have to offer. Since I personally had never hunted North Carolina I was looking forward to my hunt with Northeastern Hunting Outfitters. So in March of this year I called a friend of mine, Brian Lietzel, and asked him to join me. Brian had never hunted with a whitetail outfitter before and looked forward to the affordable and convenient hunt. Being from Pennsylvania it was refreshing to go on a hunt not having to deal with airports, customs, passports etc. Being located in northern North Carolina only an hour’s drive off of Interstate 95 makes Northeastern Outfitters a very easy location to reach from almost anywhere in the Eastern United States.
We arrived in camp on Sunday October 23, 2005 the day prior to my 5 day hunt. Lodging and accommodations were handled between two mobile homes (pictured in the article). A large commercial dining hall was being completed and opened when we ended our week Hot showers, satellite television and home cooked meals gave you all of the comforts of home. Our group consisted of a total of eight hunters for the week with two additional for the first three days. One of the gentleman had been returning to the operation for many years and hunts multiple weeks each year
I enjoyed the opportunity of getting to know Mike Bryant and Al Peirce. I also got to learn a lot about their Outfitting business. The abundant North Carolina deer herd coupled with Mike’s hard work in gaining excellent leases allows Northeastern Hunting Outiftters to offer a very diverse hunting package based on what you desire. Regardless if you are looking for a hunt to “fill the freezer” or if you are committed to spend time hunting a trophy buck, Northeastern Outfitters can meet your expectations.
North Eastern Hunting Outfitters has been in operation for 9 years. Currently, they can accommodate up to 12 hunters. They have secured leases on 12 farms totaling over 9000 acres. Over 100 stands are located through out these leases. Stands are a combination of ladder stands, Texas towers, tri-pods and shooting houses. All of the stands appeared to be very comfortable and safe, with many able to accommodate two hunters in the same stand. Stand placement is a variation of fields, swamps and cleared pathways in wooded areas.
The cost for a non-resident North Carolina hunting license is $80.00. With this you get 6 deer tags. You are allowed to harvest 4 does and 2 bucks. In order to accomplish trophy management Mike has set aside 4 farms consisting of 3500 acres as a designated trophy area. On these farms there is an 8-point minimum for harvesting a buck. The program is working very well. In 2005 Mike had between 90 and 100 hunters. So far this season 37 bucks of 8 point or better racks were taken. Keep in mind many of these bucks were also harvested on the non-trophy farms.
I was very pleased with my hunt. The typical hunting itinerary was up at 5:00 am for a continental breakfast and in your tree stand by daylight. Your guide would pick you up between 10 and 11, returning for soup & sandwiches for lunch. After resting for a few hours back in the tree stand by 3:00 pm until dark.
As in any whitetail hunt weather plays a key role in the amount of deer you will see. Windy and rainy weather as a result of one of the many hurricanes this season the first two days kept deer movement fairly quiet. Enclosed stands with roofs were quite enjoyable in these conditions. As the weather improved so did the amount of deer we saw.
Weather also played a factor in the lack of pre-rut conditions. Two satellite bucks chasing does were the only sign of pre-rut. However, my hunting partner Brian Lietzel and I saw a total of seventy-five deer which included seven different bucks. Had the weather cooperated the beginning of the week it appeared obvious we could have easily seen twice that many deer. A total of fifteen deer were harvested during the week including a very nice 5 point by Brian on the last night and a 120 class 8 point by one of the other members. Many tags remained unfilled by the hunter’s choice. Processing of your deer was handled by Al at a very reasonable fee.
I had the distinct pleasure of sharing the week with a father and 12 year old son on his first hunt. Numerous opportunities were observed by the boy during the week to harvest his first deer. I cannot say enough about the way Mike and Al catered to this young man. I watched many late nights spent by Al teaching this young man how to process deer with all of the patients and guidance a parent could ever wish for. Al also took the boy one morning in order for his father to have time to hunt on his own. I truly do not know of another deer operation that caters to youth like Northeastern Hunting. I look forward to taking my son when he reaches that magical age.
Overall, the week for Brian and me was very enjoyable. We had additional opportunities to see bear, turkey, fox and numerous other types of small game while on stand. Although only a week was spent with Mike and Al, the two of them make you feel like they have known you all of their lives. I look forward to returning next season. I can only imagine what a week of good weather and prime rut conditions would be like. Check out Northeastern Hunting for a quality whitetail experience and do not overlook their waterfowl operation. Archery and Muzzleloader hunts are offered, along with, spring gobbler hunting. I can only expect the action would be fast and furious. Combination whitetail/waterfowl hunts are being considered for the future.
Visit their web site at http://www.northeasternhunting.com
Kirk Fox
Huntguide.com
717-692-2511
