HUNTING GUIDES AND HUNTING OUTFITTERS
As my hunting partner Matt Wilbert and I made the drive from Oklahoma City to Enid we were both anxious about our hunt. Neither of us had ever tried for a Whitetail with a muzzleloader before. We checked into our room at the Amerihost hotel chain. Trent currently has a negotiated daily rate of $55.00 per night for all of his hunting clients. After checking in, Trent picked us up at the hotel and took us to lunch a one of the best barbecue places I have ever been to.
We spent over an hour at lunch with Trent and I was able to gain a lot of information about his hunting operation. The thing that impressed me most though, was Trent's honesty and desire to do everything he can to ensure a successful hunt for his clients. The afternoon of our first hunt was also to be opening morning for the Oklahoma duck-hunting season. Waterfowl hunting is their specialty. Currently though, northwestern Oklahoma is suffering from severe drought conditions. Because of all the dried up ponds and creeks, the normal fast paced duck shooting that exists here was just not available. Trent had 15 duck hunters booked for the opening morning, he called them, explained the situation, and weather permitting, rescheduled the hunt for December. To those of you reading this article that are experienced in hunting with Outfitters, you know that integrity and honesty are two of the most important qualities to look for when booking your hunt. Trent could have easily collected the money, took them to a less productive area, and said "Sorry guys, I can't control the weather".
Southbound Waterfowlers is a new outfitting operation. 2001 is their second season for commercial waterfowl hunts, and their first season for commercial whitetail hunting. They have private hunting rights to over 4500 acres of ground. This land is made up of 70% fields with the remaining 30% a combination of timber, thick brush, and creek bottoms. Duck season runs late October through early December. It comes back in season mid December and runs through mid January. Whitetail archery season runs October through December. Muzzleloader season is 9 days in late October and runs through early November. Rifle season is also 9 days and takes place in mid November.
As I stated earlier, the duck hunting you will experience here is some of the fastest paced shooting action you will find anywhere in the Southern United States. In their fist season 95% of Trent's clients bagged out in the first 30 minutes. Goose hunting is also good, with 80% of Trent's clients bagging their geese in the 2000 hunting season. The first photo pictured in the article is a successful goose hunter in the 2001-hunting season.
Oklahoma is also blessed with a very abundant wild turkey population. We saw large numbers of turkeys on our hunt. The habitat, climate, and ample food sources all are contributing reasons for Okalahoma's turkey population being so high and on the rise. So if you are looking to bag a long beard be sure to give Trent a call. Putting you on several turkeys and giving you a shooting opportunity will not be a problem. Turkey hunting packages are available.
After interviewing Trent, Matt and I were eager to begin our hunt. That evening I was placed at a creek bottom overlooking a field, some thick cover, and a feeder. The warm windy weather ended up working against me, and I wasn't able to sight any deer. Matt though was hunting over a wheat field and had a lot better luck. He was able to spot a spike buck, and a small 8-point buck along with several does. As luck would have it, a nice shooter buck did appear in the wheat field but it was too far and too dark to offer a clean shot.
The next morning the wind only got worse with steady 25 to 35 mile an hour winds. Trent and I hunted over a small wooded area overlooking a wheat field where Trent had seen a nice buck the morning before. Matt was placed in a wooded area with a creek behind him and near a feeder in front of him. That morning Matt sighted 2 does. For the evening hunt the wind continued to howl. Matt was overlooking a fencerow between a wooded area and a feeder. I returned to the spot Matt hunted the first evening. I had an enjoyable evening hunt sighting 12 does sneaking in and out of the dense wood cover to and from the wheat field. Matt however wasn't as lucky, the strong wind kept the deer from coming out to feed in the area he was hunting.
The following morning I returned to the feeder area that I had hunted the first morning, while Matt hunted another feeder on the same farm about 1000 yards away. The wind subsided and deer activity increased a little. I saw 4 does, Matt spotted 8 does, but the bucks were proving to be very elusive. That night I again returned to the wheat field where I had seen the 12 does the previous evening. Matt tried a new area, a pond that had a lot of fresh deer tracks leading to and from. Unfortunately I only saw 2 doe, and nothing came out at the pond. The last morning of our hunt I tried a milo field with a feeder strategically placed near a densely covered wooded area. Matt tried his luck in the wheat field that I had tried the first morning. Unfortunately neither of us sited a deer on our final morning.
As anyone who travels and hunts with outfitters knows, hunting at times
can be both tricky and frustrating. Weather always plays an important role.
Even though Mat and I were unsuccessful I am sure that there are a significant
number of quality bucks to be hunted with Southbound Waterfowlers. Trent
is an honest outfitter who will do everything he possibly can to ensure
you have a successful hunt. So no matter if you are looking for a whitetail
hunt, or a fast paced waterfowl hunt, or a turkey hunt be sure to consider
Trent and Southbound
Waterfowlers.
