|
Private Deer/Hog/Turkey Ranch Hunt Hill Ranch Sport Hunting/Fishing Gainesville,AL Guided Hunting Trips
Guided Hunting Trips Manufacturer: Private Deer/Hog/Turkey Ranch Hunt
Private Deer/Hog/Turkey Ranch Hunt Model: Hill Ranch Sport Hunting/Fishing Gainesville,AL
Review Category: Guided Hunting Trips
Purchase: I started a Yahoo search for a private land deer and hog hunt for my son and I in November of 2003. I found the search engine results for several Alabama outfitters and researched all of them. I ended up choosing Hill Ranch, AL, because the manager, Burt Fuller, did not charge me for my 12 year old son. All of the other outfitters charged full price or almost full price for a child.
Things I like about the Private Deer/Hog/Turkey Ranch Hunt Hill Ranch Sport Hunting/Fishing Gainesville,AL: My son Michael shot his first deer, a button buck, on the first afternoon of our first day of hunting. I shot a second button buck on our second and last day of hunting. Even though we never saw a set of antlers in two days of hunting the tracks told a different story. We liked Hill Ranch because Burt did everything from guide service to area guide to meat processing with a Christian spirit.
What I don't like about the Private Deer/Hog/Turkey Ranch Hunt Hill Ranch Sport Hunting/Fishing Gainesville,AL: The only two things I did not like and my son did not like was the fact that the 'Lodge' did not have any form of communications...no phone, no sat tv, no cellular coverage (remote AL country). We also had concerns on a couple of the climbing stand alone stands. We thought the stands could have been a little larger and had better seating.
Hill Ranch Sport Hunting/Fishing Gainesville,AL quality: The 'Lodge' is a partially renovated 1880 antebellum two story home. Very rustic and the only modern conveniences are the kitchen, bathroom and beds. We liked it because it was so quite and peaceful. Our transportation to and from the lodge was provided by Burt in a 2000 Chevy X-Cab 4x4. We also were transported in some areas by a Polaris 6x6. We had state of the art Cobra communicators
Hill Ranch Sport Hunting/Fishing Gainesville,AL summary: This was Hill Ranch's first year of commercial operations. They are a commercial catfish farm trying to supplement their income with private hunters. Since half of the 3,000 acres is dedicated to either catfish farming or grazing land for cattle the amount left for deer and hog is small. The small number of hunters allowed is attractive to me and my son. Since we never did see any 'bucks' with antlers in the middle of the rut (January 2004) we were concerned at the end that we might be hunting on land that was being overharvested. Mr. Burt does have tracker cameras out and he claims to be managing a good size herd. None of the stands overlooked any of the supplemental feeders with a direct shot...big dissappointment for both of us. I enjoyed cooking all of my meals and even though the lodge was 2 miles from the land Michael and I enjoyed the solitude. Hill Ranch is probably not the type of guided hunt opportunity for anyone seeking a trophy rack or expecting someone else to cook for them. It is, however, a very peaceful and quite environment enabling a fantastic father and son bonding moment. We will never forget our first private land hunt and hope to visit again in the future.
Rating for this Private Deer/Hog/Turkey Ranch Hunt product: 4
Author of this review on Private Deer/Hog/Turkey Ranch Hunt Guided Hunting Trips: Stephen J.P. Ingley, CW4, USA-Ret.
Date: 2004-01-26
Usefulness Rating: 4.41667 out of 5.
24 reader(s) voted.
This Private Deer/Hog/Turkey Ranch Hunt Guided Hunting Trips review brought to you by Hunting & Fishing Gear Review!
|
|
