Alabama Hunting Outfitter and Guide Reviews

Outfitter Review: PA-KO - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Jay Paul Taylor

Hunter: Damian Curtis

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

This was my second hunt with J. Paul and Pa-ko. My first hunt was during bow season 10-16 through 10-19. I was fortunate enough to take two deer and had the opportunity at others "missed". The guides were right on mark as to where they placed us, the deer were everywhere. The stands were easy to located and comfortable to hunt from. My second trip to Pa-Ko was with my wife. Once again I (we) had a absolute blast. The deer population is very abundant and I was able to take the biggest deer of my life. The accommadations are first class and perfect for the family atmosphere. All of the shooting houses were comfortable and could easily hold two. Pa-ko really caters to the clients needs. If you have a need they will, find a way to provide it. They provided items such as heaters for the shooting houses and one of the guides even provided his personal gun for one of the clients.I have been deer hunting a greater part of my life, and have never witnessed the wildlife that Pa-Ko has. For the turkey hunters its a must. I saw over 40 birds during my second hunt and herd them every siting. As for the quail they too are very abundant. Jay Paul, his wife Rita and the rest of Pa-Ko offer a true southern outdoor adventure.Thanks PA-KO for teh hunt of a lifetime,Damian L. Curtis

Outfitter Review: White Oak Plantation - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Bo/Robert Pittman

Hunter: Dudley Shankles

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Bucks

The accomadations are excellent. Bucks and does are young with very few mature animals sighted.White Oak has a monetary fine in place for harvesting immature animals or bucks with less than 8 points or less than 16" spread. Most of the animals do not meet this criteria. Morning hunts are conducted in timber so thick with undergrowth that the maximum shot opportunity would have been 30 to 40 yards. The lodge boasts of having more than 400 stands on 16,000 acres, but most of the stands are ladder type or very poor maintained shooting houses. This is certainly not a hunt with expectations of harvesting a trophy animal.

Outfitter Review: PA-Ko Plantation - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: J. Paul Taylor

Hunter: Gary Williams

Animals Hunted: Whitetail

I have been whitetail hunting for many years and have had some awesome experiences and have some real "huntin" stories to tell. However this past weekend hunting with PA-KO far exceeds any other experience thus far. J. Paul, Rita, Dewayne and the rest of the staff are in a class by their selves. Worth twice the price at any cost.From the time I arrived and was warmly greeted by Rita untill the moment I left not once did I long or have to ask for anything that wasn't provided. I saw and filmed numerous deer and shot the oldest and biggest buck of my life.The accomadations were five star and the food incrediable.The amount of work that has gone into preparation for the hunt is obviously well orchistrated all year. The PA-KO I went to everyone was extreemly safety concious and the hunting plan was very well thought out and planned before each hunt. Each stand was well placed and very safe. I am returning in January with my wife and will book atleast two trips in 2004.Thank you J. Paul for the Greatest hunting adventure in my life to date.

Outfitter Review: Pa-Ko - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Jay Paul

Hunter: Rick Loan

Animals Hunted: Deer

The weather and accomodations were great. The plantation workers were very nice and accomodating. Our first evening hunt got off to a very bad start and did not improve. The guide clearly had not done his homework. The stands were poorly marked and had not been safety checked this year. I had difficulty finding my stand as did another hunter. One hunter did not find his stand at all. The stands were overgrown with limbs and tree trash. I missed a shot at the only nice buck that I saw because of limbs overgrowing the stand. Another hunter's stand was loose against the tree. He had to tighten it down. All the stands that I sat in popped any time that I moved. The next morning the guide still did not have a plan. This lack of plan was pointed out by another hunter. The stands were not marked so he walked each of the six hunters to their stand. He had difficulty finding my partners stand and had to double back and forth across the hunting area. I did not get on my stand until 7:50 AM I saw one spotted fawn. A doe was wounded and trailed by the hunter. The guide did not offer to help track the deer which was never found. This seems unethical to me.The guide complained the entire three day hunt of his aching back and knees. I got on stands twice where the wind was wrong. I knew it was wrong because the previous day I saw where the deer were coming from. The next day the wind had shifted. The guide should have caught the wind shift and directed me to another stand. If I had been more familiar with the area, I would have realized the wind shift and wrong stand placement.The owner tried to help the guide get people on their stand. However, his gas powered golf cart ran out of gas. He had to call the guide to bring more gas.My biggest concern was safety! There was no safety brief. The guide did not identify property lines when placing hunters near a property line. He did not have a good feel for where each hunter was going so that he could keep people apart. Communication within the plantation people was inadequate. The owner's wife drove her golf cart into the immediate area of a hunter. She was honking the horn and calling her dogs that were running with her.Six hunters and three days. Results: 3 does, 1 button buck.I did my part preparing for this hunt. I shot my bow all summer long in all conditions. I inventoried my equipment and checked it for safety. An outfitter needs to do his preparation work too.Pa-Ko clearly has the deer and great accomodations. However, conditions must be perfect for a safe and successful hunt at Pa-Ko. The guide basically dropped us on a road and hoped for the best. A gun hunt would be out of the question for me.

Outfitter Review: Water Valley Lodge - AL

Outfitter / Owner: Jake Pia

Hunter: jeff Herrington

Animals Hunted: whitetail

I visited the lodge 2 times last season once with my seven year old son. Who took 2 deer. We saw over 10 rack bucks in 3 days 6 over 15" and we saw these 6 at the same time in the same food plot. My son still talks about that almost daily. The people are very friendly and family orientated I had second thoughts about carrying my young son thought he might not fit in or be in a rough suitition, however this was not the case. they treated my son with the same respect as myself, He is already packed ready for this years hunt. thank you very much

Outfitter Review: Water Valley Lodge - AL

Outfitter / Owner: Jake Utsey

Hunter: Steve Henderson

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer / Turkey

I chose an outfitter that I could drive to and hunt an area thats rut is starting after our season is over. Jake and his crew showed my son and I many different types of terrain to hunt.I found the guides to enjoy seeing the clients getting a big deer. They offered suggestions about gear and wear to spot deer.My son and I enjoyed their company and enjoyed the hunt a great deal.I am currently signed up for my fourth visit.

Outfitter Review: Water Valley Lodge - AL

Outfitter / Owner: Jake/Pia Utsey

Hunter: Lee Wilson

Animals Hunted: whitetail

hunted at water valley in Jan 2003. Guides were knowledgeable and friendly. Saw a lot of game-hunted in trophy area-but chose to pass on several deer. Accomodations were first class and food excellent-served with a smile. Very friendly, hardworking folks that go out of their way to make sure you have a good time. Rules of the hunt spelled out in advance-no surprises and no hidden cost.I will be back and will recommend it to my friends. Lee Wilson

Outfitter Review: Water Valley Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Jake Utsey

Hunter: Morris T Yates

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

I hunted the last week of December, 2002.I was driven to within 1/4 mile of where I was to hunt and given general directions as to where the stand was located and told that if I couldn't find it with a flashlight, then wait until daylight and look some more and should be able to see it. Found it accidentally because it wasn't where I was told it would be.Saw 9 does & 9 turkeys before the so-called "guide" came walking through the woods to bring me a peanut butter sandwich for lunch as I planned on staying in the stand all day. Saw no more deer. Day 2, finally found another stand with bad directions as to where it was ( located after daylight and still not sure if it was the one that the "guide" gave directions to ). I didn't see any deer that morning but I did get to see 2 hounds running all around my stand all morning. I had planned to stay on stand all day again but didn't see the point due to the dogs. Got out and waited for the "guide" to bring my sandwich and told him that I wanted to hunt another area, without dogs, for the afternoon. He was gald to oblige and promptly took me to another stand that was located in a field that was located within 400 yards of a house. Didn't see anything except the fireworks display from the house that started sometime after 4:30 and ended just before dark ( guess they ran out of fireworks ). I was picked up well after dark and returned to the lodge at which point I decided to end my pain and just go home.There were over 20 hunters in camp during my ordeal and the success ratio was approximately 10-15%. Some of the hunters came from as far away as West Virginia and left with nothing to show for their long drive.If this had been my first experience with a "guided" hunting operation, I probably wouldn't book another, but fortunately I have had better experiences in Texas and will never hunt in Alabama again. To this day, I'm still trying to figure out where those great quantities of deer are located that I read about in a Buckmasters Magazine article about Water Valley Lodge.

Outfitter Review: White Oak Plantation - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Bo Pittman

Hunter: Neil Malek

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

My family hunted with the Pittmans two years, 2000 and 2002. Because of our schedules, we had to book hunts during the week between Christmas and New Year's both times. The Alabama rut is in mid-to-late January, and that's when a majority of the big bucks are killed.The first year, my brother passed up a good buck the first day and didn't have another opportunity, and my father and I both went without opportunities at legal bucks (8 points, 16 inch inside spread). Weather interfered - mixed snow, sleet, and freezing rain, with high winds every day. Still, there were plentiful does and young bucks, but none of the big boys came out to play. We hunted deep woods every morning, with light luck, and greenfields every evening, with large numbers of deer and the opportunity to see a big buck at any moment.The 2002-2003 season brought us back, and this time we cashed in. My brother scored on a nice 8-point the first evening, and followed it up with a big doe the next evening. I got a tall, thick 9-point the second evening of the hunt. Because you can shoot two does a day in Alabama, you could easily come back with tons of venison; we held off to hunt the bucks, and because we had limited cooler space for bringing it all back.The accomodations are beautiful; private rooms with comfortable beds and great art/photographs on the walls. In our case, we got the separate guest house, with a private living area and kitchen. There is a large living area in the main lodge with great trophies, art, and pictures on every wall; satellite TV to catch up on the games; and card games if you want in the evening. The food was great - hot, home-cooked, and hearty food for all three meals of the day. You will get fat if you don't watch yourself there.Hunting is easy; truck rides down the road in the morning, where you follow ample flagging and reflectors to your ladder stand; evenings brought truck rides to elevated boxes - sometimes with a walk, sometimes right off the road. You will see deer, it's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time for the big boys. The guides know the area well, so you will get opportunities, and always feel like you're on deer.

Outfitter Review: Water Valley Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Jake Utsey

Hunter: Rick Brake

Animals Hunted: White Tail Deer

The price of this hunt is cheep, 1400$ in and outincluding licensing.The guides hate their bossand won't give the client a clue about what toexpect. My opion is that they are trying to run400 hunters per season. Jake is crude and hiswife is not much better. They need to work on their people skills. PS If you shoot a 14" buckon their trophy section...bring extra money. Oryou will have to leave.Rick Brake

Outfitter Review: PA-KO - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: J. Paul Taylor

Hunter: Chuck Brainerd

Animals Hunted: Whitetail deer

I have hunted this outfitter three times, and have two large bucks. Pako has a good magement feeding program with excellence in every area of their operation. This is my second year hunting with Pako and I will make plans to hunt there next year.

Outfitter Review: Tatum Creek Hunting Camp - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Matt Free

Hunter: George Mitchell

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

This was my third trip to Tatum Creek and I plan to make it an annual event. Matt continues to do an excellent job and runs a first class operation. This is evident in the fact that all of his hunters are repeat customers. This year, I hunted during the opening of gun season. During the three days I saw fifty deer. Of these, seven were racked bucks. I took a 135 class nine-pointer during the last evening. In fact, everyone in camp was successful! Another hunter took a 202 lb. five-pointer. If you like to hunt whitetails "southern style," this is the place to go. My thanks to Matt and his family for another memorable hunt.

Outfitter Review: Pa-Ko Plantation - AL

Outfitter / Owner: Jay Paul

Hunter: jay leiws

Animals Hunted: whitetail

my dad and i went there for are first hunt together. we had a little trouble finding the place but once there it was good. the people and the atmosphere there was the best any where. we had to gain 10 pounds before we left our 3 day hunt. food was top knotch. the guides knew what they were doing an where the deer are. but the down fall of my hunt was the first two days i didn't see any deer. not because a lack of deer or guides but just the deer didn't want to move. the 3rd and final day i saw atleast 25 deer 10-15 bucks two shoters but couldn't get a shot off in the morning. went out that after noon and shot a really nice 8 point. they all so have some really good bird hunting. if you have any questions e-mail me www.pa-ko.com

Outfitter Review: Blackbelt Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Fielding/Billy Watts

Hunter: Craig O. Lambeth

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

I said I was going back to Portland Landing because it was so good but the guys from Mossy Oak leased all the land so I searched for another outfitter in Alabama and came up with Blackbelt Lodge which I am very satisfied with. I was there on Jan. 20 for a four day hunt which was in the 70's and low 80's for 3 days and still saw shooter bucks in the 15 to 16 inch inside spread. Had to let one buck walk which was over 16 inch inside spread because I just shot one an hour and fifteen minutes before that. This outfitter is a member of the Alabama deer management program and your buck has to have a 14 inch minimum inside spread or you have to pay a fine if it is too small. All the landowners around their land have the same program or larger on the minimum spread which make some really nice deer.

Outfitter Review: Master Rack Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Steve Maxwell

Hunter: Jim Knowles

Animals Hunted: whitetail

Temps were unseasonably warm for the rut in January and a full moon as well which limited daytime deer movement. I still managed to see 23 deer on my hunt including a shooter buck on their trophy property at 40 yards as well as a couple of other nice bucks. Definitely a dead deer for most rifle hunters but a little out of my bow range. My guide Will, was knowledgeable and worked hard to get me within bow range of a good buck, not an easy task. All the staff were extremely courteous and conscientious. Steve Maxwell is a hands on owner who makes every effort to provide a quality hunt on quality managed property, and a good guy to boot. In my opinion, they are on the right track and the hunting will only get better in the years to come. I would definitely go back.

Outfitter Review: Pine Apple Lodge - AL

Outfitter / Owner: Harold/Lynn Grimes

Hunter: Andrew Hunt

Animals Hunted: Whitetail deer

Had a very good time with Harold, didn't see a lot of shooter bucks, but Harold worked hard to put us on some deer. The lodge is great(it has a lot of character, the website by no means does it justice), you have the whole place to yourself, and they come in and cook your meals ( you don't go hungry..and all of the meals are wonderful southern cooking). We hunted some of the best looking land in South Alabama I have ever hunted. And the best part is, he only takes groups up to six..prefers 3 to 4. This is not like the other camps I have read about on this service in Alabama, Harold and Lynn have a nice operation.

Outfitter Review: Tatum Creek Hunting Camp - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Matt Free

Hunter: George Mitchell

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Matt runs a first class operation and offers an excellent opportunity to get away from the office and enjoy some serious hunting. The property consists of approximately 4000 acres of prime whitetail habitat. A variety of ladder and tripod stands are used. Shooting houses are also available. Every stand that I have hunted from has been comfortable and well placed in areas with plenty of deer activity. On this trip, I saw twenty-four deer over the three days. Eight of these were bucks and I took a 203-pound, six-pointer on the evening of the last day. As for accommodations, the camp house is both clean and comfortable and the food is great…so plan to gain some weight. This was my second hunt at Tatum Creek and I plan to book again next year. Many thanks to Matt for a great hunt. For additional information, please visit www.tatumcreek.com

Outfitter Review: Master Rack Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Steve Maxwell

Hunter: S Ljubicic

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

I have never gone into any hunt expecting too much, but this hunt was really disappointing. Alabama claims to have such a huge population of deer, but after a five day hunt at this lodge, I certainly cannot vouch for this claim. I didn't see any bucks at all and neither did anyone else during the time I was there. None of us saw too many does, either. I hunted this lodge in late December, so I guess I wasn't there for the peak of the rut, but I've hunted in other places around the country when the rut wasn't on either, but I still at least saw a good number of deer. I wish I had known about this website before I booked a trip to Alabama, because it seems like everyones experiences are very similar in that state. They go to one of these lodges and come back very disappointed without even seeing very many deer. Master Rack is a very nice lodge and the food was very good, but the hunting was poor, and that's what will stand out most in my mind. I think these Alabama lodges have had too much hunting on them in recent years that the deer have in my opinion pretty much been shot out. It's funny how these days these lodges all have minimums of 8 points and at least 15 inch spreads! I bet not one of every 50 hunters actually takes a deer like that. My advice would be to look for another state to hunt. Your chances of shooting even a very small buck in Alabama don't seem to be very good at all, to say the least.

Outfitter Review: Portland Landing - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: International Paper

Hunter: Craig Lambeth

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

There are three different lodges here with all seperate hunting areas for each lodge. Portland Landing and Hit-n-Miss lodge are for gun hunting for deer and the Dawson tract is for bow hunting only. I hunted the Hit-n-Miss and this was the best run camp I have ever been at. Everything is geared up for the hunter not the owner. I definitely will be booking here again.

Outfitter Review: Master Rack Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: J.L.Pipkins

Hunter: G. Shields

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Was supposed to be a good place but absolutely wasn't. Extremely low deer population and very low trophy potential. 12 hunters in for OPENING weekend and nobody even saw a good buck over a 3 day hunt. When we called to set up a hunt we were told that success rate was 80% on 8 pt or bigger. This was an absolute lie. The only good part of this hunt was that the food was good. The guides and owner were nice people but they just don't have the deer population to put on what they claim. I wouldn't go back under any circumstances.

Outfitter Review: Sweetwater Lodge - AL

Outfitter / Owner: Alan/John Gentry

Hunter: Bud Meadows

Animals Hunted: Whitetails

I've hunted with Sweetwater 8 or 9 times in the past 8 years. Although I shot a 19" 9 pointer with them in 1996, in my opinion the hunting has deteriorated in the last 5 years. In 2000, I didn't see a single buck, and very few does. In 1999, I shot the only buck our group of 3 guys saw, a small 5 pointer. Didn't see any bucks in 1998 or 1997. Despite the declining quality of the deer herd at Sweetwater, I was still going to hunt a couple of days with them in late January 2001 (their rut). When I tried to book a hunt with Alan Gentry, one of the owners, he said they had no openings during the rut. That was the final straw. If this is the way they treat their repeat customers, then I don't need to give them my business anymore. Like a number of lodges in southern Alabama, they're living off their prior reputation.

Outfitter Review: Enon Plantation - AL

Outfitter / Owner: Not Sure

Hunter: Bill Laidley

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Very much a production in running 9 - 12 hunters through planation every 3 1/2 days. Saw many does, but few bucks. Every deer I saw was extremely spooky... too much hunting pressure. I will say that the buck sign around many of the stands I sat in was tremendous (many rubs and scrapes)... just didn't see any. Maybe I just had a bad week (and so did other 9 hunters in my group that week) as as a group we only harvested two does and a small eleven pointer. As far as guides, I don't think that is what you should call young college kids that take/pick you up at the stands. Someone had done some scounting (all the deer sign around the stands had proven that), however there was little strategizing as to why the group wasn't seeing bucks and what to do about it. Overall, the place has potential, I just question the hunting pressure and passiveness of the "guides".

Outfitter Review: Bent Creek Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Leo Allen/Johnny Lanier

Hunter: Casey Johnson

Animals Hunted: Whitetail deer

My friend and i were expecting to kill at least a 13 or 14 inch wide buck, but we didn't even see one. i saw 3 deer and he 7 in three days.They put me in a stand one morning that was on the edge of cut over that had been freshly burned. I was not impressed with their stands, or their guides.

Outfitter Review: Southern Sportsman Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Dave Lyon

Hunter: Daniel Roberts

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

The overall atmosphere was good. Good accomodations and excellent food! It was unseasonably warm(hot) and it rained most of the time. I saw 4 deer in 3 and a half days, no bucks. There were 18 hunters in camp and only one buck and 3 doe were brought in. No one was seeing any deer. Everyone was frustrated. I realize that the weather was very bad, but if there had been as many deer as was advertised, there would have been more deer sighted. I feel that the advertised success rate is greatly inflated! I got the impression that the same stands were being hunted everyday, without a rest. I also got the impression that the staff of SSL puts more emphasis on the Buckmasters Classic being successful than it does the average hunter. There was an impressive collection of celebrity photos (all with big bucks)lining the walls of the dining room. SSL seemed to be rather proud of them. Several hunters felt that they did not get their moneys worth. I will not be going back there. I would not recommend this lodge to anyone, unless they are a nationally known celebrity! 4 deer in 3 and a half days is not enough!

Outfitter Review: Redoak Plantation - AL

Outfitter / Owner: Matthew Pittman

Hunter: RALPH LLANO

Animals Hunted: WHITETAIL DEER

MY PARTNERS AND I HAD A GREAT TIME AT REDOAK, THE PITMANS ARE EXTREMELY HOSPITABLE AND KNOW THEIR HUNTING AREAS WELL. OUT OF THREE HUNTERS IN MY GROUP TWO TROPHY DEER AND ONE BOBCAT WERE TAKEN.WE ALSO SAW MANY YOUNGER BUCKS WHICH IS A VERY PROMISING SIGN FOR THE FUTURE, SINCE THE PITMANS HAVE A VERY INTENSE TROPHY PROGRAM ON ALL THEIR LAND. THIS IS DEFINITELY A VERY ENJOYABLE HUNT AND MATHEW AND HIS CREW WILL GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO SEE YOU ARE ENJOYING YOUR HUNT.

Outfitter Review: Master Rack Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: Jay L. Pipkins

Hunter: Philip G Schuster

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

This was billed as a top ranked hunt in Alabama. Paid 2000.00 for 5 days of guided stand hunting. Some days the outfitter had up to 20+ hunters at the lodge. He hunted the same stand sites repeatedly, never resting the areas. This was evident by the deer always stepping out and looking directly at the stand you were in irregardles of range or wind conditions. With at least 45-50 hunters in and out over the course of the week, nobody took a trophy deer. 1 small 8 point was taken that scored around 75-80 B&C.This was the poorest quality hunt I have ever experienced.

Outfitter Review: Southern Sportsman Lodge - Alabama

Outfitter / Owner: ?

Hunter: Scott Inman

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Not a bad hunt, but really didn't meet our party of three's expectations. The Buckmaster's Classic is held here every year and they use that exposure to their advantage. The pictures of past hunts are impressive, but we feel that it is not the same today (at least the last few years based on what we saw and heard). They have a 6 point minimum rule and I shot a nice 7 point. That was the only buck shot the 4 days we were there (15-20 hunters total). As a matter of fact, the hunting party of three that I was with were the only ones to see any bucks and others were very frustrated because they were having a hard time even seeing deer! They boasted about the green fields to hunt over on the 10,000 + acres, but we didn't hunt over good green fields - they weren't very lush/full and the stands went from good sturdy new stands to old shaky stands.The reason I said yes to recommending the hunt is that the atmosphere is good and I believe that you can harvest a real good buck. But do not expect to match the past as they might show and talk to you about, because it looks like those days are gone. It is still hunting! - anything can happen?