Outfitter Review - CIO Outdoors

Outfitter Information

Outfitter Name: CIO Outdoors

Outfitter / Contact: Dick McCormick/Leo Smith

Location: Illinois, USA

Hunt Information

Animals Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: pitiful

Game Quantity: VERY few

Accomodations: lawn chairs

Camp Condition: equipment?

Food Quality: awful

Guide Experience: decent, only one for four hunt

Other Personal Experience: nobody else

Review Information

Hunter: Sam Allen

Phone: 817-637-2340

Email:

Would Recommend: absolutely not

Overall Impression: waste of time and money

I booked two hunts, my dad and I, with Dick McCormick to hunt the Jersey farm, this farm was recommended by both him and Leo Smith. After hearing all about this outfitter on all the hunting shows, magazines, even QDMA I figured if I was going to do an outfitted hunt these guys would be the best. I was told that this property was near a small city and was college land, but the deer were used to humans, BS. We drove from Kansas to Illinois, and got to the house finally after driving past it since they didn't have the sign out. We unloaded our stuff to see that the furniture was lawn chairs and mattresses on the floor. Not what you would expect for a paid hunt. The accommodations or lack there of were fine, we were ready to get out and hunt some monsters.Well the first day I sat all day and saw four deer, no bucks, and nothing in range.Second day more of the same, hunted a ground blind in the evening but had to move it because someone from the college complained, no deer offering shots. Haven't seen a racked buck, maybe 1 or 2 spikes and fork horns.Third day, sat all day and had very little action until 4:20 when I had two joggers come underneath my stand on the trail I'm hunting, I ask them to go another way. Then at 5:30 I have two mountain bikers come down the same trail, I ask them to go another way, they ignore me and continue on the trail. Didn't see any deer that evening.Fourth day, in the morning I have 3 people and a dog come underneath my stand at 10:00. Saw a few deer that morning still no bucks to speak of. That evening hunted a stand and finally saw some deer, two bucks that might push 100 and one that was half a mile away that looked decent, maybe 140.My last day the guide decided to put me in a stand, 1 mile from where I saw the buck the evening before. Didn't see anything, felt like the woods were dead. Got down and started walking out at 9:30 when I noticed a blood trail! This was not from any of there hunters either. That evening I hunted a ground blind near where that buck was and saw a few deer. Had some does come in close right at dark and was going to shoot one but could hardly see my pins.The stands were awful, tiny seats, and ripped up pads. Most stands didn't have bow ropes or hooks. I have tried to contact Dick or Leo and neither one will respond to me. I still receive spam emails about rebooking for next year on one of their "trophy managed properties"So many other things went wrong on this hunt and I'm sure I've left some things out.This outfitter is advertised on all the hunting shows and magazines and one thing is for sure if your names not Waddell, Lakosky, Gregory, Kisky or any other big name television star you won't be in for a good hunt.They are also known as Central Illinois Outfitters, or McCormick Management, and their top property is The Grigsby.

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