Why a Guide?

It was 7:30am on a Tuesday morning when I rolled out the door, coffee in hand. I was on my way to Malone to meet up with my partner in crime for the day and his trusty hunting dog. Gray skies and periodic sprinkles dampened down the robust colors of the fall foliage but nothing was going to dampen down my excitement for this day's adventure. Bouncing around in my head were some of the conversations I had had leading up to this day. Some of my friends thought I was crazy to be spending my money on this kind of trip, but to me it was well worth it. Once I was at my buddy's house we transferred my shotgun and other hunting supplies over to his car, loaded up his beloved hunting dog Max and headed out of town deeper into the backcountry. We pulled into the small parking area on the back forest road just inside the Adirondack Park. The pickup truck we were told to look for was already sitting there. This is where we met our hunting guide for the day, Chris. We made small talk for a few minutes and then, like the flip of a switch, Chris went right into guide mode. Sitting on the tailgate of his truck we first had a quick safety meeting. We discussed any medical emergencies that could arise, then we talked about where we were and how to get out of the forest and back to the road safely if we needed to. The next thing he did was go over his gun safety expectations followed by a quick look over of our guns. He finished his talk with hunting ethics and what was legal and not legal. After that we got Max ready to go and we hit the trail.

We covered an old logging road for the first half hour. It gave Max a chance to get a feel for the area and us a chance to talk hunting a little bit with our guide. Before we moved into our first cover Chis stopped and gave me a quick preview of his ON X map. All the little X’s on his map showed the locations of where he had seen ruffed grouse and woodcock so far this season. I was amazed at just how many marks he had saved in such a short amount of time. It was quite obvious at that point that he knew this state forest quite well and we were in good hands.

We slid into the woods quietly with only the jingle of Max’s bell breaking the silence. We split up about 20 yards apart and softly walked across the forest floor as Max went to work. Max zigged and zagged through the landscape, nose to the ground looking for scent. Off in the far distance the distinct sound of a ruffed grouse could be heard taking flight. Our guide gave a quick yell “BIRD” as we all stopped in our tracks. Chris then took note of the direction we heard it in and we started walking again. Our guide worked his way back and forth between us two hunters sharing stories and techniques. After about a half hour of maneuvering between the hard and soft woods we came back out onto the logging road. We took a quick break and discussed the next cover we were going to move into. Instead of large trees and thick underbrush our next area was covered with grasses and small young growth trees.

The wild grasses swayed in the breeze as we cautiously walked along looking and listening to the landscape around us. Max would range out about 50 yards looking for any scent he could find. Chris took some time and pointed out some rather recent moose tracks and an area where they had been browsing. It was fascinating to learn what to look for and how to identify moose activity. Another quick half hour had passed and again we regrouped back out on a logging road. This time he told us we would be heading into woodcock country.

I’d spent very little time hunting for woodcock so he took some time to explain what kind of habitat they like, what to look for and he explained their migration patterns. He did tell us that we were probably a few days late to find them but he hoped there would be a few stragglers around. He sent me into a thick marshy area. I slowly moved around the deep wet spots and around the downed trees. He called me over to show me woodcock splash(poop) so I would know what I was looking for. For the next 45 minutes we kept our eyes peeled in hopes of finding a remaining flight or two of them. With no luck we regrouped one more time and decided to hunt a couple more covers as we worked our way back to our vehicles. Over ridges and through lowlands we scoured the woods for grouse. Chis would stop us often to take a very close look around us as Max worked hard to find a scent.

Just before the end of our half day hunt our guide stopped us. With an exhausted and disappointed look on his face he apologized for not getting us on to any birds. I shared my thoughts on how it's called hunting and not killing with him. I also explained that my expectation wasn’t to shoot birds but to learn everything that I could in the four hours we spent in the woods together. As disappointed as he was I could tell that he was genuinely happy to hear that we had had a great time. Back at the truck we met his hunting dog and reviewed our day's hunt one more time. We talked about what a joy it was to spend the morning with him in the woods and thanked him again for everything he had taught us. With Max back in his kennel ready for a nap we headed back home. We talked about what a wonderful experience it was to hunt with a guide and how we were looking forward to hunting with Chris again next year.

Why use a guide?

1. A guide's number one priority is the safety of the hunters. Chris was constantly checking in with us making sure we were dry, warm, and able to keep going. This right here is enough to put anyone at ease. It can be a bit stressful to head out into an unknown forest, but knowing that you have someone that is watching over the little details can make you relax and enjoy being in the moment.

2. The knowledge. A guide may not know everything but they sure know a lot. They will take you to places that are known to have the quarry you are after and have great knowledge of the land you will be on. Some state forests are thousands of square acres in size. To hunt an area of that size could take years to learn. With a guide you can be confident that you will be in the right areas. They spend hours in these locations looking for signs. They also know some great strategies and are willing to share everything they know with you. They will truly make you a better hunter.

3. The passion. You will not meet someone with more passion for hunting than your guide. Chris was excited and optimistic every moment of the day. He never stopped going. His attitude for the hunt was contagious. He loved to share stories and show us new things. He 100% believed that every place we hunted we would be in the birds. When people start to get discouraged a guide will keep them focused and excited to keep going.

4. The paycheck. The Adirondacks have a rich history of hunting and fishing guides. Lord knows they don’t do it for fame and fortune. They do it for the love of the outdoors. This is what many of them choose to do for a living. This is what pays the bills and keeps a roof over their heads. You aren’t just paying for the hours spent with them, you are paying for the hours they spend scouting areas in all weather in hopes of giving you a chance at the quarry you are after. Some people may scoff at the fact that you are paying someone to take you around in the woods. But for me, I think these folks are worth their weight in gold. Some may say it's expensive but to know you at least have a good chance of getting something is worth a whole lot to me.

5. The adventure. If you are like me and have a love for the outdoors a guide can take that infatuation to the next level. I spend hours looking over maps and scouring the internet for my next place to explore. With a guide you don’t have to do that. You tell them what you want to do and they make it happen. They share the same lust for adventure as any of us do.

If you are interested in doing an upland game hunt I highly encourage you to check out the Hungry Trout resort online. They make booking a trip with a guide very simple. The guide they hooked us up with was a wonderful person. Full of energy and a willingness to share his knowledge and sense of adventure with us. A guided trip is a tremendous way to have a Northern NY Adventure.

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures

“Make Life an Adventure”