Shiloh Rifle Forums

Has anyone booked a buffalo hunt through Hawes in Kansas,and were you happy with your hunt?I am not wanting to get a trophy just to have a good time and to come home with some meat and a robe.
Thanks for yout Help

I am booking a hunt with Hawes. First one, would like any responses to your original post.

Read an encouraging article in the Great Falls Tribune that Montana FWP is doing a study to relocate some of the quarantined bison from YNP onto some of FWP wildlife management areas. I hope this becomes reality.

I think his Son Cody is guiding now. The Hawes are great guys, I killed a spike for meat several years ago and can vouch for them. Lee's family history is pretty amazing. I dont know what you are looking for but if you want real period flavor, go for it. If you expect the Hyatt, go elsewhere.
Ed

There was a thread on this forum within the last couple of months on a hunt. Might do a search to find it. If I remember correctly, it wasn't in the hunting section, but I could be wrong.

Having never done this myself I have to ask, are these buffalo shoots or buffalo hunts? I assume you drive or ride out in a fenced in area and are told what animal to shoot and when to do it.
I'm not down on the experience at all but am wondering how much hunting is involved because some of these ranches can cover thousands of acres and much assorted terrain and may very well constitute a hunt. MD

Unfortuntunately hunting in the US is changing very quick. Some species cannot be allowed to run wild, hogs for example. The farmers would be very upset. The bison in the Eastern part of the country would soon lose their appeal. Even deer hunting where I live is nowhere what it was when I was younger. My grandson would rather play video games than freeze his behind off and not see a deer. I guess progress has it's price

Deer hunting now, is about 100 times better than it was when I was a kid - at least if hunting is measured in terms of animals seen or killed. Very few places where deer hunting, or ungulates in general are worse now than they were 30-40 yds ago (assuming that a parking lot has not been planted there now).

mdeland,

Having never done this myself I have to ask, are these buffalo shoots or buffalo hunts?

It just depends on what is advertised and offered. Read the fine print.

We've never offered "hunts" but have plenty of responses when we offer "buffalo shoots".

Hawes Outfitters in Dodge City offers exceptional "hunts".

you drive or ride out in a fenced in area and are told what animal to shoot and when to do it.

yeah...pretty much as to 'which' animal...but not when.

Iff'n you think shooting a 'selected' animal in a herd is easy...okay....It is not.

Finding the right animal in a herd that constantly mills around, offers a head shot for a brief moment, worried that a miss or pass thru will kill or wound an untintended behind it, and knowing a wounded animal will not offer another shot....is tough.

For us, it's more of a case of instant markmanship and being a humanitarian....than hunting.

Lately, we haven't offered any 'shoots'...we do it ourselves.

I have taken eight bison this year....I'd rather not do it.....but I prefer to know that my animals go humanely.

We have two exceptional bulls that need to go in the next year or so...we may offer them....or not.

Regards,


HPS

Brent, don't hunt deer on public ground in the Northeast, you might be dissappointed.

Thanks for the detailed info guys, not having any experience at it I wanted to know the specifics of what is actually evolved and I can see shooting the right animal in a milling herd would indeed be a challenge.
Caribou are very hard to kill individually in a herd as well because they really move and switch positions often. Many are wounded with through and through shots and some people are not very careful about back ground clearance. There are just a lot of poor shots now days as few take the time to get proper marksmanship training , practice with their arms and sight them in before they go afield. MD

Guys, you might want to check out P Cross Bar Ranch in Wyoming too.
Just google it.
ODS

Haws in Kansas:
Been their twice and had a great hunt,Cody is a stright up guy .He does the guiding and also the skinning.This is a real go back in time hunt.It's a great & reasonable hunt .You get the meat the head and also the hide. the hide makes a fine rug or cape.Go for it .