Columbia Blacktail Hunts

Jim Schaafsma of Arrow Five Outfitters updated me on his Columbia blacktail hunts in California's Humboldt and Trinity counties. While his results two years ago were nothing short of fantastic, last year's results were anything but shabby. Of his dozen hunters, eight killed bucks that scored 130 SCI points or higher. These results continue Schaafsma's string of successful seasons during which he has produced an inordinate number of trophy bucks for his clients. This year Schaafsma has introduced an innovative pricing plan. He is offering three hunt packages, each with different prices, as a means of satisfying hunters with different hunting objectives. His "Bronze" hunt is priced at $2,000 for five days and includes a management buck. Generally, this means a 2 x 3 or similar mature buck, representative of the species. These are simply bucks without the genetics that Schaafsma wants in his herd. Some years ago, I hunted with Schaafsma and saw several of his clients' management bucks. I can say that most hunters in Oregon would be thrilled with a comparable buck. More than half of these bucks will qualify for an SCI Bronze award. His "Silver" hunt is priced at $3,500. Selecting the buck to be shot is the guide's decision. Bucks shot under this program can carry a 3 x 3 or 3 x 4 rack, but don't be misled. In the last two years, a half-dozen of Schaafsma's "Silver" bucks have scored 130 points or more. Two are worth mentioning - one 3 x 3 that scored 148 SCI points, and a 3 x 4 that scored 145 points. That leaves his "Gold" hunts which, of course, entitle one to the best the ranch has to offer. The base cost of this seven-day hunt is $4,000 with a $2,000 kill fee.

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