Although Kentucky does offer some fine public hunting, most of the state's ground is privately owned, an ideal situation in which to establish lodges catering to big buck hunters. Whitetail Creek Outfitters, for instance, opened for business in 1998. Outfitter Butch McElwain quickly booked 13 hunters through word of mouth. McElwain has operated several motels through the years - he still owns one in Aurora - so he knows how to take care of clients. McElwain's also a well-respected fly fishing, turkey, elk and whitetail guide. He's taken many fine archery bucks himself and a few years ago his son, Sean, bagged a Boone and Crockett ten-pointer when he was just 11 years old. This year, Sean connected on a 147-class B & C buck with his bow. But back to Whitetail Creek Outfitters.
Everyone who booked with McElwain this past year saw bucks. Two killed deer, but nothing outstanding. All re-booked. That says something about the quality of this hunt and the size bucks they were seeing. McElwain said 60 percent of his hunters saw trophies. Two shot at large bucks and missed. One archer missed a big ten-pointer at 20-yards, the other hunter missed with a rifle. A huge non-typical came to within........(continued)
