Best Hunting Lodges That Won’t Break Your Bank Account
Ready for a hunting experience with virtually guaranteed success, beautiful remote scenery, plus meals and all the trappings made ready for you? Then check out these quality yet reasonably priced hunting lodges. If lesser known, they offer a great experience that will be easier on your wallet.
A lot of hunters new to lodges may not appreciate the importance of booking a suitable lodge for their trip. It can actually completely make or break your experience!
When it comes to choosing the appropriate lodge, consider several factors. For instance, not only the lodge and it’s reputation, you’ll want to consider the location, surrounding area, other things you’ll want to do on the trip, and of course the price. Aside from the quality of service, lodge prices and rates play a crucial role in helping you come to the best decision.
The good news is, you don’t have to spend a fortune to book a great hunting lodge. After all, there are plenty of cost-effective lodges that are also strategically located in excellent hunting areas. To make the process a lot easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best hunting lodges that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.
Horsefeathers Lodge
Pierre, South Dakota
Picture yourself on a fall morning with your saddle scabbards and shotguns, riding a horse across majestic waves of prairie grass. As you look at the flat horizon, you see bison looming on the small, dark hills. Well, this dream can be a reality when you book your stay with Housefeathers Lodge at Pierre, South Dakota! If you’re lucky, you might even be accompanied by lodge owner and expert bird guide Bob Tinker.
Your hunting trip comes with a pair of setters, ranging ahead of the horses. They are sharp enough to catch the faintest whiff of prairie chicken or sharptail grouse. In some cases, hunters have been known to snag what locals refer to as a ‘popcorn flush’. There’s a possibility of getting more than ten birds on a single trip.
Horsefeathers Lodge organizes exhilarating horseback hunts for prairie pheasants and grouse. You can book a trip for September, but Tinker prefers guiding hunts into October when the grouse season is in full swing. Mid-October to December, pheasants are usually more abundant. Early in the season, it is ideal to use horses, but towards December, it is better to hunt on foot.
A quaint yet stunning remodeled barn, Horsefeather Lodge has modern bedrooms, bar, and amenities. It offers a comfortable place for recovering after a day of horseback riding in the prairies.
Rates start from $712.50 per person per day, but packages usually require booking three days at a minimum. Hunting and lodging packages include three days of horseback hunting, meals, snacks, beverages, bird cleaning and packing, guide, dogs, and horses.
Details:
Horsefeathers Lodge
3005 Karen Ct,
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 224-9971
https://www.tinkerkennels.com/
Wilderness Hunting Lodge
Tennessee
Located in the gorgeous foothills of the Cumberland Mountains, Wilderness Hunting Lodge offers exciting wild boar and exotic game hunting experiences. Aside from the trophy mount, you can expect to see spectacular scenery while enjoying the wonderful landscapes in the Tennessee Mountains.
Wilderness Hunting Lodge specializes in organizing Razorback wild boar and Russian boar hunting. The lodge even boasts of having one of the largest populations of exotic games in Northern America. So, you can book your trip with Wilderness Hunting Lodge and go after various animals, including buck, rams, red stag, fallow deer, and axis deer, among many others.
Rates start from $795 per person per day, inclusive of three days lodging, meals, hunting guides, dogs, and license.
Details:
Wilderness Hunting Lodge
553 Cedar Chapel Rd,
Monterey, TN 38574
(931) 839 – 2091
http://wildernesshuntinglodge.com/
Flying Double F Ranch
Vale, Oregon
When Maryland attorney Jim Farmer saw that the covey of valley quail resembling ‘flocks of blackbirds,’ he knew that he’d discovered the perfect place for a bird hunt. After hunting 40 states for upland birds, Farmer decided to buy a ranch in the high-desert, arid country near Vale, Oregon. He liked the area so much that he bought five more ranches. He remodeled the farm-house and added buffer strips with brush piles to improve the already bird-rich landscape. Since then, he has opened his ranch-style lodge to hunters who are after valley quail and pheasants.
What’s great about hunting the area is that the grounds are properly maintained by Farmer. He limits the pressure by resting the fields more often than they are shot. So, guests can expect to see plenty of birds once the season opens. The bulk of the bag is primarily made up of valley quail and pheasants.
Typically, quail, huns, and pheasants gather around the irrigated grain fields. Meanwhile, hunters typically find chukars living in the rocky high ground. On a usual morning hunt, it is likely for you to take all four species. What’s more, Farmer offers excellent bird dogs, but he still encourages hunters to bring their own.
Rates start from $750 per person per day, but non-hunting guests can enjoy prices as low as $200.
Details:
Flying Double F Ranch
2373 Townley Road
Vale, Oregon 97918
(541) 473-3055
(301) 848-1861
https://www.flyingdoublefranch.com/
Taggart Bay Lodge
Quebec, Canada
If you’re after bigger animals like black bear and moose, consider booking your stay at Taggart Bay Lodge in Quebec, Canada. Located near the Ontario Border, this fishing and hunting camp has cabins that can easily pass 5-star ratings. The place is known for its excellent spring bear hunts, as well as great fishing opportunities on the stunning lake Kipawa.
When you stay at Taggart Bay Lodge, you can cover large territories in Quebec for black bear hunting. Over the years, hunters have snagged trophy bears primarily due to the lodge’s baiting technique. After all, when you’re hunting massive territories (1,600 square miles), your chances of success are extremely high.
A lot of people also book their trips with Taggart Bay Lodge for moose hunting. However, you should know that moose is a harder hunt. Because of the animal’s way of life, guides cannot bait them. Moreover, the success of the hunt depends on the weather.
Rates start from $1,695 per person. The package is inclusive of six days of hunting, private cabin, hunting license, boat and motor, tree stand, export tags, access to hunting territories, and antler preparation. The rates are not inclusive of meals.
Details:
Taggart Bay Lodge
Chemin Baie Des Plongeurs
Laniel, Québec
Canada, J0Z 2K0
+1 819-629-7715
http://www.taggartbaylodge.com/
Deer Creek Lodge
Sebree, Kentucky
Of course, our list isn’t complete without including luxury lodging that’s available at an affordable rate. Featuring modern amenities with a warm, comfortable setting, Deer Creek Lodge is an excellent place for recovering after hunting wild turkey, whitetails, and small game. You can spend time with other hunters, recounting your exploits by the massive stone fireplace.
Moreover, luxury does not end with your accommodations. Another way you will enjoy your stay is with the delectable gourmet cuisine that Deer Creek Lodge offers. The lodging’s chef uses the finest and freshest ingredients to artistically prepare your meal. Deer Creek Lodge’s honors and accolades are a testament to its outstanding service and hunting opportunities.
Non-hunting lodging and meal packages start from $300 per person per day. Meanwhile, lodging and hunting packages start from $1,695 per person per day. The one-time fee comes with no-limit hunting for the duration of your stay.
Details:
Deer Creek Lodge
8160 KY-132,
Sebree, KY 42455
270-835-2424
https://www.deercreeklodge.net/
King & Bartlett Fish and Game Club
Eustis, Maine
Guests of King & Bartlett can enjoy a massive hunting area all to themselves. The hunting lodge’s unique selling point is its 39,000 acres of land that is exclusive to their customers. The area is actively logged, so you can expect well-maintained roads. Moreover, there’s plenty of early-succession habitat for woodcock and grouse.
Plan your trip early because the grouse season starts from the first of October towards the end of the year. If your goal is to catch both woodcock and grouse, you should book your accommodation for the second and third weeks of the month. These are the ideal time when flight birds join the natives. King & Bartlett will provide you with Maine-registered guides who will direct you to prime coverts. What’s more, they will cook lunch for you in the woods!
It is worth noting that hunting is not the only reason you’d want to stay at King & Bartlett. This lodge is known for its rich history, and also its fishing. It was founded by Maine’s first governor during the late 1800s. Its guestbook even has Teddy Roosevelt’s signature! Some of the cabins date as back as the founding of the club, but all of the amenities have been updated to modern architectural designs. When the meals are ready, you will hear an antique brass locomotive bell. Once a week, you can feast on classic Maine dishes, including lobster bake, blueberry pancakes, and fresh-baked bread.
16 years ago, this hunting lodge was exclusive to the members of the club. However, its management has started operating it commercially, opening it to the public.
Rates start from $440 per person per day. If you want to reserve group hunting trips or corporate seminars, you can contact the admin office directly to get special rates.
Details:
P.O. Box 500
New Gloucester, Me. 04260
(207) 926-4147
http://kingandbartlett.com
Stasney’s Cook Ranch
Albany, Texas
The rocky, low-lying ridges and the wide-open flats of Shackelford County is home to turkeys, deer, hogs, and doves. Hunters staying at Stasney’s Cook Ranch can get 18 to 20 coveys of wild bobwhites on a good day. You’ll have a great time on their guided trips that come with English or German shorthaired pointers. The dogs have been trained to endure the harsh conditions of the area. After all, everything in Shackelford Country cuts, bites, or stings. So, make sure you pack your full gear!
Feel like an oil tycoon when you dine at the lodge’s Cook Shack. It boasts of classic Texan cuisine, including breakfast bacon, fried chicken, and rib-eye steak. You can experience the rich history of Shackelford country just by staying at Stasney’s Cook Ranch. The ranch has two fully-modern limestone cabins that were patterned after the quarters from the nearby Forts Concho and Griffin.
Hunting and lodging rates start from $600 per person per day. You can also contact them for one- to three-day packages.
Details:
441 S 2nd St.
Albany, TX 76430, USA
(325) 762-2999
http://www.stasneyscookranch.com/
We know that you’re eager to start your hunting trip, so keep our list handy when you book your cost-effective lodge!