Here is your chance to share a hunting camp and deer hunt with Jim Shockey! Jim will join his friends Gregg Ritz of Thompson/Center Arms and PGA Tour golfer Frank Lickliter II for a muzzleloader deer hunt near Sturgis, Kentucky, in December 2008. Only eight (8) hunters will have the opportunity to reserve a spot on this hunt, which will be filmed for “Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures” TV show, as well as T/C’s “Game Trails” television show. Hunt details can be found below. Any additional questions can be directed to our hunt manager, Jim Bissenden, at sales@jimshockey.com or by calling (250) 715-1030. We hope to see you there!

OVERVIEW:
Game Trails Lodge is located in the rolling hills of northwest Kentucky in a small, farming town named Sturgis. Sturgis is situated just an hour north of Paducah, KY in the counties of Union and Crittendon. The farm consists of 12,000 contiguous acres and is the largest private land holding in the entire state. Four and one half miles of the Ohio River form the western edge of the property bordering Illinois. The farm has some of the most diverse habitat in Kentucky. Flat farmland gives way to rolling hills and pastures. The Tradewater River originates at the Ohio and forms an oxbow through the center of the property. The 14 miles of the Tradewater River serves as excellent river-bottom habitat for the deer.

KENTUCKY:
Kentucky is a sleeper state when it comes to giant whitetails. The number of whitetails taken last season set a single-season record for Kentucky, with 116,450 reported to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. A phenomenal 43 hunter-taken trophy bucks that qualified for listing in the Boone & Crockett Club trophy records were reported taken from the Bluegrass State from last season. Kentucky’s herd quality is truly among the elite in the world.

LODGING:
A newly built bunkhouse has spacious double rooms that all have private bathrooms. Your comfort is important to us, and semi-private rooms allow our guests to relax and recover from the rigors of hunting. A comfortable lodge allows hunters to kick back and share their hunts while a chef prepares hot lunches and dinners. If a hunter prefers to stay out all day, we will make bagged lunches for the field. Each evening our hunters gather in the entertainment room to share the activities of the day. Mark, our General Manager, makes it a point to talk to each hunter during the evening to assure every hunter is being well taken care of.

HUNT TECHNIQUES/TACTICS:
We have divided the farm into four 3,000-acre sections, and each guide is responsible for his own area. Our hunts are all two-on-one guided and only two hunters ever going into an area during a hunt, so we can keep the pressure at an absolute minimum. Where else in the Midwest can you hunt and have 3,000 acres of prime, highly managed deer habitat and only share it with one other person?!
We have found that the key to harvesting big bucks is low impact and regular changes in stand locations. Each guide has developed a minimum of 50 stand locations in his designated area to give the hunter plenty of opportunities to move during a hunt to combat changing conditions.

HARVEST GUIDELINES:
Genetically the farm produces deer that score over 200 Boone and Crocket inches. We have genetic traits for main frame 12-pointers, split G2s and kickers off of the tines. Long G2s and G3s (12+ inches) are also a common genetic trait. An average 2-year-old buck will make P&Y and an average 3-year-old will score over 140. Under our strict Quality Deer Management program gun and muzzleloader hunters must adhere to a minimum gross score of 145 Boone & Crocket inches.

HUNT PRICE:
Four full hunting days: $8,000 USD. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to our non-profit partner, Camp Patriot, supporting disabled military veterans. Price includes food and guide fees, lodging and all transportation while hunting. Not included: Licenses, travel, gratuities. Deposit: A $4,000 USD deposit (one-half the hunt cost) is required to hold a date. This deposit is non-refundable unless the hunter can find a replacement. The balance of the hunt price is due September 1, 2008.