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Goose Outfitters West Tx #8261486 05/10/21 02:41 AM
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toolmaker Offline OP
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any recommendations of goose hunting is west tx towards panhandle if this allowed. I've done my searches and have a few narrowed down. Just looking for input. Thanks in advance

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8261766 05/10/21 02:56 PM
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Crooked Wing out of Lubbock.
Been Sandhill crane and goose hunting with em for several years.
Going crane hunting again with em next year.

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8261903 05/10/21 05:36 PM
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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8262019 05/10/21 08:03 PM
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Ive hunted with Stanfield several times. Always been pretty good.


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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8262291 05/11/21 01:33 AM
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I will 2nd Stanfield. Hunted with em several times, always been great for us. Also, they got a podcast called Big Honker podcast. It’s good as well.

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8289236 06/09/21 07:56 AM
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I guided hunts out of Lubbock for 6 years. Started an outfit over twenty years ago that is still in operation today. I have been out of the game for a long time but I am not sure if I would recommend anyone come to Lubbock at this point. When I was doing it there were two really respectable full time outfitters and ocassional weekend warrior / college kid outfits that would pop up from time to time. Now I think there are something like twenty outfitters here and there aren’t enough birds to support that. Everyone I knew who was guiding back then has got out because it is a circus. Back in the day it was kind of like a hidden treasure. Might have better luck a the Knox city area these days I don’t know. One can still have good hunts around Lubbock but it isn’t nearly as consistent as it once was.

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8289323 06/09/21 12:34 PM
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I will 3rd Stanfield. I have used them with success and will return next chance I get.

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: Sewer rat] #8289351 06/09/21 01:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Sewer rat
I guided hunts out of Lubbock for 6 years. Started an outfit over twenty years ago that is still in operation today. I have been out of the game for a long time but I am not sure if I would recommend anyone come to Lubbock at this point. When I was doing it there were two really respectable full time outfitters and ocassional weekend warrior / college kid outfits that would pop up from time to time. Now I think there are something like twenty outfitters here and there aren’t enough birds to support that. Everyone I knew who was guiding back then has got out because it is a circus. Back in the day it was kind of like a hidden treasure. Might have better luck a the Knox city area these days I don’t know. One can still have good hunts around Lubbock but it isn’t nearly as consistent as it once was.


Thats what I have heard as well.


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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: 2flyfish4] #8289488 06/09/21 04:00 PM
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Lubbock still has awesome bird numbers . Lots of guides . But there are still great outfits that shoot their birds day in and day out . Just do your homework when it comes to going on a guided hunt for any species !

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8290425 06/10/21 01:34 PM
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I go about every 3rd year with Blackfoot out of Lubbock. Have always been good hunts for both cranes and geese.


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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8290608 06/10/21 03:53 PM
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Blackfoot is one of the originals out there and have consistently been a great Guide Service.

I heard Brian recently sold his service and moved to Alaska. Not sure who he sold it to confused2

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8290687 06/10/21 04:58 PM
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Blackfoot was great. Brian did sell and move to Alaska. I have spent dozens of days in the field with him in Texas and Canada and no one I have met worked harder to put people on birds. I have no idea who he sold it to and if the quality of hunts is still there or not.

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8290923 06/10/21 08:05 PM
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[/align][align:right]
Blackfoot is still carrying on with business like it always has . Had to change the name a little bit but still the same Blackfoot . www.blackfootoutdoors.com

Last edited by migr8tr; 06/10/21 09:12 PM.
Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8291630 06/11/21 02:14 PM
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I'm the world's worst with names so I don't remember the name of the owner last time we went out with them in Dec of 2019. We had 3 great hunts with them that trip. Owner took us out on the last hunt and brought his young son out with him. Kid was maybe 5 or 6. I was a little worried at first but that kid was worth the price of admission alone. He worked his tail off!

He was setting up and picking up decoys, walking 1000 yards across a field to get birds up. Taking the dogs out to get cripples. And the whole time, he was giving the younger guides hell and talking trash like he was 40 years older, but it was all clean and appropriate for a young kid.

Don't know who that kid was but need to find him in 15 years when he's guiding on his own. If he keeps learning and keeps that work ethic up, he's gonna be a hell of an outfitter.


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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: migr8tr] #8294034 06/14/21 11:51 AM
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Originally Posted by migr8tr
[/align][align:right]
Blackfoot is still carrying on with business like it always has . Had to change the name a little bit but still the same Blackfoot . www.blackfootoutdoors.com


The business still exists but is under new ownership. I have no idea if the new operation is as good as the old one or not but it definitely isn’t ran by the same guy so saying it is the same isn’t exactly right.

The new owner / operator may be awesome and offer the same high quality hunts or he may not. I don’t know but he has some big shoes to fill. A guide service isn’t like a McDonald’s in that they are all pretty much the same regardless of who is running it. How things are done and the quality of the hunts really depends on who is running it and has very little to do with a name they bought.

Again I am not trying to bash the new ownership or say anything bad about them or recommend someplace else. I have been out of the game over a decade. I’m just saying don’t assume a hunt with them now will be like ones in years past. It might be better, it might be worse, but one way or another it will likely be different as someone else is running the show.

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8294122 06/14/21 01:22 PM
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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8294316 06/14/21 05:09 PM
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I can tell you that Derek does a great job. He be learned from the best. Lol
He worked for me for 10 years and then Brian.
Gumbeaux if you hunted with the owner in 2019 that was Derek and his son.


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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8294468 06/14/21 08:08 PM
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We used Tejas a couple years ago. They worked their tails off to put us on a good hunt. Weather was terrible the first day, but we still limited out both days... [Linked Image]
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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: aggiegadwall] #8296327 06/16/21 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by aggiegadwall
I can tell you that Derek does a great job. He be learned from the best. Lol
He worked for me for 10 years and then Brian.
Gumbeaux if you hunted with the owner in 2019 that was Derek and his son.



Yep, it was Derek, I remembered the name when I saw it. He send me a note on here thanking me for the kind words. They were well deserved. Great outfitter.


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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8298414 06/18/21 04:49 PM
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Just a couple from last season .

Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: Sewer rat] #8300599 06/21/21 06:45 AM
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As was posted about the Lubbock area....Definitely is the case. Very sad to see it go this way also. Waaaay too much pressure on the birds...

Last edited by USscott; 06/21/21 06:47 AM.

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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: USscott] #8301195 06/21/21 11:02 PM
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Originally Posted by USscott
As was posted about the Lubbock area....Definitely is the case. Very sad to see it go this way also. Waaaay too much pressure on the birds...


Agreed. It's only going to get worse. Social media was the kiss of death for that area. The best is when outfitters cry about people ruining their hunts and the pressure when its their daily social media posts that are the biggest driving factor behind the pressure. confused2

The only thing that could maybe save it in my opinion would be a severe drought (3+ years) to kill off a bunch of the "outfitters".


Originally Posted by garrett
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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: john paul] #8301309 06/22/21 01:34 AM
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Originally Posted by john paul
Originally Posted by USscott
As was posted about the Lubbock area....Definitely is the case. Very sad to see it go this way also. Waaaay too much pressure on the birds...


Agreed. It's only going to get worse. Social media was the kiss of death for that area. The best is when outfitters cry about people ruining their hunts and the pressure when its their daily social media posts that are the biggest driving factor behind the pressure. confused2

The only thing that could maybe save it in my opinion would be a severe drought (3+ years) to kill off a bunch of the "outfitters".


Social media has ruined a lot of things and has possibly permanently altered a lot of young folks minds at a level I don't think we even fully understand yet. But I digress. (And yes, I realize this is social media.)


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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8301380 06/22/21 02:37 AM
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I think a few things that could save it are.
1. Not allow guides to hunt/shoot when guiding a party.
I think this will cut alot of guys out immediately, they are there to shoot ducks and geese. If they can't do that anymore , have to put all the work in to only call the shots they will quickly move on. In texas fishing guides can not keep a limit of fish while guiding a party, not sure why hunting would be any different.

2. Only allow a certain number of guides in a particular county or zone.
Common practice in alot of states. The dept of wildlife dictates how many guide license will be distributed per area, you have to qualify for the license and once its yours you can renew every year. If you want to become a guide you have to wait till a guide license becomes availible.

3. Price the fly by night guides out with significant guise license fees and regulations.
If they are taking a public resource they need to pay into the system, plus pass background checks, plus be cpr certified and have basic life saving training.

I think #1 would be the quickest and easiest way to clear some folks out with not getting alot of government involvement


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Re: Goose Outfitters West Tx [Re: toolmaker] #8301387 06/22/21 02:42 AM
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But what is going on in Lubbock is going on in alot of places. The texas coast is over run with fishing guides, look at all the fishing guides on texoma and lake fork. I would never go to Arkansas for a snow goose hunt bc of all the guides its a crap shoot if your guide will have access to a field that is actually holding birds. You can easily go on with examples of areas that have to much pressure


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