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Arizona & New Mexico Outfitters & Guides
Shooting across a big canyon in the prone position is our typical hunting style.
About Us Arizona Guided Hunts is a licensed and insured outfit offering hunting trips nearly statewide in Arizona, as well as on some lands in New Mexico. The outfitter is permitted to operate on certain USDA Forest Service Lands in Arizona and the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. Other incidental hunting areas may include Private, Wildlife Refuges, BLM and State Trust Lands on a case by case basis and depending upon where the hunter is drawn. The owner and operator, Pat Feldt, is a very experienced hunter of all Western species. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Arizona, which adds to his credibility as a full-time outfitter. This is not a part-time job for Pat. The majority of his time is spent in the field scouting for wildlife or guiding hunters. He and his guides are very knowledgeable and experienced with all species hunted in the West. Their expertise has allowed hunters to take many trophy-class animals while enjoying a well organized operation. Hunter opportunity is very high with AGH. This is not only due to it being a full-time operation that spends extended hours in the field, but they have developed advanced hunting techniques, have experienced guides, and excellent areas. Hunters looking for an Arizona or New Mexico outfitter guide service will find these hunts very professional, exciting and rewarding. Hunters have a great chance at taking home a trophy of a lifetime with Arizona Guided Hunts! Arizona and New Mexico offer a wide variety of game animals to hunt. Arizona Guided Hunts offers various hunting packages for many of these animals including Coues Whitetail Deer, Desert Mule Deer, Javelina, Elk, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Black Bear, Antelope, and Turkey. A.G.H. also offers daily hunts for predators. All hunts can be either archery, rifle, handgun, or muzzleloader.
Our Main Guides: We take pride in having only friendly, personable and "team-oriented" guides. Each of our professional assistants are legally licensed to guide hunters in the State of Arizona. The outfitter is also registered in New Mexico. The guides have passed Arizona State exams and background checks. Each is also First Aid Certified at a minimum. Having guided over 500 hunters combined, they are definitely experienced and qualified to hunt the species you are after! Each guide also has experience with all weapon types, including archery, rifle, handgun, or muzzleloader. Additionally, they are each over 35 years of age and have been hunting big game for a minimum of 20 years apiece. There are no "big egos" in our crew, as we are mature professionals and know how important it is that you have a very enjoyable hunt. The following are the current guides for Arizona Guided Hunts:
Patrick Feldt (owner/outfitter/guide) - Pat is 41 years old and has hunted his entire lifetime in Arizona. He has operated as the outfitter of AZ Guided Hunts since 1997. Pat has personally guided over 350 clients in his career as a professional outfitter and guide. Pat is registered in New Mexico, as well as licensed in Arizona. He obtains "Special Use" permits to operate his hunting business on certain Federal Lands. He has also completed the "Gila Wilderness Outfitter School" and is "Leave No Trace" certified. Pat rarely has time to hunt for himself since he is a full-time outfitter, but he has been fortunate enough to take many Arizona and New Mexico trophy-class animals in the past. Some of his "personal best" trophies include the former #8 SCI World Record black bear ( 21 13/16" skull, 7' 6" length, and 500lbs.), a 155 lb. desert mountain lion, an 86" SCI pronghorn antelope, many large Coues Deer, a couple large bull elk over 330 inches, multiple javelina, Merriam's turkeys and many more. Additionally, Pat has successfully guided clients for all 10 big game species of Arizona with many of them being record-class animals. One other note, Pat is a turkey hunting fanatic and will travel anywhere across the country just to hunt another strutting bird!
Randy Epperson is a Native Arizonan that resides in Camp Verde, AZ. Randy has guided for AZ Guided Hunts since the year 2000. He has taken huge coues deer, mule deer, multiple bull elk, bears, and tons of lions. He is a very experienced and polished hunter with 45+ years of experience. His favorite pastime is running dogs for lions, whether it's just for fun or to guide a hunter.
Bryan Ostrum is a Native Arizonan that resides in Tucson, AZ. Brian has guided for AZ Guided Hunts since 2002. He is 37 years old and has many years of experience with spot and stalk hunting for big game animals in Arizona, especially trophy coues deer, desert mule deer, elk, turkey, bear, and javelina. Bryan is also one of the few hunters chosen in the draw to take an Arizona bison. Believe it or not, his full-time job is a software engineer!
Eliot Anderson is also a Native Arizonan and is one of our great Coues deer hunters and a predator hunting fanatic. Eliot has guided for AZ Guided Hunts since 2004. He is a 38 year-old Captain with the fire department who has lots of free time for guiding/hunting. He has taken and guided for multiple large Coues, mule deer, elk, javelina, bears, turkeys, predators and more. His personal best is a Coues deer that scored 124 inches! During his free time, he loves calling in coyotes, foxes and bobcats.
Helpful
Information About Your Hunt Camp is a Western Style outfitter
set up often located many miles from civilization. Meals
and beverages are provided on fully-guided/outfitted hunts. Quick breakfasts with
coffee, packed lunches, and cooked, hot dinners are the norm. Snacks/goodies for your daypack are not
provided, neither are alcoholic beverages. Due
to the law and liability, we will not provide alcoholic beverages.
If you drink, please bring your alcohol with you. Your
own alcohol shall only be consumed off our time after the sun goes down.
Hunters are expected to meet in the morning the day prior to any big game hunt, unless specified otherwise. The optional complimentary Airport pickup, whether booking for New Mexico or Arizona, will be at the Tucson International Airport or the Tucson Airport Hotels. We will only make one courtesy trip to pickup all hunters in camp for your particular timeframe. Deer, Javelina, Elk, Bear, Sheep, or Turkey hunters should get a flight into Tucson two evenings prior to hunting and get an airport hotel room. We will pickup the next morning (the day prior to the hunt) and drive 2 to 4 hours to camp, depending upon which area we are hunting. Some hunters chance it and fly in the morning prior to the hunt. But if your flight is delayed or cancelled, which is becoming a common occurrence, our other hunters, the outfitter, and guides cannot wait around for you. Unfortunately, if you miss your complimentary pickup due to a delayed flight, you will be required to rent a vehicle and meet us in camp. Flying hunters should get a flight that departs the day following the hunt. Hunters driving their own vehicles or renting one will be given directions to our camp or an arranged meeting area. A Hotel room is also required if departing on a plane the day after your hunt. We usually transport guided hunters to hotels near the Tucson Airport in the afternoon or early evening of the last day. The hotel stay is not included in our packages. Rates are $70.00 to $100.00 per night, depending upon your hotel choice. The best approach is to book a room through the hotel's Internet site before you arrive. Pick one at the Tucson Airport. A few to look at are: La Quinta Airport, Marriott Airport, Country Inn Airport, Embassy Suites Airport, Amerisuites Airport, Quality Inn Airport, Holiday Inn Express Airport, and Hampton Inn Airport. The Airport hotels provide a free shuttle to/from the airport. If your flight departs on the last evening of the hunt, you need not worry about the hotel, but it is nice to have a hot shower before getting onto an airplane. Successful fully-guided hunters will have their game animal skinned and caped for the taxidermist and game meat quartered for your transport. You can take your trophy cape and horns home in a cooler as extra baggage on the plane (except for large elk antlers) OR if you decide to use our taxidermist, we take your cape to www.wellerswildlifestudio.com after the hunt. You must take home your game meat if you are
successful (unless you live outside the continental U.S.). If you are flying, there are two ways to get your game meat home. One
is to transport it to an Arizona butcher. It can be shipped to
you via next day air in approximately two weeks after the hunt. Note that
next day air could be very costly ($150-$250 is typical shipping, depending upon
species size). You must have a UPS or FedEx account, so that the butcher can
ship the meat. If you do not have a UPS or FedEx account, you can sign up for one
online. The second option (most popular) is to take the
de-boned or quartered game meat on
the airplane as extra baggage in a cooler with dry ice. Each airline has
their own fee, but typically the
airlines charge $75 per cooler plus any additional overweight charges. Please decide what you are
going to do with the trophy or game meat before you arrive and let us know
beforehand. Physical
Aspects of the Hunt Potential hunters should be informed that all
hunts are physically demanding due to the rugged Arizona and New Mexico terrain.
Sometimes being successful depends upon the physical abilities of the hunter.
We do not use horses or pack animals for hunting since it is not feasible
to do so. Most of the areas we
hunt are designated as "foot-access only." The wild and
native animals rarely live in easy to access areas. These hunts sometimes
require hiking of 5 miles per day in remote, rocky and steep areas.
Sometimes a typical day involves hiking to the hunting area and not returning to the base camp
until the sun goes down. We highly recommend conditioning yourself for the
hunt so you can enjoy it to the fullest. There is nothing worse than
getting sick from over-exertion or being sore for the duration of the hunt.
Getting in-shape for the big game hunts entails hiking a few miles several times a week, aerobics,
mountain biking, and/or using a stair climber.
Hiking does not mean walking on flat ground, but rather on an incline. If there are
large hills or bleachers near your hometown, use them to your advantage and
hike. The conditioning should start a few months ahead of time. **A
Note on MARKSMANSHIP**
Most
of our rifle shots are averaging 250 yards, but shooting at distances of 400
yards or more may be encountered while on your rifle hunt for black bear, elk, sheep,
pronghorn, Coues, or desert mule deer. {Javelina
hunts are different in that the shots range from 50 yards to 250 yards.}
Therefore, practicing at distances up to
400 yards will get you ready and build confidence for the "shot" you have been waiting for. If
your range does not have 400 yards, try to get 5-shot groups from a prone
position of 1" to 1.5" at 100 yards. A good high-power
riflescope is the key to long range shooting. A 3-9X is insufficient on
most our hunts. We recommend at least 4.5-14X. Most hunters use
6.5-20X. It will greatly improve your long distance shooting. Most
of your shots will be in the prone position, but we also recommend practicing from all possible positions (sitting, kneeling, prone, standing). The most
successful hunters are the ones that can adapt to the shot that is
presented. If
you don’t feel your gun setup is adequate, we can lend you the highest quality
setup at no charge. You
will still need to practice trigger control and breathing techniques with your own
rifle before arriving.
It is recommended you site-in your rifle at 200 yards. Make a chart of the bullet drop at 50-yard increments from 200 to 500 yards and tape it to your stock or scope. The chart should be a table showing the distance versus the bullet drop in either inches or minutes of angle (MOA). Also, if your scope has target turrets, learn how to use them. It is a far superior method than hold-over. Just find the range, look at the chart on your stock, click-in the MOA for that distance, and hold dead on the animal or target. Would you rather "hold and hope" or hold dead on? It is much more precise than “hold over” or reticles with distance bars. The "bar system" (for example B&C Reticle) on some scopes can work, but most hunters do not use it correctly in an actual hunting situation. Most people using this bar system seem to miss long distance shots, causing them to go home empty handed. If you are using this system, remember to always use the correct power setting for your particular load when shooting at the animal. Sample Ballistics Charts
Sample Ballistics Chart to tape to your rifle stock or scope (example: 300 Win. Mag.) - Hold-Over Method
Sample Ballistics Chart for your rifle stock - MOA Method (for scopes with target turrets). Click-in the MOA number on the dial and hold the crosshair where you want the bullet to go. No guessing, which is the main cause for misses.
MOA Ballistics Chart taped to top of scope. Also shows 10mph wind hold (inches).
For
Our ARCHERY Hunts:
Arizona and New Mexico are known for big canyon hunting. Almost all big game species we
hunt live in the mountainous terrain. The canyons in this type of habitat
may be large and wide open with little cover. This sometimes makes it hard
to get a close-in stalk. It’s hard to explain to an Eastern flat-lander
that hunts the forest,
but sometimes you just CAN’T get any closer.
Your game animal may be stalked upon from vast distances. You might
find yourself in a situation, because of topography or loss of cover, that you can
only get within 30 to 70 yards. In this type of country, it may be hard to get closer
without being detected. Sometimes it is a must to take shots from where
you are if you want that trophy of a lifetime. The best broadheads are the ones that fly like a field point AND produce a massive wound channel. I really recommend the Rage brand of opening broadheads for a quick, inhumane harvest. Fixed blade broadheads are good only when the shot is placed well. If there is a chance that you hit far back, the Rage will give a better chance at finding that poorly hit animal.
Special
Notes
to consider:
Like all hunting of true wild game, we cannot guarantee an animal. But, in order
to increase your odds of taking home a trophy, please practice shooting before
arriving and give some effort to prepare physically.
Also, it
is UNETHICAL to return to an outfitter’s hard-earned spots
or telling others of their location!
Please refrain from using a GPS (marking camp in case of emergency is
fine).
In most instances, the guide will be with you while in the field, which
eliminates the need to "find your way back" with a GPS. Marking
our hot spots will make your guide paranoid.
Our Policy: Cancellations, Terms, and Conditions A minimum nonrefundable deposit (usually 50% of hunt cost) and a service contract is required upon booking a hunt. The remaining balance is due at least 21 days prior to the hunt. No hunt will be considered booked until the outfitter receives the deposit AND hunt contract. The deposit and/or any payments are nonrefundable. Any money paid cannot be transferred from one person to another. If the hunter submits a deposit before the lottery drawing and does not draw, the deposit will be transferred to the next season or until the hunter draws a tag. If the hunter cancels a hunt, the deposit will NOT be refunded; though, it can be applied towards any vacant hunt of equal or greater value and only if a permit or tag can be easily obtained. The balance due will be adjusted if there is a difference in hunt fees. Additionally, a $250.00 rescheduling fee will be charged. This rescheduling can only be done one time. If the hunter chooses to apply the deposit to one of these hunts, the rescheduled hunt date must be within one year of the original hunt date. If a 2 on1 partner cancels, he loses his deposit and the remaining hunter will be required to pay the 1 on 1 rate. All hunts must be paid in full before any hunting takes place.
Although the main goal is for each hunter to fill his tag or kill, it is not a
guarantee. There are no refunds. The hunter acknowledges all risks
involved in hunting. The outfitter or guide cannot control WHEN,
WHERE, or IF the game will be found because wild game animals can be
unpredictable. Sometimes animals may be
found in steep or undesirable areas. Hunters
must note that we have no control over weather or any unexpected events that may
slow a hunt. There is no refund for unused days, such as: late
arrivals, tagging early, departing early, bad weather, unexpected events, Acts of
God or any event that may slow or stop a hunt. If a guide becomes injured, ill or leaves due to
an emergency, the hunter might be paired with another hunter and his guide.
The outfitter will do his best to replace the absent guide as soon as
possible, but it may not be possible. We
break camp if all hunters tag-out early, which means if all hunters tag-out by
the second day, the hunt is over. A successful big game hunter that tags
earlier than the other hunters has the option of departing if using his own
transportation or staying until all hunters are finished. If a hunter has not
filled the tag before the hunt is scheduled to end, he (she) has the option of
paying at a daily rate for additional days. The fee must be paid in full before
hunting the additional days. A hunter that bags the wrong animal type for his
tag (i.e. doe, cow, or hen) or exceeds the bag limit, even by mistake, will need to be
reported to the authorities and the hunt will end.
Hunters must also understand that qualified guides other than the
outfitter may guide them. It is not possible for the outfitter (Pat Feldt)
to personally guide all hunters. These terms and
conditions are a common practice among most outfitters. We strongly recommend cancellation/travel insurance for all of our guests. If you have an unexpected circumstance which causes a cancellation of your hunt or trip, outfitters and others in the travel industry will not refund your deposit. A cancellation/travel insurance policy is the solution. You can be reimbursed for monies forfeited if unforeseeable circumstance happen to occur. It is very reasonably priced (3.5%-5% of travel/hunt costs) and well worth it. Click here for more information.
Hunters interested in booking any hunt should contact us as soon as possible because spaces are limited and are filled usually 3 months to a year in advance. Be sure to visit the list of items to bring.
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New Mexico Merriam's Turkey Hunts
Arizona Merriam's Turkey Hunts New Mexico Merriam's Turkey Outfitters and Guides Arizona Elk Guides Arizona Coues Deer Guides Arizona big horn sheep guides Arizona javelina guides Arizona Guided Hunts Outfitters Guides |
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Home | Hunts | General Info | Rates | Contact Us | Stories | Links | References | What to Bring | Video | Our Policy This website last updated: Jan. 27, 2012
Copyright © 1999-2012 Arizona Guided Hunts. All Rights Reserved. "Arizona Guided Hunts" is a Registered Trade Name. |
General
Info
Accommodations
for big game hunts are usually in deluxe outfitter tents, unless noted otherwise. Camps are used because we stay in
remote areas and do not return to the city until the hunters are finished.
The deluxe tents consist of either large outfitter Wall tents or Alaknak tents;
both with heat during the colder months. The size of tents are spacious
sizes: 10x14, or 12x12, depending upon the number of hunters in camp. Sleeping is on cots.
Warmer months may be
spent in roomy family-type vinyl tents for better ventilation and to keep the
bugs out. In certain circumstances, we may use a camp trailer for sleeping
quarters too. For those
that own a camping trailer and would like to bring it to camp to stay in are
more than welcome to do so, but we cannot discount the hunt any. It must
be small and high enough for ground clearance on rough dirt roads. 
For Our RIFLE Hunts: Arizona and New
Mexico are known for big canyon hunting.
Almost all big game species we hunt live in the mountainous terrain or open
country. The
canyons in this type of habitat may be large and wide open with little cover.
This sometimes makes it hard to get a close-in stalk. Animals may be
spotted at vast distances and stalked upon to cross-canyon shots. In this
type of country, it may be hard to get closer without being detected or without
the animal leaving the canyon before you get over to his side. 
