Sorry you had a bad experience. Did anyone in your group request references from this lodge or check the various internet sites prior to making a deposit/reservations? Long drive from Raceland to Ark and even longer coming back after a horrible experience. Buddies booked a hunt with an outfitter that ended up the same way, lodge was advertised in DU magazine so they thought it had been vetted. Timber hunting in Ark is always a crap shoot because most lodges rely on the National refuges (guides can't hunt state refuges). Those that own or lease green tree reservours are booked years in advance and charge $$$$$$$. Personally, I will never hunt Ark due to it being extremely over rated for duck hunting. Next out of state trip will be to Okalahoma or Kansas, check out some of the mallards killed dry field hunting.

Missouri!

Washington state!! Crazy with mallards!

And Cereal Killa's, erreybody up der is Krazy:eek:

Man I had the same thing happen to me on an ARK hunt. Some buddies of a buddy booked a trip and asked me to come along. Forgot the name of place. It was east of Stutgartt. We get there in the afternoon and we aren't staying at the lodge. Guy drives us out to the blind that afternoon and shows us how to get there and just tells us we can go back out there in the morning by ourselves. I was skeptic after that but the spot really looked good. Well, show up the next morning and don't shoot our guns. I walked in the woods behind us and shot 2 woodies. Everyone was chapped. We were supposed to go back next 2 days. I drove to the nearest town, Clarendon, and went in the hunting store and talked to the owner. Told him we were from out of town and looking for a spot to hunt. He called his friend and he let us hunt his property for $50/hunt each. We salvaged our trip and shot a few ducks and geese. Went back with this guy for 2 years after that. Haven't been in a while.

I went on this trip with a guy I work with. He went to the same guide last year and had a great experience. So we were excited. But even my friend said the guide just didn't seem the same. Oh well. You live and learn. I'm considering going back but it will not be with that guide. One of the guys hunting with us has been to "ducks and bucks" (I think thats the name). had 2 great experiences. Said if they had an ok hunt inthe morning that they would take them back out for duck or geese in the afternoon. Might go with him up there next year.

Believe that's the same place my buds went 3 yrs ago, ended up hunting in a catfish pond. Green tree hunting is all dependent on the river being out of it's banks. Might want to make a call to the county extension office prior to leaving on a trip that far away. Deposit is way cheaper than gas and time.

How about self guided hunt in White River.