MarlinSlayer
Well-Known Member
How do we get on the waiting list for Chaney?
Deer Hunting Ames Plantation
- Thread starter 280longshot
- Start date
W.Seay
Well-Known Member
You can't beat Ames. Sure I could kill a nice buck here and there for cheaper on a different property, but consistency is key!! I'm joining Ames next year.
Winchester
Well-Known Member
I agree and if just a lil closer I too would join one if not both if I could.redblood said:
BHC
Well-Known Member
41 members is crazy for 2600 acres... 10 members and there family would be about right....
Thewsus
Active Member
Leasing land in the Midwest through Base Camp leasing is a much better value than the Ames Plantation. $1600 a year is a lot of money for an area that doesn't produce a lot of quality bucks. Go on Base Camp leasing website and you find several properties that will beat what Ames can produce? If I'm spending my money on a lease it's going to be a good area for trophy bucks.
G8rntn
Well-Known Member
Columbia Scott said:$500.00 per year:
Any spots open?? Would love to get my 10 year old on something like that. How many acres?
Tony USMC
Well-Known Member
MarlinSlayer said:
X2
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
You may be right on the $ values but....
1)Most lease properties aren't 18,600 continuous acres
2)Most lease properties aren't as diverse as Ames
3)Most lease properties have more members/acre
4)Most lease properties don't have a high number of mature bucks
5)Most lease properties aren't within a 1 hour drive of Memphis
1)Most lease properties aren't 18,600 continuous acres
2)Most lease properties aren't as diverse as Ames
3)Most lease properties have more members/acre
4)Most lease properties don't have a high number of mature bucks
5)Most lease properties aren't within a 1 hour drive of Memphis
W.Seay
Well-Known Member
Mike Belt said:
Which is exactly why I'm joining even though I have many private farms I can hunt for free.
easy45
Well-Known Member
Hey W. Seay, let me hunt so of those free farms since you are gonna join Ames
Bucks & Beards
Well-Known Member
If you could mention the good and bad things you've heard, I could comment from my experience whether what you've heard is true or not. I have hunted Ames for 6 years now and plan to go back in 2014-2015.280longshot said:
BHC
Well-Known Member
Planking said:
Just my opinion, the club I'm in has 3300 acres and 15 members, and I don't think it could hold any more and remain at the quality it is and had been. Just my .02 I'd rather not have food plots, mineral licks, and club tree stands than that many hunters on that size property. And that should bring the cost down, but I'm sure the people that are in it love it and wouldn't change a thing about it... And that's fine too... Just not for me at this point in my hunting "career"..
TNRazorback
Well-Known Member
x2 - Easy, want to go in on gas money?easy45 said:
easy45
Well-Known Member
TNRazorback said:
I'm in man
TeamMainStreet
Well-Known Member
Must be nice. If I had $1600 id make a few car payments.
This thread may be dead but I thought I'd chime in on my Ames experience. I'm sure that someone will call B.S. on what I'm about to say but it can be verified by my friends here who have hunted my families property or have been invited to hunt with me there in the future.
I have free and unlimited access to hunt deer, turkey, squirrel, duck and coon (the quail and rabbits have been long gone for years) 1500+ acres of family property in western McNairy county that has been in my family since the early 1900's. I choose to pay to hunt at Ames for the following reasons:
1. It's 45 minutes closer to my home so I actually get to hunt more frequently.
2. I have a better chance at a real trophy deer at Ames. I'm 50 years old and had been hunting McNairy county all my life - even when there were literally almost no deer in that part of the country - and in the past 35 +/- years we killed probably 50 to 75 bucks and double that many does. A good buck for the area was 100-110" And the best ever killed have been a 196" non-typical killed by my brother (check it out on the tennessee deer registry if you doubt me) a 130" non typical killed by a guy out of Selmer that had permission to hunt the property and then a few deer that approached 120". In 6 years at Ames, weve killed 6 bucks that average just over 130", I've shot 4 and my son and brother have killed one each. We've also passed up at least 6 other deer that we are pretty sure were all over 125". We've never been able to do that on our property in McNairy county.
3. I can leave my camper, my generator, and my 4 wheeler at Ames without fear. If I left any of it in McNairy county the crack-heads would steal it all in a matter of 2 to 3 weeks. My great grandparents home is vacant on our property and everything of value has been stolen....chain, it, bolt it, weld it down...doesn't matter. I'd like to shoot the bastards.
4. I have access to 16,000 huntable acres for $0.10 (that's right, I said 10 cents) per acre with an average of one hunter per @ 300 acres......I challenge anyone to find that kind of deal ANYWHERE in the country for quality deer hunting.
5. The members, with a very few exceptions, are a really good group of guys and the fellowship around the check station is worth part of the annual fee. I have made friends there that, even if I were to cancel my membership, would still be friends and we'd still find a way to hunt together.
Now, do I consider Ames to be "perfect" the answer is No. Here are my challenges with our current situation.Please note that these are just my opinions and not meant as an assault on any members at Ames so don't kill me for them.
1. I think that too many people take advantage of the 4 wheeler permits for "handicapped" access. I'm old and fat and still carry my Summit Viper to every spot I hunt. I know of several members who appear just as "able bodied" as me that have 4 wheeler access to areas I'll never be able to walk to....not fair in my opinion....I think that Ames could very easily open up access to everyone and restrict it based on road conditions if they are worried about erosion.
2. I think the move from 120" to 125" has hurt the overall enthusiasm from the members and has not accomplished what it was intended to do. I've had this conversation with several members and the best suggestion I've heard is go back to 120" with really stiff fines for any buck 2.5 years old or younger....spikes included....nobody should hunt there without binoculars anyway.....I know that mistakes can happen but are we really in that big a hurry to kill a doe that we can't take a few seconds to look carefully at a deers head? And if a specific buck hasn't made it to 125" as a 3 year old, what are our expectations for him as a 4 year old anyway? 130-135.....maybe?????
3. I personally would be in favor of limiting the membership to @ 60 and adding the members choice of either duck or turkey hunting acces for something like $3,000.00 (or maybe $3,500 for all three?) per year. Ames would make more money with less headaches and the hunting would be even better.
4. I think each member should be required to shoot 2 does as a condition of their membership...there is too much pressure on those of us who are willing to shoot does when other members don't ever shoot any.
That's about it.
I'm sorry if I offended anyone, it was not intentional.
David Koeppel
I have free and unlimited access to hunt deer, turkey, squirrel, duck and coon (the quail and rabbits have been long gone for years) 1500+ acres of family property in western McNairy county that has been in my family since the early 1900's. I choose to pay to hunt at Ames for the following reasons:
1. It's 45 minutes closer to my home so I actually get to hunt more frequently.
2. I have a better chance at a real trophy deer at Ames. I'm 50 years old and had been hunting McNairy county all my life - even when there were literally almost no deer in that part of the country - and in the past 35 +/- years we killed probably 50 to 75 bucks and double that many does. A good buck for the area was 100-110" And the best ever killed have been a 196" non-typical killed by my brother (check it out on the tennessee deer registry if you doubt me) a 130" non typical killed by a guy out of Selmer that had permission to hunt the property and then a few deer that approached 120". In 6 years at Ames, weve killed 6 bucks that average just over 130", I've shot 4 and my son and brother have killed one each. We've also passed up at least 6 other deer that we are pretty sure were all over 125". We've never been able to do that on our property in McNairy county.
3. I can leave my camper, my generator, and my 4 wheeler at Ames without fear. If I left any of it in McNairy county the crack-heads would steal it all in a matter of 2 to 3 weeks. My great grandparents home is vacant on our property and everything of value has been stolen....chain, it, bolt it, weld it down...doesn't matter. I'd like to shoot the bastards.
4. I have access to 16,000 huntable acres for $0.10 (that's right, I said 10 cents) per acre with an average of one hunter per @ 300 acres......I challenge anyone to find that kind of deal ANYWHERE in the country for quality deer hunting.
5. The members, with a very few exceptions, are a really good group of guys and the fellowship around the check station is worth part of the annual fee. I have made friends there that, even if I were to cancel my membership, would still be friends and we'd still find a way to hunt together.
Now, do I consider Ames to be "perfect" the answer is No. Here are my challenges with our current situation.Please note that these are just my opinions and not meant as an assault on any members at Ames so don't kill me for them.
1. I think that too many people take advantage of the 4 wheeler permits for "handicapped" access. I'm old and fat and still carry my Summit Viper to every spot I hunt. I know of several members who appear just as "able bodied" as me that have 4 wheeler access to areas I'll never be able to walk to....not fair in my opinion....I think that Ames could very easily open up access to everyone and restrict it based on road conditions if they are worried about erosion.
2. I think the move from 120" to 125" has hurt the overall enthusiasm from the members and has not accomplished what it was intended to do. I've had this conversation with several members and the best suggestion I've heard is go back to 120" with really stiff fines for any buck 2.5 years old or younger....spikes included....nobody should hunt there without binoculars anyway.....I know that mistakes can happen but are we really in that big a hurry to kill a doe that we can't take a few seconds to look carefully at a deers head? And if a specific buck hasn't made it to 125" as a 3 year old, what are our expectations for him as a 4 year old anyway? 130-135.....maybe?????
3. I personally would be in favor of limiting the membership to @ 60 and adding the members choice of either duck or turkey hunting acces for something like $3,000.00 (or maybe $3,500 for all three?) per year. Ames would make more money with less headaches and the hunting would be even better.
4. I think each member should be required to shoot 2 does as a condition of their membership...there is too much pressure on those of us who are willing to shoot does when other members don't ever shoot any.
That's about it.
I'm sorry if I offended anyone, it was not intentional.
David Koeppel
fairchaser
Well-Known Member
I have been a member for 4 years and plan on many more years at Ames Plantation. The biggest advangtage over ANY other club in West TN is the 18,000 acres at your disposal. That's 25 square miles of prime whitetail habitat to roam free in. You simply can not cover it all or see it all. No hunter has exclusivity of any area although there are some safety zones near houses for employees only. This lack of exclusivity is also a problem if you are targeting a specific buck. A saying amoung club members "is that if you have a picture of a good buck, someone else will kill it". You can not keep others out of an area that you are trying to save because you have a good buck cornered in there. Therefore, it is difficult to pattern a mature buck and pick the perfect wind and perfect day to ambush him. While you are waiting for the perfect conditions, some other hunter has moved in and possibly killed that buck or bumped him. Some of the traditional methodolgy will not work when there is that much hunting pressure. There are a number of very good and dedicated hunters at Ames. There is always someone hunting whether its freezing rain or 40 mph winds. There is NO place some hunters are unwilling to go to get their buck. With that being said, the big ones are there and they do get killed with amazing regularity. It ain't easy and people like Mike Belt who hunt a lot and know the property as well as anyone have a different perspective about passing shooters on a regular basis. If you are a good hunter, who hunts hard you can expect to kill a nice buck every 3 or 4 years. When you add the evaluation component to the equation, you reduce your odds of a kill considerably. The biggest complaint most people have is access. The management continually works on this by adding full time ATV access and electric bicycles. They work on the access roads and parking areas constantly. Their QDM work is paying dividends and the people with rare exception are first rate. You are never going to get 100 people to agree on anything but they do a pretty fair job of keeping hunters happy.
Chaneylake
Well-Known Member
280longshot said:
many different reasons, job location change, thinking another club is better
only 10-15 of the members hunt on a regular basis
