Cedar Knoll Hunting Lodge - Fairfax South Carolina - Hogs & Deer

[GM-GUY]

Cedar Knoll Hunting Lodge

Experience the thrill of the kill when you visit our hunting lodge in Fairfax, SC. Contact us today to learn more about our deer and boar hunting services.

www.cedarknoll.com

My Father-in-Law, my son and I went there last week (left on Tuesday night and got back Monday night); we got in on Thursday for a PM hunt and had an AM & PM hunt on Friday & Saturday and an AM hunt on Sunday. I shot video and my FiL & Son hunted. Cost per person is about $2300 for hunters, ~$200 for non hunters.

Very nice people, very good food, good accommodations.

So, it's open hunting, but they put corn down (three spots per stand - and they have a lot of stands to move you around to). Stands are not to be left until they come back to pick you up, you cannot go confirm your kill, cannot get closer to finish it off, cannot get out of your stand unless there is lighting. Range varies from ~100yds to 150yds from the stands my FiL and son sat in. My FiL (80yo) was in the same ground blind for 6 sittings - not an issue...…..you would think. My son moved around between 5 different stands (took Friday AM off - tired). Hunting license & tags per person is $248.

Results, out of us and 9 others there (that is 11 hunters (x6 sits less one for my son) so 65 times in the stands, in 11 different places AM & PM the grand total of seen game:
Less than 12 hogs, less than 15 deer (all non shooters does/button bucks/spikes). Two hogs were taken and no deer. One person shot 'a big hog', but through the leg and it got away.

My son got big hog seen and harvested at 115lbs and 150yds, one 308, 165gr Accubond put it down and he followed up with 2 more to be sure (can't get out of the stand). Another guy got a piglet, probably 50 lbs. My son saw non shooter deer at 200-225 yards (way out past the bait in another field for another stand) and my FiL saw two squirrels (fox squirrels), a bobcat and a rabbit. Overall rather a depressing week for ~$6000 + hotels/gas on the way down. Hayward (owner) did offer a return hunt at the observer rate so ~$750 + ~$500 license/tags + hotels/gas for another go.

Personal Note:
My FiL had spinal fusion surgery with a 10% chance of survival this year after I booked this (almost a year ago), his Significant Other is having serious medical problems, and his heart is starting to act up. I really wanted this to be a great hunt but I fear I was misled and may have missed the opportunity to get my FiL a great hunt. They claim 70 deer/sqmi but Anacosti quotes 50 deer/sqmi and my FiL saw 200 deer in 4 days of hunting there with no bait maybe 25 years ago. Hogs - I can't figure it, they are supposed to be a nuisance, invasive and taking over the south; not in that corner of South Carolina I guess.

Will I go back with my son? probably yes; will my FiL go back? probably not. How do I know I'm not throwing another $1750 into the same bad hole with a return trip?

 

[Mark from MA]

2300 each and only 15 deer seen by all of you. Find another place. He offered you another hunt at reduced pricing. Thats not even worth it. Thats poor quality.

My daughter is in SC and ive done some research and outfitters in that state tend to overstate things a bit.

Her fiances family takes a bunch of deer in the north central part, but they are small bodied deer and not trophies.

Try the midwest like West Kentucky or Ohio. NR tags arent too overpriced. There wont be hogs there but youll see more deer, and big shooters if its managed well. Do your homework and look at reviews on yelp or google. Dont even listen to what the outfitter says. They lie just to make money.

If your after hogs try Florida or Texas.
South Carolina and Georgia is good down by the coast near rivers, but I think the population is a bit overstated.

Personally ive hunted Kentucky for 4 days on private land. Not managed land. Just owner land that he rifle hunts with a group on.

Self guided bowhunting and saw 15-20 deer in those 4 days. I was looking for a big shooter and passed a 125 inch 8. Could have shot multiple does if I wanted. That hunt cost me 800 including NR tag and cabin. Even then I found that the state tends to overstate its deer population. There were no way 50 deer per mile in that area, as I didnt see a lot of deer driving around and it was rut. There might have been 30 per mile. My private spots in South CT have more than that.

 

[kibe123]

2300 each

 

[GM-GUY]

The way it was sold you could shoot 1 deer and 1 hog per sitting, even if you got only 6 animals (6 times in the stand) - that's not a bad average.

BUT

It wasn't that, not even close, hilariously not that. My Father-in-Law made the comment if I put down corn in my back yard he'd see multiple deer per day. I am building him a stand this summer, I got three old utility poles from the light company and will build it so he can shoot the 'cross roads', the apple trees and path the deer come in from the field. I'll put a 'naval ladder' on it with 6" steps and handles and he will be able to get up and hunt for years more if he wants.

 

[Sparkey]

Sorry to hear the hunt was a bust.
That’s why I am not a fan of paying for hunts do some research and hunt public land. I understand that’s not ideal for your 80yr old FIL. But for you and your son You could plan a great hunt for way less

 

[Fixxah]

Canned hunts I have heard about in the past from someone who hunted hogs in N.H. said they followed a trail back to a building and watched the employees releasing hogs. They moved off the trail wiickly as the hogs followed the trail rught to them. Google Earth used to have winter background that showed how it all came together. The animals get wise to the whole bait deal pretty fast.

 

[wilson911]

2300 each

That's not bad compared to this in NH.....$250,000 membership.

Brian Meyette's Corbin Park story

www.meyette.us

 

[millbilly]

I did a canned hog hunt in Okeechobee for like 200 bucks iirc. It was very canned. But i shot a hog. It was fun. No real challenge but if that is what you are looking for I can try to find the details

 

[Mark from MA]

The way it was sold you could shoot 1 deer and 1 hog per sitting, even if you got only 6 animals (6 times in the stand)

You cant shoot what you dont see.
They lie. You have to do your homework with these people.
Many outfitters overhunt their properties. Or put you in shitty spots and tell you not to move.

Then if someone sees something good they move them off and either stick a high paying repeat client in there. Or hunt it themselves.

 

[Mark from MA]

I did a canned hog hunt in Okeechobee for like 200 bucks iirc. It was very canned. But i shot a hog. It was fun. No real challenge but if that is what you are looking for I can try to find the details

Most spots and outfits in Florida are generally good. It usually takes a one day hunt to kill a hog on a feeder hunt or dog hunt. Some offer half day hunts and 100 percent shot opp. Hogs are pretty thick down there.
Youll spend a heck of a lot less money too than in South Carolina.

 

[millbilly]

With a monster truck pontoon boat type vehicle and a dog it is very quick

 

[boilermaker]

Why did you pick this place out of all the hunting lodges?

Now that you have experienced it, do you think it will be appreciatively different the next go round?

I would try some place if it were me.

 

[GM-GUY]

I checked out their Facebook page and talked to the owner, I think I even found some reviews from others - of course this was a year ago so I can’t remember.

I’ll have to see some real results on their page and speak/see the webpage of others who went. Four travel days for a repeat wouldn’t be good.

 

[Admin]

If it were me I'd find a new place. Sorry to hear you guys didn't see any shooters.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Canned hunts I have heard about in the past from someone who hunted hogs in N.H. said they followed a trail back to a building and watched the employees releasing hogs. They moved off the trail wiickly as the hogs followed the trail rught to them. Google Earth used to have winter background that showed how it all came together. The animals get wise to the whole bait deal pretty fast.

I did that in VT a million years ago. Not as obvious. They dropped two of us off in one spot. "Don't move!" 1/2 later, they came by. "What? Nothing?" Nothing. "Are you sure?" I think I would have noticed a herd of hogs.

So we got to track them. WE hopped onto an ATV and moved to another spot where the hounds were.


As far as this outfitter, that just sucks. 9 guys, 6 days, 2 animals. The outfitter should be ashamed. Wow.

 

[Bt74]

I did that in VT a million years ago. Not as obvious. They dropped two of us off in one spot. "Don't move!" 1/2 later, they came by. "What? Nothing?" Nothing. "Are you sure?" I think I would have noticed a herd of hogs.

So we got to track them. WE hopped onto an ATV and moved to another spot where the hounds were.


As far as this outfitter, that just sucks. 9 guys, 6 days, 2 animals. The outfitter should be ashamed. Wow.

I did the Vt. boar hunt in Fairlee a couple of times. Had a great time, it was on a 2000 ac preserve. The reason they don't want 13 jamokes wandering around the place after they drop you off, is more of a safety issue. The food was good, and if you have not taken any thing after 2 days, they do run the dogs. Both times I took hogs in the 175# range. Too bad they don't do hog hunts there anymore.

 

[Mark from MA]

I did the Vt. boar hunt in Fairlee a couple of times. Had a great time, it was on a 2000 ac preserve. The reason they don't want 13 jamokes wandering around the place after they drop you off, is more of a safety issue. The food was good, and if you have not taken any thing after 2 days, they do run the dogs. Both times I took hogs in the 175# range. Too bad they don't do hog hunts there anymore.

Bill Ricter owned that outfit out of Fairlee, VT. Wasn't a bad place. He mixed groups which is why you couldn't move around. I was glad to stay put once I found out there were a few guys who I didnt know at all with rifles.

We didn't shoot anything the first day, we were bowhunting, and most of the rifle guys filled out, so after that he let us move around a bit and we got a couple hogs. We didn't see a lot of hogs, shot the first ones we saw. I wanted to look over a few but the guide wanted us to shoot. It was a big place, but I think he kept the hogs in one area then let them out and pushed them at you or ran the dogs.

I hunted a smaller place 200 acres in Central NY that was a little better run, loaded with hogs, and other game, and if they trusted you they counted your arrows before you went in, they would just let you in and roam around. If you didn't get anything the guide would push. I got to look over alot of hogs and other stuff before dropping the hammer. One time I went and saw nothing I liked, so I just paid to stay. Other guys with me got stuff.

If it wasnt for a group of guys that wanted to go, I probably wouldn't have gone. Its fun with a few guys together for a weekend or something in the off season, like March.I always bowhunted those places....never really saw the point of taking a gun there. That would be really simple. But I get it if your not skilled in bowhunting and just want to kill a hog.

The reality is pretty much if you don't want to travel out of the northeast, you have to hunt a canned place. Now I'd rather travel south and do it. Have a trip to FL planned this March.

 

[Bt74]

The last time I went, was about 11 years ago. He was letting the place run down somewhat. My partner and I were posted in the woods along a tote road, and we see something that looked like a weasel or something. It turns out to be a piglet, maybe 20 pounds. The guide pulls up and says" Did you see that boar?"..I laughed and said "that's not a "boar" and my wife would be bullshit if I brought that thing home from an $800 trip!"

 

[Mark from MA]

OP. If you want to stay in South Carolina check out Morees. It might be more canned and ala carte but they have free range too. Plus lot of activities like sporting clays and bird hunting. If your dropping heavy cash id imagine your gonna get game at Morees.

 

[Dennis in MA]

The cool thing about Richter's place wasn't the pigs but the rest of the game in teh field at the top of the mountain. We got dropped off for a few hours the next day to just sit and watch. Fascinating.

At the end, he had just about anything. He did bison hunts. BISON!?!?!?!? The reality was, in a per-lb basis it wasn't that bad. But I think you just shot it in the front yard.

 

[Mark from MA]

Same thing with the place in NY. We would be stalking around for pigs and run into a 6x6 elk or red stag or 2000 pound bison. Guide would tell us before we went in, if your not going to shoot it. Just give them a wide berth.

Saw all sorts of stuff, blackbuck, axis deer, rams, etc. Blackbuck would be real tough to get with a bow fence or no fence. They had a tolerance of about 45 yards Try and get closer they took off at warp speed.