A guarantee for deer hunters
By Arika Cullen
Just a quick jaunt from the Millersburg airport, down a curvy dirt road surrounded by trees, hides a deer hunter’s delight. This 600-acre ranch, nestled in the heart of Holmes County, has been drawing in hunters from as far away as Florida and California. It offers visitors first class lodging, guaranteed deer sightings, and an experienced guide on their hunt. Open from the beginning of August and continuing until antlers drop, it has been serving hunters for three years.
What is this amazing hunting preserve?
It is Dutchman’s Huntin’ Paradise, and it has brought Frank to Holmes County, all the way from Roanoke, Virginia, three times this year.
“We’ve hunted everywhere from Alaska to Africa,” said Frank. “We like the setup here. We can hunt from a tree stand or whatever we want to do. And the guide is honest here, which means a lot, because we’ve run across some bad ones other places.”
Frank, who is a painting and construction contractor, first came to Dutchman’s in early August for a velvet hunt. He came back a few weeks later, and returned again last weekend. This time he was one of a hunting party of four, bringing some of his work associates with him.
“Last time I was here I spotted a buck I wanted, but I didn’t get him,” explained Frank. “But I saw him again this morning, and now he’s out back getting measured.”
“We saw a lot of nice deer out there,” added Eddie, Frank’s business partner. “This is a good place to hunt. You can take your time and watch. You can get a really nice buck if you want one. It’s funny. Some places the deer seem to shrink after you shoot them; they look smaller when you get close. Here, after you shoot them, the bucks are bigger than you thought they were. The bucks here are huge.”
“This would be a great place to get children started in deer hunting,” suggested Frank. “With all of the sightings, it would keep kids interested.”
One of the unique features of Dutchman’s is the guaranteed sightings. The cost of the retreat is dependent on the hunter’s success. After a non-refundable deposit of $500 toward the lodging and food, the hunter is only charged for what he or she brings down, and then the price depends on the measurement of the deer. Even better, the deposit on the food and lodging is applied to the cost of the deer.
“There is a good price range for everybody, and the prices are reasonable,” said Frank. “Anybody within a day’s drive is going to save a lot of money.”
The deer from a good hunt start at $2,000 for up to a 130-inch gross score, with higher prices for higher scores. The guide, who is an official scorer of white-tail deer, said that the final price for an average hunt is about $4,000 to $6,000.
After a satisfying day in the woods, the hunters come back to rest in a cozy homestead. The house has all of the comforts of a home, complete with a living room, a full kitchen, and even a billiards room. On the patio stands a grill so that hunters can spend some extra time outdoors.
“This is great lodging,” Eddie added. “It’s a nice house for hunters to stay in. When we were in Alaska, we had to stay in a pop-up tent, and we about froze. But this is a good place to come and relax, to get away from stress.”
