This is an important question to ask when looking for the outfitter book with. Many hunters make the huge mistake of booking with an outfitter solely on the price of the hunt. Did you know that the average outfitter in the Midwest is only 20% successful? With your help, we will grow our hunting in Indiana and Ohio. Both of these areas can yield excellent quality bucks. Maine results can vary from year to year based on many factors. Factors that affect our overall success include crops and harvest, weather, quality of hunters, and quantity of game. You will have a difficult time finding a fair chase outfitter that can top our results. The guides we have in Maine have been guiding bear clients for 35 years. We are by far your best option for an Indiana whitetail hunt. No other outfitter is more qualified than Camp Kay Outfitters for Indiana whitetail hunts. There are a lot of quality bucks on our Ohio properties as well. 

Our whitetail hunting takes place on tightly controlled, well managed private leases in north-central and southern Indiana, south-central Ohio, and northern Maine.  The terrain can vary greatly by hunting area. We hunt natural funnels on the edge of bedding and feeding areas, small woodlots, large woodlots, river bottoms, crp, fencerows, ditches and agricultural fields. Our hunts are 100% fair chase.

Non-resident licenses are available over the counter or online for Indiana, Maine, and Ohio.  

Hunts are listed under the rates and dates page. We strive to provide opportunity and offer many different hunts ranging from 3 days to memberships. We mainly hunt whitetails during the prime time pre-rut, rut, and post/ secondary rut. Our bear hunts occur for 4 consecutive weeks during the Maine fall bear season.

Memberships are semi-guided which means they are treated as a regular hunt, only for a longer period of time. Memberships included are:

Memberships are designed to give you the highest opportunity possible to harvest the trophy of your choice. You will be assigned 1-2 guides in a large area and have the ability to hunt multiple farms during your hunt. You can hunt as many days as you wish within designated time periods. The membership hunts allow you to do multiple hunts offer more flexibility for the hunter's schedule. We request that you let us know upon arrival the caliber of buck you are looking for and we will work together to help you achieve your goal.

Indiana Bow Membership- October 1st- November 14th, 2013- 45 days- $2,250- 20 Spots Total

Ohio Bow Membership- September 28- November 22nd, 2013- 56 days- $2,000- 8 Spots Total

We offer a combo hunt as one of our Indiana semi-guided hunts which allows a hunter the ability to harvest a trophy buck with a bow or gun. You can still only harvest 1 buck total on this hunt, but now have the opportunity to hunt both rut archery and firearms in the same week. This is a 6 1/2 day hunt. You purchase a bow license and hunt for 4 1/2 days. If you don't harvest within that time period, you purchase another license for the opening weekend of gun. Again, this is not a combo hunt for 2 bucks, but a hunt during peak rut with up to 2 different weapons for one trophy buck. The 2012 combo is scheduled November 11th- 17th., 2013- $2,250.

First, our whitetail hunting areas are just as good as what most well known areas in other trophy producing states were 10-15 years ago.  We have the ability to take many more hunters but feel that quality and long term trophy potential are more important. The most pressure that our whitetail areas encounter are the last week of bow season and the first week or firearms. We may place hunters near each other at certain times to kill certain deer that we have patterned. For the most part, there is little pressure compared to other recognized trophy producing areas. It seems that a lot of big bucks in our areas are more likely to be killed by a car than by a hunter. Our trophy bear hunts are extremely remote so pressure is not really an issue at all as we hunt the vast area of 2.5 million acres in Northern Maine.

We offer a 5% discount on whitetail hunts for retired or active duty military personnel. We truly appreciate your service to our country and it would be an honor to host you as our guest this fall. If you have a group of 4 or more, you may also qualify for additional discounts.

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• Hunt Item Checklist: 
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• GPS for your vehicle- Garmin, Tom Tom- Mandatory  for Indiana and Ohio semi-guided
• Cooler
• Comfortable seat cushion for elevated stands, portable chair for ground blinds 
• Bow String and Bow Hanger
• Stand- Ohio, Indiana self-guided

• Sleeping bag 
• Towel and washcloth
• Personal items
• Rain gear 
• Weather Appropriate Clothing
• Rubber Boots- Mandatory
• Weapon and ammunition 
• Binoculars/ range finder- archers 
• Camera 
• Orange Vest and Hat - Gun seasons only
• Day Pack 
• Flashlight/ flashlight with red lens for walking to or from the stand.

Thermacell- Early whitetail hunts, Bring for Maine

 Be prepared and confident with your weapon. Practice from elevated positions with known and unknown yardages and in low light conditions.

A hunt is not considered booked until we have received your signed hunting agreement and minimum deposit of $250 at our main office- 1870 N. 375 E. Monticello, In 47960. Our deposit requirements are as follows: Hunters booking more than one year in advance are required to pay an initial deposit of $250 and an additional anount totaling 50% by January 1, of the year in which the hunt takes place and 50% 60 days prior to your arrival date. Hunters booking for the present year are required to pay a minimum deposit of $250 to confirm the hunt. All final payments are due 60 days prior to your hunt date unless other arrangements are made. Book your hunt early to secure the time that fits your needs and schedule.

It is our desire to fill all openings "spots" on each hunt. Once you book a hunt and send a deposit, you are then 100% liable for the entire cost of the hunt that year. If you need to cancel a hunt, you must let us know as soon as possible prior to the start of your hunt. If cancelled, your 2013 deposit money will be used as a deposit only for a 2014 Camp Kay Outfitters hunt at the same location. You will be responsible for the difference in hunt costs if this occurs.

We offer free range fair chase hunting. You are paying us for the opportunity to hunt for trophy bucks and bears in our areas at different times throughout the season. Though your odds of killing a trophy buck or bear with us are very good compared with our competitors in other known trophy producing areas, we cannot guarantee you a buck or bear or even an opportunity. Hunting is unique because it is unlike any other known commodity. Killing, on the other hand is a known commodity. If you want a quality hunting experience then come hunt with us.

It has been our experience that mechanical broadheads do not have the penetration especially on poor shot placement. We have seen many wounds occur with mechanicals the last few years and found many mechanicals and blades in deer in past seasons. We have no doubts that in a perfect hunting scenario mechanicals may work perfectly fine. We place a lot of effort into patterning good bucks and feel that fixed broadheads are more effective. Many other outfitters and states also prohibit the use of mechanical broadheads as well. We do allow you to use mechanicals as an option in Ohio.

Our stands are either stick/portables, ladder, or box/ground blinds. The number of stands and when we use particular types of stands vaies by location and time of the year. We understand that you may be used to a certain style or brand of stand but ask that you use our stands because they have already been set and the less disruption the better your odds are of harvesting a trophy. Please bring your favorite seat cushion with you for your comfort and convenience. You may bring your own stand on our Ohio and Indiana self-guided hunts.

Our success at Camp Kay Outfitters is rooted from a specific program that consistently generates results. Stands are positioned early in the year near known travel routes. We stay out of these areas as much as possible in order to maximize our success. It is in our best interest to place you in the best stands available during various times of the year. We will have extra stands available and slight adjustments can be made by the guides only.

Processing of your buck or bear is included in the price of your hunt for Indiana semi-guided, Ohio semi-guided, and Maine bear hunts. You are responsible for processing with our self-guided hunts. If you take your meat with you, you will need to bring coolers to do so. We will skin, quarter, process, and bag your deer or bear according to your specifications. 

We are often asked, "How much do I leave my guide as a tip?" This is a hard question to answer because a gratuity is left to show consideration for a job well done. Everyone's opinion of what that is worth is a bit different. We don't demand anything but appreciate everything. From our experience, the following is a good rule of thumb. If you, the client, feel that your guide worked hard for you, was knowledgeable about the hunting, and did everything in his control to ensure you had an enjoyable quality hunt, then no less than 10-15% of the cost of the hunt is what we suggest, and is more or less the industry standard. Remember that successful deer hunting is not a seasonal job. Months of glassing fields, knowing how and when deer move, setting stands, and placing you on a trophy buck is a difficult yet gratifying task. Please consider this, our guides scout on their own time year round, usually making several trips, to provide our clients the best opportunity at a trophy whitetails. They live in the area and also use their own vehicles and personal equipment (i.e. binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, etc). Again, we want to reiterate that a tip is a personal expression of gratitude, therefore a definitive value is difficult to determine, however for those who pose the "how much" question, these are simply some industry guidelines that we have observed, and feel that it would be helpful information to you, our client.

As with any successful outfitter, the principles of success are, first, the country he is fortunate enough to hunt, and secondly, the quality and knowledge of the guides he has representing his organization. We don't mean to brag but we have the staff and leases that deserve to be bragged about. The leased farms for Indiana semi-guided are scattered throughout 3 counties. This is advantageous for many reasons, but primarily not having all the ground in one piece ensures trophy whitetail hunting for years to come. The Indiana self-guided property is completely different in landscape from our semi-guided hunts. Both our Indiana self-guided and Ohio hunts offer huge tracts of hardwoods where great bucks exist but are less visible and therefore potentially more difficult to hunt. Maine is a vast wilderness of softwood forest.

The quality of our guides is second to none, not only as guides, but as people. They work hard every minute of every day and with great enthusiasm. When you arrive, guide(s) will be assigned to you. (semi-guided hunts) Listen to them and know that they have your best interest at heart. They are the best hunters in our areas and know what it takes to be successful on our hunts. Visit our staff page for pictures.

Please look at the rates and dates page for hunt pricing. You are paying for the opportunity to hunt trophy whitetails and black bears. A lot of outfitters can provide you with a lower priced hunt. We have found though that quality has no substitute and you get what you pay for in most cases. We have made our hunts affordable, yet highly successful through the generosity and support of others. A large portion of your money is used to buy supplies to continually improve the hunting. If price is your primary consideration in selecting a hunt, we recommend that you either save your money or choose another outfitter. We are looking for a longterm clientele of quality hunters who realize and value our program for success.

Generally our average buck weighs around 175-220 lbs. dressed. We have harvested deer well over the 200lb mark though. Bears generally average around 200-250 lbs., and we have harvested a few over 600lbs.

If you are not looking for a trophy whitetail or black bear hunt then please hunt with another outfitter. We do have true trophies to hunt but not everyone is going to be successful. This is hunting not killing. We have no trophy fees for shooting a monster buck or bear.

You may use a bow, crossbow, muzzleloader, shot gun with slugs, pistol, or rifles that shoot pistol rounds between .357 and .500 caliber with a casing length of no more than 1.8". Standard center-fire rifle cartridges like 30.06 are not allowed.

Temperatures fluctuate dramatically during our deer hunting season. Generally in October and November the temperature can range from 30-70 degrees. December weather can be mild or cold. Maine can either be very cool and damp or very warm. Check the weekly forecast before your hunt so you pack clothing for the week that is appropriate.

Indiana-You can either fly into Indianapolis International, Ft. Wayne International, or Chicago Midway for our Indiana semi-guided hunts. They are all 2 hours away.

Maine- Presque Isle or Bangor Maine are the closest airports for our Maine bear hunts. They are 2-4 hours away.

Ohio- Columbus is the closest airports for the Ohio hunts. It is about 1 1/2 hours away.

We put a lot of time and effort into our stand and blind sites, and hunt different set-ups at different times of the season. Some work better during the pre-rut, some during the rut, and others during the post-rut. By doing this, we have great success throughout the season. Therefore, the best hunt is the one that you prefer and which suits your schedule and budget. Most of our deer however are harvested in November.

All four of the bear hunts can be productive. Most of the time the first two weeks are the most productive. Some years an abundance of food occurs in the forest so the later hunts can be good.

Our primary rut usually takes place during the 10th-15th of November.

We do use bait Maine, and can use bait Ohio. It is illegal to hunt over bait in Indiana. We have heavy agriculture though in our Indiana areas, and a few food plots.