This was one of the best vacation experiences my wife and I have ever had anywhere on the planet (and yes, we've been to a lot of it) and easily the most impressive hunting lodge I've ever been to. The facilities and accommodation are first class. The wood and stone interior of the lodge is a perfect balance of rustic and refined, with an enormous fireplace that creates a strikingly beautiful and majestic centerpiece for the main room of the building. Rooms were very comfortable with large beds, good amount of floor and closet space for all our luggage and supplies, and a somewhat simple but very comfortable bathroom with a very roomy shower. Food was excellent and plentiful, and the open bar was most welcoming and well stocked. Outside there's a VERY nice pavilion with a fire pit and two TV's, perfect for relaxing outside while enjoying a drink and cigar or just the open air.
On to the experience. Before you get out the door or come back in it, naturally there's a mud room for putting on and taking off waders, stuffing/unstuffing jackets and gear bags, etc., but not just any mud room, a first rate one. It's complete with boot dryers, wader hanging racks, a long gun rack along the front wall, and benches to sit on to handle all the pre- and post- hunt chores easily and comfortably. Yes, I'm serious, the mud room is impressive. Once out the door, you're paired up with a guide for your party, which can be 5-6 people or as few as 2, depending on your choice, availability of guides, and so forth. We hunted two mornings and had a different guide and field each time, both excellent. Preparation and timeliness were quite good, and service with transportation, tagging ducks, pictures, and other miscellaneous assistance was fantastic. Being able to buy licenses and duck stamps on the spot makes that aspect very simple and convenient. Our guide the first day was Greg, and the second day was Dallas, both excellent guides and great friends--half the experience was the hunt itself with the ducks and nature, the other half the conversation, learning, and sharing of common appreciation for the goodness of the outdoors and people who enjoy it.
Oh, did I mention this was my wife's first hunting experience? She LOVED it. Everyone was SUPER nice to her and as helpful and welcoming as they could be, both staff and fellow guests. One thing that I can say makes Buckshot Lodge stand out is the way they instill such a sense of camaraderie and fellowship: you feel like everyone's your friend there, guides, staff, and fellow hunters. We made a lot of great connections with the people hunting there, one group having been four previous years and the other ten, and came to readily appreciate how they liked being there at the same time every year to get to hunt with the same people again. We certainly hope to as well.
This is a refreshing experience for the soul, definitely satisfying for any hunter beginning or expert, excellent in every way that counts. Perfectly off the beaten path, totally unpretentious with a simple natural grace and purity of Southern warmth and elegance--a welcomed contrast to overly touristy and often disgustingly artificial resort style places. This lodge embodies what is great about America's great hunting heritage and culture and makes you proud to be part of it. read more
