Why you should hunt with Willie Dvorak and Jim River Guide Service (JRGS)
When booking a hunt, it is best to use the same rule of thumb as when you buy a scope. Buy the best you can afford. The sweetness of low price is short-lived but the bitterness of dealing with a poor guide lasts a lifetime.
I guide all of my clients. Before you book a hunt with me, I allow you to talk to EVERY client that I guided the previous season by supplying you with the names and phone numbers of ALL my clients from the previous season. Call them and ask them hard questions. By listening to their answers, you will see the clear value my business has over my competition. Because I provide the names of ALL my clients, you know YOUR NAME will be going on the list next season so you should have comfort in knowing I have a vested interest in your success. As the owner of the business, you should also know that I have a greater interest in your success than if I was simply putting you out with a hired hand as the other outfitters do. In a perfect world, everybody would care about the business as much as the owner. But we don't live in a perfect world.
There is a demographic that only wants to be guided by the owner of the business because they know what valuable dynamics that brings to their hunt/experience. Because I do all of my guidings, the hunting is EXCELLENT. Because I do ALL of my guidings, my time gets spoken for rather quickly. I treat everybody the same. I treat everybody the same when you are booking the hunts ... the first person that puts money across my desk gets the dates. That gives everybody the same chance to hunt with me. When you book a hunt with me, my goal is to get you to come back on another hunt. The best way for me to get you to come back on a second hunt is to show you a great time on your first hunt.
It is sometimes hard to get a hunter to book a hunt with me the first time. However, it is a slam dunk to get them to book a second, third, and fourth hunt with me after I have guided them once. I make my living on repeat business. If you have concerns about how to go about choosing a great outfitter, you should find comfort that I do ALL of my guiding and everyone's name goes on my client lists that I send out to prospective clients. There is a lot of risk in putting the names of all of my customers on a list as a way of demonstrating how good of an operation I am running. I risk other outfitters trying to poach my clients and I risk a client not saying great things about me. If I owned a run-of-the-mill operation, that would be a concern. I do not own a run-of-the-mill operation, I own an OUTSTANDING operation. I have a lot of confidence in my operation and you won't be disappointed that you spent money with me.
You need to know what questions to ask the outfitter that you might trust to take you hunting. You will find out nothing about an outfitter by simply asking fluff questions about Price, Success Rate, and Trophy Quality except what his price is. You have to ask the right questions if you want to know if you are dealing with a poor outfitter, a good outfitter, or a great outfitter. Bad outfitters are the cheapest because they have to be. They count on new business every year because repeat customers are a rarity in their books. But some bad outfitters charge a lot. It is up to you to tell the difference between a bad outfitter from a good outfitter from a great outfitter. If you can't tell one from the other, go with one of the cheaper ones and understand that you won't have the success that you would with a better outfitter, but at least you won't spend much money. Outfitters charge what they do because they can't charge more. If an outfitter charges $1000, it is because he can't charge $1200. There are no outfitters that charge less because they don't like money.
When you book a hunt with me, do so knowing that I have your best interest in mind before, during, and after the hunt. I am proud of that. Trust that you will get a great outdoor experience when you go hunting with me.
Hunting in South Dakota and Alaska
South Dakota deer, antelope, pheasant, and buffalo hunting are just some of Jim River Guide Service's specialties. We also offer predator/coyote hunting and prairie dog hunting.
Jim River Guide Service is located in the game-rich area of South Dakota known as the James River Valley. We are located within a one-hour drive of the Aberdeen Regional Airport and the Huron Regional Airport. These airports can accommodate all of your luggage, including ice chests, dogs, weapons, etc. My home headquarters are located in Mellette, South Dakota.
Along with guiding hunts in South Dakota, I guide hunting trips in Alaska for grizzly/brown bear, moose, Dall sheep, caribou, black bear, wolf, and wolverine (www.guidedalaskahunting.com). Check out this other website to learn more about the hunts. I have had many clients start their relationship with me by hunting for one species in one state and then finding themselves booking hunts with me year after year in the other state. Return clients are very important to me.
Accommodations and Services
We've moved into new headquarters! The facility features 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and 2 kitchens, for over 5,100 square feet to accommodate our hunters and ourselves much better. We offer first-rate accommodations. We still focus on small groups that want excellent personal service.
Jim River Guide Service operates on over 100,000 acres of private ground in five distinct areas of South Dakota. I have an extensive network of family and land owners who are interested in your success and satisfaction on your hunt.
Jim River Guide Service provides you with an excellent hunting experience. Housing, excellent vehicles and equipment, and first-class meals featuring wild game from South Dakota, buffalo, excellent home-raised beef, and pork with all the extras are provided with unmatched hospitality. The guide will give you 100% all of the time, in good weather and bad. Not only does he guide in South Dakota, but Willie Dvorak, owner of Jim River Guide Service, is an experienced guide for moose, caribou, and bears in Alaska. We also can arrange butchering services, taxidermy, air travel, and shipment of trophies/meat at no charge.
Hunting Season Information
Archery deer season runs from late September through late December. Pheasant season starts the third weekend of October and runs through late December. Early hunting is excellent, however, late-season hunting can occasionally be even better due to the grain harvesting that generally starts in mid-October and can run well into November. Prairie dog shooting takes place from April through October. The best time for buffalo shooting in December and January. I can call predators all year long. We'll do our best to accommodate you when your calendar allows you to hunt.
Jim River Guide Service ... THE best mule deer and whitetail deer hunting in South Dakota.
I hunt whitetail deer and mule deer on 70,000 acres of private land spread out over 300 miles in 5 distinctly different locations in South Dakota. Here's why:
1. To hunt the highest density of deer regardless of year-to-year game fluctuations.
2. So my hunters can take the great animals from a given area, leaving the mediocre animals to mature and become huge for the next season.
3. To avoid bad weather.
4. To provide the best outdoor experience to those who invest money and time, and travel halfway across the country to have a great time hunting the South Dakota prairies.
5. To ensure great success for EACH/ALL of my hunters.
6. To offer QUALITY LATE SEASON dates for hunters who have other fall hunting plans.
* Hunt the rut.
* I am an avid bow hunter and know how to get you close for a good shot. I also offer great hunts for the rifle or pistol shooter.
* I cater to small groups of less than 4 hunters. If there are 2 or more in your group, I can guarantee that you will be the only hunters in my camp.
* I guide you.
* I run my business in South Dakota and Alaska. You may have questions about hunting/fishing in Alaska that we can discuss while you are here.
* I have had the honor of having Mike Fifer (CEO of Ruger Firearms), members of the NYPD, a Mayor of Tijuana, several hunters from the FBI, CIA, and The Pentagon, a group of Chicago firefighters, a Top Gun Pilot Wininer, and a lot of "regular Joe's" as clients in the past. I am proud of my operation.
WHEN RESEARCHING A HUNT, YOU SHOULD ASK TO SPEAK TO ALL OF THE CLIENTS WHO HUNTED AT THE SAME TIME YOU ARE CONSIDERING HUNTING THE PREVIOUS YEAR. IT IS FOOLISH TO CONSIDER BOOKING A HUNT WITH AN OUTFITTER BEFORE YOU SPEAK WITH HUNTERS WHO HAVE HUNTED AT THE SAME TIME AND PLACE DURING THE PREVIOUS SEASON. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT YOU ARE GETTING FOR YOUR MONEY. I AM PROUD OF THE ATTENTION I GIVE MY CLIENTS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE HUNT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON’T CONSIDER BOOKING A HUNT WITH ANYONE THAT IS NOT WILLING TO GIVE YOU THE NAMES AND NUMBERS, AND/OR EMAIL ADDRESSES OF “ALL” OF THE CLIENTS FROM THE PREVIOUS SEASON.
Archery Deer Hunt Pricing
All-inclusive: $7,800.00
Rifle Deer Hunt Pricing
All-inclusive: $7,400.00
A 50% non-refundable deposit will reserve your hunt.
Jim River Guide Service ... THE place to hunt pheasants in South Dakota.
South Dakota pheasant hunting is legendary. While many South Dakota operations conduct hunts that are similar to the put-and-take operations near your town, I do great traditional pheasant hunts. It is challenging and a lot of fun. It is the perfect choice for the normal hunter who wants a relaxing hunting experience run by a professional. I guide many kinds of hunts for HUNTERS ranging from low-cost prairie dog hunts that are less than $500/day to Alaska moose hunts that cost over $20,000. A hunt with me is a great way to show off your talent of selecting professional guides or to test the water with a low-cost hunt to try out a guide that you might hire later to take you on a hunt of a lifetime for Alaska Brown Bear or Mule Deer.
You can bring your dogs and keep them in my kennel facility or enjoy hunting behind experienced working dogs that have spent hundreds of hours HUNTING South Dakota's upland birds.
Besides the best pheasant hunting in the world, I have thousands of acres of the best prairie chicken and sharptail grouse hunting numbers in the world. Jim River Guide Service is an excellent upland bird hunting destination.
Hunt your local put-and-take operation if you want a put-and-take experience. Hunt with Jim River Guide Service if you want an outstanding hunting experience.
* I cater to small groups of less than 6 hunters. I can guarantee that your group will not be mixed with other hunters while you are here.
* I guide you.
* I run my business in South Dakota and Alaska. You may have questions about hunting/fishing in Alaska that we can discuss while you are here.
* We have a lot of coyotes around here and I love calling them in for hunters to shoot. I throw it in for free at the end of the day if you limit out on roosters early and time allows. Let me know if you want to do it ahead of time and I'll tell you what to bring.
* I have had the honor of having Mike Fifer (CEO of Ruger Firearms), members of the NYPD, a mayor of Tijuana, several hunters from the FBI, CIA, and the Pentagon, a group of Chicago firefighters, a Top Gun Pilot winner, and a lot of "regular Joe's" as clients in the past. I am proud of my operation.
Pricing Information
A 50% non-refundable deposit will reserve your hunt.
All-Inclusive Hunting Package: $1,000/person/day
Some of today's outdoorsmen have the urge to take one of America's largest plains animals. . . the American Bison! Jim River Guide Service provides an avenue to accomplish this. Bison, sometimes called buffalo, provide gorgeous mounts, extremely warm rugs, and excellent, lean table fair.
Buffalo is very big and extremely hearty. For this reason, we recommend a caliber of 30-06 as a minimum with a .300 Winchester Magnum as a better choice. Heavier calibers also work well.
Due to the nature of buffalo hunting, no license is required and success is guaranteed. Jim River Guide Service will do everything we can to ensure you an enjoyable experience with excellent photos, video, meat, and rug/head mount. It is essential to book the trip to take place in November, December, January, or February. Our experience has shown us that those are the best months for tanning the hide or cape.
Our buffalo hunts provide the shooter with 100% of the buffalo. In other outfits, the shooter is only entitled to a portion of the buffalo. With us, you retain ownership of the whole animal: hide, skull, meat, and all!
You will be given excellent instructions on the preparation of the meat for the table. Buffalo requires special considerations when cooking to insure delicious meals. As with the pheasant and whitetail hunting out of our outfit, buffalo meat will be served for supper and/or dinner occasionally during your stay.
Unless other arrangements are made, I will be your guide. In a perfect world, an employee would care about the business as much as the owner. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. I do all of my guiding unless other arrangements are made. It is comforting for you to know that the guy who is cashing your check (me) is the same guy who will accompany you in the field (me). I put my reputation on the line every time I cash a check. If you have ever paid a lot of money for a guided hunt only to be sent out with a sub-par(drunk/lazy/brother-in-law that just lost his job/etc) guide, you will know why this is so important. If you haven't ever experienced being assigned to a poor guide, you will probably take your chances until you do.....then you will insist on hunting with the owner.
There are several questions you need to ask a prospective outfitter about your buffalo hunt to insure you are not disappointed with your experience. Here is a list of questions I feel you should ask:
Once you compare the answers, you can make an informed decision as to which outfitter best fits your expectations.
Buffalo Hunt Pricing
A 50% non-refundable deposit will reserve your hunt.
All-Inclusive Super Trophy Bull Hunt ... $7,800
All-Inclusive Trophy Bull Hunt ... $6,400
Meat Bulls ... $5,400
Predator hunting is a great way for outdoor enthusiasts to spend time in the field when there are no other seasons open. It can also be the most exciting time an individual can spend in the field.
Jim River Guide Service offers a great variety of predator hunting options. We hunt for coyotes, red foxes, and raccoons. On our western hunts that take place in western states, you may also get a chance at the gray fox, bobcat, cougar, or black bear.
All hunts include lodging, meals, lunches, transportation from/to the airport, excellent guide, caller, and transportation in the field.
Unless other arrangements are made, I will be your guide. In a perfect world, an employee would care about the business as much as the owner. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. I do all of my guiding unless other arrangements are made. It is comforting for you to know that the guy who is cashing your check (me) is the same guy who will accompany you in the field (me). I put my reputation on the line every time I cash a check. If you have ever paid a lot of money for a guided hunt only to be sent out with a sub-par(drunk/lazy/brother-in-law that just lost his job/etc) guide, you will know why this is so important. If you haven't ever experienced being assigned to a poor guide, you will probably take your chances until you do.....then you will insist on hunting with the owner.
You can hunt predators year-round with the Jim River Guide Service. Certain months are more productive than others, but there is always a great chance for action. As with the other hunts that I offer, I try to video the action in the field to go onto my annual videos. The first annual video is currently in production and will be available shortly.
Calling predators is challenging and exciting. I use several brands of electronic game calls when calling predators but find I have better luck with mouth-blown calls. I am in the call-making business and use Jim River Game Calls exclusively for this purpose. I have great results with them and my clients/customers have great results using them on their home-hunting turf as well. They work for those "tough to call in animals". I've personally called in red foxes, bobcats, coyotes, wolves, grizzly bears, lynxes, deer, and crows for myself and for my clients using these calls! Many of my clients and customers have seen the same great results with these calls on everything from deer to bobcats. If you would like to try any or all of these calls, contact me by e-mail or phone. I will get them sent to you right away so you can see them for yourself.
If you are calling predators in a small wooded area, I would suggest you use the JR-#1. If you are calling in a more open country or where maximum volume is needed, I would recommend using the JR-#3 Long Range Call or the JR-#4 Howler. If you have any questions about using the calls or are having problems calling in animals at your favorite hunting sites, I am always glad to email or visit with my customers. Be sure to send me a picture of your successful hunt using Jim River Game Calls and I will try to get it on my website.
Pricing Information
All Inclusive: $500/hunter/day
Jim River Guide Service ... THE best archery antelope hunting in South Dakota.
"When it comes to getting you close enough to shoot an antelope with your bow, JRGS is the best in the business." -- Justin from Missouri
I hunt antelope on 60,000 acres of private land spread out over 200 miles in 5 distinctly different locations in South Dakota. Here's why:
1. To hunt the highest density of antelope regardless of year-to-year game fluctuations.
2. So my hunters can take the great animals from a given area, leaving the mediocre animals to mature and become huge for the next season.
3. To avoid bad weather.
4. To provide the best outdoor experience to those who invest money and time, and travel halfway across the country to have a great time hunting the South Dakota prairies.
5. To ensure great success for EACH/ALL of my hunters.
6. To hunt animals that haven't been harassed by other hunters.
* Hunt the rut.
* I am an avid bow hunter and know how to get you close for a good shot. I also offer great hunts for the rifle or pistol shooter.
* I cater to small groups of less than 4 hunters. If there are 2 or more in your group, I can guarantee that you will be the only hunters in my camp.
* We will utilize ground blinds, spot, and stalk, calling, and decoy hunting techniques.
* I guide you.
* I run my business in South Dakota and Alaska. You may have questions about hunting/fishing in Alaska that we can discuss while you are here.
Antelope Archery/Rifle Hunt Pricing
A 50% non-refundable deposit will reserve your hunt.
All Inclusive: $3,800
South Dakota prairie dog hunting is legendary. I have heard reports stating that South Dakota has more prairie dogs than the rest of the country combined. To the South Dakota prairie dog hunter, that means an awful lot of long-range target shooting!
Prairie dogs offer sportsmen countless hours of entertainment. We can set up within 200 yards of prairie dog towns or set up out past 500 yards for a real long-range challenge. I can produce nearly unlimited long-range shooting opportunities for shooters. Shooting ranges vary depending on the day and depending on the prairie dogs. Either way, prairie dog shooting is an excellent way to sharpen all of the shooting skills that you will need when you go after that big buck this fall, settle in for that 400-yard shot on your elk across the canyon, or prepare yourself for that 100 yards shot on the great Alaskan Grizzly/Brown Bear. The best practice a person can do for your dream hunts is taking shots at the game at varying distances.
Prairie dogs are small targets that will stand still, oftentimes give you a few chances, and seem to replenish themselves as the day goes on. I keep the pickup close by with your gear and refreshments in the cooler. We don't drink alcohol while shooting but you are more than welcome when the day is done. I provide the benches and sandbags for bench rest shooting or you can bring your favorite one from home.
While there are many myths associated with the sport and you should come out with reasonable expectations, it is very possible to shoot 500 or more rounds per person per day. The average guy shoots 300-500 rounds per person per day. This is a long-range sport. It is challenging. It is just about as much fun as you can have with a rifle.
We will stay in hotels in local towns on these hunts. I hunt on several ranches with towns ranging in size from hundreds to thousands. The advantage to this becomes evident when summer storms or other weather systems come through and force the prairie dogs to "hole up" for the day. It makes your whole trip when we can pull up stakes and move 100 miles to shoot at dog towns that are not getting pounded with rain or experiencing very windy conditions. This move will often only take 1-2 hours and you will be right back to do what you came here for...shooting South Dakota Prairie Dogs.
You can add predator hunting to the prairie dog package at no cost. We will typically go after the coyotes in the morning. The midday hours will be saved for the prairie dog shooting.
Bring your buddies and plenty of shells. We have a lot of shooting to do!
Pricing Information
All Inclusive: $510/hunter/day
WHEN RESEARCHING A HUNT, YOU SHOULD ASK TO SPEAK TO ALL OF THE CLIENTS WHO HUNTED AT THE SAME TIME YOU ARE CONSIDERING HUNTING THE PREVIOUS YEAR. IT IS FOOLISH TO CONSIDER BOOKING A HUNT WITH AN OUTFITTER BEFORE YOU SPEAK WITH HUNTERS WHO HAVE HUNTED AT THE SAME TIME AND PLACE DURING THE PREVIOUS SEASON. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT YOU ARE GETTING FOR YOUR MONEY. I AM PROUD OF THE ATTENTION I GIVE MY CLIENTS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE HUNT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON’T CONSIDER BOOKING A HUNT WITH ANYONE THAT IS NOT WILLING TO GIVE YOU THE NAMES AND NUMBERS, AND/OR EMAIL ADDRESSES OF “ALL” OF THE CLIENTS FROM THE PREVIOUS SEASON.
Jim River Guide Service
Willie Dvorak
432 Railway Avenue
Mellette, SD 57461
© 2024 Find A Hunt
Website by GroupM7 Design™
