bretthomer

Brett Homer

Backwoods Whitetails Outfitters
Owner and Head Guide

Brett is the owner and head guide for Backwoods Whitetails
Outfitters. Born and raised in West Central Illinois, Brett has well over
30 years of experience in hunting all types of big and small game in
the backwoods of Illinois. Born the son of a master gunsmith, Brett
was introduced into small game hunting as a young boy. Through his
fathers love of guns, hunting small game and upland birds. Brett
quickly developed a passionate hobby that would take him to a career
in the guiding whitetail hunters through the backwoods of West
Central Illinois. Though Brett has the desire to hunt other big game
animals, his heart is mainly into pursuing trophy whitetails & the
eastern wild turkey. Each year he tries to gain as much knowledge as
he can to pass on to his family, friends and to all of those interested in
pursuing whitetail deer. With his biggest buck to date being measured
up as a 167 inch whitetail. Brett has guided his fair share of hunters to
harvest Boone & Crockett class bucks.
"Sure I would love to have a 200 incher on the wall, along with a double drop
tine also, lol. But neither God nor fate has willed it to me yet. I occasionally get
in some stand time during the early & late seasons as much as i can. But even
that time is VERY LIMITED and just something that one has to accept when
choose to guide hunters for a career. "Making a living while watching
everybody else having fun" pretty much sums up for being a whitetail
guide. But I know for fact that we always have some big deer running around
out here and if it is meant to be, it will happen. So i try to focus more on
enjoying the time i get to spend in the stand rather than worrying about what i
didn't get to kill each season.
I capture several trophy class bucks on trail cam each year. I have put both
first time and seasoned hunters on farms with both P&Y and B&C class bucks
running the area. Some have succeeded and some have not. But I'm a guy
that believes the fate of a buck is always decided by the deer and not the
hunter nor the guide. Hunting will always be hunting no matter how much
money one spends, what location that they are in, and/or invests on bow
hunting equipment. Not to mention that hunting for specific bucks can and will
always be a mentally exhausting sport. So my best advice to hunters is to
enjoy the sport more than the harvest. Don't try to do in just 6 days what you
struggle to do back home in an entire season. Never forget that all of these
bucks are 100% wild, can show up anywhere at anytime and are not born to
be harvested by just anybody. My wife and I always hopeful for each of our
hunters to have the best experience possible while hunting with us here in
Illinois. We are VERY THANKFUL and feel VERY BLESSED BY GOD for the
life he has given us. We can't Thank the Good Lord enough for all of the
hunters that he has given us each & every year. Therefore it is my personal
goal to make sure that i share as much of my knowledge & experiences with
each hunter that comes through our camp. We want the experience of each
hunter to last longer than just the few short days that they will spend with us
here in Illinois.
Brett & Bridge have been operating B.W.O. with a strict family &
friends style program since 2004. With over 30 years of experience in
scouting & hunting whitetails, combined with their passion for their
hunters to succeed. Hunters can rest assured that Brett & Bridget
know what they are doing to help make your hunt as enjoyable, as
successful and as comfortable as possible.
"The Wife, My boys & myself have been on and/or have take several paid
hunting trips ourselves. Therefore we know that there are many
things/needs/requirement that can & will vary from outfitter to outfitter. We
know that the weather and the animal activity will always be in the hands of
Mother Nature. But what we do know is how we wanted treated as people, as
hunters and as a client while on our hunting vacations. Therefore we know
that IS something that IS within my control. We know that deer camp means
something different to everyone, But to my wife & I, Deer Camp means family
& friends, staying in clean lodging, eating good food, having great time
together, hunting hard followed with sharing some laughter & camp stories.
We feel that If we can do all that right, then we all wont be able to wait until the
next time when we get to do it again next year.
We also understand that hunting is still hunting even though BIG BUCKS are
truly the main reason for what we are all here for. So although going home
with an unfilled tag isn't something that we want to see. But it does happen
and that doesn't mean it was a lousy unsuccessful trip. We want ALL our
hunters to understand that our goal for everyone to get a deer. We also want
our hunters to leave hear having learned something new about whitetails
and/or hunting whitetails. But reality & the odds for successfully harvesting
Mature Monster Bucks in just 3 to 6 short days, just doesn't always play into
the favor of every hunter. But we feel that through all the time my wife & I
spend in the timber, running trail cams, tweaking stand sites and preparing for
the upcoming hunting season. We feel like our hunters chances are good for
success and we love having been a part of the hunt when a client drags out a
good one. And again, we also feel & share the same disappointment when
one of our hunters goes home empty handed. Bottom line is that we don't
always have to be the one in the stand suffering and/or the one pulling the
trigger to feel like we were actually experiencing the highs & lows of each
hunt."
On a closing note, "I want to thank my Dad, (Paul A. Homer Sr.) for sharing the
outdoors with me. It was him alone that ignited the passion and the desire to
spend as much time in the woods as possible. It was his inspiration as a self
employed business owner that gave me the courage to succeed with my own
adventures It was his example of living that made this all possible for both our
hunters and for myself to have & share these wonderful experiences. I only
hope that my son can somehow keep the legacy alive, take the Backwoods
Whitetails traditions to new and higher levels. I also want to thank my wife and
my kids for standing by me, putting up with me and for supporting me even
when they didn't want to each time that I wanted to be in the woods instead of
with them. Bridget, Nathan and Myself also want to say "THANK YOU" to ALL
of the hunters that we now considered as not just B.W.O. family... but just as
"FAMILY". Without them, Our dreams could not have been made possible. It is
truly the hunters and the hunt that keep us all going ".
God Bless each and everyone of you and best of luck to you ALL, each and
every hunting season!
Brett Homer, Bridget & Nathan Homer