Sports | Hunting » The Hoffarts, Three Decades of Welcoming Clients to their Hunting Lodge and Home

Source: http://www.doksinet 24 1 SASKATC HEWA N FISHING & HUNTING GUIDE 2013 lt was with the encouragement of a neighbour who was a ONR (Oepartment of Natural Resources) officer that Brian and Sylvia Hoffart became outfitters. A lifelong hunting and fishing enthusiast, Brian had always taken his friends bear and bird hunting. More than 30 years later, the Hoffarts continue to welcome clients into their hunting lodge and home, located on the shores of Green Lake. "He called me one day to go down to the office and said 1 should be getting paid for what I was doing. So, we filled out some paperwork, and my wife and I became outfitters," Brian said. Brian grew up near Dilke, a small farming community northwest of Regina. His family farm was situated along Last Mountain Lake. lt was in the early 1970s when Brian first found himself at Green Lake. His father decided to quit farming and bought a service station in the small community in northern Saskatchewan. Early Days

Source: http://www.doksinet SASKATCHEWAN FISHING & HUNTING GUIDE 2013 "That is where my love of hunting, fishing, and the torest grew on me," Brian said. Sylvia was raised in a small town east of Prince Albert called Love. Her parents were gold miners in the Yukon, spending April through October in the mining camps. When Sylvia was nine, her father decided to make a career change and plant some roots. After attending high school in Nipawin, Sylvia eventually found herself in Prince Albert working tor the Department of Northern Saskatchewan. This is where she met Brian, a co-worker omelettes, and walleye tor breakfast (in season). Most weeks, Sylvia does not have enough time to cook all of their favourites. But after a few extra pounds and moans and groans, hearing "are we eating again?" makes her smile. But the outfitting business is more than just Brian and Sylvia. AII of the Hoffarts employees - from guides to kitchen staff - are local Métis people from

Green Lake. "And , to this day, we still have guides who started with us 32 years ago," Brian said. After a couple of years, the couple married in April 1978. That fali, they had the opportunity to buy into the service station business in Green Lake. "That set us on our first adventure of living in the north," Brian said . And an adventure it was. "On our first trip up to Green Lake from Prince Albert, just northwest of Big River on Highway 55, we reached the Dore Lake turnoff and Cowan Dam bridge, and l looked over and said, Eighteen more mi les, honey! She was just not quite sure what she was getting herself into." To this day, every time the Hoffarts make that same trip, Brian will look over at his wife and say those words. "When Sylvia asked where we were going to live, 1 showed her a little old house with not much more than 450 sq. ft 1 told her we would make it a home, and we did." ln the years that followed, the Hoffarts had two children:

Naomi, born in 1980, and Neil, born in 1983. Brian and Sylvia now have four grandchildren. The Adventure Begins lt was the early 1980s when the Hoffarts filled out the paperwork to become outfitters. Their first clients were from North Carolina, and happened to be two NASCAR drivers by the names of Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt. "This was the beginning of our second adventure [in northern Saskatchewan], and 32 years later, we are still in the big game outfitting industry," Brian said. At Bait Masters Hunting Camps, Brian is the Outdoor Operations Manager (as he calls himself) and Sylvia is the Hostess/CFO (and occasional therapist). "She knows more about the clients in the first couple of hours than 1 find out by mid-week," Brian joked about his multitalented wife. Sylvia is also Head Chef and known tor her "awesome home-cooked meals." With the return clientele, she receives many requests tor her wild rice soup, wild rice Bait Masters Hunting

Camps offers the Full American Plan, which is fu lly guided and includes equipment, accommodations (up to 18 guests at a time), and inhouse licencing to make guests arrival stress free. The Hoffarts offer spring black bear hunts during the months of May and the first half of June. At this time of year, clients can fish for walleye and northern pike in the Beaver River and on Green Lake. For an all-day catch and release, guests can fish for northern pike and perch at an outpost camp on Cowan Lake. Fali hunts start at the end of August during black bear season. September is a busy month at Bait Masters with migratory bird hunting, archery, and muzzleloader whitetailed deer hunting. Moose hunting season starts at the end of the month. "This is one of my favourite times. With the ability and knowledge to call moose, 1 enjoy the archery moose week, as I can call the moose in close for the clients to enjoy a one-on-one hunt with such a large, magnificent animal ," Brian said . From

mid-October/ November through to the first week of December, the lodge offers muzzleloader and rifle whitetailed deer hunting. By that time, Sylvia says she is "hunted out and cooked out." 25 Source: http://www.doksinet 26 1 SASKATC HEWAN FI SHI NG & HUNTI NG GUI DE 20 13 The off-season is full of meetings, paperwork, sports shows, and preparing for the upcoming spring season. one else wanted the job," Brian joked. But Sylvia says he is good at it. Diversifying the Operation He is very proud of the SOA and what the association has done and accomplished for the industry as it is today. He says that there is a steady shift in direction to a more professional levei, with outfitters looking to government to be more proactive in developing industry legislation. The Hoffarts also keep busy with commercial wild rice and fishing operations. ln early fali , Brian and Sylvia harvest their wild rice lakes. ln the winter season, they fish for whitefish, northern pike,

and walleye on Green Lake. The couple has also forayed into the vacation rental and bed and breakfast market. "Opening the lodge to selfcontained guests and/or providing a bed and breakfast has made our summers very interesting and enjoyable," Brian said. "We have been seeing a trend with Saskatchewan folks wanting to spend their vacations in our province." The Hoffarts plan to add a new cottage in the future. "This will help advance the hunting industry, so we can provide the levei of service our customers are expecting ." At Bait Masters Hunting Camps, exceptional customer service comes first. Proof of this can be gleaned from the lt was challenges caused by the downturn of the world economy that prompted the couple to diversify their business. "This has hit the outfitting industry across Canada, not just herein Saskatchewan. Being in the industry for over 30 years, we have experienced the rollercoaster of the economy," Brian said. "For

us older, wellestablished outfitters, we have learned how to manage these downturns in the industry. By diversifying into offseason activities, this has helped ease the stress of relying on hunting as our sole income." number of friendships that Brian and Sylvia have formed over the years and repeat clients. Add one more job to Brians resume. He is also the President of the Saskatchewan Outfitters Association (SOA). "Shortly after we started outfitting, we learned of the Saskatchewan Outfitters Association. We joined and had the opportunity to network with old and new outfitters, thus learning the rapes of the industry," Brian said, noting that the experience has been invaluable. Brian was first elected to the SOA board about 20 years ago as an Area Representative and Big Game Chairperson. He has served as President for the past eight years. "No "The most appealing part of the business we are in is meeting people who have travelled from the USA, China,

Mexico, Africa, Finland, and France," Brian said. "Sylvia and 1should really write a book about all of our experiences that we have had over the years. Sylvias only regret was not having a guestbook for signatures and stories when we first started." Baít Masters Huntíng Camps at Green Lake is located approxímately 300 km northwest of Saskatoon and 560 km northwest of Regina. Far more ínformation about Bait Masters Hunting Camps, visit www.baitmasternet See Page 48 tor fu/1 /isting