FAQs

A: A guided trophy whitetail hunt is about much more than access to private land. At Rivers Edge Outdoors, you’re hunting proven Eastern Shore properties that are managed, monitored, and scouted year-round with mature bucks in mind. Our management program, trail-camera history, knowledge of bedding and feeding areas, and understanding of seasonal and daily deer movement all play a role in where—and when—we hunt each property.

Unlike leasing land and starting from scratch, the work has already been done. We manage hunting pressure, adjust stand locations and strategies as conditions change, and use years of knowledge to put each hunter in the position we believe offers the best opportunity for success. Whether your goal is pursuing a trophy whitetail or simply filling the freezer with quality doe meat, we work to understand your goals and give you the best opportunity to achieve them.

A: Our harvest guidelines are an important part of the Rivers Edge Outdoors management program. Hunters may harvest one deer per day—buck or doe, with trophy bucks required to meet our minimum standard of a mature 8-point or larger.

Hunters are expected to properly identify and evaluate their target using binoculars or their scope before taking a shot. Protecting young bucks is an important part of our program, and a penalty fee will be assessed for harvesting an undersized or immature buck that does not meet our established criteria.

Make your shot count. We expect hunters to take responsible, ethical shots within their abilities. A wounded deer is considered a harvested deer, whether or not the animal is ultimately recovered. If a buck is wounded, it is considered your buck harvest and your hunt will be managed accordingly.

Doe harvests are welcomed throughout much of the season; however, we restrict doe harvests immediately before, during, and after the rut, when does play an important role in buck movement and our overall hunting strategy. These guidelines help us protect the quality of our herd while giving our hunters the best opportunity for a successful hunt.

A: Our Sika management strategy is different from our whitetail program. There are no antler-size restrictions on Sika stags—whether you choose to harvest an exceptional 6- or 7-point trophy stag, a spike, or something in between is entirely up to you. Every hunter has different goals, and the decision of what represents a successful Sika hunt is yours to make.

The animal must, however, be positively identified as a stag before taking the shot. Hinds are strictly off-limits. They are an important part of our management and hunting strategy and serve as our natural “live decoys,” helping attract and hold stags within our hunting areas.

As with all of our hunts, make your shot count. Hunters should take responsible shots within their abilities, and a wounded Sika is considered a harvested animal whether or not it is ultimately recovered. If you take a shot, notify your guide and follow their instructions before leaving your hunting location or beginning any tracking.

Our guides will help you understand what to look for in the field, but ultimately positive identification and responsible shot selection are the hunter’s responsibility.

A: Our hunt pricing varies by species, season, hunt length, and package, so we encourage you to call and speak directly with John or Meredith for current rates and availability. We’ll help you determine which hunt and dates best fit what you’re looking for.

Whitetail hunts are generally priced at a daily rate throughout the season, with special multi-day packages offered during select periods such as Early Muzzleloader, Opening Firearms, and Late Firearms. Trophy Sika stag hunts are offered as a 3-day, 4-night package, including lodging.

Waterfowl pricing varies depending on whether you’re hunting ducks, Canada geese, or a combination of both. Eastern turkey hunts are priced per hunter, with just one to two hunters per guide to maintain a personalized experience. Predator hunts are also priced per person, while our snakehead bow hunts are available at per-person rates for either half-day or full-day adventures.

Because availability is intentionally limited—especially during our most sought-after dates—we recommend contacting us early. Call us to speak directly with John or Meredith for current seasonal rates, available packages, and open hunt dates.

A: Absolutely. We welcome youth hunters and love seeing the hunting tradition passed from one generation to the next. Youth hunters who have completed the required hunter safety course and have the appropriate Maryland hunting license may participate, with a parent or legal guardian completing the required liability waiver on their behalf.

For waterfowl hunts, youth hunters participate under adult supervision. Depending on the hunt and circumstances, the guide may choose to keep a young hunter close by or under their direct supervision to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

For whitetail deer hunts, properly licensed youth hunters may hunt from their own assigned stand or blind when appropriate. We also have numerous double ladder stands and Banks box blinds that allow a parent, grandparent, or other family member to sit and experience the hunt together.

Our pricing is based on the number of people actively hunting. If two people are hunting, two hunter fees apply. If an adult is simply accompanying a youth hunter—or a youth is observing while the adult hunts—only the person actively hunting is charged a hunter fee.

Safety always comes first, and our guides will consider the hunter’s age, experience, comfort level, equipment, and the particular hunting location when determining the most appropriate setup.

A: Absolutely. We welcome new hunters and offer one-on-one instructional whitetail hunting experiences designed to help you become a more knowledgeable, confident hunter. Our experienced guides can walk you through everything from understanding deer movement and reading the land to equipment, shot placement, tracking, and what to expect before, during, and after the hunt.

We may also offer opportunities for new waterfowl hunters to observe and learn alongside our guides after a scheduled hunt has concluded, depending on availability and conditions.

We’re happy to share our knowledge with new hunters, and instructional sessions can be arranged at an additional cost based on the type of experience you’re looking for.

You don’t need years of experience to hunt with Rivers Edge Outdoors—just a willingness to learn, listen, and enjoy the experience.

A: Rivers Edge Outdoors is based in Chestertown, Maryland, in the heart of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Our hunting properties are located throughout the surrounding area, with farms and hunting locations generally within approximately 10-25 minutes outside of Chestertown.

Because we hunt multiple private properties rather than one single location, your exact hunting destination will depend on the species, current wildlife movement, weather conditions, and the property our guides believe offers the best opportunity for your hunt. Specific meeting locations and directions are provided as part of your hunt coordination.

Chestertown also serves as a convenient home base for hunters needing lodging, restaurants, fuel, supplies, and other amenities during their stay.

A: Keeping hunting pressure low is a cornerstone of how we manage our properties. We do not overload our farms with hunters—even during busy weekends like opening firearms. The number of hunters we accept is based on the properties available, current deer movement, and what we believe the land can handle without negatively affecting the hunt.

Our properties range from more than 1,000 acres to just a few acres, but we’ve learned over decades that success isn’t always about having the most acreage—sometimes it’s about having the right half-acre. A stand near a driveway, house, or small piece of cover may not look impressive at first glance, but our knowledge of how deer use these properties has produced some exceptional bucks from places hunters would never expect.

Our guides work to get hunters in and out quietly and efficiently, minimizing unnecessary disturbance and allowing our farms to remain as natural and undisturbed as possible. It’s a strategy built through decades of experience—and the fact that some of our hunters have continued returning for 10, 20, 30, and even more than 40 years says a great deal about how seriously we take the quality of their hunting experience.

A: All hunters are responsible for obtaining the appropriate Maryland hunting license, stamps, and permits required for the species and season they will be hunting. Requirements vary depending on whether you are a Maryland resident or nonresident, the type of hunt, and whether you are hunting whitetail, sika deer, turkey, waterfowl, or predators.

Once your hunt is booked, we’re happy to help point you in the right direction, but we encourage every hunter to review the current Maryland DNR requirements before arriving. It is ultimately each hunter’s responsibility to arrive properly licensed and prepared for their hunt.

A: Our number one expectation is simple: help us help you. We work year-round to manage our properties and keep hunting pressure as low as possible. Once you’re in the field, every hunter plays a role in protecting that environment. Mature deer notice human scent, sound, light, and unnecessary movement—and one hunter walking through the wrong area can affect much more than their own hunt.

Hunters are expected to follow the direction of their guide and outfitter at all times. This includes remaining in your assigned stand or blind, using red or green headlamps, carrying a urine container, limiting unnecessary trips in and out of the property, and keeping noise—including phone conversations—to an absolute minimum. Walking or scouting the farms on your own and changing stand locations without permission are not allowed.

If you take a shot, contact your guide and remain in your stand until instructed otherwise. Do not begin tracking on your own. Our guides will evaluate the situation and determine the best approach, helping us avoid unnecessary scent and disturbance while also giving us the best opportunity to recover your deer.

These aren’t rules for the sake of having rules. They’re part of the strategy that keeps our properties productive. Trust your guide, respect the property, and help us maintain the low-pressure environment we’ve worked hard to create for you and every hunter who follows.

A: Being comfortable and prepared can make a big difference in your hunt. We recommend weather-appropriate layered camouflage clothing, comfortable waterproof footwear, your firearm or bow and ammunition/arrows, binoculars, a red or green headlamp, phone, snacks and beverages, and a urine container to help minimize human scent on the property. During applicable firearms seasons, hunters must also bring and wear the required hunter orange or pink in accordance with current Maryland regulations.

A walking stick is strongly recommended and essential for many of our Sika hunts, where hunters may be navigating swampy or uneven terrain. It can also be extremely helpful on our whitetail properties with steep inclines, muddy ground, or slippery wet leaves.

Our stands are equipped with safety bars, and most have bow/equipment hangers and pull ropes for getting your gear safely into the stand. Any personal safety equipment, including a safety harness or fall-arrest system, is the hunter’s responsibility to bring and use.

Because equipment needs vary between whitetail, sika, turkey, and waterfowl hunts, additional hunt-specific recommendations are provided in our booking forms. When in doubt, ask your guide—we’d much rather help you arrive prepared than discover you’re missing something once you’re in the field.

A: Rivers Edge Outdoors offers a variety of professionally guided hunting experiences on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, including trophy whitetail deer, trophy sika stag, Eastern wild turkey, duck and Canada goose, predator, and snakehead bow hunting.

Our Maryland guided whitetail and sika deer hunts take place on proven private properties, while our waterfowl hunts offer opportunities for both puddle and diver ducks as well as Canada geese along the legendary Atlantic Flyway. Spring brings the challenge of calling Eastern gobblers, while predator hunting and our unique stalk-and-shoot snakehead bow hunts provide additional adventures throughout the year.

With more than 40 years of Eastern Shore hunting experience, Rivers Edge Outdoors offers something for everyone—from first-time hunters to seasoned sportsmen pursuing their next trophy.

A: For us, hunting has always been about more than the harvest—it’s about the friendships, traditions, and memories built along the way. Rivers Edge Outdoors began more than 40 years ago as B&J Guide Service, founded by John C. “Ole Possum” Kostick and his wife, Barbara. Their son, John E. Kostick, grew up hunting and guiding alongside many of the same guides who remain part of our extended hunting family today. Over time, John assumed responsibility for the operation and now carries that family legacy forward with his significant other, Meredith.

What truly sets us apart are the relationships that have grown alongside the business. Hunters have returned to us for 10, 20, 30, and even more than 40 years, with many now bringing their children and grandchildren to experience the same traditions.

Behind it all is John’s exceptional understanding of Maryland’s Eastern Shore habitat, wildlife, and animal movement—knowledge developed through a lifetime spent hunting and guiding these properties. Combine that experience with dedicated guides, proven hunting grounds, and a family-run approach, and you’ll understand why so many hunters don’t simply hunt with us once—they come back year after year.

A: No ethical outfitter can guarantee a harvest—hunting is hunting, and that’s part of what makes it special. What we can provide are proven properties, year-round management and scouting, experienced guides, and a strategy designed to give every hunter the best opportunity for success.

With whitetail, “success” means something different to every hunter. Our goal isn’t simply to put antlers on the ground—we want you to harvest a trophy you’ll be proud to mount and remember for years to come.

Our trophy Sika stag hunts have historically enjoyed an exceptionally high success rate, thanks to carefully managed properties, outstanding habitat, and our knowledge of these elusive animals. Across all of our hunts, however, success is a partnership.

We can’t guarantee the harvest—but we can guarantee that we’ll put our experience, preparation, and knowledge to work giving you the best opportunity possible.

A: Yes—but “fully guided” looks different depending on the hunt. Every Rivers Edge Outdoors hunt is supported by our guides, but the level of hands-on involvement varies by species and hunting style.

For whitetail and sika deer, much of the guide’s work happens before you ever enter the stand. We scout, monitor movement, select the location, and provide the route and instructions for getting quietly into your assigned stand or blind. From there, the hunter enjoys the hunt independently while our guides remain available and handle recovery and tracking when needed.

Turkey hunting is entirely different. Your guide is actively hunting with you—setting decoys, calling, reading and responding to the gobbler, changing tactics, and sometimes going run-and-gun or repositioning to close the distance.

Our duck and goose hunts require an enormous amount of preparation behind the scenes. Depending on conditions, our guides may set and retrieve hundreds of decoys while continually adjusting spreads to bird movement and hunting conditions.

No matter the species, our guides do far more than simply show you where to hunt. The scouting, preparation, strategy, property knowledge, and countless hours before and after your hunt are all part of the guided Rivers Edge experience.

A: Lodging arrangements depend on the hunt. For our whitetail, waterfowl, turkey, predator, and snakehead hunts, lodging is not included. Hunters typically stay at one of several local hotels, including the Comfort Inn & Suites, Red Roof Inn, or Mariners Motel, or choose a nearby Airbnb or VRBO based on their preferences and group size.

For our trophy Sika stag hunts, lodging is included. Because our Sika properties are remote, keeping hunters together allows us to better coordinate early departures, changing hunt conditions, and daily logistics.

Specific lodging information and recommendations are provided with your booking so you can plan accordingly.

A: We recommend booking as early as possible, particularly if you’re interested in peak dates. Many of our hunters return year after year and often reserve their preferred dates for the following season before they leave.

For whitetail, sika, turkey, and other peak-season hunts, prime dates may book a year or more in advance. Our duck hunts can book as far as two years ahead, particularly for returning groups and highly sought-after dates.

We intentionally limit the number of hunters we accept rather than overcrowding our properties, so once we believe a property or hunt has reached the appropriate capacity, we stop taking reservations for those dates.

That said, it’s always worth checking with us. Cancellations and occasional openings do happen, and sometimes a great hunting opportunity becomes available unexpectedly.

A: A 50% deposit is required to reserve your hunt and secure your dates. For first-time hunters, we also require completion of our booking forms, which provide us with important information about you, your hunting experience, and the hunt you’re booking.

Once you’ve hunted with Rivers Edge Outdoors, reserving future dates is easy. Returning hunters can simply call, text, or email us with the dates they’d like to reserve. Once availability is confirmed and your deposit is received, we’ll send confirmation of your reservation.

Because many of our prime dates fill well in advance, dates are not considered reserved until the required deposit has been received.

A: Yes. Gratuities are customary and greatly appreciated in the guided hunting industry and are not included in the price of your hunt. What many hunters don’t see is the tremendous amount of work that happens before they ever arrive—and continues after they leave the field.

Our guides spend significant time scouting, monitoring wildlife, maintaining hunting locations, preparing blinds and stands, setting and retrieving decoys, maintaining access trails, and coordinating each hunt.

The work doesn’t end with the shot. Guides assist with tracking and game recovery, dragging animals from the field, field dressing, transportation, DNR harvest confirmation, and coordinating professional tracking dogs when necessary.

A guide’s effort shouldn’t be measured solely by whether an animal is harvested. Gratuity is a meaningful way to thank your guide for everything that went into your hunt—including the many hours of work you never saw.

A: Yes. Rivers Edge Outdoors is the next generation of B&J Guide Service. Founded more than 40 years ago by John C. “Ole Possum” Kostick and his wife, Barbara, B&J built its reputation on quality hunting, hard work, and lasting relationships with hunters who returned year after year.

Today, their son, John E. Kostick, carries that legacy forward through Rivers Edge Outdoors alongside Meredith and many of the guides who grew up hunting and guiding within the B&J family business. The name may have changed, but the family, experience, traditions, and commitment to our hunters remain.

For our longtime B&J clients, Rivers Edge Outdoors is simply the next chapter in a hunting tradition more than four decades in the making—while welcoming a new generation of hunters to become part of that tradition.