Ultimate expeditions: guided hunting trips and specialized destinations eater to outdoors enthusiasts of all skill levels and interests.

To the dedicated hunter, there's nothing like the thrill--and the peace--of a few days in the woods with nature. And while bringing home a trophy deer, duck, turkey, or other game animal is a great bonus, it's not necessarily the most important element of the experience.

Whether you're after some of the state's popular wild game species like whitetail deer, Eastern wild turkey, and migratory waterfowl or you would just as soon observe wildlife from the front porch of a comfortable lodge, there are hunting packages to suit everyone from the novice outdoorsman to the seasoned expert.

The idea of hunting camps often conjures up images of masculine quarters with less-than-gracious accommodations, but Mississippi offers more than its share of hunting destinations guaranteed to satisfy the expectations of even the non-hunting companions of any outdoorsman. Accommodations offered by nearly 100 outfitters around the state allow hunters to savor their time in the wild while enjoying the amenities of upscale hideaways.

Michael Jones, outdoor marketing program manager for the Mississippi Development Authority/Tourism Division, says there is a good reason why the state attracts hunters from all over the country: "We have some of the best natural resources for hunting and fishing anywhere in the United States."

Studies show that, for today's hunter, harvesting game is not the top priority of the trip, Jones says. "It's the overall experience they're looking for, the chance to get away with friends or family," he says. "More and more, it's becoming more of a vacation, especially for hunters from out of state where the hunting seasons are shorter."

If you're hunting for an idyllic vacation to get away from it all, set your sights on some of these unique indoor-outdoor destinations.

SPOILING THE SPORTSMAN

Despite the image some hold of hunters as rugged strongmen who prefer to rough it in rustic cabins, there's definitely a market for the more luxury-minded hunter, and Fitch Farms-Galena Plantation epitomizes the genteel side of the sport.

Nestled on 7,000 acres of rolling hills, majestic pines, and manicured pastures 12 miles southwest of Holly Springs, this retreat is maintained year-round to sustain an abundant wildlife population.

Guests can hunt quail on horseback or by mule-drawn wagon, guided by nationally recognized trainers while they shoot over champion bird dogs. A roaring fire and a gourmet meal offer a relaxing end to a day on the course. Gourmet meals include succulent quail over wild mushroom rice, roasted duck cooked in an orange marmalade sauce, or deer tenderloin with mushroom gravy. For dessert, guests can choose raisin bread pudding with a creamy syrup, French apple pie, or fresh fruit cobbler. The banquet hall seats 50 to 75 comfortably.

Several newly restored pre-Civil War cabins, all rich with history but outfitted with modern amenities, welcome guests home. Each lodge has a wood-burning fireplace and fully stocked kitchen and bath; some have whirlpools or Jacuzzis. Antique beds are topped with designer linens. History-loving hunters can also stay in the restored original home of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The facility's typical guests are corporate hunting enthusiasts, but during the spring and summer, visitors may even spot couples getting married in the restored Civil War church, by the outdoor pool, or on the grounds of the Forrest home, in a setting before a cascading rock waterfall.

Fitch Farms, 662/252-8855; www.fitchfarms.com

SEEING RED

For a hunting experience with a bit of British history thrown in, there's no more unique experience than chasing foxes on horseback with Chula Homa Hunt, based near Canton.

"Chula Homa," which means "red fox" in Choctaw, began in 1980 as the private pack of Mrs. Alex S. "Whitty" Payne Jr. of Bolton, now recognized as master emeritus of the group. The group's first formal opening hunt took place in 1984. In 1991, it became a subscription hunt, meaning membership dues are charged and members are allowed a voice in hunt procedures and activities. Three years later, Chula Homa was recognized by the prestigious Master of Foxhounds Association.

Sue Skipper of Vicksburg now serves as the master of the hunt, putting her in command of the activities in the field and giving her responsibility for managing the kennels.

All staff and kennel help at Chula Homa is honorary, or as Payne puts it, "unpaid, but greatly appreciated." For every proper fox hunt, there must be huntsmen, who are in charge of directing the hounds; whippers-in, the huntsmen's assistants; field masters, designated by the master of foxhounds to control the field; kennelmen, who feed the hounds and clean the kennels; and kennelmen's assistants, "affectionately known as pooper scoopers," Skipper says.

There are now 33 hounds in the kennel, including "2 1/2 couple," or five, American and "14 couple," or 28, crossbred hounds. "Fox and coyote are the game most hunted," Skipper says.

For those interested in participating, a beginner hunt is held each September or October. The formal season kicks off in November with an opening hunt, which includes a silent auction, breakfast buffet, and Blessing of the Hounds. Spectators may travel the countryside with riders and hounds on "tally-ho wagons."

Skipper says "well-mannered" horses that are comfortable in open fields and pastures are required for all riders, who wear traditional formal hunt attire. The horses sport braided manes for the hunts.

The group averages three or four new families a year, "so we are continuing to grow," Skipper says. "Fox hunting is a good family sport. We work hard, we play hard, and a good time is had by all."

Chula Homa has 47 members, 12 of whom are juniors (full-time students). "The members of Chula Homa Hunt are from the Jackson area, Canton, Memphis, Bay Springs, the Vicksburg area, and the New Orleans area," Skipper says. "Guests are always welcome."

Chula Homa Hunt, 601/415-1504

LUCK BE A LADY

As more women are becoming interested in outdoor recreation, hunting outfitters are offering facilities and activities geared to their unique expectations.

At Tara Wildlife, located near Vicksburg on 17,500 acres of Mississippi River bottomland dotted with majestic hardwoods, women are welcome to join their male counterparts on any hunt--but on a few occasions each year, it's ladies' time in the woods at Tara.

"There are more women who hunt than you know about," says Tara head guide Bobby Culbertson. "Lots of women were raised hunting and love it. They enjoy the outdoors but don't get to get out very much. This gives them a chance to enjoy hunting a few times a year."

The three-day women-only hunts include a November outing at Halpino Lodge in a private wooded setting and a January hunt at Tara's main property. Skill-building seminars are part of both retreats.

Outdoor photographer and writer Tes Randle Jolly, who helped organize these hunts five years ago, says the main objective of this "sisterhood of friends" is to "find others to hunt with in a non-competitive atmosphere."

"We go there for the fun and friendship--and to kill a deer, if possible," Jolly says. Members of the group are "seriously dedicated bow hunters" who all "just happen to have a sense of humor."

"We practice faithfully, rise early--especially the ones who wear makeup--and hunt hard," she says.

Jolly says getting away to hunt with other women provides a much-needed opportunity to take a break from career and home responsibilities while sharing hunting tips and building friendships. Women hunters of every skill level are welcome.

The participants include everyone from "students to grandmas" who travel here from around the country. It's a mix of professional and amateur hunters who are willing to mentor and learn. The pros share tips and pointers, and Tara's guides are always ready to help, Culbertson says. "Every guide here is a professional hunter. You can ask each one anything. They're here to help anybody who wants to learn."

At the end of a day in the woods, the women appreciate returning to hotel-like rooms with queen beds, private baths and showers, and the chance to relax in front of a big-screen TV or get away to the reading room. And with full breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that may include Southern-style steak or shrimp, first-class meals are always waiting.

Jolly says special touches like the unique artwork that adorns the facility's walls and a "huge stone fireplace" make Tara particularly attractive as a women's getaway.

Family-friendly Tara also offers summer youth camps, natural resources workshops, family reunions, and church retreats as well as corporate meeting facilities, but when it's time for the ladies to get away, Tara is truly a "find" for those who hunt.

Tara Wildlife, 601/279-4261; www.tarawildlife.com

EVERYDAY EXOTIC

Hunters don't always have to wait for a short season to come around each year to enjoy their favorite sport. At Deep South Game Ranch near Vaiden, outdoorsmen get the opportunity to hunt some unusual animals year-round.

"Hunting here is not seasonal," says owner Matt Armstrong. "We cater to people who love the sport, no matter what age." That includes everyone from teenagers who typically come with their fathers to corporate clients who want to build business relationships while experiencing the excitement of unusual species not often found in this area.

Game opportunities at Deep South Game Ranch do include the typical whitetail deer, but it's the exotic species like scimitar oryx, Texas Dall sheep, axis and fallow deer, and blackbuck antelope that set this place apart.

Located on 1,100 acres about an hour north of Jackson, the ranch can accommodate up to seven people at a time, but Armstrong says "we try to keep it to small groups of about three or four." Visits are scheduled for Fridays through Sundays.

While at the ranch, guests enjoy gourmet meals, the services of a personal guide, the use of four-wheeler vehicles, and archery and shooting ranges. The property's 20-plus ponds and lakes ensure that when visitors aren't hunting, they can spend plenty of time catching fish.

Deep South Game Ranch, 601/212-5511; www.deepsouthgameranch.com

WINGING IT

Mississippi is home to millions of wintering waterfowl who flock to a variety of habitats for the season. Loyal hunters also flock here from all over the country to enjoy brisk mornings in rice or soybeans fields, flooded green timber, and cypress brakes.

For duck-hunting enthusiasts, there's no better destination than the Mississippi Delta, where a variety of ducks, including mallard, pintail, teal, wood, and widgeon, play all winter long. Canadian, speckled-belly, and snow geese are also abundant. And if hunting with a crowd ruffles your feathers, Delta Duck Hunts in Dundee, near Tunica, has offered small, personal hunts to loyal clients for the past 16 years.

During waterfowl season, November to January, owner David Melton says he is routinely booked for the entire period, serving corporate and leisure clients who come to him from homes "from California to the East Coast." Melton has a Web site to promote his business, but "75 percent of my customers have been hunting with me for years," he says.

The site particularly attracts father-and-son duos. "I love to see the kids on their first duck hunt, shooting their first duck," says Melton, who farms 4,200 acres in cotton and soybeans during the off-season.

Delta Duck Hunts does not offer lodging or meals on-site, but clients can stay at several nearby hotels.

Before each hunt, "we meet at the Blue and White Restaurant on Highway 61 in Tunica" for a homestyle breakfast at 5 a.m., Melton says. The group returns to the restaurant for a hearty lunch after the hunt is over and clients have worked up another big appetite.

Hunts can be guided or not; those with guides include calling, decoys, and transportation to and from the blind. Hunters are encouraged to bring their dogs, waders, and cameras.

Delta Duck Hunts, www.deltaducks.com

FAMILY AFFAIR

With special amenities and personal attention above and beyond the typical hunting camp atmosphere, Harriswood Plantation in Pond sets the standard as a home base for a memorable getaway for couples and families who want to enjoy the outdoors together.

Owner/operator Jack Harris says Harriswood is an ideal place for families to spend time together in a natural setting. While Dad gets in some hunting time, the kids can tag along if they wish, and Mom can enjoy the peaceful solitude of the woods.

"Typically, guys have hunting camps that aren't set up for bringing their wives," Harris says. "Here, they'll have their own private bedroom and bath and will get to see all the same things as their husbands. Every evening, they'll get to sit by the fire and be a part of the excitement of the hunters coming back in the afternoons--all aspects of the hunting experience. We make it extremely comfortable for them."

It's also a popular spot for dads and daughters "because our facilities are very comfortable" for girls who prefer not to "rough it" like the boys, Harris says.

Properties like Harriswood Plantation reflect a shift in hunting as a pastime over the past 15 years, he says. "Until then, there was so much more open land in Mississippi and Louisiana. There were so many places you could hunt. Today, everything is leased, so hunting is more organized."

Along with those changes have come herd and habitat management. At Harriswood,

that has resulted in a "higher concentration of animals," including whitetail and axis deer and blackbuck antelope. All hunts include one-to-one guides and a "no shoot, no pay" policy. For children, that means better opportunities to build their skills and confidence in the woods.

"We spend a lot of time teaching them about safety and proper handling of guns," Harris says. "We get them to settle down and not get excited. We don't want them to shoot and miss."

Personal service is key to keeping visitors content. "I only book 10 hunters per year, from the weekend before Thanksgiving to mid-January," Harris says. Guests stay in one of three suites in an 1890s farmhouse furnished with period pieces; an outdoor deck offers a lakeside view. And with gourmet foods like stuffed chicken, steak, seafood, salads, and deer sausage, families enjoy their meals together almost as much as the outdoor activities.

Harriswood Plantation, 225/753-8575; www.harriswood.tom