No. I used to hunt with my uncles upstate but the 5 1/2 hr drive was a little too much. And more than that I grew tired of being the referee to my uncles bickering,lol. As far as references are concerned not sure who i can offer. But I'm a father of 1 that's been hunting since I was 16. And there aren't many more people that are more environmentally conscious and respectfully of the land than I am.