Confused about guides/outfitters

[gentleman4561]

I have never been on a guided hunt before, but as I start to plan for my future and think about the various hunts I want to do over the next 20 years I have been doing some research on various guides/outfitters.

I am a bit confused, many of the websites I look at advertise everything from an Alaskan sheep hunt to African big game hunts. Obviously a guy who guides in Alaska is not also guiding in Africa. The same with some of guides here in Georgia that do wild hog hunts, they will also lit trips to various foreign countries. However, they make it sound like they are the ones guiding all of these hunts.

Are these folks just handling the logistics of finding a guide in the in various areas, connecting me to them and making a margin on handling the logistics/marketing?

Sorry for all the questions, I did a few searches but didn’t find a thread on “intro to guides/outfitters”.

 

[Doc Holliday]

An outfitter is who you want to book with. Once you get there to hunt, you may see the outfitter, but one of his guides will actually take you on your hunt.

There are booking agents out there who find clients for outfitters, for a fee. If you see someone advertising all kinds of different trips in different places, they are a booking agent. I recommend you not use a booking agent, unless you are too lazy to do your research for each species and find reputable outfitters for that specific hunt.

 

[HuntHarder]

I know of a guy that guides in Alaska and also guides in Africa. Some guides have buddies that they share clients/ areas with.

 

[gentleman4561]

An outfitter is who you want to book with. Once you get there to hunt, you may see the outfitter, but one of his guides will actually take you on your hunt.

There are booking agents out there who find clients for outfitters, for a fee. If you see someone advertising all kinds of different trips in different places, they are a booking agent. I recommend you not use a booking agent, unless you are too lazy to do your research for each species and find reputable outfitters for that specific hunt.

Gotcha, that makes much more sense.

Now I have a better idea of the differences.

 

[Wags]

An outfitter is who you want to book with. Once you get there to hunt, you may see the outfitter, but one of his guides will actually take you on your hunt.

There are booking agents out there who find clients for outfitters, for a fee. If you see someone advertising all kinds of different trips in different places, they are a booking agent. I recommend you not use a booking agent, unless you are too lazy to do your research for each species and find reputable outfitters for that specific hunt.

I went the lazy route.. I'll not do that again in the future. I'm grateful for the experience because I now know what to look for and ask but I could have done better for my money.