For those who’ve booked hunts before...

[ClunesAdventures]

Hey guys,

I’m working on something in the guided hunting space and wanted to get some real-world input.

For those who’ve booked hunts before—what was the most difficult part of choosing the right outfitter?

Where did you feel the most uncertainty or second-guessing?

Trying to cut through the noise and understand what actually matters from a hunter’s perspective.

Thanks in advance—this helps a lot.

Cheers,
Robbie Clunes

 

[bipock]

Opportunity shot and shot rates being realistic.

I booked my first guided hunt last year. Guide was 80-85% opportunity rate. Shot rate was a lower due to guys being bad shots or unwilling to take shots because of the distance or wanting a larger bull. In my one trip with 2.5 other guys (one guy was only there 1.5 days), their numbers were absolutely spot on for our week. 1 guy killed, I had 4 under 20 yards (no shot due to rookie mistakes), 3rd guy saw them and waited, 4th guy didn't want to put in the work and expected them to come lay in his lap.

For simplicity, going back there again this year.

When I was searching around for an outfitter, the number of outfitters who didn't know, were below 20% opportunity or whose average shot was 60+ yards really shocked me, especially given their pricing was a good bit higher than the outfitter I chose.

 

[Duckhunterbrad]

Quality reviews from previous hunters are a huge help to understanding what an outfitter is really offering. For mountain hunts, a true understanding of the required physical condition is necessary. I've been on "mountain" hunts where I never wore anything other than tennis shoes all the way to the extreme of the best meindl had to offer.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Opportunity shot and shot rates being realistic.

Quality reviews from previous hunters

I've been on 2 guided hunts, and these are the 2 most important (to me) and sometimes most difficult. The opportunity rates are top priority for me, and they musts be RECENT. For example, providing crusty photos from 30 years ago in the Montana Rockies when guys regularly punched their combo tag on a bull and buck, before wolf reintroduction wiped everything out, is disingenous at a minimum if not outright fraud.

Understanding the bull potential in the area is important too. If the outfitter says they average 250" with an occasional 300", that would help a hunter determine 1) if they want to pay the money for the expected size of bull 2) if they want to shoot a given bull in the heat of the moment or hold out for something bigger and 3) if they want to look elsewhere with possibly bigger bulls for the same or similar money.

If a guy just wants the meat, there are several very good cow hunts available out West if a guy does some digging. IME, Rokslide has been an excellent clearing house for guys that are looking for feedback on a specific outfitter.

 

[StupidLightweight]

Talk with past clients. That's the key. If it's reputable outfitter, they won't have issue providing names of people who've hunted with them in the past. If the clients had a good hunt, they'll be happy to share that with you.

Last thing: Make certain you speak to people who've spent money on these hunts. If "Jim Bob's Gator Done TV" films an alligator hunt in Florida, assume they received a deal to promote the outfitting business.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Talk with past clients. That's the key. If it's reputable outfitter, they won't have issue providing names of people who've hunted with them in the past. If the clients had a good hunt, they'll be happy to share that with you.

Last thing: Make certain you speak to people who've spent money on these hunts. If "Jim Bob's Gator Done TV" films an alligator hunt in Florida, assume they received a deal to promote the outfitting business.

This right here, and if they're reputable, a lot of these folks will be return customers as well.