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.

 

[Dverbeek8]

I usually try to go with guys that I know at least one of my friends has used before.

 

[TXHunt]

I always want to talk to recent previous hunters, and especially those who were not successful. Most guides give you the numbers of the people who kill the biggest animals. I always ask for contact info for folks that were not successful and then ask them about their hunt. If they say they had a great time and the outfitter worked their butt off, but weather or something else was just not in their favor, then I get it. Also, if those unsuccessful people are rebooking, that tells me a ton.

 

[robby denning]

The cheat code is going with a friend who's already hunted with the outfitter.

Did this on the only two outfitted hunts I've ever done and was happy, even though I didn't punch a tag on either one, the chance was there and the experience matched the description within reason

Good luck in your search.

 

[Rich M]

I talked with an Eastman's staff member and he set us up. Will do that again if I do another guided trip.

If you are hunting public it will be a lot diff than if hunting private. Private should be pretty easy with seeing critters.

 

[CRJR45]

For me a full description of what you offer and who you are targeting as a customer . I mean a real breakdown of what you expect the hunter to be able to do and what skill level of a hunter you expect to show up .
Too many places just tell you want you want to hear , not what you need to know , IMO.
Set your bar high as far as an outfitter when trying to attract costumers and happy customers mean repeat business .
I don't put much stock in other peoples reviews , in anything . People will give a restaurant a five star review because of the setting , water front , historical significance , whatever , and the food sucks .
Same with guides , they work for tips and have no trouble blowing smoke up a clients azz to pad their tip , or a good review .
Some people just want to feel like they're a BIG deal and if they don't get the attention they seek they trash the guide . So take their reviews with a grain of salt , or powder , IMO.

It's like a country club , it's only exclusive by turning away the want-a-bee's and catering to the people that can afford to be there .
But thats just my opinion , so take it with a grain of salt ,

 

[Gman12]

Honesty, 100% honesty is all I want. And I agree with Robby above, the best way to find a good outfitter is through word of mouth. But if that isn't possible, good references are invaluable. I have only been on one guided hunt that wasn't recommended by a friend who had previously hunted with the outfitter. I spoke to the outfitter and he seemed like a nice guy who told me exactly what to expect. And I talked to a couple of references and they echoed the same thing. I booked the trip which was actually for my son with me tagging along. Everything was as advertised and my son killed a nice muley buck the first morning of the hunt. There a lot of shady people in the business so I was pretty nervous about booking a trip but it turned out great and actually exceeded my expectations.

 

[Whitefox82]

Yes honesty matters most to me. Also keep an up to date web page with current pics, testimonials, info, etc. Have the pics sorted by year so clients can see results based off of different winters or drought conditions that may match up with the year they go.

 

[longtail]

like others said - word of mouth by friends, family, etc that have already hunted with them is the best thing.
having all Private land
Need to have a conversation with the outfitter and ask a lot of questions. You should be able to get a good first impression on what type of outfit your dealing with in the first couple of minutes on the phone.
I feel its best if you can find where the outfitter/land owner/guide is all in one the same (RARE but it is out there)
1 on 1 - this is the only way i will go unless im going with my kids, family or a best friend. somewhat learned that the hard way. You have to always remember the majority of outfitters are in business to make money and they maximize their funds when they offer 2 x 1 hunts. 2 x1 hunts cuts your odds/opportunities in half and when your paying good money for these hunts that matters.
Communication is huge to me! ive emailed, left messages, etc with a lot of outfitters and they don't get back to you. If they don't give any effort to contact you back what kind of effort will they give you on your potential hunt where your spending hundreds of thousands of your hard earned money.