Hunting with a good outfitter can be the best experience of your life, and hunting with a bad one can be the worst. I’ve had the fortune of hunting on both sides of the trigger for over 20 years and here’s what I’ve learned.
The prerequisite question, before we get to finding the right outfitter, is whether to go guided or unguided. In places like Alaska, that decision can be made for you depending on the species. If you want to hunt brown or grizzly bears, sheep, or mountain goats you will be required to get a guide. To further complicate matters, Alaska’s draw is in December and you need to have your outfitter selected in order to apply. Other countries have their own rules that you will have to research on a case-by-case basis, but for these purposes let’s say you want to book an elk or deer hunt in a western state.
Pros to going do-it-yourself (DIY) include the following:
Picking whichever dates work for you. Time is often our most limiting factor and an outfitter will usually only have specific dates in their calendar that may or may not work for you.
A sense of accomplishment. My three-year-old nephew will ask me for help from time to time, but what makes him happiest is when he can do something “my own self.” I don’t think we ever really grow out of that.
In some cases, you can hunt a larger area because outfitters are restricted to specific properties or sections of public land due to strict permitting regulations.
Cost. You’ll have to pencil this one out, but generally speaking, hunting with an outfitter is going to cost you more money. Now let’s talk about what that money buys you.
An outfitter is an expert at hunting the species you are after in that area. Experienced hunters will tell you that game species act differently in different areas, and knowing where they travel and under what conditions they move is “locals-only” knowledge that takes years and even generations to understand. If you roll DIY you can make some educated guesses, but that’s very different from previous experience.
Logistics. Getting from your point of entry, whether that be a parking lot or an airport, to the place you intend to hunt can be a huge cost in terms of money, time, and labor. I see lots of non-resident hunters show up and take off for a place they found on an internet map only to realize they can’t get there or are so exhausted by the time they do that they are no longer able to hunt effectively. A good outfitter will help you get into your hunting zone and get your meat back out again. Do not underestimate how hard this is to do on your own. Let’s say you fly in, rent a medium-sized suv, drive to the trailhead, then hike four miles in. You call in a mature bull elk, get an arrow into his lungs and recover him. You have four very heavy one-man loads of meat on that animal to get out, assuming you have camp on your back, thats going to be five round trips, 40+ total miles of hiking with half of those miles carrying 80+ pounds of gear, meat, and antlers. Be honest with yourself here.
Gear provided. An outfitter is going to provide you with hugely expensive gear that is built specifically for this type of hunt. This is another place where the perceived cost savings of going DIY can get you in trouble. Many outfitters will provide you with a tent or lodging, transport, sleeping gear, meat processing, etc. In fact, when I hunted with El Sapo Guide Service in Texas last spring, my gear list was a rifle, binos, and ammo. The owner picked me up at the airport, provided all transport, lodging, food, game processing– everything except the clothes on my back and the gun in my hands. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had as a client. As a general rule, the outfitters who provide a more inclusive list of accommodations will save you money and do a better job.
Food. At the Wild Sheep Foundation convention a couple of years back an outfitter was awarded the incredible lifetime achievement of Outfitter of the Year. I had guided for around 20 years at that point but had only been an outfitter for a couple years, so I jumped at the opportunity to ask him for advice. I can’t remember his name, but he wore an old felt cowboy hat with a brown line from years of sweat around the brow. His eyes had wrinkles in every direction, the way people get when they are used to looking long distances. He simply said, “keep ’em warm and keep ’em fed.” When it all boils down, these are the only things an outfitter can guarantee and makes all the difference for whether a client has a good experience or not. A good outfitter will provide excellent and memorable meals which inevitably taste better before, during, and after a good day of hunting.
Success. Folks, this is a tricky word that I talk about all the time with clients and on my podcast. You have to define success for yourself and find an outfitter that will help you achieve that success. One of the old-school ways of shopping outfitters was to ask for their “success rates.” I still believe that’s important, but it doesn’t necessarily mean how many big bucks do they kill every year. Ask the outfitter for some former clients’ phone numbers and call them. They will give you an honest assessment of their experience and you will know right away whether their version of success was achieved or not. You need to decide what will make you happy on this hunt and talk with the outfitter about that. I booked a fishing charter this spring because I wanted to learn how to fish for multiple species on this specific body of water and had that conversation with the business owner. When my buddy and I showed up and got on the boat we learned from the guide that we would only be targeting trout and that he didn’t have the gear or the knowledge to fish for anything else. This was a huge disappointment that could’ve been easily avoided if I had only asked for a couple of references and called them.
Maybe the most important aspect of defining and communicating your goals is that if they are unrealistic, the outfitter can tell you. When I guide anglers or hunters, even if they’ve been with me a dozen times over the years, I ask them how they will define success on this trip. If what they want is something that’s not possible, I can squash that in the parking lot and bring the hopes and dreams back to reality and create a new plan with them that we can work towards together. The question of cost comes into play here again– can you afford to do this hunt DIY for multiple years to learn the area, the animals, weather patterns, etc?
Personalities matter. I asked Cole Kramer (Kramer’s Kodiak Guide Service) what he tells clients to look for. “It’s always good to ask if the guides are involved in a state guide or professional hunter’s association, this lends some credibility right off the bat. Also, make sure they have a sense of humor and that you get along with them. You want to enjoy the time you’ll be spending with that person.”
Don’t just search “Mule Deer Outfitter That Isn’t Terrible.” Google is a great source for research, but their algorithm can be bought. That’s why the first several options after a search will have the word “ad” in front of them. Instead, search for something like “Oregon Hunter’s Association” and find a real-life human who can get you pointed in the right direction. Go to trade shows and walk around the booths and talk to people and see who gives you the warm and fuzzies. These shows also have some great hunts you can buy at auction, and since they are non-profits, you may be able to use a portion of your hunt cost as a tax write-off.
If you call an outfitter and they don’t have dates, ask them for recommendations of other outfitters. They know their community and are not going to tell you to hunt with someone else unless they believe that person will do a good job. I’m not taking any new elk clients, so when people call now I send them to Oregon Backcountry Outfitting because I know they will be well taken care of there.
I once hunted elk with the worst guide I’ve ever met. He was hard of hearing and didn’t want to use his hearing aids, so when elk were bugling loud enough to shake the fillings in your teeth he would just keep stomping through the pine cones. His cow call sounded like a mountain lion was having its way with a bobcat. On day two I asked him to stop calling because it was scaring elk. Camp food was canned spaghetti and wonder bread. After four days I finally broke, went off by myself, and killed a good bull, salvaging what was shaping up to be an expensive and frustrating week. I understand my behavior here might’ve come across as rude and arrogant, but I promise you that my goal as a client is to be the easiest and most bell-behaved person I can be. I’ve had plenty of bad clients over the years and wouldn’t wish that on anyone. This guy just didn’t have the skills to be an elk guide and rather than helping me achieve my goal, he was preventing it. I found myself in this dilemma because I only had a five-day window to archery hunt that year and got cornered into this one outfitter without being able to do research ahead of time.
Talk through the whole hunt with your outfitter and establish good expectations and a timeline for events. They will help you with every aspect of your travel, hunt, and getting you home again. Ask what their plan is for meat, do they have a taxidermist or skull cleaner they regularly use and do they have a gear list. You need to know what their cancellation policy and payment schedule are for the hunt. It’s normal to pay a 50% deposit at booking with the remainder due 14 days before the hunt. There will be a point where you do not get a refund if you cancel– trip insurance is a good affordable option in this case. You should also ask ahead of time how much to budget for a tip so you can bring some cash. There’s no need for this to be awkward. Consider the amount they tell you a minimum. If you don’t feel comfortable asking, 10-15% of the total hunt cost is a good baseline.
A note on gear lists: think of it like ingredients for a recipe. If you skip baking soda, your biscuits are going to taste like old cardboard. If your outfitter tells you to bring something, bring it. If they say you need to wear Hanwag Sirius II GTX boots and you usually wear Crispi Nevada’s, then ask them if the Crispi will work. They probably have a very specific reason and it’s worth having the conversation.
Jordan Budd from Running Water Hunting recommends that before booking the hunt you need to make sure you communicate how the hunt is going to take place and that you have the skills required. That skill might be sitting in a blind for five days, or operating a muzzleloader if its muzzleloader season. I had a top shelf whitetail experience at her place last year and a lot of the reason for that success was because we had talked at length about what to expect from each other and were both prepared to play our roles.
Now is the time of year to start doing your research. Don’t be afraid to make a booking that’s a couple of years out if you need more time to save money, get in shape, get trained, or schedule time off work. I researched for an entire year before deciding where and who to hunt within Africa, knowing this was very likely (but hopefully not) my only chance to hunt that continent in my life. It worked out well.
Do the research, have the conversations, and book the trip that makes the most sense for you. You’ll be making a down payment on a lifelong memory and stories that will survive generations.
