Question on Selecting an Outfitter

[Buckly]

Thanks guys, I am sure a guided hunt is like anything else ... buyer beware. Had a buddy who paid $8k for a guided elk bow hunt in NM and several nights after climbing ridges all day dinner was hot dogs & beans.

What red flags or warning signs are there? I am hearing that hunters per guide is important, any thoughts on a ratio?

At least he had food. I went on a guided bear hunt once with an outfitter that said he had a brand new lodge and provided all the meals along with the hunt. When we arrived we found that the lodge hadn't been built yet and the guide only had enough food for him and his wife. After 3 days of shooting wild partridge to eat and boiled water out of the lake we bugged out!

 

[P&Y Manager]

I hunted Alberta for whitetail a few years back and went with one of the big name outfits. Didn't realize how many guys the outfitter actually ran through each week even though I'd asked them beforehand. Be sure to make some phone calls to people who've hunted there before - especially some people who weren't successful. We all know nothing whitewashes the past better than a 170 incher. I've hunted with many different outfitters for whitetail over the years, mostly in the midwest, and I think in general the smaller operations tend to be a bit better - just a little higher degree of accountability. I'm sure too small isn't good either if it's just some farmer that opens a website and doesn't know the basics of a guiding operation. Remember that the experience is what you're buying - there's no guarantee of bringing home that big buck. Many hunts end without a trophy so invest yourself in the whole process and enjoy it. Half the fun is the anticipation!