The Good Bad and Ugly of Hunting Trips
We at OUTDOORSMAN strive to provide our hunters and fishermen the best of the best outfitters, guides and charters. You will find the many resources we offer very helpful when making a decision on your next hunting or fishing trip.
When booking a hunting or fishing trip, even with our excellent resources, you do need to be careful and do your homework when planning a paid hunting or fishing guided or do-it-yourself trip. There are some terrible outfitter experiences, so it is best to take the time and do your homework before booking a trip.
Whether you are researching one of the outfitters on our website or one you found on your own, here are some tips to assure you have the best trip possible:
Prepare a list of questions to ask. Your list may include questions such as: How much is the hunt? Are there additional fees that are not included in that price? How long have you been in business? What type of clothes do I need to pack? What exactly are the accommodations you offer? Do you specialize in bow hunting, or muzzle loading, etc.? Your outfitter may advertise bow hunting, but might not have clue about what to do.
If an outfitter starts acting angry or upset as you ask the questions, then most likely they are not an outfitter for you to use. If they answer each question whether they know the answer or not, they stand a good chance of being a reputable outfitter.
Most every outfitter will have a reference list they should be happy to share with you. Ask the outfitter for unsuccessful hunters too. Before booking a hunt, call successful and unsuccessful hunters to see how happy they were with the hunt. The hunters who filled their tag are going to be generally happy, but it is still a good idea to call them. Calling the hunters who went home empty-handed will give you a good idea if the outfitter delivered what he promised. Things to ask the empty-handed hunter: Why were you unsuccessful? Did you still have a good time? Did the outfitter put you on animals, but you just didn’t get the shot? Find out from the successful and unsuccessful hunters how they feel about the outfitter.
You can also call the State Wildlife Department that issues licenses to outfitters in the state where you want to hunt. They can tell you if there are any negative reports on their record such as their license was revoked because of broken rules or regulations.
To increase your chances of a successful outfitted hunting or fishing trip, plan your trip as far in advance as possible. This gives you plenty of time to research several outfitters by making calls to hunters that are listed as references and calls to the state department who licenses outfitters. Always check out hunting and fishing forums and be sure to post your experiences for future hunters and fishermen.
OUTDOORSMAN only allows the most qualified companies on our website so we need to have your feedback on your hunting and fishing experiences. Good or bad. Remember, only your homework of contacting the outfitter, and checking references will guarantee you a quality hunting or fishing experience.
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