Guides And Outfitters

On guided hunts, getting game back to camp after the hunt is often done with ATV's. This allows the successful hunter to sit back, relax, and let the camp staff take care of the critter after the hunt. Hunter shown wearing Mathews Lost Camo.

Call the State Wildlife Agency

Another option is calling the state Wildlife Department that issued licenses to hunting outfitters in the state you want to hunt. They can tell you if they have any blemishes on their record. If some hunters would have called the state they were hunting in before booking with a hunting outfitter, they probably wouldn't have booked with them. Sometimes hunters have found out that the hunting outfitter has their license revoked for braking rules and regulations or other problems. A few phone calls can save you a lot of money and headaches.

Use a Hunting Booking Agency or Talk with Friends

The best way to choose a hunting outfitter is to go through a hunting booking agency that screens hunting outfitters and hunts with them before sending clients to them or listening to a friend who goes on a quality hunt with a hunting outfitter. Using a hunting booking agency costs a little more, but they do the legwork for you and put you with a hunting outfitter that caters to the type of hunting you are looking for. They know what questions to ask hunting outfitters. Hunting Outfitters tend to treat hunting booking agency clients well because they want more business. Many hunters who use a hunting booking agency have great hunts. Using a hunting booking agency is like going through a travel agent to go on a family vacation - the difference is they specialize in hunting.

Hiring a hunting outfitter is highly recommended for eastern hunters going after elk. Elk hunting with a bow has a low percentage success rate. Hiring a hunting guide can greatly increase your chances for success.

One good example is of an elk hunter who chose his last elk hunt based on the recommendation of a friend. He had heard lots of good things about the hunting outfitter and had a few friends who hunted there in the past. Everything his friend said ended up being true. There were lots of elk, good hunting guides, quality accommodations and great food. This elk hunter ended up harvesting a bull elk on the fourth day of hus elk hunt. Then this elk hunter went and told many of his friends about this hunting outfitter. This method is fool proof because friends don't have a reason to fabricate the truth. There are many good hunting outfitters out there but many of them look at you, see dollar signs and do whatever it takes to get your money. Many of them overbook their properties and charge too much money. They prey on hunters who don't know the right questions to ask or have little experience hunting with hunting outfitters.

Plan Ahead

To increase your chances of success, plan an outfitted hunt at least a year in advance. This gives you plenty of time to research several hunting outfitters and call lots of references. Don't book a hunt at a sport show. Many hunting outfitters offer show specials to get you to book a hunt that day. Leave your checkbook at home and grab lots of brochures. Make calls and verify websites from home for a few weeks before booking a hunt. Hunters who rush to a show with the mindset of signing on the dotted line before going home are the ones who get burned. When you pick out a new car, you often kick a few tires before making a purchase. Do the same thing when planning a hunting trip.

Hiring a turkey hunting guide is becoming increasingly popular. Before hiring a turkey hunting guide, make sure they can talk turkey and have plenty of hunting areas scouted out ahead of time.

From this article you may feel like in a room full of hunting outfitters only two hunting outfitters are honest and offer a good hunt. That's not what is meant. In a roomful of hunting outfitters, there may be a handful of rotten eggs, but each one that books a few dozen trips at the show translates into dozens of hunters who will have a poor experience and go home after a hunt with a bad taste in their mouth and not ever trusting a hunting outfitter again. Taking your time to choose the right hunting outfitter will ensure that you enjoy a great hunt and possibly come home with a trophy buck or bull of a lifetime. But, the first step in tagging a trophy worthy of the wall is choosing the right hunting outfitter. If you spend half as much time checking up on hunting outfitters as you do shooting your bow or gun and picking out hunting gear, you will probably have a great hunt worth every penny!