PDA

View Full Version : One consumers opinion on guide services....



dougepooo
06-14-2009, 04:41 AM
Hello all, I have gone on several guided hunts In the U.S.,Argintina, Canada,Mexico, and Africa. The following are guide lines that I think that some of you might appreciate hearing from a consumer. I am only one man and my opinion may not mean a thing to you but on the other hand my ideas may represent a large amount of your potential clients. So take it for what it's worth or simply ignore it if you like. I hope it's valuable info to some of you.

First, when I'm evaluating your website or flyer I want to see your cost, whatever options are available,success rate, and some references. Pictures are good too.You can never have too many pics.

What I mean when I say options available is this; are extra days available? Do I have the option of 1 x 1,2 x 1 ect?

can additional animals be taken?

Most of these things are common sense and normally done by the outfitters. The biggest one that isn'tI think is the prices. If I can't find out the price pretty easily and quickly I will move on and never give your outfit another thought.

The next thing is your payment plan. I am willing to send a reasonable down payment but there ain't ever gonna come a day when you have a full payment from me on a hunt I have not yet gone on. If I pay in full and get screwed to tears I can do nothing about it and if you have all my money you have a lot less incentive to treat me right. Not to put salt on wounds or rub it in but the Tuttulik disaster if you are fimilier with it,wouldn't have gotten me nearly as badly asit got those people involved in it. And I suspect that many other folks, especially those affected by incidentslike that will be seeing things this way as well for a while.

I realize that this may be unacceptable to many of you and I know many of you sell out all of your hunts every year and there fore have no reason to change a thing and I don't blame you but in today's economy, things may change. Either way, if you want it all up front you wont get me!

Next, if I book a hunt and then the price goes up, even just a little, I'm out. I want a refund and that's it. If it's a small amount you can take the hit but no matter how big or small once we have an agreement and you go back on your word, now I don't trust you. I no longer trust you to get me on game, to worry about my well being, nothing. You have shown me that your word is no good. You have shown me that you didn't plan for the possibility of rising gas prices ect, why am I to believe that you have planned for bad weather, washed out roads, ect.

Even if you loose money on a hunt I think it's probably in your best interest to put on the fa-sod of being happy as can be and rely on future hunts to make up for it, but again either way, if you go up for any reason after an agreement has been reached, you wont get me!

Lastly, I don't normally hunt behind fences. I got nothing against the practice but it just doesn't sit right with me. However, there are two animals that I think are very handsome animals and are for the most part unavailable or completely unavailable in the wild, natural habitat they originated in and thereforI would consider hunting them in a high fence if conditions are right. Those animals are the Indian black buck and four horned or Jacobs sheep.

Anyway, if you guide in a fence, understand that it is of utmost importance to most of us that we know how big an area is fenced. And really, what are you hiding? IF it isn't stated I'm not gonna give you any consideration and if it matters to anyone there gonna ask, what do you hope to gain by keeping it a secret. If you area is too small for a persons personal taste and he forgets to ask than he goes away an unhappy customer, surly that isn't what you want.

I know this has been long and I apologize, I hope it helps some of you understand what is going through the minds of your target audience. now please guys, tell me what you think....... Hello all, I have gone on several guided hunts In the U.S.,Argintina, Canada,Mexico, and Africa. The following are guide lines that I think that some of you might appreciate hearing from a consumer. I am only one man and my opinion may not mean a thing to you but on the other hand my ideas may represent a large amount of your potential clients. So take it for what it's worth or simply ignore it if you like. I hope it's valuable info to some of you.
First, when I'm evaluating your website or flyer I want to see your cost, whatever options are available,success rate, and some references.Pictures are good too.You can never have too many pics.
What I mean when I say options available is this; are extra days available? Do I have the option of 1 x 1,2 x 1 ect?
Most of these things are common sense and normally done by the outfitters. The biggest one that isn't i think is the prices. If I can't find out the price pretty easily and quickly I will move on and never give your outfit another thought.
the next thing is your payment plan.I am willing to send a reasonable down payment but there ain't ever gonna come a day when you have a full payment from me on a hunt I have not yet gone on.If I pay in full and get screwed to tears I can do nothing about it and if you have all my money you have a lot less incentive to treat me right. Not to put salt on wounds or rub it in but the Tuttulik and city hunter disasters wouldn't have gotten me nearly as badly as they got those people involved in them. And I suspect that many other folks, especially those affected by those incidents will be seeing things this way as well for a while.
I realize that this may be unacceptable to many of you and I know many of you sell out all of your hunts every year and there fore have no reason to change a thing and I don't blame you but in today's economy, things may change. Either way, if you want it all up front you wont get me!
Next, if I book a hunt and then the price goes up, even just a little, I'm out.I want a refund and that's it.If it's a small amount you can take the hit but no matter how big or small once we have an agreement and you go back on your word, now I don't trust you. I no longer trust you to get me on game, to worry about my well being, nothing. you have shown me that your word is no good.You have shown me that you didn't plan for the possibility of rising gas prices ect, why am I to believe that you have planned for bad weather,washed out roads,ect.
Even if you loose money on a hunt I think it's probably in your best interest to put on the fa-sod of being happy as can be and rely on future hunts to make up for it, but again either way,if you go up for any reason after an agreement has been reached, you wont get me!
Lastly, I don't normally hunt behind fences.I got nothing against the practice but it just doesn't sit right with me.However, there are two animals that I think are very handsome animals and are for the most part unavailable or completely unavailable in the wild,natural habitat they originated in and therefor i would consider hunting them in a high fence if conditions are right.Those animals are the Indian black buck and four horned or Jacobs sheep.
Anyway, if you guide in a fence,understand that it is of utmost importance to most of us that we know how big an area is fenced. And really, what are you hiding? IF it isn't stated I'm not gonna give you any consideration and if it matters to anyone there gonna ask, what do you hope to gain by keeping it a secret.If you area is too small for a persons personal taste and he forgets to ask than he goes away an unhappy customer, surly that isn't what you want.
I know this has been long and I apologize, I hope it helps some of you understand what is going through the minds of your target audience. now please guys, tell me what you think.......

Hogdude1234
06-14-2009, 05:51 AM
Doug, you obviously have had a lot of experience with dealing with guides and outfitters....thanks for posting this...I agree with you on these issues....especially the picture issues. You know these days hunting has gotten sort of high tech...with scouting cameras being so good and affordable....I think every outfitter should use them and provide pics from every camera location to their clients....to me, when a hunter knows what is visiting a feeder or certain area it makes them more confident and comfortable about spending their time and hard earned money on a hunt. It takes the guessing out of it and kinda lets them know the guide has been doing their job....not just filling feeders....I know if I were to have hunters come to our place and hunt I would be able to provide pics from every feeder and hunting location so my clients know kind of what to expect....say if hogs are coming out consistently at 7 pm...at one spot and 2 am at another, I want my clients to know this...to me it is all common sense really....I would do everything possible to keep my hunters from getting in the truck after a hunt and not seeing anything and talking amongst themselves about whether or not any game has bee visiting the area lately....I guess to sum up my rambling I would say that I would do everything for my clients just the same if not better than I would do for myself when I am hunting the area.

USHogOutfitters
06-14-2009, 01:01 PM
I think in most outfitters that you get what you pay for. The higher the price the easier the kill.

dougepooo
06-14-2009, 01:33 PM
And you Shane, with that attatude would make a great outfitter if you could never loose site of that feeling.

usmcjc
06-23-2009, 05:53 PM
I agree with Doug,, also there are a few websites that might help .. here is one that tells about some bad hunts and some good ones,,,, check it out,,, http://www.huntinfo.com/reviews/outfitter_reviews.php3

usmcjc
06-23-2009, 05:56 PM
Here is another one, but it cost some $$, prrretty cheap if you are going to spend big bucks on a hunt.....



http://www.huntingreport.com/