Annoys the crap out of me

Granby guy

Active Member
Nov 5, 2012
336
278
Grand Lake, Colorado
I have never been on a guided hunt but I am considering doing one down the road. While researching outfitters I have discovered a trend that just rubs me wrong.....Paying a trophy fee based on the size of the animal. I can understand this on high fence operations but not when hunting public ground or a free ranging private ranch.

If I were to hire an outfitter I would expect them to do their best to find me the largest animal that they could. I don't want to be on a hunt somewhere and have to check my bank balance to determine if I can afford to pull the trigger on the animal in front of me. I paid them a fee to take me hunting and it should be their job to find me the best animal that they can.

It really doesn't matter what I can afford but to save quality animals for the guy with deeper pockets just doesn't seem right. So what, they are going to profile me when I show up to camp and determine if they think I have enough money to warrant them showing me their top quality animals? They may be in for a rude awakening.

Part of finding big animals is luck ( i am not discounting the skill involved )so should I be forced into paying an exorbitant trophy fee when it was fate and not their skill or preparation that led me to this animal?
 

Ikeepitcold

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 22, 2011
9,885
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Reno Nv
I agree with you. It sure seems that if you want what qualifies as B&C or P&Y you have to pay a crazy amount. I guess this keeps the regular hard working guys from booking with that type of outfitter.

Keep looking. There are many out there that do exactly what your looking for.
 

Fink

Veteran member
Apr 7, 2011
1,961
204
West Side, MoMo
It seems to me that quite a few outfitters do it so they can keep their base price low, and then whack you with a mega surcharge, when, in the heat of the moment, you get the rare opportunity to knock down a big animal.

Who's gonna pass up a 380 bull, or a 200 inch mule deer, when he's standing right in front of you?!
 

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
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colfax, wa
On private land I think they can do what they want, but on public land its just not right to me. I would never book with an outfitter that did that if I was looking for a guided hunt.
 

Granby guy

Active Member
Nov 5, 2012
336
278
Grand Lake, Colorado
It seems to me that quite a few outfitters do it so they can keep their base price low, and then whack you with a mega surcharge, when, in the heat of the moment, you get the rare opportunity to knock down a big animal.

Who's gonna pass up a 380 bull, or a 200 inch mule deer, when he's standing right in front of you?!
Fink, you made my point. I have a friend that guides for an outfitter that has this pricing scheme. 2 years ago he was guiding a client from out East when they found a huge muley (200+) and even though the guy had saved for his entire life, and was on his retirement dream hunt, he couldn't afford to pull the trigger on that deer. Was that right? Nobody knew that deer existed prior to the hunt and the guy was crushed and so was my friend. So much so that he quit guiding for them after that season. My point is the guy paid his money, they never knew that buck existed, and he couldn't afford to pull the trigger.

And they never saw that buck again.
 

packmule

Veteran member
Jun 21, 2011
2,433
0
TX
On private land I think they can do what they want, but on public land its just not right to me. I would never book with an outfitter that did that if I was looking for a guided hunt.
Yep. It's common practice on the private ranches down here that book hunts. It's why most folks lease so they can shoot what they want (within reason).
 

gypsumreaper

Active Member
Mar 13, 2014
308
0
That ain't right, if I ever get my outfitting business I would never even think about this, if I have a million dollar client pull the trigger on a small bull/ buck his choice, then have a every day joe shoot a once in a lifetime animal I'd be happy, personally I'm out for the average joe and don't feel that having a trophy fee is even right. You pay up to 4,5,6 grand then gotta pay another couple grand jus to shoot the bull/buck that walks out. Hell no it's partially luck I'd rather that trophy fee be more of a tip for my guide getting the hunter on a big bull/buck. Honestly how many outfitters would give much of that trophy fee to their guide? Every outfitter I've ever worked for did not do a trophy fee, one guy only charged you an extra 1200 if you shot ur elk then a buck, but he required you shoot it elk before a deer. Just how he runs an no one ever complained but he was mostly elk and only does maybe 2 bucks a year.


If you get meat from the store then dont criticize me for having the courage to go out and kill my own meat
 

OregonJim

Very Active Member
Feb 19, 2014
795
0
Oregon Coast
Fink, you made my point. I have a friend that guides for an outfitter that has this pricing scheme. 2 years ago he was guiding a client from out East when they found a huge muley (200+) and even though the guy had saved for his entire life, and was on his retirement dream hunt, he couldn't afford to pull the trigger on that deer. Was that right? Nobody knew that deer existed prior to the hunt and the guy was crushed and so was my friend. So much so that he quit guiding for them after that season. My point is the guy paid his money, they never knew that buck existed, and he couldn't afford to pull the trigger.

And they never saw that buck again.
That made me sick just reading the story. I haven't paid for a guided hunt yet although I have been considering a drop camp scenario.
I would pass on any guide adding a trophy fee for a certain level of animal.
To me that is what a tip is for !!!!!:)
 

mnhoundman

Veteran member
Oct 25, 2012
1,282
99
Minnesota
That made me sick just reading the story. I haven't paid for a guided hunt yet although I have been considering a drop camp scenario.
I would pass on any guide adding a trophy fee for a certain level of animal.
To me that is what a tip is for !!!!!:)
Well said, I agree 100%!! No way will I ever afford a guided hunt. Sure like to ride the horses to a wall tent and have a camp cook, but to have to choose which buck or bull by what you can afford is ridiculous, but sad to say they do it. Plenty of people out there willing to pay!! Each to his own I guess! We all have different preferences.
 

gypsumreaper

Active Member
Mar 13, 2014
308
0
If it was me on that dream hunt I prolly would have pulled the trigger anyways. In all honesty I don't see what the outfitter can do on public land.... The DOW always says that the animals belong to the public, can he sue you for shooting a public bull/buck?


If you get meat from the store then dont criticize me for having the courage to go out and kill my own meat
 

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
0
colfax, wa
I think trophy fees should be illegal on public land. The wildlife belongs to the state and in a way the outfitter is selling animals that are not his to sell. Anyone with a valid tag could come along and legally kill that animal so who is the outfitter to tell anyone they cant kill that animal without paying X amount more. The guy that had to save for 5-10 years to go on his hunt should have the same opportunity with the outfitter as a guy that can drop another 10K without batting an eye.
 

Granby guy

Active Member
Nov 5, 2012
336
278
Grand Lake, Colorado
I think trophy fees should be illegal on public land. The wildlife belongs to the state and in a way the outfitter is selling animals that are not his to sell. Anyone with a valid tag could come along and legally kill that animal so who is the outfitter to tell anyone they cant kill that animal without paying X amount more. The guy that had to save for 5-10 years to go on his hunt should have the same opportunity with the outfitter as a guy that can drop another 10K without batting an eye.
MM,
I agree but this particular ranch , along with the majority of ranches in Colorado, does not support large resident herds year round, they see the majority of their animals during the migration. There are very few ranches that have a single animal living their entire life within their borders. The animals summer on public land and migrate through the ranches, sometimes extending their stay if public pressure is high outside the ranch, then continue their journey to winter on public ground or on that ranch.
 

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
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colfax, wa
I was thinking the hunt was on public land. I can see it on private land, not saying I agree with it, just that the owner can do what he chooses on his land.
 

Retterath

Veteran member
Dec 24, 2013
1,440
1
South Dakota
That just burns me what granby guy said about the retired guy saving his money to do a once in a lifetime hunt and then has a once in a life time muley stand in front of him and can't shoot it because of it's going to cost him another 2k or whatever it is,that's a bunch of bs if u ask me. It's starting to seem like to many people are getting greedy about the trophy fees. I guess that's what a guy needs to find out before he books that there is a chance there might be a big pay out and some people probably don't mind paying it but also probably have a few more Benjamin's than the average guy.
 

packmule

Veteran member
Jun 21, 2011
2,433
0
TX
Then the trophy fee just seems to be a trespass fee agreement if on private. Here, they could sue the hunter and get a judgment lien placed on them. Not sure how it is in CO.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,075
4,301
82
Dolores, Colorado
I've gone on a few guided hunts and researched a lot of outfitters here in Colorado and in Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah and Canada. I have only found a few that charge a trophy fee in addition to their normal hunt fee. Most of those were high fenced ranches and indian reservations. I would not hunt with an operation that charges extra based on the size of the animal you kill. I have also hunted in Texas where big game hunting is almost like a world unto itself. Lots of the ranches are high fenced and almost set their own rules....but that's another story.

All the hunts I've been on and researched have a signed contract between the outfitter and the hunter. It details what is provided and what you pay for that service in advance of actually leaving on the trip. The only other costs are tips to your guide and other camp staff .............if you think they earned the tip. As pointed out in other posts, the animals don't belong to the outfitter or the ranch (even tho they often think they do!). It is just not ethical IMHO for someone to charge a separate trophy fee on animals that they do not own!
 

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
0
colfax, wa
Weather we agree with these types of fees or not it is our choice where we hunt and no one has to hunt a place that charges them. Obviously enough hunters dont mind it since they are able to sell the hunts. I will be the guy sitting under a tree on the other side of the fence hoping the elk cross onto public land!