Outfitter Questions

How do you all go about finding a good outfitter. Are there websites that rate them etc

For local outfitters it is often possible to go with word of mouth if you can get folks that you trust. Getting information off of a forum is not what I mean unless you know the people personally.

For outfitters that are out of state or in other countries I HIGHLY recommend that you look for guidance through a booking agent. I travel a great deal to hunt and I always use an agent. If you pick the right one you will not pay a dime extra over the published rates of the outfitter.

How does that work? The outfitter pays the booking agent a small fee per booking and reduces the cost of the hunt by that percentage. What you get when you book through an agent is a person that has been there and done that with the particular hunting outfit.

Trusting a website is a very dangerous way to book a hunt and thousands of hunters get ripped off every year by a flashy webpage. Getting references from the outfitter is risky too in that he can provide you with the emails of his second cousin and brother inlaw or at best those few that were successful. If you go this route, ask for references of a number of folks from a very recent hunt period that were not successful. If he balks, walk away fast.

A last word on booking agents... Some charge outrageous fees to assist with bookings. Be careful of these folks too.

I have used the same booking agent for almost 20 years with great success from Alaska to Africa. Besides having faith in his recommended outfitter list he has come to know my picky style of hunting (traditional bowhunter that pretty much wants to be left alone) and gets me to places that will meet with my expectations.

There are a bunch of agents out there but I have always used Trophy Seekers Worldwide.

Good luck

Darn good advice!

I agree with jerry. A booking agent is the way to go. Whether in U.S. or outside. The agent I have used always hunts each camp to give you a level of expectation and the species harvested.

good advice keep it coming

I might add that a real booking agent should never be confused with the growing number of individuals that hunt a place and then begin to book for that outfitter. This is common with folks that hunt Africa and even some places in North America. A "real" booking agent will have vast personal experiences with a large number of outfitters in each category. If the agent has not personally been to the place you are considering, he is nothing more than another mouth piece.

Agree with Jerry! Once I get it narrowed down to someone the agent recommends, I will ask for a list of hunters who were not successful in harvesting an animal with that outfitter. Spend some time talking to them and see if they would go back based on the hunting experience they had. Once you establish a relationship with that agent and develop a level of trust, you can back off of that a little, but I still call just for my own reassurance!

I can't say that I agree completely with some of the advice offered. I think it's fair to say that the outfitter himself can mislead, misrepresent, or outright lie about their operation just as easily as any representative or agent.

For me personally, I guess you can say that the opposite was true. After researching the outfitter extensively for my first African safari, I dealt almost exclusively with the US rep for the outfitter that I selected and had a wonderful experience all around. In fact, he was invaluable to me in answering questions in a timely manner and helping with the small details of planning. Still, his word was not my only source of information in selecting the outfitter. The fact that what he was saying checked out against all of the other sources is what ultimately lead to my decision. Suffice to say, one needs to do their due diligence when researching outfitters.

Too often on these forums I have read accounts of individuals who booked with outfitters that disappointed them for one reason or another. One such example is where an individual booked a safari through the outfitter at one of the sportsman's shows. He had a negative experience, and subsequently, made the silly generalization that SCI, DSC, or other similar venues are full of con-artists and hustlers and therefore, one needs to be wary at these types of venues. Similarly, in another thread, someone made inference that they felt duped into making a poor decision based solely from an attractive website. Yet another stated that they would never trust a reference because references are all just friends of the outfitter... The examples go on and on.

The term "due diligence" is often used when referring to researching outfitters, and rightfully so in my opinion. In this age of too much information, there are a multitude of resources available to the consumer. Using a outfitter/safari company representative, consultant, agent, client references, outfitter's websites, hunting reports & forums, internet reviews, and visiting the sportsman's shows are ALL extremely valuable tools in researching an outfitter. However, they need to be used collectively and in context to get their full value.

It would be unwise to rely on any single resource. It is just as unwise to not utilize all of the resources that are available to help make an informed decision which absolutely includes collecting advice and direction from those who have been there and done that, and speaking personally with the outfitter if possible...... With all of this information that is relatively easy to access these days with just a keyboard, a cell phone, and a little time, I truly feel it's relatively difficult to make a poor choice when selecting an outfitter for Africa, or any other outfitted destination. The combination of information and a little common sense will go a long way. Although at times it can seem overwhelming, I believe that the research and planning is all part of the experience that builds anticipation. I also think it can be half of the fun. Embrace the experience wisely.

I'm researching now for a caribou hunt next year in Alaska. I've found plenty of write ups on the internet both good and bad about plenty of guide services. I've found some good info at onyourownadventures.com. Turns out one outfitter we were considering will definitely be remove form the list.

This is a good starting point. The site is somewhat confusing (especially on mobile devices) but theres a lot of good info and reviews.

http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/OUTFITTERREPORTS/outfitter.cfm/