Well its easy to see that some folks have never been on a guided hunt. I have been on both sides of this coin and I can tell you, I was hunting on every guide trip I was ever on, in fact most people hunt HARDER with a guide than they ever would have by themselves. I know I climbed higher farther and in places I would NEVER have gone on guided goat hunts, not to mention that the guide was a legal requirement. It may often be CHEAPER to use a guide, the success rate for out of state, unguided elk hunters for an example is something like 5-7%, if you think going 15-20 years before you get an elk is cheap, you might want to start doing some math. People don't realize why guided hunts cost what they do, they think the outfitters and guides are all getting rich, believe me, they do it because they want to, not because of the money. When I guide, I make way under $10 an hour, I have to supply all of my own gear, I am the first one up in the morning and the last one to bed at night, my showers are always cold, since the hunters go first and use all the hot water. We completely wear out a vehicle in 3-4 years and that is with a LOT of repairs and maintenance in between, not to mention several sets of tires. A trip to the airport to pickup hunters costs about $600 dollars. A trip to a hunting show to find more hunters can easily cost $10K. Even though it does seem expensive, hardly anyone that goes on these trips would work for their guides or outfitters make.
Topic: Bowhunting safari consult. OUCH (Read 775 times)
