MyHuntingRoom.com

By Greg Gandolfo* Reproduced with permission from MuleDeerHuntingUSA.com

Let’s face it. If part of the joy of hunting is jumping in the car or on a plane and traveling to a different state or even a different country than, more often than not, a large element of our hunting experience is out of our hands. Unless you have a close friend or a family member waiting to give you a bunk and show you the hottest hunting spot, you will most likely rely on a guide or outfitter to put you up and put you on that monster buck. For most states, the requirements for getting a guide or outfitting license helps only to discourage those guides and outfitters that would have a hard time finding a deer in a petting zoo. Don’t get me wrong, the states and their respective agencies mean well, but like in all industries a few unreliable characters slip through. Most, and I’m talking 99% plus, of the guides and outfitters do not set out to be dishonest, however, they are running a business and some will embellish what they offer in order to pay the bills. I work hard for every dollar I earn and when it comes time to drop 10 percent of my annual earnings on my passion I want to make sure that the foundation of my hunting trip is solid. Now, if I miss that monster mule deer at 50 yards or can’t hike my overweight self up that last ridge, that is my fault; those are elements of my hunting trip that are in my control. There are some simple things I look for in a guide or outfitter that over the years have proven, time and time again, to start my hunting trip off on the right foot.

I use the internet to search for guides and outfitters. In my younger days I would travel the outdoor expos and book my hunts, but, living in California, the shows are just too far and too few between for me to utilize. After I have narrowed my search down to several possible candidates I pick up the phone and start calling. First, I want to talk to the owner. I like to introduce myself and listen to him or her tell me about their business and why I should spend my hard earned money with them. I don’t want a sales pitch and I don’t want someone bad mouthing another service provider-those are two turn offs for me-I want someone that will tell me what sets them apart from others. This initial conversation will usually cut my list from 7-10 down to around four.

This short list of prospective guides or outfitters will be informed that I am interested, but that I am still “shopping around” for whom best suits my wants. I am in no rush here as I want to make sure that I am completely happy with my choice and that my choice was made within my time frame. So, any “I need to know by tomorrow”, or “I don’t have all week” line will get your business immediately put back on the long list. The little things I look for in this feeling out period are the simple things: honesty (go with your gut) and reliability (if you have arranged for them to call you back do they and is it when they said they would).

At this point my list gets smaller, either by an unreturned phone call or a gut feeling telling me something just isn’t right. I now feel comfortable that the people I am talking to are honest and reliable so, I can now start talking shop. What is there knowledge of the area? How long have they been in business? What’s the deer count in your area? Buck to doe ratio? High fence or wild country? For each hunter these questions, and others, will determine who you are going to spend a week tracking that monster buck with, but as I tried to stress, these questions are useless if you have not gotten your list down to a handful of guides or outfitters you can trust. Ask all the questions you need, knowing that you are asking the select few. The select few you have hand picked. One final thing remains-references.

References can be a complicated matter. I often tell the story of a friend who spent years’ worth of savings to go to the Sonoran Desert in Mexico to bag that monster muley. He called all the references the outfitter provided and all had high praise for the outfitters’ services. Long, sad story short: The references were all part of the sales pitch (or I should say scam), all friends of the outfitter, and the hunt wasn’t worth the cot he slept on each night. When I call references I get a bit more detailed than the basic, “How was it? Do you recommend it? How’d you do?”  If the person seems friendly enough I ask if they have any photos from the hunt. What hunter doesn’t want to share photos? I ask them if they wouldn’t mind e-mailing it to me so I can have an idea what to expect. Typically I get an e-mail within minutes with the paragraph explanation of how, where, and when it was taken. Furthermore, do not lose faith if someone has something negative to say. Sometimes a client doesn’t kill a buck for one of the reasons I stated above; one of those reasons that are in our control, and they blame the guide or outfitter for their ill preparation. Again, if you have honed down your list of potential guides or outfitters references should just be an additional tool to help you make the best decision from 2 or 3 great candidates.

When all is said and done and I have sent my deposit and signed on the dotted line there is still one thing that I do, and I recommend that you do the same. Keep in contact with the guide or outfitter as the season approaches. Good communication can only lead to positive results and feeling well prepared and informed as you say goodbye to the wife, walk out the door and leave the nine to five world behind you for at least a week or two.