We all know that outfitters expect something from their clients. Whether it is the ability to shoot well, have somewhat of an understanding the game they are hunting, among other things. But what should clients expect from their guides?
Guidefitter.com has some good advice for clients when choosing an outfitter.
It has become apparent to me over the years of hunting with a wide range of Outfitters that it’s inevitable, all clients are going to leave camp with a different level of satisfaction. Some clients will leave happy, regardless if they’ve harvested an animal or not, and others will be going home with a bitter taste in their mouths; sometimes unsatisfied no matter how hard the guide worked to get the hunter an opportunity.
I talk to a lot of seasoned hunters that go on yearly outfitted hunts, and I talk to a lot of guides that have the pleasure of spending months afield with many different types of clients. If I were to talk to a group of five hunters, chances are, most of them will have a slightly different expectation of what a given hunt should entail. Some want the food to be exceptional and the hunting to be good, while others could care less what the food tastes like, and all they care about is exceptional hunting. Some guys want 5 star accommodations, and others simply want to sleep in a drop camp in the middle of elk country. Then… you always have a handful of hunters who would rather have hunting camp fit the mold of a dive bar in the middle of no man’s land where they can drink beer all day and night. Hopefully if you’re having those guys in camp, you are smart enough to not let them hit the mountains or field while intoxicated. Hey, I say to each his/her own; just be safe. For some hunters, the week they are at your camp may be the only vacation they are able to go on all year, so they are just looking for an all around good experience and a week of peace and quiet away from the chaos at their home. Personally, I could care less what I eat for a week or what type of lodge, drop camp, or tent I stay in; all I care about is seeing game and hunting hard!
I’ve been in situations myself where I went home empty handed, yet satisfied, as I knew my guide worked extremely hard to fill my tag. I’ve also witnessed guys in camp leave angry, even though they missed three different bulls in the same week. Realistic hunters understand that all hunts are going to be different from year to year. A hunt can be impacted severely from weather and timing alone. As a guide and outfitter, you can only control so much, but there is a flipside to that. For the things that you can control, it’s your job to be an expert. At the end of the day, we all know it’s not possible to please every single client, but there are things you can do to help ensure you are giving it your all. Based on my experiences and combining survey data from a large group of hunters, I put together a list of the five most important things clients expect from their outfitters.
