I received a catalog from Cabelas for guided hunts. Am I really poor or what? It seems to take at least $4000 to hunt elk. anyone else feel my pain or do I need a new job? Maybe I am not as serious as I should be, but with 3 daughters I don,t seem to have that kind of extra anymore!
Cabelas hunts are expensive. But they are not the only outfitter and certainly not the best. Hunts are expensive these day but if you shop around or research DIY youll find bargains.
You may not want to look at the Sheep hunting pages :scared: (LOL). Guides are nice but DIY still works just fine.
Up here full on hunt, run at about $10,000.... Crazy? Yep!!
Options are all over the board when it comes to guided hunts, and like Izzy says, Cabelas trend toward the higher end. Meals, lodging options, guide experience, private versus public land, trophy quality, etc, etc, etc all factor in.
Like most things in life, you tend to end up getting what you pay for, although I think you would probably get more without Cabelas as your middle man.
With good planning and research DIY elk is also very possible.
In my opinion, a DIY hunt is worth every penny. Success hinges on how hard you are willing to work, not how hard someone else is willing to work for you.
It depends on a lot of factors, age, who you might hunt with, tags, what organization you pick etc.
Personally, if I were to hunt sheep I wouldn't dream of tackling that without a guide; if nothing else he could pack me out! :archer:
I feel your pain, and have for most of my life! I chose (with no regrets) a career that would put expensive things out of my reach, but I loved my "job". Now I can scrape together enough to do some of the bucket list hunts not sure the body can afford it?
There are lots of moose hunts from Alberta east that can be done for less than $6,000. I might also add that 3-4 DIY elk hunts on a $1,000-1,500 budget might not be as productive at putting an animal in your bow range than one guided hunt.
I mentioned the bush-pilot-fly-in costs of an otherwise DIY hunt to my wife, and she just about hung up on me. She reminded me that we've never even been able to spend that much on a family vacation.
We are not a two-income family, and with a couple of young children... let's just say that I try to get as much as I can out of reading about your guys's hunts here on TradGang... because I know most are out of the question for me.
No real regrets, though; my family is #1 for me. Bowhunting is just something I do when I can.
yep - expensive is correct
It's also important to understand your own personality. Would you really enjoy a guided hunt, or would the fact that you paid that much money and had an audience, so to speak, just put you under so much pressure that you wouldn't really have that good of a time.
I'm not saying that either a guided hunt or a DIY hunt is better than the other. Just that it's good to understand your own reactions to things. I remember I once played golf at Pebble Beach with a caddy. Beautiful day, beautiful course, but I felt under so much pressure to perform that I think the only one who enjoyed himself was the caddy.
I've done a number of solo DIY hunts for elk, and been fortunate enough to arrow 2 bulls in my last three trips, both bulls were 290-300", one in CO and one in ID. On a solo hunt, if I kill an elk, total cost usually runs around $2500-3000, and $1500-2000 if I don't kill. If you hunt with buddies of course you can cut that cost down a little. $4,000 is on the lower end IMO for a guided elk hunt.
$4000 is not expensive for a guided elk hunt that includes meals/lodging. That is a very modest price. For starters you are probably hunting private land where you will have far less competition from other hunters. There are a lot of costs associated with outfitted hunts and a typical outfitter has a very limited time window to sell hunts and recoup his costs and make a profit as well. There are very few cheap hunts these days and as someone else mentioned...you tend to get what you pay for.
QuoteOriginally posted by McDave:
It's also important to understand your own personality. Would you really enjoy a guided hunt, or would the fact that you paid that much money and had an audience, so to speak, just put you under so much pressure that you wouldn't really have that good of a time.
There's definitely something to be said for that. My trip to Alberta this past spring was almost like that. After waiting years and years to go on a bear hunt like that, by the time the trip happened, I was feeling the pressure. The bear of my dreams was almost a foregone conclusion and at one point I almost told my outfitter to stop sending me the trail cam picts. :p
On the other hand, if it was something I could afford to do every year, I would. It was the funnest hunt I've ever been on. I'm old enough to know better but if there's one thing I could have changed about the whole anticipation period, it would have been to put MUCH less pressure on myself and just enjoy the whole experience of bear hunting in Alberta.
I might add that for bear outfitters in particular, when you look at the equipment and time involved for a guy who does it right for his clients, for the guy who charges $3-4000 for a hunt that's pretty much all inclusive, I really don't know how they make a lot of money on that, especially in places like MB, SK or AB. These guys have to just plain enjoy the hunt as much as their clients do.
I know it hurts but the reality is they are not going to get cheaper. The bottom line is you either bite the bullet and do it or dont and live with the regrets in your old age.
Like Ibow said (second post). You know what the guided hunt costs you but you don't know what it costs the guide. All the ones I know have a real job in the off season so they can feed their family. And few ever get to hunt anymore cause they are guiding during hunting season. They do it cause they love it, not the money.
I agree they are not getting rich and they need to charge what they charge. Its just hard to know it isn't very likely to be something I can do soon. Maybe this site could be a good place for some guys to team up for DIY. DIY is OK with me but scouting for elk from OH is not going to happen so it really becomes a blind hunt.
DIY is nice but some states and many provinces require the use of a guide depending upon the species.
Hunts are expensive but so are the costs involved in providing a client with a quality experience.
Not at all saying the Cabela's stuff mentioned above might not be a a little "pricey" but in bear & moose hunting in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta, I look at what's involved if you've got a decent outfitter and there's no doubt it's expensive for the outfitter to.
Haven't had much experience in hunting any other animals so really can't comment on anything other than moose or bear.
Based on the original post: I grew up hunting, I have pics of five generations now, raised 5 kids, a grandpa now. Most who know me would think of me as serious. . .
But I too have other priorities in my life, as well as ordained limits. I have MANY friends who can afford it. At the same time, I see guys who sacrifice the wrong things for it.
Learning to be content and thankful is a great gift. There are MANY things your daughters will remember as you fill their souls. . . AND it will probably NOT be the elk you got!
A good DIY public whitetail doe with a garage sale bow is a HIGH END trophy for many. Nothing wrong with that!
Dan in KS
A great perspective from Dan... :thumbsup:
+1 on what Dan said!! We don't have much in terms of $$, but we have a lot in terms of life!!
Not trying to be disrespectful, judge or evaluate priorities...but what I think Bswear was offering as a stimulating observation or lament as to the amount of money needed for a guided hunt? I can tell you that for a "quality" 2 on 1 fully guided and outfitted elk hunt in Canada today sounds on the lower end of cost? I paid over ten years ago $4500, in AB, on a fully guided 2 on 1 hunt, and that did not include airfare, food in travel, and hotel stays, etc., to get to the outfitter. For me that was a once in a lifetime hunt and I did not even score a kill. I did however, learn, see new country, enjoyed hunting a remote wild area, met new friends and even hunted years later on DIY hunts with my new friend I teamed up with on that hunt. Also, as far as the money needed, I worked extra jobs, overtime and saved money that other people spend on that is only consumed by them and not the family.
As others have mentioned, a lot can be said about doing a lot of research, phone calls and putting together a DIY hunt. One note though, a DIY hunt does not always equate to cheaper hunt as far as the money needed. The main cost especially today is how remote and how difficult the access is. Not to mention that while every hunt has the potential to be dangerous, the more remote and the more you are on your own the cost and risk is higher and one can equate this to value or cost.
My 2 centavos...
JL
:archer2:
QuoteOriginally posted by KSdan:
Based on the original post: I grew up hunting, I have pics of five generations now, raised 5 kids, a grandpa now. Most who know me would think of me as serious. . .
But I too have other priorities in my life, as well as ordained limits. I have MANY friends who can afford it. At the same time, I see guys who sacrifice the wrong things for it.
Learning to be content and thankful is a great gift. There are MANY things your daughters will remember as you fill their souls. . . AND it will probably NOT be the elk you got!
A good DIY public whitetail doe with a garage sale bow is a HIGH END trophy for many. Nothing wrong with that!
Dan in KS
:clapper:
I thought the question was about elk hunting and cost?
JL :archer2:
For me it's mathematics,
$4000 DIV BY 5 = $800 A DAY,
Can you justify that expense to hunt.
I know if I was in a position where I could charge 5 or more people $800 a day for 5 to 8 weeks of the year,IT WOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD LIVING.
I know about the so called unseen expense a outfitter has but my math says $20,000.00+ a week is smart buissness.
Good points all with some exceptional insight.
Elk $4000 is the lower end. We don't go on guided hunts and our Elk hunts on our own costs us about $1500 to $2000 each. We have our own equipment base camps trailers ATV coolers.
If you have no equipment or plan to do a hunt only once a guided hunt could be the lowest cost. When we pick a hunt we plan for 3 to 5 times doing the same hunt - like an elk hunt.
Cory made very points as to the self guided and outfitted option with vehicles type of hunting. And I am willing to guess that he hunts in the lower 48 out west. I have hunted DIY in CO and WA but I flew in, backpack/camping type of hunting with the guy I had met in the AB hunt. We rented a small 4wd SUV and setup a base camp and hiked like billy goats. Etc, etc. this was least expensive way, yet it still amounted to a couple of thousands each. The cheapest cost was the airfare.
Another option is to do a semi-guided guided hunt. Whether its hiring an outfitter only for a team of pack horses or a drop camp. And here we are talking about remote free ranging not a ranch or fenced hunt which even though no equipment needed, is much more expensive even as much as 3X or more depending what the final score on the rack is.
Now before anybody gets all philosophical on me, I not defending outfitter's prices, just wanted to point out that elk hunting is not a cheap hunt no matter where it is or how go about it. The location, the tag and equipment needed if you do not all ready own it or live where the elk lives can be expensive to obtain, rent and maintain whether its vehicles or beasts. So if you think about it, even if you were hunting a squirrel where the elk lives (all things being equal) it would cost the same only the tag would cheaper but the satisfaction is the same.
My 2 centavos
JL
:archer2:
Great points here guys! I too thought there was lots of money to be made in outfitting until I became an outfitter. I run a VERY small outfit and had $16,000.00 in repairs alone last year. Add in the types of hunts that require bait and add a ton more of money. Guides wages, thousands a week for fuel, thousands weekly for food, governmental permits and licences. That's not even touching the purchase of equipment and upgrading of equipment yearly as well. If it's not a couple new trailers, or generators, or tents, a truck, atv's, or other things that wear out, it'll be the maintenance of all the stuff that kills you. The ongoing expenses while still making the payments on the business purchase and equipment purchases is tough.
All this said, I know that some outfitters lack in equipment or maintenance, as well as skimp on bait etc. but my point is that you don't know the 1/2 of it until you run an outfit.
I LOVE outfitting, love meeting new people and helping them in their pursuits. If I didn't have a good career I couldn't do it as a sideline. Perhaps the issue for me is that I have so few tags and still have the expenses of larger outfits. Either way, I've got a good taste of financial aspects of outfitting over the last couple years.
Ryan
I would like to add to my previous: I in NO WAY am suggesting that all outfitters or prices are out of line. As Ryan just stated- I think for the work, etc many of these types of hunts can be a special thing- and probably even a bargain.
My point for bswear- considering all the factors, there are many serious hunters who never get this type of opp due to the place they are in this life. It is quite OK! Be thankful and enjoy what you have been given. A good bunny hunt with friends or a great doe hunt can be VERY special.
Hope that encourages. . .
Dan
I've been shopping elk hunts myself the last few months. Almost started to think it was a possibility, then the gov't started saying some of us DoD types might need a 30-day furlough to help balance the federal budget. Well . . .cut 8-10% of my salary for a year and any discussion of the $$ needed for an elk hunt, guided or otherwise, goes right out the window.
But I'm not bitter . .. :mad:
Kingsnake
While we are near this subject, I would recommend to all the younger folks here (20's-40) pick a state or two where you can afford to apply for sheep permits to build points.
When I was in that age group I didn't feel comfortable even paying application fees or tying up license fees until a drawing so I didn't apply. I also knew that if I did draw I would need to hire unaffordable local expertise because I lived so far away.
Now, just a year short of 60 I soooo wish I had aquired those points.
I don,t think I would feel right paying $4000.00 to hunt any animal. I would be thinking about all of the other things I could have used the money for, especially if I came home empty handed.
Have not killed one yet, gotten close and passed some, however, I look at it this way...it was a great trip; a great experience; met new friends; learned; and took off two weeks from work and city life. If I looked at every time I hunt as killing something, I would be sorely disappointed.
I paid about $350.00 for the Elk tags (a bargain), and the other $3650.00 plus or minus, was for my once in a lifetime vacation that I busted my as* for two years saving!
Just my 2 Centavos,
JL
:archer2:
I suppose its supply and demand. I also cringe at the prices and regret not doing more exotic hunts 10 -20 years ago when prices seemed more reasonable. Recently, I looked at an african lion hunt and maybe I got confused, but, the ad said $80,000.......maybe there were some other animals involved but the wife is not going to understand.
QuoteOriginally posted by stickandstring:
Recently, I looked at an african lion hunt and maybe I got confused, but, the ad said $80,000.......maybe there were some other animals involved but the wife is not going to understand.
It's all about how you sell it to her. Take out a home improvement loan. You cannot say it would not improve the coolness of the home having a longbow killed lion mount in the house.