I am on the mailing list for Neil's Bowhuntings booking agency. I'm not sure that I have the name right, but it's close. I a recent mailing, for moose I believe, the $3000 fee was paid for a kill, a wounding or a miss. I'm pretty sure I read this correctly. Is this normal? I am used to paying if you wound and the animal is not found, but I have never heard of paying for a miss. I am NOT trying to start a war here, just asking if this is normal in bowhunting hunts.
Peter.

Pete sheply of PSE archery had a video where he was after grizzly with a bow.His first guide got him a 30yrd.shot broadside on a huge grizz.Pete missed the shot high.Next thing you see is he is going to another area with another guide.Because of the cost of the first guides trouble of getting him back in the bush and him missing the shot,I allways figured he had to pay,it wasnt the guides fault he missed!He did connect on his second guidedhunt but the first grizz was way more bigger bear.It was a tough hunt and he earned his bear,shot it in a blizzard!I highly recommend the video!There may be a different fee if no animal is injured/harvested ?My fatherinlaw use to hunt guided elk for a basic fee.If no animal was harvested there was no extra charge.If a animal was harvested cost of hunt went up substanially....Hope this helps.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
I am on the mailing list for Neil's Bowhuntings booking agency. I'm not sure that I have the name right, but it's close. I a recent mailing, for moose I believe, the $3000 fee was paid for a kill, a wounding or a miss. I'm pretty sure I read this correctly. Is this normal? I am used to paying if you wound and the animal is not found, but I have never heard of paying for a miss. I am NOT trying to start a war here, just asking if this is normal in bowhunting hunts.
Peter.

I don't quite understand your question as it is written. Are you stating that you read that there is a $3000 "TROPHY FEE" if an animal is killed, wounded, or missed? This fee is above and beyond any guide/outfitter fees?

My question would be, why is there a trophy fee if there is no trophy to show for it? It may not be the guide's fault that you miss, but hey, that is hunting anyway. That is their job, to get you close. I'm not paying anyone anytime a trophy fee unless I get a trophy. Wounding an animal is different. That is something you must make absolutely clear between you and your outfitter BEFORE BOOKING A HUNT. Some outfitters charge a fee even if you wound an animal and your hunt is over. Some do not.

Doc's right on the money there. You need to get the terms straight BEFORE you sign-up for ANY hunt.

I agree kill or a wound is one thing. Shanking a shot is another.

I can guarantee, that if an outfitter charged a TROPHY FEE, even if you missed, they wouldn't stay in business very long, at least not from anyone that had any sense.

A more appropriate term would be to call it an "OPPORTUNITY FEE" which is bogus. That is why it is called hunting. Fact: we miss from time to time. I don't care how hard a guide works for you and gets you within bow range of a trophy bear. If you miss, you move on. BUT, YOU BETTER TIP THAT GUIDE REALLY WELL.

I've already said it but best advice ever is to ASK QUESTIONS AND GET YOUR ANSWERS IN WRITING BEFORE BOOKING.

Several years ago I almost booked a hunt in Texas after watching some RealTree videos, I think it must have been Monster bucks II or III. Back then, the hunt for a trophy TX whitetail was $1750 all inclusive. But, and I never thought to ask, the outfitter said, if you draw blood, that's your deer, find it or not.

If you were to shoot another, it's another $1750 + a $2000 outfitter fine because he is now down one trophy and they only want so many bucks taken from a ranch per year.

Word to the wise, better make sure you know all the details!!

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
I can guarantee, that if an outfitter charged a TROPHY FEE, even if you missed, they wouldn't stay in business very long...

...But, the outfitter said, if you draw blood, that's your deer, find it or not.

It is actually common European practice to charge for a miss. I have never heard of it being the full trophy fee of an animal but rather around 100 Euros for a miss and then the hunt continues. I actually don't oppose this as it provides a damn good incentive for clients to ONLY take shots that they KNOW they can make regardless of what the guide is saying (SHOOT! SHOOT! QUICK!). In some ways it also provides an incentive to get dubious clients damn close to animals in order to avoid any conflicts.

As for the "you draw blood and that's your deer" policy mentioned....I think ethical hunters should adopt this policy whether they are paying a guide or whether hunting solo in the mountains. If I were to wound an animal on an unguided hunt in Utah for instance, I would feel like a complete slob not spending the rest of my available time looking for it. Even if a 200" mule deer popped up after wounding a spike, I don't think I could bring myself to shoot it knowing that I might have killed two deer that season.

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

Why would you shoot a spike? If you shot one on the first day of a 10 day hunt and couldn't find it in the first 2-3, do you honestly think your going to find it after that? I guess it's possible but I wouldn't exhaust 9 more days looking for a spike and pass on a 200" deer if I've already spent 2-3 looking for the first one. I may feel bad, but I'd get over it pretty quick if I put down a 200" Utah mulie.

JMO.