hunting outfitter booking agents?

[cz1997]

Hello
I am a little bit struggling to find hunting guides trough google. So, I just want to ask whether is there any agent websites I can use to search for hunting trips. Thanks for helping!

 

[Sask_Hunter]

What kind of hunt are you looking for?

 

[reb]

Try Henderson Outdoors
Just Google it

 

[RidgeHunter]

I think a little more info would help here. However most provinces should have some kind of guide outfitter association. They may be a good place to check out for a referral of people in the area/species you want to go after.

 

[Dogleg]

Booking agents are easy to find. Just look under rocks.

 

[Evanguy]

What area or country did you want to hunt in? Most provinces have a outfitters association as said above.

 

[cz1997]

Thanks for helping! I am just looking for black bear guides in Canada that I can hunt in the end of April. I will check provinces outfitters association. Thanks

 

[dtkb]

Look under rocks!! HA!!!

 

[Ardent]

You’re close to home hunting so cut the agent out of it, he’s only after a cut of your money and one screwed me for $40,000 once. You hunting your own province? Will be pretty straightforward to deal personally with an outfit in that case.

 

[KMG Canada]

Gotta agree with Ardent partially ... especially if your not overseas. But lets not throw out the booking agents with the bathwater. They are like anything else in the industry, there are good ones and bad ones. When you hunt with us it costs the same if you talk direct to the outfitter or his rep here in Canada. A good booking agent will help with getting your firearms out of country and back. They will help with taxidermy coming back in country, paperwork, permits,travel questions, immunization requirements etc ... and more importantly you have a contact on this side of the ocean if it all goes wrong. I'd like to think that i have helped a lot of folks get to South Africa and back over the years and so far no hate mail

 

[cz1997]

Thanks for helping, I am planning to hunt in my own province Ontario, I have found some outfitters already

 

[Ardent]

Gotta agree with Ardent partially ... especially if your not overseas. But lets not throw out the booking agents with the bathwater. They are like anything else in the industry, there are good ones and bad ones. When you hunt with us it costs the same if you talk direct to the outfitter or his rep here in Canada. A good booking agent will help with getting your firearms out of country and back. They will help with taxidermy coming back in country, paperwork, permits,travel questions, immunization requirements etc ... and more importantly you have a contact on this side of the ocean if it all goes wrong. I'd like to think that i have helped a lot of folks get to South Africa and back over the years and so far no hate mail

I had two bad agent experiences and stopped using agents, I’m sure this doesn’t fairly paint the whole lot. Both the guys I used were moonlighting agents who worked from a laptop, neither would cough up the cash when things went sour as the “money was out of their hands”. Neither actually sorted me a better deal in the end as they picked up a commission and my repeat hunt sans agent was cheaper having cut that out. If the agent was invested in the outfit, would be different as they have something to lose.

As an outfitter I find agents are an opportunity for things to get confusing and select the wrong hunts for the wrong clients, far better to get in touch directly and make the proper game plan without the telephone game in between. On packaged / menu hunts in South Africa, where you can select a combo #6 for instance I could see it working and increasing exposure for the operation. Not too sure on the direct benefit or insurance aspects for the client, I’d want those in writing and backed by Lloyds.

 

[Philthy1]

Booking agents are easy to find. Just look under rocks.

OMG yes. Although if you don't have connections in the industry a booking agent is still a good way to go if you are looking at new places.

 

[KMG Canada]

Ardent, followed one of your misadventures as it went through the courts .... definitely the worst of the lot from there. Agree with being invested in the outfit. I often hold the final payment here in country until the hunt is complete just to make sure everyone gets what they paid for. I have seen both outfitters and agents come and go over the years and no matter how you slice it research by the hunter and reputation by the outfitter are the key imo. I also agree with your statement about agents booking wrong hunts for the wrong guys. I have had hunters on their second go around tell me about their first time hunt gone wrong with someone overseas and frankly am shocked they would look again. I would also tell prospective hunters to ask their agent who he represents (does he rep multiple outfitters) how often he is at the hunting location etc.... some basic questions should weed out the computer based agents and the guys I see at the show's who set up a booth and last maybe one or two years tops .... I think a lot of agents see it as easy money until they find out how hard it is to build up a reputation and the amount of work you have to put in if you want to stay in the industry.