txhunter58 wrote-
Regardless of what people say, if you have 2 reputable outfitters who have similar game, success rates, and references, if 1 charges $2500 with a $500 trophy fee and one charges $3000, I think most would choose the trophy fee outfitter.
I would like to disagree with that statement. The group of hunters I hunt with travel all over every year. When travelling to Iowa this year I choose to lease hunting rights from a farmer at a rate equal to some fully guided hunts. I appreciated the man's honesty with me and the fact he makes a living off his property, so paying him for the right to hunt wasn't an issue at all. We as a group avoid all outfits that charge the "trophy fee", and will and do pay more upfront to hunt prime property.
I can't imagine being in a treestand for 8 hours, for the 4th day in a row and watch 2 bucks walk in on a path ... 1 of them a 130" deer and the other a 140" deer, knowing that if I shoot the 140" deer it will cost me anywhere from $500 to $1000 dollars for a few inches of antler!!! Unless you are making loads more dough than I do .. you would be thinking of shelling out that extra $1,000 instead of suffering from buck fever when all of your hard work and effort results in a shot opportunity.
After reading hhmag's comments-
I can completely understand a person who owns private property and high fences it and grows and develops a herd of formerly wild animals like livestock, charging whatever fee structure he wants to people wanting to shoot them. It is just another form of farming and making a living in my eyes. I'd never do it myself though. In Africa and Europe where the animal is a form of revenue generation for the local people or private land owner it makes sense. Just hope that we here in America don't end up in the same exact boat some day.