Steve's Outdoor Adventures

[ALMOST1]

Has anyone used SOA to book a hunt?

[nube]

What are you looking to hunt?

[ALMOST1]

Brown Bear Alaska

[BuckHunterBowen]

I've guided quite a few people he has booked...all had a great experience and had nothing but good things to say about him.
He did just kill a big bear aswell. Think it's number 1 muzzleloader?

[Tundra Monkey]

I've guided quite a few people he has booked...all had a great experience and had nothing but good things to say about him.

Yup....good guy and a heck of a shot.

Why don't you find some reputable outfitter's and book direct....save yourself a few $$'s :happy0034:

[Tundra Monkey]

Here's a good link where you can get some info.

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forumdisplay.php/2-Alaska-Hunting

Kinda like this place but they can own cooler guns.

[300-510]

Try wildman Lake Lodge ,Gary butch king.

[TIMWOLF]

Yup....good guy and a heck of a shot.

Why don't you find some reputable outfitter's and book direct....save yourself a few $$'s :happy0034:

It usually does not cost anything on the hunters end to book a hunt through a hunting consultant. Typically the outfitter pays a percentage of the hunt in exchange for the ability of the consultant to sell a hunt on their behalf.

[TIMWOLF]

Has anyone used SOA to book a hunt?

Nice guy, probably do ok for you, but there are more experienced hunting consultants out there that know far more about the hunting world than he currently does.

Try Atchesons and talk to Keith or Jack Jr, or the Hunting Consortium. Two of the very best international hunting consultants on the planet. I have used them several times, and if you take a look at the list of their clientelle you can see that they deal with some highly respected hunters.

Using a consultant is free, but dont waste their time by inquiring if you do not have the cash in hand to put a deposit down on a hunt... aka no tire kicking just for curiosity sake.

Do your research up front and know what you are looking for before you contact them so they have something to work with.

[Torkdiesel]

I'm sure SOA would do fine for you, he looks like he has some good deals set in place and I've heard no complaints about him in the industry.
One thing to remember about booking with the big boys ( hunting consortium ) is that they handle the top .5% of the guys booking hunts around the world. Be ready to pay 24-26K for a peninsula or Kodiak island hunt.
And don't worry about wasting their time either, it's their jobs.

[nube]

It usually does not cost anything on the hunters end to book a hunt through a hunting consultant. Typically the outfitter pays a percentage of the hunt in exchange for the ability of the consultant to sell a hunt on their behalf.

I disagree TIMWOLF. The outfitter will most likely work with you on the price if he wants to sell the hunt. If he has to pay a booking agent he would have been willing to decrease the price if you went to him on your own. Most agents will get 10%. If you went to the outfitter and asked him for that 10% off and to keep that booking agent out of it I willing to bet you would have a deal and save yourself a couple grand.

[TIMWOLF]

I disagree TIMWOLF. The outfitter will most likely work with you on the price if he wants to sell the hunt. If he has to pay a booking agent he would have been willing to decrease the price if you went to him on your own. Most agents will get 10%. If you went to the outfitter and asked him for that 10% off and to keep that booking agent out of it I willing to bet you would have a deal and save yourself a couple grand.

The original post indicated that he was looking to maybe utilize the service of a hunting consultant such as SOA and I assumed that he had done a bit of research and this was the route he wanted to take.

If he went this route the cost of the hunt would be the same as advertised on say the outfitters website, or other method of advertisement. Having said this a $20K brown bear hunt via direct outfitter contact without a hunting consultant would cost him the same as the same hunt booked through a hunting consultant. The only difference in using the consultant is that the +/- 10% goes in the consultants pocket not the outfitters, in no way does it cost the hunter any more or less to use a consultant. My post reflected this fact based solely on the implication that he wished to use the services of a hunting consultant, not looking for a rebate on his hunt. I think this is a case of how easy words on a forum can be taken in one context by one person and another context by the next. I don't mean to be rude about it but I usually have to defend myself when someone tells me they disagree with what I write. Also, I might add that I really do respect your opinion as I know that you are one of the lucky ones that realize what exactly is all involved with research on a hunt.

As far as dealing with the outfitter directly and mentioning deducting the fee a consultant would charge like you mentioned, its a case by case scenario. The hunting world is tough and there are definately times where outfitters will wheel and deal to sell a hunt even if it means not selling for their advertised price.

I am sure you know this but a large majority of the best outfitters out there are booking years in advance. If he has a waiting list or never any problems filling his yearly quota of hunts chances are he would not be using a consultant on his behalf in the first place as he has a proven track record that people have come to recognize and thus his available hunting dates book up fairly quickly because of the demand for the results his hunts produce. Going to an outfitter that is booked up for the next two years plus and saying I will book if you give me the 10% off you would pay an agent is going to work sometimes, but probably not with the outfitters that are going to give you the best chance at that animal you might be looking for. Other outfitters that may not be the top guys out there but still good in their own right may be willing to deal as they may have a tougher time filling spots.

I guess the question everyone has to ask themselves when booking a hunt such as mentioned is what they are looking for in a hunt and what caliber of animal they reasonably wish to take. If a guy is happy with a 8.5ft bear in the interior, he can get a stellar deal as there are a lot of outfitters out there competing that generally produce bears in that size range. If hes looking for a 9ft bear, he's going to look a little bit harder. If hes looking for that 10FT monster he is going to have to look very closely at every aspect of the hunt like track records, current area conditions, spring or fall, early or late, which outfitter, which guide that will take him, etc, etc. If he does this correctly chances are the list of outfitters will be narrowed down to a number less than the number of digits on his one hand. With X amount of people wanting to book the hunt with the guy consistently producing 10ft bears and only X amount of spots to go around the price will be higher and less deals will be given out..... this is the world of supply and demand.

TORKDIESEL
"One thing to remember about booking with the big boys ( hunting consortium ) is that they handle the top .5% of the guys booking hunts around the world. Be ready to pay 24-26K for a peninsula or Kodiak island hunt.
And don't worry about wasting their time either, it's their jobs."


I agree that they handle some of the most well known hunters we have out there today, and that you will generally speaking pay more for a hunt that they will facilitate for you. With the top agents like Atcheson's and The Hunting Consortium, every one of the people there have been there and done that ten times over, and have through years of research and happy clients realized that some of the outfitters they represent provide exactly what those high level, and even the normal working Joe that books a hunt with them, strive for.

If there is one thing I have learned its that there is seldom a deal in the hunting world. $24-26k nowadays is what its going to cost you to hunt with the top guys in Alaska that consistently produce the big bears. Going on say a bear hunt in Alaska with a lesser known outfitter at a lesser price is 9.999999 times out of 10 going to produce a smaller bear as compared to the best outfitters in exclusive areas at a higher price point. In other word you get what you pay for. You may go on a $15000 hunt and get lucky and kill a big bear, but chances are you are not going to get that 10 footer everyone might be looking for, and thus you learn from it and end up going back with the outfitter you should have gone with in the first place and it ends up costing you the original $15K and then the $20-25K to go on the hunt to get what you were looking for in the first place. If a guy takes a look around on the internet forums and talks to hunters who have been on Brown Bear hunts before you will find that there are quite a few that gambled and lost on two or three bear hunts before they finally figured out the right outfitter to go with. Again it all boils down to what caliber of hunt and animal a guy desires. Hundreds of people go home happy each year with 8-9ft bears, but I think there are a larger majority of people who got into a situation where they killed a bear in this size range while looking for the 10footer they initially wanted.

As far as not worrying about wasting the consultants time, I have to chime in on this one. If you are legitamately going to book the hunt in one way, shape, or form through the agent, by all means utilize their expertise and make them work for what they are going to get in return. On the other hand if you are tire kicking just out of curiosity don't waste their time and let them work on other guys hunts who are serious. If you were a business owner chances are you would want to keep the free advice and work effort to a manageable level as it takes away time from you paying clientelle. If you are not going to use them, be respectful for their valueable time and utilize other avenues to research your hunts such as the internet, hunting reports, references provided by prospective outfitters, references not supplied by prospective outfitters, word of mouth, record books, etc, etc.

[nube]

Good reply and I agree with a lot of what you have said. You understand things and have the experience in it. You can look at things and book hunts in different matters but what you said by getting what you pay for is the main thing to look at. If you want the goods you need to pay. You can buy a cheaper hunt but like you said you will also have a higher chance of getting burned. Booking a hunt takes a pile of work so things don't turn ugly. I like to research 2 years in advance or more before I pull the plug on who to go with myself. Paying a little extra I find goes a long way

[nube]

A good place to talk to some of the guys that are in the know is here if your looking at brown bears Almost1
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/8521043

[TIMWOLF]

Good reply and I agree with a lot of what you have said. You understand things and have the experience in it. You can look at things and book hunts in different matters but what you said by getting what you pay for is the main thing to look at. If you want the goods you need to pay. You can buy a cheaper hunt but like you said you will also have a higher chance of getting burned. Booking a hunt takes a pile of work so things don't turn ugly. I like to research 2 years in advance or more before I pull the plug on who to go with myself. Paying a little extra I find goes a long way

Absolutely I 100% agree with this. Falling into the majority of people out there who are not independently wealthy I have to do everything I can to get the best results out of my money.

[Tundra Monkey]

It usually does not cost anything on the hunters end to book a hunt through a hunting consultant. Typically the outfitter pays a percentage of the hunt in exchange for the ability of the consultant to sell a hunt on their behalf.

I'll respectfully disagree with ya TIMWOLF.

I did read your other post and agree with almost all of it except for the beginning.

I ran an outfitt up here for awhile but no longer work at "that" level....just guide.

We paid our Booking Agents 15% on all hunts except polar bears. That was because if a polar bear hunter was serious he would eventually find us....and we were booked out for 6-8 years. If they sold 10 musk-ox hunts we would "allow" them to sell a polar bear hunt for a very low commission. Neat concept actually....took the Booking Agents by surprise when they called to say the least. "I'll send him somewhere else!!!!" I would tell him "to do what ya gotta do."

If a guy came to us directly for any other hunt it gives a guy play room and you are guaranteed that "that" question is gonna come up. There is 15% less play room if he's coming through a Booking Agent. Eventually you hit the "sorry Bud....I can't sell it to ya for that" point.

It is an agreement between outfitters and Booking Agents as to why their price list is the same. Pretty tough to sell a hunt as a booking agent when the outfitter has a website advertising it for lower.

Ever look at a booking agents website? Try to find the outfitter they use listed on there. Very, very few would ever show it. We would actually pay commission on return clients once if the guy came back direct later. Any times after that we considered them as coming back as "ours". I actually had one very well known booking agent "demand" our entire client list to see if we had any more return hunters after I sent him commission for 3 guys out of the blue. Told him to pound sand.

There are some good booking agents out there but most do not "have the weight" to deal with an outfitter as they don't move a lot of people for them. A bigger booking agent like HC or Cabelas has a lil' more clout if you know what I mean.

imo a person is better off to do the research themselves and find the right outfitter that they are happy with. Especially if you are a budget minded guy. The guys with a full wallet can afford the luxury of someone else doing the research for them....most guys are like me and save a long time for these trips. On a $25k hunt the savings are around $3500 which is a good chunk for me.

Absolutely no reputable outfitter would treat you any different whether you came direct or from a booking agent.....ya kind of lost me on this point considering the outfitter is getting the same amount of money if the 15% goes to the client or the booking agent. It is built into the advertised price of the hunt.

Booking agents are a "luxury" imo. You can find the info pretty easily in the modern world with a healthy portion of due diligence. Truly...you hit a couple of the major forums and ask who has hunted with a guy before and it is amazing how quick you get flooded with info at times. Do a search on Tuttilik Caribou Hunt and then get prepared to "duck" :lol:

To the OP: I know where you can hunt a Central Barrenground Grizzly for less than $14K advertised price....similar to an interior grizz only meaner. 100% on Spring bears. You ain't gonna see a 10ft bear but they don't come that big. I think the biggest hide out of this spot squared 8'1" or 8'3"....and that's huge. 7ft in the spring is a shooter for sure.

edit> Timwolf...it took me over an hour to write that cuz I'm at work :thinking-017:

I didn't see your post above this one :happy0180:

[nube]

Good post Tundra. It was what I was trying to say but you put it in better words

[Tundra Monkey]

Good post Tundra. It was what I was trying to say but you put it in better words

I usually do that in a pm.....probably gonna get chit canned for it :sign0007:

How long do I have before I can't pull it off of here?? :lol:

[300-510]

Gus lamoreux if gary is booked or just another lead.

[Tundra Monkey]

No clue who this guy is but it could be worth your while to look around.

Luv it when the shows finish up!!!!

http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/outfittersearch/canceldetails.cfm?id=322&company_id=589

From a reputable site but only one rating.

I'd head to that Alaska forum in the 6 post and start askin' about the dude.