Here is an article I wrote for my site. Do you agree or disagree with it?


Hidden Extra Costs of Texas Out of State Hunting Trips

First of all, this is not a slam on Texas outfitters, but if you are planning on booking a hunt, you need to have a realistic idea of the true costs involved in your hunt. There are many good outfitters that will tell you these things up front, but beware of the ones that don't.

Here is a list of costs to consider when hunting out of state

What about hunting licenses and tags? Does the outfitters include the cost of licenses and tags in the price they quotes you on their website? This is something you should ask on the phone or when you email. This could be a deal breaker or at least give you a shock if you were thinking you were getting a super deal.

Trophy Fees! Huh? This is also something you need to ask about! Believe it or not, there are outfitters in Texas basically only quote the cost of their services and will charge an additional fee when you harvest your trophy. And get this, some Texas outfitters raise their trophy fees as the size of your trophy increases.

What about meat processing?You need to have it processed and you can't do it yourself or take it to your uncle Jim"s to have it done. You really don't have much choice here but to have it done where ever the outfitter tells you.

Shipping your Texas trophy back home! If you fly to Texas for your hunt, you will have additional fees to transport your Texas trophy back home. It is not carry on! For example, due to the really bulky size of trophy antlers and the fact that shippers charge based on the size of the package, these fees will really add up.

How much do you plan on tipping? Most hunting guides depend on tips from hunters and it is basically part of their normal compensation. For the most part, Texan hunting guides do just about everything they can to help you to harvest your trophy. You should plan on tipping your guide pretty good.


When you harvest your trophy , you are going to want to have it mounted. Taxidermy fees can vary depending on where and who you have do it, but plan on paying $500-600 for a standard mount.

As you can see, that the price that you are quoted for the hunt is nowhere near what you should expect to pay. Does this come as a surprise to you? It shouldn't. If you are that cash strapped, you probably should hold off on your Texas hunting trip until you have enough back to do it right and not be worrying all the time about the cost of the hunt


Texas exotic hunting

I disagree. Guilty until proven innocent by your article. You paste everyone in Texas who owns a ranch or is an outfitter as under-handed to deal with.

Its a good read I didnt know about the tipping of guides till a couple of weeks ago. Very informative

I think it just posses for the right questions to ask I didnt take it as saying anyone underhanded.

Somehow "Hidden" doesn't sound right...

I would have written the article saying that to start. "Here are some question to ask when booking a hunt on any ranch or with any outfitter in any state". In the last paragraph he pretty much implies that everyone who books hunts in Texas is like this and that there are better place to spend you money to hunt other than Texas where you won't get ripped off.

Quote:

As you can see, there is the price that you are quoted, but that is nowhere near what you should expect to paid. Does this come as a surprise to you? It shouldn’t. If you are that cash strapped, you probably should hold off on your Texas hunting trip.

would say roughly $500-600 for a good mount and getting it shipped home is a given..when I fly to Colorado, I know our animals have to make it home somehow.

Way I read it also Stx and agree.

How about labeling what you wrote as extra costs to consider when hunting out of state. What is written has a negative tone to it. There are additional costs associated with the hunt, but not all of them apply. I travel from Colorado to hunt in Texas and find the game choices and seasons to be incredible, license fees cheap, and taxidermy costs very reasonable. Processing can be done in a week or less so the meat can come home with you. Shipping antlers/horns and a cape isn't that expensive, so you can get the taxi done where you live if you want to cut down on shipping costs.

lol this is an article? might want to check your grammar first...and all of that stuff is a given for the most part. I agree with stx. Those are all things that anyone should think about before traveling somewhere to hunt, be it cross country or to Africa

I was thinking that you can't travel with a processed deer. I think I saw something where it had to be quartered. that way if you were to get stopped they could determine how many animals you are in possession of? Is this correct?

Well if you are that strapped for cash then you shouldn't even be considering a hunt such as these. If you are then you have your priorities messed up to begin with. I agree I think the article throws a negative light on hunting in Texas saying don't come here we are a bunch of crooks and swindlers out to take you for everything you got. The article could have been written differently.

Poorly written and executed. Hard to read, poor grammer, and I don't agree with the subject.

No offense intended, but you asked for feeback.

Its like anyother State, do your homework. I have researching a simple Boar hunt for about 3 months now. I beleive the outfitters are tired of talking to me. But, in the end I will know evry nook and cranny about what to expect and what my costs will be. Been on a couple of guided hunts. Many good, couple bad. Learned the hard way. Won't happen again. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!

I like the way Kenny sugar coats everything.. Couldn't agree more.

Good questions to consider and have answered before booking a hunt anywhere for any game. Not all apply to every hunt but for a novice/first timer on a paid hunt good food for thought. If a hunter chooses to book a hunt he/she needs to remember you are buying a hunting experience so take the time to research your intended hunt and all applicable costs so you are not disappointed in YOUR hunt. Majority of outfitters are great folks and want you to get what you paid for because they are in business for the right reasons. Unfortunately a few bad apples... but as all of my paid hunts have been in Texas and good except for one that is no longer in business.

I think you've recieved enough constructive criticism here and the criticism is well warranted. Contracts are the key to any package hunt and you're preplanning is totally up to you. You need to research before going on a booked hunt, especially out of state, what would be the ramiifications involved.

Honestly, this article is terrible. I'm not even talking about the content, just your ability to write.

I agree. There were a couple of sentences that were missing whole words. I think if I were writing an article to be published, I would write better than this. Terrible, punctuation also.

Dadnabit! Stay on topic fellas he done need and English lessin!

....down hill from there as stated above. It has a very negative slant.

You asked.........

I think he's doing good just to fire up the old computator and get the intraweb workin!

I couldn't do much better but I don't claim to be a writer either. IMO I would not even consider making this article public and you should be ashamed of yourself for portraying hunting in TEXAS that way!!

To be fair, I spelled "grammar" incorrectly. Irony.