rookie wing shooter
New member
What's an average price for a guide, dogs included? One wanted $600 a day for 4 days, albeit Ruffed Grouse, but was just no way for me
Yes that is true.Never is a long time, "Goose"; others have different circumstances than you. I urge prospective users of guides to do their research if hunting time is short and you want to shoot some birds. There are some decent guides who can help a hunter NOT from the Plains states to get on wild birds. This is especially useful if you've got a dog to train, and there are limited or no hunting opportunities in your home state. It takes birds to make a bird dog!
Many outfitters and guides choose to carry to finish off cripples. Take out a group of Atlanta bankers (New York lawyers might be worse) wearing brand new Filson gear, and carrying brand new Berettas that Fed x delivered to the lodge the day before... You will know what I mean. Given the choice I prefer not to carry as I already have my hands full. But many of them they just want to get a limit of birds and then go to the lodge and brag to their friends back home....it doesn't matter who shoots them.The best pheasant hunting set up I ever experienced---and this occurred every year from 2003-2014, was in central South Dakota. The "outfitter" had a modest 2-story home in a small SD farm town. He had a husband/wife cooking-cleaning team and they prepared wonderful (no exaggeration!) meals 3x/day. Wild birds were so plentiful in those years that if you could walk and shoot--a big IF for some clients--a limit was no problem. All the guests ate together and there were 3 dorm-style sleeping rooms upstairs. Our outfitter and a sidekick were our guides. Birds were cleaned by a Native American woman who, it was said, really needed the money so we didn't insist on cleaning them ourselves. After supper we crowded into the small living room and watched football or the Outdoor or Weather channel. The guides did all driving and accompanied the hunting parties. They did NOT carry guns, and I'd be suspicious of any guide who insisted on doing so. The fees were $500/day, inclusive of meals and lodging, and the guides' dogs were good. (we brought our own which worked out fine too.)
BUT the CRP slowly melted away and corn reached $6-7/bushel; the heyday was over and my friend the outfitter lost his house and cooks.
I don't ever expect to see a situation like that again--it couldn't have been better. You shot your own wild birds and had to work for them, but they were plentiful. I still love that little town.
My group has had that same type set-up for 26 seasons now except two years ago we bought a house out there. Nothing like it.The best pheasant hunting set up I ever experienced---and this occurred every year from 2003-2014, was in central South Dakota. The "outfitter" had a modest 2-story home in a small SD farm town. He had a husband/wife cooking-cleaning team and they prepared wonderful (no exaggeration!) meals 3x/day. Wild birds were so plentiful in those years that if you could walk and shoot--a big IF for some clients--a limit was no problem. All the guests ate together and there were 3 dorm-style sleeping rooms upstairs. Our outfitter and a sidekick were our guides. Birds were cleaned by a Native American woman who, it was said, really needed the money so we didn't insist on cleaning them ourselves. After supper we crowded into the small living room and watched football or the Outdoor or Weather channel. The guides did all driving and accompanied the hunting parties. They did NOT carry guns, and I'd be suspicious of any guide who insisted on doing so. The fees were $500/day, inclusive of meals and lodging, and the guides' dogs were good. (we brought our own which worked out fine too.)
BUT the CRP slowly melted away and corn reached $6-7/bushel; the heyday was over and my friend the outfitter lost his house and cooks.
I don't ever expect to see a situation like that again--it couldn't have been better. You shot your own wild birds and had to work for them, but they were plentiful. I still love that little town.
500 dollars a day! Jesus!!My group has had that same type set-up for 26 seasons now except two years ago we bought a house out there. Nothing like it.
Shoot one bird and feed 1000’s….$500 for your guide Jesus, cheap. Endless opportunities with Jesus.
Hiring guides goes hand in hand with pay hunting. Thus the demise of free range pheasant hunting. Hunting is expensive as it is,let alone paying to get on land,and paying people to take you there.I agree with Wolfchief. For many guides this is a job to them… and one they make a living off of.
How much does everyone on this forum consider a working wage for themselves… now I know it varies wildly based on what you do for a living and where you live. But where live you can make close to 200 a day working as a gas station clerk.
Now think of the expenses a good guide has and time, not just the amount of time they spend in the field with you but the amount of time they put into scouting and learning so they can put you on the birds , the amount of time training the dogs and cost that goes into them so that you can enjoy the experience.
So you didn’t pay anybody in New Zealand or Argentina or Mexico, what ever it wasHiring guides goes hand in hand with pay hunting. Thus the demise of free range pheasant hunting. Hunting is expensive as it is,let alone paying to get on land,and paying people to take you there.