The Hog Blog

This question was brought up not too long ago by a Hog Blog reader.  We were talking about pig guides and hunts, and someone was wondering how much it costs to do a guided pig hunt.  It’s a good question, but there is no single answer.  I will say that an average cost for a single pig hunter, fully guided on private land can run anywhere from $500 to over $1000. 

It’s important to understand that the price does not always reflect the quality of the habitat or hunting.  Many of the less expensive hunts offer great hunting on prime land, and generally have 100% success rates, just like the more expensive places.  The differentiating factors generally include the availability and quality of lodging, amenities, and services.  How comfortable to you want to be? 

The price of a guided hunt has jumped several hundred bucks in only a couple of years, but it isn’t any cheaper to run guided hunts these days either.   Overhead for a guided hunting operation can be pretty significant.  First of all, consider that a guide must be licensed and bonded.  That’s a couple-hundred bucks a year right there.  Small potatoes overall, for a successful operation.  But then there’s insurance, which can run a couple thousand for a small outfitter, and a lot more for someone who’s running a big place with lodging, employees, quads, and dogs or stock.  Add in the cost of leasing property, maintaining equipment, and fuel, and a guide or outfitter will have to really start watching the bottom line or they’ll end up on the red side of the ledger in a hurry.

Here’s an example of how it all adds up. 

An outfitter runs hunts over several thousand acres in the Central Coast area for pigs, turkeys, and blacktail deer.  For a pig hunt, this outfitter charges $600.  That cost covers two days of hunting for one hunter, and allows the hunter to shoot one hog.  This outfitter also guarantees that the hunter will have a shot opportunity on a hog, so if there’s no opportunity, the hunter returns for free or gets a refund. 

This outfitter runs about six hunters per week, so that’s a weekly income of $3600.  Success ratios for guided pig hunts are pretty high, but let’s just say one hunter never had a reasonable shot opportunity, so he’ll get his $600 back.  Now, the lease agreement with the landowner has the outfitter paying $100 for each pig taken. 

Already, the outfitter has trimmed $1100 from that original income.  Still, $2500 seems like a reasonable income for the week, right?   $10,000 a month is a good income for anyone.  To make that much money for “hunting” sounds like a dream come true to a lot of folks. 

Don’t forget to add in the other costs of doing business. 

First of all, there’s vehicles and their maintenance… not to mention, fuel.  We can estimate, conservatively, a monthly cost of about $1500 if nothing breaks down.   Remember that a successful guide is in the field all the time, not just when there’s a hunt.  Scouting, field work, etc., are just as important as hauling a hunter into the woods.  Running vehicles over that steep, dusty, and rugged country plays hell on a vehicle, so a smart outfitter will be sure to set aside extra for repairs which can run into the thousands.  Spaced over the course of a year he puts aside an additional $500 per month.  So our guide’s monthly income of $10,000 is now $8000. 

A single outfitter could probably manage six hunters if the hunts were spaced out through the week, but since most hunts occur on the weekend that’s too many people for a single guide.  There’s got to be an assistant.  The pay for a second guide can vary pretty widely, but $200/day isn’t unreasonable.    That second guide works eight days out of the month, for a tab of $1600.  This leaves $6400 for our hard-working outfitter at the end of the month. 

$6400 a month is still not bad.  That’s better than $75K a year. 

Oh yeah, licenses, bonding, and insurance need to come off of that total.  Then there’s the cost of feeding the staff and hunters each weekend, plus the cost of the lodge upkeep (even a rustic cabin requires upkeep).  Incidental costs come along with the whole.  Before long, that annual income doesn’t seem so substantial, especially considering the work involved. 

When all is said and done, an outfitter really isn’t seeing a huge return on a $600 hunt.  As the costs of doing business increase (insurance, fuel, real estate, etc.), the costs of the hunt have to increase as well, or it’s simply not worth the time or effort for the outfitter.  Remember, they’re in business to make money.  Sure, I don’t know an outfitter or guide who doesn’t love the work they do, but if they’re losing money, they won’t be doing it for long.

Some other considerations…

Trophy Fees

When you’re booking a guided hunt, one thing you want to ask about is “trophy fees”.  Some guides charge them, and some don’t.  The rationale is that a guide has to work harder to help the client take a real trophy.  On a good property, simply finding a pig to shoot is a fairly straightforward proposition.  However, finding a trophy generally takes longer and requires more effort.

Trophy fees can vary from operation to operation, just as does the definition of “trophy”.  Usually, a trophy is any boar with tusks over two inches long (based on the bottom tusks, or cutters), but be sure you ask.  There is no standard definition, and you really need to know what you’ll be getting into before you have that sucker in the crosshairs. 

Some outfitters will charge a flat fee for a “trophy” boar.  Looking around at some of the CA outfitters, it seems like most flat fees are in the range of $150-$250.    In most cases, this charge is only assessed when the boar is dead.  However, some outfits charge extra for a trophy hunt, regardless of what size animal is taken. 

Other outfits charge “by the inch”, so the trophy fee is a certain amount for every inch over the minimum trophy size.  There are a handful of folks who break it down even further, to the fraction of an inch.  You can imagine how tricky this can get, both as the client and the guide.

As a client you have every right to know exactly what you’ll be charged when you go into the field.  Part of the guide’s responsibility is the ability to accurately judge a trophy, and you are perfectly within your rights  to demand that the guide take responsibility if he underestimates the trophy quality.  You should not pay for the guide’s mistake. 

Personally, this is one of the reasons I don’t like trophy fees.  Two inches of tusk can be hard to spot at a distance, and judging the difference between four inches and three inches is a challenge to the most educated eye.  I’ve known more than one hunter who has shot a fine boar, only to find that the cost of his hunt nearly doubled with one pull of the trigger. 

Economical Alternatives…

There’s a lot of value that comes with a good, guided hunt.  In addition to prime properties, service, and amenities, a guide brings a wealth of knowledge to the game.  For new hunters, I almost always recommend hiring a guide for the initial foray.  There’s a lot to learn, and a guide can provide it all in one or two outings as opposed to the years it may take to learn on your own.

Even so, many hunters insist on doing it the hard way and learning in the field.  Others can’t afford a guided hunt, even if they wanted to.  Then there are those who are already accomplished hog hunters, but just need someplace to go. 

For these hunters, a good option is the semi-guided or unguided hunt.  In semi-guided hunts, the operator will provide intel regarding where the animals have been, and some successful tactics for getting them.  Sometimes the operator will come into the field with you, but many times they’ll point you in the right direction and send you on your way.  Some offer to help with recovery and care of the carcass, but most leave those chores to the hunter. 

Unguided hunts are exactly what they sound like.  In these hunts, you are basically paying for access to the property.  There may, or may not be game available 

While semi-guided and unguided hunts aren’t particularly common in CA, you can still find them in the range of $200/day (Bryson Resort) to $550 for a two-day hunt (Tejon Ranch). 

Additional Charges…

Besides the cost of the hunt, what else might you expect to pay for on a guided hunt?

While many outfits field dress and skin your hog as part of the package, there are some places that charge extra for this service.  Again, it’s up to you as the client to find out the details and specify what you’re looking for.  If you want a trophy caped out for the taxidermist, this is often an additional charge, even when basic skinning is free.  If you want the outfitter to field dress, skin, or cape your hog, you should mention that when you book.  Don’t wait until you get there, especially if you are not prepared to do the work yourself.  

Food, beverage, and lodging are not always included in the cost of a mult-day hunt.  Be sure to ask about this as well.  Normally, the outfitter will tell you if you need to provide your own room and board, but as a smart consumer you shouldn’t ever take anything for granted.  Ask about everything.  You may think you’ll come off as annoying, but that’s better than getting to the hunt and finding you don’t have a place to sleep.

Finally, and this is a big one… tipping.  It’s one of these great big secrets of the industry,”how much do I tip my guide?”

If you’re booking your hunt through a broker or a large outfitter, it’s fair to ask when you book.  However, it’s not considered great etiquette to ask that of the guide himself (would you ask a waitress how much to tip?).  If you do ask the guide, you’ll most likely get a non-committal answer like, “whatever you feel is right,” or “you don’t have to tip anything.” 

Personally, I try to set a standard of 10% of the base cost of the hunt.  If I had an exceptional hunt, or if the guide really busted his ass for me, then of course I’ll try to tip more.  Keep in mind, as well, that you should tip whether you’re successful or not.  It’s not usually the guide’s fault you didn’t get an animal (if it is, see what I have to say below). 

I also follow the same basic rules for tipping that I’d use elsewhere.  I tip the person who gave me service, unless that person is the owner of the company.  If the service sucks, I usually will tip a minimum amount (sometimes less than my customary 10%), but I will also express my concerns to the outfitter or owner.  A good business man will make it right with the customer, and odds are that a guide who gets too much negative feedback will soon be in another line of work. 

Simply stiffing a guide without giving a reason and without notifying the management is non-productive.  Not only does the guide not learn that they’re doing wrong, the management has no way of knowing and that guide may be turned loose on another hunter.  Do everyone a favor, and speak up. 

In a larger guided trip, like a fully outfitted elk hunt, I think it’s also right to tip the other staff, like the cook.  Plan accordingly before you go, so you don’t end up running short. 

That’s about all I can think of.  A guided hunt may seem expensive, but when you look at it from the right perspective, it’s not hard to see that most of these guys aren’t making a fortune off of your visit.  Of course, if you feel that it’s really not worth it, the best way to make your stance is with your pocketbook… don’t book with that outfitter. 

The most important thing though, is to prepare in advance by asking for detail during the booking process.  Very few outfitters are unscrupulous enough to intentionally hide costs, but sometimes they do expect you to read the fine print.  When in doubt, ask.

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