codyadams
Well-Known Member
So my cousin and I have been spitballing some ideas on running our own guide service for pronghorn here in Wyoming. We are both Law Enforcement and work for our County Sheriffs Department, with a lot of our family and close friends involved in LE or Military, or both. We are currently part of a group called Shell Shocked outdoors, mostly waterfowl (you can find us on facebook). We take mil/le people out on waterfowl hunts, fishing trips and a couple pronghorn hunts, and for a long time we were sponsored by HEVI Shot, and they graciously provided all ammunition for our waterfowl hunts, which included a couple trips to Canada, several years of snow goose hunts in Idaho, and several seasons of duck/dark goose season. It was great, because in a snow goose season and a Canada trip we can easily go through a case of shells a person or more, and by providing it our vets only had to pay for their licenses, and some of them to drive to the hunt location. However that ended, some of the groups that HEVI was sponsoring were taking advantage of it we were told, claiming they needed 3 cases of shells (750 rds) to hunt ducks with a couple vet for 3 days. So, they cut back drastically on their sponsorship, understandably so. We liked what we were doing, but we want to do more.
Our idea so far, is to get our outfitter and guide licenses, and offer a buck tag guide as well as a lower priced doe/fawn guided hunt, where odds are much higher of drawing the doe/fawn tags. We wouldn't charge near the amount that other outfitters do, as we would not be established outfitters, and it would not be our main source of income, our goal would be to make enough to pay for license/application and travel fees for several Military Vets, Active Duty Military, and active or retired Law Enforcement, and also break even on expenses, possibly make a small amount on the side. We have not established prices yet, and as far as accommodations we are contacting a local KOA to see if they could work with us on having a couple of their cabins reserved for all of pronghorn season. We have access to plenty of private land, and I grew up here so I know the public land very well. We would pick up our hunters however early they wanted to get started, and take them out. We don't have a solid price laid out yet, but we know from crunching some numbers and looking at what other outfitters charge, it would be significantly less. The only issue would be getting enough interest. So I came here....to see how many people would be interested in a low key, laid back guide service for pronghorn that would set aside about half (if possible) of their guided hunts for pre-paid (by the other hunts) mil/le individuals. Please give me you thoughts, opinions, or ideas on this.
Thanks guys,
Cody Adams.
Our idea so far, is to get our outfitter and guide licenses, and offer a buck tag guide as well as a lower priced doe/fawn guided hunt, where odds are much higher of drawing the doe/fawn tags. We wouldn't charge near the amount that other outfitters do, as we would not be established outfitters, and it would not be our main source of income, our goal would be to make enough to pay for license/application and travel fees for several Military Vets, Active Duty Military, and active or retired Law Enforcement, and also break even on expenses, possibly make a small amount on the side. We have not established prices yet, and as far as accommodations we are contacting a local KOA to see if they could work with us on having a couple of their cabins reserved for all of pronghorn season. We have access to plenty of private land, and I grew up here so I know the public land very well. We would pick up our hunters however early they wanted to get started, and take them out. We don't have a solid price laid out yet, but we know from crunching some numbers and looking at what other outfitters charge, it would be significantly less. The only issue would be getting enough interest. So I came here....to see how many people would be interested in a low key, laid back guide service for pronghorn that would set aside about half (if possible) of their guided hunts for pre-paid (by the other hunts) mil/le individuals. Please give me you thoughts, opinions, or ideas on this.
Thanks guys,
Cody Adams.
