WHAT ABOUT OUR TROPHY OPTION PRICING?
Why do we offer the Trophy Option? Why do we essentially have two prices for the same hunt? Which choice would be best for you? Which choice is best for us? Good questions all. Several years ago we began offering the Trophy Option ago for two primary reasons:
(a) Hunters new to us sometimes have been “over-sold” elsewhere on what to expect on a hunt. If you are one of our brand-new hunters unfamiliar with what might be seen on a hunt with us, the Trophy Option allows you, for a reduced price, to see if we can show you a buck you will like. It is the next best thing to a guaranteed hunt.
(b) Those of you who have hunted with us in prior years perhaps have taken good bucks, then better bucks and now you are hunting only for the best we produce. Maybe you will see one, but if you don’t, we hope there is no need to take a “last-day” buck just to justify the trip. That young buck gets to live another year to get more size on him. Hunting under the Trophy Option’s reduced price, you may still take the quota of antlerless deer. If you fail to take a buck, we would hope you will feel like you got your money’s worth from the entire experience. And we won’t feel guilty that you didn’t collect a buck.
So it is a win/win for us all. This much is certain: everyone wants to hunt as cheaply as possible, and everyone wants to take a big buck. As you consider whether to pay our regular price or to hunt under our Trophy Option package, here are a couple of things to think about:
· Realistically, what kind of buck would satisfy you? Be honest with yourself here. Study the photos of the bucks on our website. Remember – we post photos of each and every buck taken. (Not many outfitters do this.) If you like MOST of them, you should choose our regular price – you’ll save some money since it is likely you will be taking a buck.
· If only about 10-15% of our bucks would meet your standards, the Trophy Option would be your best choice. If you are lucky enough to find that special trophy buck, the trophy fee is a genuine bargain compared to high fence ranches which “charge by the inch”. (Remember: the trophy fee is the same, no matter how large he might be.) Indeed we do have some big ones, and you can wait until you see one before you pull the trigger. If he doesn’t show himself, you have had a good hunt, taken some does, had a great hunting experience and saved a considerable amount of money.
Truly it makes us no difference which option you choose. You will be treated exactly the same either way. We do not favor one hunter over the other – we try to rotate everyone through all the thousands of acres we are hunting on a particular date. Exceptional bucks might show up at any blind on any given day. There is absolutely no way to predict when/where they will be seen. This is the nature of “fair-chase” hunting. We manage our deer to produce enough mature bucks for every hunter we book. That doesn’t mean, however, that we can always show you an exceptional buck.
As a disclaimer, we must remind you that the “draw-blood” rule applies to either choice. Under the Trophy Option, if you draw blood, you still owe the Trophy Fee. And as another reminder, when it is time to settle up, we prefer cash or its equivalent if you are lucky enough to find that buck you want.
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