Save on trophy fees by paying cash?

[Deleted member 11879]

Im sitting here in a lodge in Louisiana and a guy is saying his buddies go to Africa every year and negotiate trophy fees after the kill by paying cash - often paying 1/3 of the rate listed on the outfitters website. Never heard of this myself. What are you folks seeing?

 

[mark-hunter]

after the kill

My first thoughts:
Ungentlemanly!
And then, how about prices stated on contract?

On the other hand, everything is possible in Africa. (TIA).

I am sure that local hunters who live in Africa can negotiate prices with owners.
And also, if the owner has steady same clients for years, having direct deals with them. Possible.

but jumping out of blue, first time in a venue, coming with intention to bargain "after the kill", is very risky. (legally)

 

[sestoppelman]

Seems a little cheesy to me. You book a hunt with an expectation of services provided and the costs are known going in. How one goes about bargaining down the prices when they get there, and after taking the animals and fees being known and agreed to beforehand; well that takes some serious cajones in my view. Not something I would do.

 

[PeteG]

Sounds plain rude to me.
Once you accept the deal and go hunting, there is no need to try renegotiate after you’ve shot an animal.
You’re putting the outfitter in an unnecessary and awkward position.

If I were an outfitter then I can guarantee those clients would never hunt with me or anyone I know again.

 

[Newboomer]

That is a cheap shot. A hunter signs a contract like in any business deal and should abide by it. If the outfitter decides to give a discount that's his prerogative. After seeing all these outfitters and PHs go through to satisfy a hunter, I can't fathom someone chiseling a few dollars. It is a sure way to guarantee that hunter won't be welcome in that camp again--and the word gets around. The bush telegraph works very well.

 

[mark-hunter]

It is the same, as adding hidden costs after the hunt, from unfair outfitters.
Obviously there are various type of clients, and various types of outfitters.

 

[spike.t]

It can be along walk to the nearest airport......

 

[Ragman]

Where I live you rarely find lamb in the grocery stores. And never goat meat. Now in the last decade or so, we've had a huge wave of immigrants move in who's main meat consumption is lamb and goat. So two different ranchers that I know have started raising them to take advantage of this opportunity. These new "citizens" like to be present during the slaughter. At the start, the ranchers told them ahead of time what the cost for the animals were and the customers agreed. After the animals were killed however, the customers always, always tried to renegotiate the price. Didn't take long for both of them to get the money beforehand.

To me, trying to haggle lower trophy fees after the shot is the same thing. Not cool.

 

[BnC 04]

Kinda like ordering a nice steak meal off the menu, eating it and once the check comes in telling the server instead of the menu price of $30 your gonna pay $20, but it's all cash? Extremely flawed concept

 

[Hogpatrol]

Wheel and deal BEFORE you pull the trigger, not afterwards. An old wise man told me once, nobody pays full price. YMMV. As far as paying cash, yep, that should get you a discount too.

 

[BWH]

Sounds like con artist to me.... they went in with every intent (premeditated), to screw someone financially for their gain. That is not good/fair/honest trading. They may think of themselves as shrewd businessmen. I call people like assholes!

 

[Royal27]

Negotiating before the hunt is good business.

Negotiating after is crap.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Im sitting here in a lodge in Louisiana and a guy is saying his buddies go to Africa every year and negotiate trophy fees after the kill by paying cash - often paying 1/3 of the rate listed on the outfitters website. Never heard of this myself. What are you folks seeing?

Can you elaborate on this process for me.
One interpretation of what you have written appears to be holding the outfit hostage after the animal is down. (?)
Did you mean something different?

 

[buck wild]

I’ve always paid cash and never rec’d a discount although admittedly I’ve never asked. I have seen extra fees for using a credit card.

 

[rookhawk]

Sounds like fraud to me.

 

[Ryan]

Negotiating before the hunt is good business.

Negotiating after is crap.

And could lead to the stories of trophy shipments being held up until extra fees are paid.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I’ve always paid cash and never rec’d a discount although admittedly I’ve never asked. I have seen extra fees for using a credit card.

Probably the topic for another thread but I wonder how many outfitters take credit cards. Personally, I've never paid an hunting or fishing venue with credit.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Im sitting here in a lodge in Louisiana and a guy is saying his buddies go to Africa every year and negotiate trophy fees after the kill by paying cash - often paying 1/3 of the rate listed on the outfitters website. Never heard of this myself. What are you folks seeing?

Enquiring minds want to know the names and locations of those outfitters.

 

[cagkt3]

Probably the topic for another thread but I wonder how many outfitters take credit cards. Personally, I've never paid an hunting or fishing venue with credit.

Used CC on my first hunt, didn't feel comfortable carrying a large amount of cash over. Second hunt I settled with cash.

Wheel and deal BEFORE you pull the trigger, not afterwards.

Exactly this - I have been offered deals or discounts while hunting for sure, but trying to negotiate after pulling the trigger is pretty crappy IMO.

 

[Hogpatrol]

No disrepect to the OP since he's only repeating what he heard but " a guy is saying his buddies go to Africa every year and negotiate trophy fees after" is third hand and from this lounge chair sounds like BS.