If you are planning a trip and want to get the best possible price, there are some things you need to know in order to compare outfitters. First you will benefit from understanding the basic premise that there are no rules, guidelines or consistency regarding how individual destinations choose to price there packages and second; state, provincial and federal government agencies complicate the equation with license fees, application fees and of course taxes. That said, it is possible with a little bit of knowledge to dissect the scramble and compare trip packages on an apples to apples basis.

Let's start with some basic vocabulary used to describe outfitter offerings. When shopping a trip to one of the Canadian provinces the terms American plan and European plan will frequently appear in brochures and magazine ads. In a nutshell, American plan generally means with food and guides while European plan means bring your own food. The catch is that some Euro plan packages include guides and some don't. Regardless, they are almost always less expensive than American plan hunts. Case in point; a European plan caribou hunt with Club Chambeaux includes neither food, nor guide service. A Euro plan caribou hunt with Safari Nordik includes food but no guides and a European plan whitetail hunt on Anticosti usually includes guides but no food. How do you know? Ask the right questions and be specific.

There is similar confusion regarding the more universal terms "Drop Camp" and "Spike Camp". These descriptions both imply a remote wilderness non-permanent tent camp setup. Like Euro Plan they are almost always less expensive because of the lack of amenities. Both types of camps are usually only accessible by either plane, boat or horseback however spike camps frequently include guides and food whereas drop camps typically don't include either.

When comparing outfitters prices the three factors affecting package costs the most are the specific duration of your stay, the level of guide service provided and whether access to the hunting territory is by truck or plane. As an example, let's look at two "all-inclusive" moose hunt packages in Newfoundland. The price at both outfits includes guide service, meals, accommodations, license fees and taxes. Outfitter A's price is $3900 and outfitter B's is $2700. These are actual prices and both outfitters offer excellent value however, outfitter A's package is 6 days of hunting and 7 nights in camp while B's is only a 5 day, 6 night stay. At A's camp 1x1 guide service is standard while B offers 1x2 and lastly you can drive to outfitter B's camp while you access A's camps by airplane. Which hunt is better? Both are good hunts but individual hunters have different types of budgetary constraints so while many will opt for the more expensive hunt as many will take advantage of the value offered by the other's lower price.

As noted in the example above, airplanes make hunt packages increasingly more expensive. Airplane fuel has by no means been immune to what we all have been experiencing at our local gas pumps. Additionally, strict government safety controls requiring supervised maintenance schedules along with pilot salaries add considerably to an outfitter's costs but beware. There is a growing trend to add on air charter costs to the advertised hunt price. This is becoming quite common in Alaska where a $9000 all-inclusive hunt package usually does not include the $500 charter flight from Anchorage to the outfitter's base.

And what does "all-inclusive mean anyway?" Good question. The term almost always means the inclusion of meals, accommodations and guide service but it may or may not include license fees and taxes. Up until a few years ago most license fees that were not subject to a draw allocation were included in all-inclusive packages. That practice is however, going the way of the dinosaur particularly in Canada where the government dictates license prices in Canadian dollars. Outfitters charging their clients in US currency have found themselves losing money as the American dollar has lost ground in the international monetary exchange arena. In the mid-west and western states where licenses are subject to lotteries, these costs are almost never included in the hunt package. (More on licenses, draws and preference points in my March column - stay tuned.)

Also in Canada, taxes are a bigger chunk of the overall hunt cost than in most other parts of the free world. The federal government levies a hefty 7% tax on all trips. That is the bad news. The good news is that for non-resident hunters there is a 50% rebate from the same government to encourage our patronage of Canadian travel destinations. Individual provinces also get a piece of the hunt price with their own tax. In Quebec for example, the provincial tax, called PQT, is 7 1/2% with no rebate. A northern Quebec caribou hunt with a $4500 price tag contains over $400 in combined taxes. Unless that seems insignificant to you, better make sure you know whether your price includes the tax or not.

More expensive outfits imply higher shot opportunity or kill success but the reality of this is not easily determined. Be forewarned that inflated prices and inflated success claims go hand in hand. Your best bet is to determine what exactly is included in your hunt and rely on references to substantiate success. Guaranteed shot opportunity hunts require the outfitter to substantiate his ability to put you on game and deserve to cost more as you are compensated with a discounted return trip if not an on-the-spot refund should the opportunity not materialize.

Finally, virtually no hunt package includes gratuities although they constitute as real a part of your hunt cost as your license. Further, what constitutes an adequate tip that is neither exorbitant nor insufficient reward for the efforts of your guide, cook and camp manager lacks accurate definition. As a very general guideline, tips start at $100 per big game animal. If your guide worked exceptionally hard or if you shoot an exceptional animal, than you might better be generous than cheap. Remember, your guide's job is to put you on game not pull the trigger. If you blow your shot you are obligated to tip as if you shot a trophy.