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QUESTION

A few bear guides have emailed me and asked this question on gas. Gas is around $5.00+ a gallon and will go up in Northern Wisconsin. It's costing a fortune to run baits. Would you email your clients and ask for a gas surcharge or let it go and run at a loss. They are not the type to skimp on bait or running baits less often. Any ideas would be welcome.

I feel if your willing to help your guide with a little extra cash to make sure your baits are baited he will make sure he works hard for you.

No one can stay in business operating at a loss for very long. I would rather hunt over active tended baits than ones that have been tended to a couple days a week. You have several years invested in the hunt. Scrimping on the key component to a bear hunt is not a wise decision.

A question you have to ask yourself, yes, gas prices suck bad, but are you going to give up your love of life for a price?

Thats part of buisness, of course they have to pass it on, and all of the above posts I agree with............... It is what it is,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Live - As being a bear guide, we'll never skimp on bait or baiting schedules. I know one year we lost a fair amount of money. We always give a great quality hunt, which our clients expect. I believe this is why the guide service I work with comes so highly recommended.

Thanks for the input Zebra.

What DT said!

I have already approached my guide and sent him a check for an additional 25% of his fee. If I was a guide I would be reaching out explaining the options, or scaling back baiting trips to the woods. Actually it was my wife who suggested I just mail the check with a note. I got a nice note back from the guide.

HF 43

HF, pretty decent of you I must say. That is what I mean with my statement above, if you love this sport as we do, you will come up with the extra funds to do it no matter the cost. Now, I'm not talking a $50,000.00 Moose, caribou, bear hunt or something in the Yukon!!! I wish I could afford that.

Hoot.... I personally would not ask any of my paid clients for extra cash for gas...Now if I was still taking on hunters that's a different story, I would increase the hunt price but not even mention why the increase unless asked, although most would understand.

I had to explain to my dogs that the rides in the truck will be less, and the trips shorter. Loki the Belgian shepherd reminded me that overtime is unlimited and told me to work a few extra days to compensate this inflationary situation. He's pretty clever!

Tough question and tougher answer. It would be very hard for me to ask for the surcharge, but I'd be on the phone with my clients having a conversation that includes inflation. Hopefully like huntfish43, the client would volunteer. I just don't think I'd ask for it though. With any luck, the clients have half a brain, and would volunteer a sweet tip.

The cost of business has always changed and business has reacted to that. This administration has caused those costs to change a bit quicker but there is nothing wrong with a business adjusting prices based on their costs. Trucking companies sure as hell have been doing it, as have many others. Problem with guide services is many of them do it as much for a hobby as a business. I’ve watched many people enter and leave the charter fishing business because they did not treat it as a business.

Captain is correct, run a business like a business. Yes, price adjustments are part of the game, and they always have been in business.

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