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Nope, I don't add to the advertised price.

The outfitter does pay, but he/she set their prices. No one I currently book for has me add anything to their published prices.

Most of the time I just go hunting with my outfitters and what ever I have earned comes off my own hunt. No one has ever given me a free hunt. I can tell you if you think what I do is easy I can assure you the amount of time I spend with potential clients including phone calls, postage, printer ink, website, advertising costs, ect, etc, etc.... never really makes up for the commission I earned for the few who ever actually book.

Every year I get many of the same people requesting information, time, etc and they never book. If an outfitter feels an agent isn't doing much they should rethink that as well because I figure I am saving them quite a lot of time doing the "leg work" so-to-speak in sending them a committed hunter. Agents are not a necessary evil, an outfitter can certainly carry on with out one but then they need to spend the office time, hire office help, etc.

I don't book for scads of outfits, just a select few that are unique in their own way because each hunter is also different. My goal is to pair them up with an outfit that will suit the client's needs, not mine and not the outfitter. The client is the one who needs to be happy with how they are spending their hard earned money.

It kind of confounds me why some folks look badly or with disdain over what an agent does. There is not a single person/profession out there who isn't selling something. A lot will give their negative opinion but I am betting they don't follow through with all of their life such as buying direct from a farmer instead of going to the local market, or raising their own crops/meat (as an example!).

Not only do I work a full time job busting bad guys, I book hunts; I also farm, I raise and sell organic eggs and am expanding this spring into more production that will include specialty items such as saffron and ginseng. Of course I am looking to SELL my products too!

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Ann, thanks for spelling it all out. Hopefully, this will satisfy some of the nay sayers. I, for one, believe that a good booking agent is invaluable.

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