A QUESTION TO LONG RANGE HUNTING DUDES

[Ian M]

Recently had a request to help develop a possible unique commercial shooting/hunting venture. Would like any input to the following questions:
.. blend of prairie dog shooting, steel shooting and other unique trigger-pulling opportunities
.. intent is to instruct some of the finer points of LR and setup an opportunity for a LOT of quality shooting. Guides and shooting instructors would ensure you learned good stuff and shot mucho
.. could be some very interesting people in attendance to shoot with, learn from
.. ranch home is setup to welcome 8 or so guests, very comfortable, about a gazzilion hunting videos and big T.V., beautiful location - Milk River bottom - hosts a bunch of celebrety hunters annually for t.v. deer hunts etc.

Possible Scenario
.. First Day - shooting a metalic prairie dog town then a set of life-sized steel big game critters out to 1000 yards (and other steel targets, some reactive), then a session on an electronic moving target system - marksmanship, data book, wind, mirage doping instruction availalble
.. Second Day - prairie dogs or possibly gopher killing in quantity
.. one evening would include an outdoor Western dutch-oven style meal, suitable libations - all other meals at the ranch table, incredible home-cooking

Accomodations and superb meals included. Location - northern Montana, about center of state not far from U.S./Canadian border

Other unique possibilities on this working cattle ranch, ranging from interesting archeological digs (arrow heads etc) to fishing. Coyotes also a possibility.

How good are the accomodations - good enough for the Realtree T.V. crew and hunters - they have lived there every hunting season for several years - come back every season.

Questions:
.. is two days enough? Should such a venture be 3 or 4 days per session?

.. what do you feel would be a reasonalble fee for such a shooting experience?

.. any other comments?

Thanks guys, appreciate any info you might provide. If this takes off, maybe we will pull some trigger sometime

 

[Len Backus]

Sounds interesting. I'd vote for 2 days as my attention span is short.

I don't know what price it would support. I suppose you could compare it to a few other common hunting events. Quality outfitted mule deer starts at around 500 per day. I think outfitted prairie dog shooting or coyotes is quite a bit less. How much does it cost for one of the high quality shooting instructional events?

 

[Guest]

Ian I too have thought about this but my funding contribution staff probobly isn't as large as yours

I woudl however be glad to lend my knowledge as an assistant instructor.. hell I can drive to N.C. MT

anyway...

2 day will not be enough... I say this from experience in guiding PD shooters... especially the ones that start to get a taste of LR shooting... and I take 2-3 tops.. you are considering taking 8 that in itself is a handful. To have optimum learning it is nice to have a shooter/spotter senerio so to be really effective and to insure they get the maximum bang for there buck you need 1/1 application. This is very crucial to the novice shooters.

Day one would be some techincal aspect and equipment explaination and application. Alot of guys may not understand the full potential of their equipment, scopes, ret. lazer range finders etc. Then some refresher on correct shooting techniques, grip, cheek weld, trigger technique etc. then you would break for lunch... believe it or not 8 guys eager to learn in a classroom scenerio could take up alot of time especially if technical questions are asked....
After the lunch break you would need to apply the the mornings discussion but on paper so they can see the results.. you can very easily make a range in that part of the country to 1000 yards that would have 8 benches and prone slots...
Day two could be a quick refresher then some field work on life size targets or mock PD towns, or Big Game hunting scenerio...
Day 3 reviews and take them to towns etc. Day 4 could be a friendly competition or challenge and alot of shooting...

I see that the weekend 2 day thing seems more acceptable but the guys that would attened arn't within driving distance.. so most would need at least a day of travel on the front side and back side of the symposium, so why not give them 3 solid days of instruction and shooting.

Also speaking from 7 years experience. I've been to hills with celeb hunters and have had the CEO typs stay at my ranch. The food will be more important than you think. Your staff also needs to understand and be able to adapt to all personalities and experience levels. Your experts in shooting must also be experts in communication, accomodation and general relations. You would be asking for a considerable amount of money for this directly related to the knowledge they would recieve. However, how they recieve it is key! The most cost effective way is to have you shooting staff pitch in in other apsects or atleast have knowledge of a client/servce relationship.

Your prices... well tough one...

this would be based on the accomodations first. $150-$250 per day based on this alone. I havn't seen the accomodations or tasted the food so it is hard to evaluate that aspect. Keep in mind your overhead in the relms of lodging services. The second part is the quality of the instructors taking into accound all aspects of that individual knowledge/personality and what that person requires in funding to be there.

I have researched these types of symposiums so to speak and $250-$800 per day is about the price range.

Not telling you how to do this but I have some experience and I'd be glad to offer what I know to help you evaluate the reality of this...

Ric

ps, I didn't proof read this ( gotta go do the turkey day thing ) so forgive the errors

 

[Ian M]

Len and RIc,
Thanks for some good info. This venture, if it flies, may become somewhat focused on industry hunts, that is why the two days since those folk are always in a hurry. Three days is max, since that actually means five with a day to get there and a day to get home.

The facility and rancher are already pretty well known with a lot of industry and communications people since they host the RTree guys so successfully - their accomodations and food make the grade+.

Eight would be absolute max, preferred number is smaller - two types of possibilities here, industry hunts and interested groups of shooters who want to book a hunt/shooting experience. There might even be some cross-over with industry guys in camp same time as hunter/shooters. That is actually a great situation since many of the industry folk are really interesting people.

Thanks again, any more feedback appreciated. My role would probably be to help design and implement the program, set a base to operate from. Have already provided info on shooting requirements and expectations, target requirements, weather considerations, after-hours entertainment, transportation etc. There would be skilled "instructors" involved, have some ideas for inviting some guys that I would like to shoot with - or have shot with and know they are the best.

 

[Guest]

Just to add my two cents... I Strongly agree with what Rick Horst stated; only add that loads should be chronographed, Exbal Drop Charts created and Fundamentals reviewed.

 

[Brent]

Ian,
Long time. Glad to hear you're putting together some fun for us down there in Montana here soon. I'll be down there this next year so, let me know when and where.

I like 3 days but, you might consider offering 6/7/8 days etc. as an option to those that want to stay for even a more in depth look at the finer points.

Good luck, sounds like fun.

 

[Ian M]

Brent,
Hope you and your family are well. Sure interested to hear what you have been up to. Any moose bite the dust this season?

I was in Alaska twice in three months this summer/fall - first trip with the Brown Bear outfitter from Palmer that you helped me locate - owe you a BIG beer for that one - and second trip out of Kotzebue for a caribou hunt above the arctic circle.

Welcome back!

 

[Brent]

We're all doing great, thanks Ian.

Moved my post here to the "Hi Brent" thread...

[ 11-26-2004: Message edited by: Brent Moffitt ]