I was just thinking tonight and I was just wondering what you guys thought about how much a year does a hunting pro make a year?
Couldnt tell you an amount but willing to bet it is way lower then you would ever think. With the exception for maybe 2 or 3 of them I don't think hardly any of them rely 100% on a hunters income.
I'm thinking your probably right.however still ain't really sure Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2
I agree with Ferg on this subject. I think only the top names actually make a lot of money doing it. Due to endorsements and such. Once they get to that stage is when they start rolling in it though because they start production companies and other companies and all that which is where a l think a vast majority of the super popular "stars" make there $$$.
I would tend to think that they don't get paid well, however, I'm sure they don't pay too much for the gear, and the hunts at the various outfitters.
You need to define who your list of "hunting pros" really is. If you're looking at the Top 10 show hosts, they do pretty well for themselves. However as a percentage of the total number of people who work in the outdoors industry or film hunts, they are by far a very small number. You'll find a lot of "hunting pros" that have other sources of income - some are business owners, some work full time jobs, some come from rich families, etc. Just a couple things to keep in mind that people tend to lose sight of - most show hosts are self-employed business owners. Just like the rest of us they have to pay taxes, and also have to pay for all of their own benefits out of their own pockets - medical, dental, retirement, etc. Anyone with a family knows that's an awful big chunk of change each month. In addition to that, they often have employees that need to be paid as well. After all, those people don't work for free. In most cases you're looking at camera men, editors, sales people, etc. Many shows outsource their production to other companies, which can often run several thousand dollars per episode. With a minimum of 13 new episodes per year you can easily spend $35,000 to $65,000 on production costs alone, if not more. On top of that when you have a show on outdoor TV you have to buy your air time from whatever network you're on. To get a good slot on Outdoor Channel you're looking at HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars. Sportsman Channel I think you're over 100K for a good time slot, and you're looking at 50-75K on the other smaller channels like Pursuit, etc. Throw in the cost of camera equipment, travel expenses (gas, food, hotels) which aren't paid by outfitters, and there's not as much left as you may think. Oh, and some companies use outside sales firms to handle advertising sales and contracts. They take a pretty hefty percentage of any sponsorship/ad dollars that come in. All in all it's certainly not the worst gig in the world, but it's also not the fun and games that everything thinks it is.
I'm pretty sure I would never want to hunt for a living. Why add that pressure and stress to something I enjoy so much? I don't need it.
Totally agree.. I on the other hand definitely wouldn't mind making a living doing something in the hunting field. Such as having a successful Outfitters Store or something along those lines.
Thanks Justin for the nice thought out response and advice I greatly appreciate it. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2
Depends on a lot of variables and your perception. The neighbor kid and his cronies run around videotaping each other hunting while trespassing on other people's land and claim they are professional hunters. A true professional's income will depend on their on air personality, ability to hunt and their willingness to prostitute themselves to different sponsors.
But like Remyngton said owning a sporting goods store or being a consultant to other people would not be bad. I just would not want my actual hunting to be affected. I also think burnout could be a factor at some point as well.
