Hunting Trip Cost Calculator: What Your Next Trip Will Actually Cost

Before you book that guided elk hunt or reserve the lodge in South Dakota, you need to know the real number. Not the outfitter's base price. The actual cost when you add up licenses, travel, tips, gear, processing, and the inevitable "someone's gotta cover the bar tab" moments.

We built an interactive calculator so you can see exactly what your trip will cost—and more importantly, who owes who when the dust settles.

Try the Calculator

Select your trip type, adjust the costs, change who paid for what, and see the settle-up math in real-time.

The Hidden Costs That Blow Your Budget

The calculator above is pre-loaded with realistic costs, but here's what catches most hunters off guard:

Licenses and Tags

Out-of-state licenses are designed to fund conservation—and they're priced accordingly:

• Colorado Elk Tag (non-resident): $700+
• Kansas Pheasant License: $97.50
• South Dakota Pheasant Combo: $141
• Arkansas Duck License (non-resident): $55

Guide Tips

Guides depend on tips. Budget 15-20% of guide fees:

• 5-day guided elk hunt ($5,000): $750-1,000 tip
• 3-day pheasant hunt ($400/day): $180-240 tip

Processing

The hunt doesn't end at the shot:

• Elk processing: $400-800
• Bird cleaning: $3-7 per bird
• Deer processing: $150-300

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Why Group Size Changes Everything

The calculator demonstrates this perfectly. Change the group size from 4 to 6 people and watch the per-person cost drop.

A 6-day guided elk hunt for $20,000:

That's a $6,667 difference between going with a buddy versus a full crew. Same lodge, same guide, same experience—just smarter economics.

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The Real Problem: Splitting It Up

Calculating the total is the easy part. The hard part is figuring out who owes who when:

• Mike drove both days and paid for all the gas
• You covered the lodge on your credit card
• John paid the guide fee but didn't eat dinner with the group
• Dave was short on cash so you covered his birds at the processor

This is exactly why we built Field & Tally. The calculator above uses the same algorithm—it figures out the minimum number of payments needed so everyone's square.

No more "I think you owe me around $200?" No more spreadsheets at the tailgate. No more nagging five guys to Venmo you back.

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Start Tracking Your Real Trip

The calculator gives you the estimate. Field & Tally tracks the actual expenses as they happen—at the pump, at the restaurant, at the dock—and settles everyone up with one tap.

Plan the trip. Hit the field. Split the tab. Plan your next trip.