What 69 lodges and outfitters actually ask for.
We read the published deposit, payment and cancellation terms of 69 fishing lodges, hunting outfitters, guest ranches and eco lodges across Alaska, Canada, the US West and Patagonia, and put the numbers side by side. Every figure links back to a policy the business publishes itself.
All 69 policies
Shares count a policy that says nothing as “no”, so they are lower bounds.
| Term | What the policies say | Policies |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit as a percentage of the trip | Median 50% (middle half 34–50%); 28 of 40 ask for exactly 50% | 40 |
| Deposit as a fixed amount | Median $1,000 per person or hunt (middle half $500–$1,375; range $150–$7,400) | 26 |
| No cash refund of the deposit | 66% (57% strictly non-refundable, 9% credit or transfer only) | 67 |
| Deposit refundable until a cutoff | 31%; the most common cutoff is 90 days before arrival | 67 |
| Refund only if the spot is resold or a replacement found | 26% | 69 |
| Final balance due | Median 60 days before arrival (60 and 90 days tie at 13 each) | 37 |
| Balance on a calendar date instead | 9 policies (January 15 to August 15) | 69 |
| Balance paid on arrival or at checkout | 11 policies | 69 |
| Whole trip price kept inside | Median 60 days before arrival (30 days is the most common) | 25 |
| Transfer to a replacement guest allowed | 36% | 69 |
| Credit or rebooking to a later date offered | 39% | 69 |
| Trip insurance recommended | 67%; none require it | 69 |
| Weather or operator-cancellation remedy stated | 13% | 69 |
| Says outright that weather brings no refund | 26% | 69 |
| Card surcharge published | 15 policies, 2–4.5% (median 3%) | 69 |
The 90-day line comes up more than any other. It is the most common refund cutoff, ties with 60 days as the most common balance date, and is the second most common point after which the whole trip price is kept.
Fishing, hunting, ranch and eco lodges compared
| Kind | Policies | Median % deposit | No cash refund of deposit | Median balance due | Replacement guest allowed | Credit or rebooking | Insurance recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishing lodges | 30 | 50% | 68% | 90 days | 40% | 43% | 70% |
| Hunting outfitters | 17 | 50% | 94% | 60 days | 41% | 24% | 35% |
| Guest and dude ranches | 12 | 30% | 33% | 60 days | 17% | 58% | 75% |
| Eco and wilderness lodges | 8 | 35% | 38% | 90 days | 50% | 38% | 100% |
Fishing lodges
Every fishing lodge that states a percentage asks for 50% (13 of 13); the rest use a fixed amount (16 of 30). Alaska lodges want the balance 90 days out. Canadian fly-in operators split in two:
- Housekeeping outposts take small fixed deposits of $300–$500 per person and collect the rest on arrival, at checkout or 30 days out.
- Full-service northern lodges take $1,500–$2,000 per person (or 50%) and want the balance by a calendar date months before the season, often February to May. Once it is paid, it is forfeited.
Hunting outfitters
The strictest segment: 16 of 17 keep the deposit, five collect the balance in camp, and only 6 of 17 mention trip insurance. In draw states (Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Oregon) 6 of 8 outfitters refund the deposit when the hunter does not draw a tag, and two let the deposit roll into next season. None of the Texas or Canadian outfitters has a draw clause, because tags there are sold over the counter or bought by the outfitter. License and tag fees are almost always separate from the hunt price.
Guest and dude ranches
The most flexible: the lowest deposits (median 30%), 8 of 12 refund the deposit until a cutoff between 30 and 91 days, and 7 of 12 offer a credit or a rollover.
Eco and wilderness lodges
All eight recommend trip insurance, and half allow a replacement guest.
Weather, resale, currency and staged payments
- Weather is the guest’s risk. One operator refunds for weather (on day trips); four offer a reschedule, credit or extension; 18 say outright that weather brings no refund, even for missed fly-out days.
- Refunds often depend on resale. 18 operators refund only if the dates are resold or a replacement guest is found, and some keep an administration fee even then.
- Payments come in stages. Several take a fixed amount to hold the dates, then a second deposit (often 50%) by January 1, then the balance; one ranch splits the stay into four 25% installments.
- Canadian operators often price in US dollars. Of the 15 Canadian businesses that name a currency, 10 use USD, including six fly-in fishing operators and all four hunting outfitters. The five that price in Canadian dollars are mostly coastal BC lodges with Canadian guests.
- Patagonia lodges quote in US dollars and are paid by wire or in cash. Four of six state USD prices and none quote in pesos. Their terms are as strict as anywhere: 50% deposits, balances 30–120 days out, and one keeps every payment under any circumstances.
- Small clauses stand out. A 10-day grace period with a full refund less $100; a refund if the guest declines next season’s price increase; a ranch that charges nothing beyond the deposit if the guest is not satisfied.
Writing or checking your own policy
If you are writing terms for next season, the numbers above give you a defensible middle: a 50% deposit (or a fixed amount per guest), the balance 60 to 90 days before arrival, a clear line for weather, a rule for replacement guests, and a recommendation to buy trip insurance. Whatever you choose, say it plainly on your website: the policies that read best in this sample are the short ones. The deposit and cancellation policy generator turns your choices into policy text and a payment schedule with dates.
Malvavisco keeps a deposit and cancellation policy and a payment schedule on each booking, sends reminder emails when a deposit or balance is due, and reports what is owed in each currency. It does not take card payments or collect money online: staff record cash, transfer and card-terminal payments with receipts. See how it works for fishing lodges or compare lodge software.
This is a summary of published terms, not legal advice. Consumer and cancellation rules differ by state, province and country.
How the data was collected
- Sample: 69 businesses, one policy each, read on 23 October 2026 from a page on the business’s own website (terms, booking or rates page, or FAQ). Booking agencies and marketplaces were left out. 30 fishing lodges (Alaska 6, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan 10, British Columbia 4, Montana and Idaho 4, Patagonia 6), 17 hunting outfitters (US West 8, Texas 5, Canada 4), 12 guest ranches, 8 eco and wilderness lodges and 2 multi-activity Alaska lodges.
- Fields: deposit size and timing, refundability, refund cutoff, resale clauses, balance date, cancellation tiers, replacement guests, credit or rebooking, weather and operator-cancellation remedies, trip insurance, failed draw clauses, payment methods and card surcharges. A field the page does not state is left blank.
- Limits: a convenience sample of businesses that publish their terms, leaning to English-language sites; some groups are small (4–8 policies), so read their medians as indicative. Policies change by season; each row reflects what was published on the date checked.
- Data: download the 69 rows as CSV, with the source page for every row. You may reuse the figures with a link to this page.
Spotted a policy that has changed, or want your lodge’s terms included next time? Write to hello@malvavisco.app.
Lodge deposits and cancellations
Fifty percent of the trip price. Every fishing lodge in our sample that states a percentage asks for 50%; the others ask for a fixed amount, usually between $500 and $2,000 per person.
Usually not in cash. Two thirds of the 69 policies give no cash refund of the deposit; about a third refund it until a cutoff, most often 90 days before arrival, and some convert it to a credit for a later date.
A median of 60 days before arrival, with 90 days almost as common. Fly-in lodges in northern Canada often set a calendar date months before the season instead, and some outposts and hunting outfitters collect the balance on arrival.
Rarely. Only one operator in the sample refunds for weather; a few offer a reschedule or credit, and a quarter say outright that weather brings no refund. Most recommend trip insurance instead.
In draw states most outfitters in the sample refund the deposit when the hunter does not draw, and some let it roll into the next season. Outfitters in Texas and Canada, where tags are sold over the counter or by the outfitter, generally have no such clause.
Yes. Download the CSV and cite this page. Each row includes the source page and the date it was checked.
