Paid placement and the Sponsored label

It marks an upgraded listing: placement the outfitter pays for ($12 per month or $99 per year) or, for the first 25 Founding outfitters, receives free for life. A listing marked Sponsored is an advertisement-style placement and may be shown above free listings.

Because they get exactly the same upgraded placement that other outfitters pay for: shown ahead of free listings, with a highlighted card. Not paying for it does not make it neutral, so a Founding placement carries the same "Sponsored" label and its outbound links are marked rel="sponsored", just like a paid one.

No. Sponsorship does not change whether or how an outfitter's license or permit is checked. Every listing goes through the same review and the same license check against state records where available before it is published. A Sponsored listing that fails the check is not published.

No. Facts, verification dates and editor's notes are written by us and are not edited for payment. Sponsored listings are not rated higher, endorsed or recommended over free ones.

A "Sponsored" label appears on its card, in comparison tables and at the top of its own page. Its outbound links are marked rel="sponsored" so search engines treat them as paid links.

Sponsored listings appear first within a list, alphabetically among themselves, followed by free listings, alphabetically. Counts and comparison tables include both kinds.

No. The upgraded listing is a flat $12 per month or $99 per year (free for life for the first 25 Founding outfitters). We do not charge per inquiry, per lead or per booking, we take no cut of any hunt, and we do not take deposits or bookings.