game4lunch

WOW! Did you get a kiss too? For the money spent, would it have been cheaper to go to Africa? (lol)
A word of advice to all . . . as a licensed guide and longtime hunter, research the outfitter! A lot of times that friend's recommendation is the worst experience you could have. Go to reputable websites like this one, they have lists of outfitters. Or organizations like the Safari Club or NRA. Look over the outfitters' website. If they don't have one, avoid them. Look for referral lists or testimonials that can be researched.
I agree that you should complain to the agent, very strongly. And let the public know! When an injustice has been done, do something about it.
Better luck in the future.

fishhuntster

Guys, thanks for taking the time to read my post. Its been a couple of months since I've been on the hunt, but still, its just not sitting right. I did request information on filing a complaint from one of the organizations this guys belongs to and supports. He doesn't even come close to the minimum standards.[/align][/align]http://www.goabc.org/02goabc/02standards.html[/align][/align]As I said, I'm not going to ID the parties in this forum. That said thanks for the link RPL, I'll be posting my experience there. As for the references, lesson learned. If there's a next time for me to do something like this, I'll be calling everyone under the sun. [/align][/align]
As far as the booking agent, he had heard from the outfitter even before I got home. He asked "what happened"? He already had the outfitters version of the story, and had decided I was unrealistic with my expectations. We played the "What if you went and got rained on for 10 days and couldn't hunt"?-- (thats hunting, and I know that)game for a while before he said he's never had a complaint about this guy before. He was surprised to hear how bad it was, but didn't offer anything more than a shrug of his shoulders, and the comment, "I've never had any complaints before". BUT he didn't waste any time putting my pictures on his site for advertising. And as you might have guessed, I'm not on his reference list either.[/align][/align]I know for a fact, the next two hunters that went on this same hunt had a similar experience. An awful trip. I also found out the hunt before us, the outfitter sent an archery moose hunter with a rifle bear hunter in the same truck to road hunt for 10 days. The archery hunter left for home on day 5. [/align][/align]Here's where I am. I've contacted the outfitter for a monetary refund. Hopefully we'll come to an agreement on an amount. If that doesn't work, I'll begin the complaint process via the professional organizations this guy belongs to and supports and maybe the Canadian government. [/align][/align]Again, thanks for your replies.[/align][/align][/align][/align]

skeeter 7MM

Regardless of what the outfitter may do in terms of your request for a monetary refund, you should still file a complaint or min. a letterwith GOABC.

The fact they set forth certain lofty expectations about the hunt, facilities and ammendities can't all fall on your shoulders. It sounds like both booking agent and outfitter are guilty of setting such expectations. So I would be lodging a complaint in regards to the booking agent as well, his reaction alone means he has had previous experience with this outfitter. I can almost bet he's also heard negative feedback, this isn't the first time the balloon was burst.

As to the hunt itself, not sure why anybody would complain about road hunting for a week. GEEZ that is pathetic all in it's own! Climate, condition and game changes happen in terms of hunting. Sometimes access isn't pausible most of us accept this fact when dealing with nature. However it is ours, or in this case the outfitters responsibilty to deal with the hand dealt and make appropriate adjustments.This doesn't even sound like it was attempted. Accomidations/food/ammendities are subjective, no further comment here. As far as treatment of guest, running of business, communication, etc...PLAIN AWEFUL. In business the hardest part isn't gettingthe customer but retaining that customer, so you better make sure you do a good job at selling your offering - first experienceis a lasting one. My biggest pet peeve is CS or lack there of!!! If a business provides me with CS I will return without question, I will refer and I will pay more...if not then they don't need my money so I go elsewhere!

To bad wish you the best and hope you get the opportunity for redemption. Yes alway check references both with outfitter (successful and non successful hunters) and if using a booking agent.

Ripstop

Man!! After reading this I'm glad I can't afford a guided hunt. You are by far a better person than I by the way you handle this very bad situation

feddoc

Here is some guidance on small claims court in BC.

Good luck....

http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/civil/smallclaims/guides/what_is_small_claims/

sdeshazo

fishhuntster

Please email me the booking agent & outfitters name just so I never use them. I'll also pass along one I would aviod in the future.

Thanks,
[email protected]

ShatoDavis

First off let me say that you got the shaft. I've had a similar situation once. It ended in a fist fight. I've got a temper and the outfitter thought he could talk down to me. It didn't go so well for his nose. I know thats not the mature way to handle things but its what I done. The problem I had and I'm sure you are experiencing is that you have no recourse. When these things happen the booking agent and guide stick together and start acting like the client ,that got shafted, is a jerk and expects too much.Well, when you are supposed to be on a pack in hunt and you endup hunting from a pickup, something is amiss. I guess we could sue but I'm not the letigious type either. The only thing you can do is post the name of the booking agent and the outfitter so that No one on here gets screwed by him.

hillbillyhunter1

after your follow up post fishhuntster, I agree with skeeter7mm that you should also report or seek recourse against the booking agent. Sounds like he was probably a scoundrel as well. Both of them should be horse whipped.

Pace Maker

WOW......this story brings back some terrible memories carved in my mind from last years Montana elk hunt! I'm having the same delima as you. I don't know howfar to let my emotions runas tocripple this outfitter!

I had invited five friends to a semi-guided outfitted camp in Montana for a ten day hunt. We were packed in and were to be guided 2x1 until each pair had a full day of guiding. When we reached the trailhead we were introduced to our guide, Jeff, 18 years old fresh from guide school. Lived somewhere in the mid-west but was guiding elk in Montana. So much for the local guide knowledge told to us from the outfitter. We brought along topo's, satellite photo's, 3d imagery maps plus downloaded software into our gps's. The guide had a crumpled up photocopy of a topo map from the outfitter, coffee stained and all!
To make a long story semi-short we went with out lights in camp for 5 nights because the adapter to take propane out of the 20 pound tank and fill the small lantern canisters was no where to be found. No lime for the out house, that was nice in 70 degree weather! Our guide hiked to the "other" camp, the fully guided camp to bring back supplies twice. That was a three hour walk for him, each way. We had no livestock left at our camp. One of the guys did however bring along a satellite phone and called the outfitter to make known of the shortcomings. This is just asample of things that were wrong in camp. On to the hunting.......

I had talked with the outfitter about camp location. We decided since we were a group of sea-level flatlanders from the east coast it would be better to hunt up in the morning from camp and down in the afternoon. The first day, my friend Jim and myself have the guide for the day. The outfitter had spotted a nice bull during archery season and they had put on a couple unsuccessfull stalks. We walked the 3 1/2 hours in darkness to get to the ridge where the bull had been living. We reach the summit and Jim looks in a meadow in front of us, says to the guide, there's an elk right there, as he's standing there glassing the meadow. He glassed right over the elk, we spotted it with our eyes, no bino's. Jim takes the shot and misses, followed by my shot. No reason for the misses, only that we were somewhat rushed by the guide, hollering "SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT" after climbing on a 45 degree angle for two hours our hearts were pumping almost as fast as our lungs were gasping! We had all day to harvest that elk as he never saw us. But, we rushed the shot, and WE both know better but we were caught up in seeing our first elk ever. After missing, we hunted the adjoining ridges all day and the guide asked if we'd like to hunt until night fall. Jim and myself said yes. WHAT A MISTAKE! When darkness descended all hell broke loose. Our guide took us off the mountain, only problem was, we were going 210 degrees on the compass instead of 130. I knew this and brought it to his attention but he said we had to go this way because the terrain "to the left" is too steep, although we had walked up it in the dark that morning. He said if we get too far left it's not walkable, so we gave him the benefit of the doubt. To make this story a little shorter, we spent2hours grabbing trees that grew straight up in our face, in the dark! Sliding down shale and finally he admits he's lost. He would not listen to us at all as I showed him the track on my gps on the way up. Finally he broke down and I gave him the compass course out. We made it back to camp at around mid night, after leaving at 4am!
The only other shot at an elk thattrip of ten dayswas a friend of mine had a 465yard shot across a draw that resulted in a miss. We hunted every day until dark. Six hunters, no animals to bring back. That was not our complaint as we all know there are no guarantees in hunting.
Now for the best part................
The last day we wake up.....ready to leave....the packer comes in with his mulesand a note from the outfitter saying "Jeff (our 18 year old guide) knows what to do." Jeff looks at us as if to say what does that mean. The packer had nothing to say, just started packing our gear. Of course it was raining. The cook emerges from his tent all set for a hike. Then says to us, okay boys lets start walking. We walked out the six miles back to the trailhead, NO HORSES! The deal was pack in, pack out. There is so much more to go along with this story, if I wrote it all, most of you would fall asleep before reaching the end.
I've hunted Moose in Newfoundland, Bear in Quebec and Alaska, I knew what to expect. This trip had so many shortcomings it wasn't funny. Some of the hunting party emailed the outfitter and asked for a partial refund. His reply was he'll give us a "good" deal if we come back next year. What a joke, I feel like putting him out of business, let alone going back there!
I'm heading back to Alaska in May for another bear hunt. I can't wait for that, at least the outfitter I use there runs a top shelf operation.
John

hillbillyhunter1

I almost feel sorry for the guide and possibly the rest of the staff in your story Pace. Sound like the guide was probably just a gung-ho type that didn't have much experience and was probably misled by the outfitter himself. I've known outfitters who have lied toand stiffedboth. Your outfitter definately deserves some negative publicity as well. Is there a reason to withhold the names? I don't really care myself, just wondering what the reasoning is?