Kind of a wash as all 3 "members" are brand new with only 1-2 posts each and all of those posts are on this topic only. Any or all 3 of them could be legitimate or not. It's hard to make that determination with just a few posts that are all on this one specific subject. FWIW, most members build up credibility with other members through hundreds, thousands or sometimes even 10,000's of posts where other members have vetted them throughout that posting process and have learned to trust them. In all fairness, I don't think hardly anybody is going to develop that credibility (good or bad) with just a few posts as it's too hard to figure out where that new member is coming from and what motives they have or not.

This sub-forum was conceived as a place for members to post good and bad info about outfitters so that others could research an outfitter if they were interested and hopefully connect with another hunter with relevant hunting experience with that guide or outfitter. Member(s) can post general stuff about an outfitter or guide and then interested members are free to PM that member for more details, contacts, etc. It's designed to be a reference for further research on an outfitter or guide through other members that have hopefully established credibility and are not personally involved with that outfitter or guide.

The sub-forum is NOT designed to be a place where people file complaints against an outfitter--there are organizations who handle that responsibility. Some of these places (but not all) include state Fish and Game departments, Outfitter and/or Guide associations, BBB, Dept. of Consumer Affairs, etc. Anybody researching an outfitter should automatically conduct this kind of research, especially if they haven't been able to find previous hunters as references.

I think pretty much everybody has gone on a hunt, guided or not, where the hunt did not meet their expectations. Whether it's DIY or guided, talking with other hunters is often a valuable part of scouting research for any hunt being considered. Many people don't have enough time or live too far away from the hunting area to do their own scouting and thus consider hunting with a guide or outfitter.

When people do so, they have an expectation that the guide or outfitter has done sufficient scouting, knows the area and animals and has a good chance of putting them on game. That's all it is. A good chance of being put on game. Not a guarantee or sure fire thing. For that, you would need to hunt a high fence operation and even then, things don't always work, especially if the fenced area involves a large enough area for the animals to hide.

The bottom line in this soapbox is that this sub-forum is maintained as a resource for hunters doing research and is not the place to resolve complaints or problems. As such, any ongoing feuds will simply be deleted with the initial posts left as a potential resource for interested hunters. If you have any questions, please PM me and I will do my best to get you an answer.

CalHunter
Moderator