stubblejumper

Perhaps that they were all the same person using different usernames.I don't see any of them anywhere except on this thread.

olderandwiser

I decided it’s about time to add a comment or two. My initial post is #33. Today, I felt I had to respond primarily to Mr. Stucky’s post (#82), which contains some false information.

First, and obviously, Jim’s letter (post #94) was not “nasty,” as claimed by Mr. Stucky. When this started, I also wrote a letter to Mr. Stucky, which said essentially the same thing as Jim’s letter; however, I did add that I thought Mr. Antila should lose his guide’s license. That’s not “nasty” either; it’s just what I believe should happen given the events that took place.

Second, Mr. Stucky’s comment that Jim “said he would do his best to put me out of business but he has not been truthful” is also noteworthy, since I’ve never heard Jim say that he would do his best to put Mr. Stucky out of business, and I’ve always known Jim to be truthful, as he has been in describing our experience with Sage Mountain.

Finally, Mr. Stucky’s comment “especially at a wonderful bull in the 380 class” is very bothersome. The size of the animal has nothing to do with the ethics of a shot. An animal’s life is at stake; the size of the animal shouldn’t matter. Obviously, it does matter to Sage Mountain, and that was my initial point about why Mr. Antila stopped Jim from shooting.

I think post #75 is critical to the issue here. I don’t doubt that many people have had a great experience with Sage Mountain. But when we had a problem, Jim was immediately the one that was “unethical” regarding the shot in question, and none of the other issues were even addressed. That’s primarily why I would not hunt with Sage Mountain Outfitters again.

Additionally, however, I can say that I have previously killed 6 bull elk and over that number of cow elk with archery equipment over the three decades I have hunted them (once guided, the rest unguided), and I believe the way Mr. Antila wanted us to hunt the Cobb ranch clearly did not give us the best chance for success. We could probably argue that forever, to no purpose. But that is another reason I would not go there with Mr. Antila as my guide.

I want nothing but the best for anyone who wishes an archery elk hunting experience. It is hunting at its finest, in my opinion, as it offers a wonderful opportunity for maximal physical and mental challenges. Good luck to all of you.

blacktail slayer

I feel really bad for that hunter. It has been a pretty funny thread with only a couple of people sticking up for this guide and never hearing from them again. Makes you wonder. I wonder how 2009 will be for Sage Mountain?

feddoc

Same here. I am amazed that Sage Mountain has apparently made no effort to make things right.

Semmeshunter

About 3 months ago, on the advice of a friend who has hunted with Cal Stucky a couple of times, I sent my $1,000 deposit to Sage Mountain Outfitters for a Sept 2010 hunt. I logged on a couple of nights ago to see if the cost of the 2009 hunts were posted yet (to try and gage what the 2010 hunts and licensescosts might be). I couldn't remember the exact web address for their site, soI googled Cal Stucky-Elk Huntsand I ran across this thread. Needless to say, the title of the thread caught my attention. I've spent thepast two nights reading thru all of the comments. There was one comment that stuck out to me the most (and I am paraphrasing); "...there is your side, his side and the truth". No doubt the events as described by the two hunters occured in some form or another. Even if it was not asbad as they said, as a legitimate business, it would have been good to see Sage Mountain try and make it right with their customer. I can appreciate where these two hunters are coming from though; I had aVERY bad experience in September 2006 with a Montana outfitter in Trout Creek. Fortunately for the hunting world, that outfitter is now only guiding fishing trips. Anyway,I have heard some great things about Sage Mountain Outfitters up until now. I am excitedabout my huntas it will be my third trip for"the majestic monster".Unfortunately, withmy hunt being so far away, any critique I could offer will not help other hunters until the 2011 season, but I promise to get back on the site and relay my experience as specifically as possible when I return. This is a great site and I look forward to keeping up with additional topics going forward.
God's Speed.
SemmesHunter

Semmeshunter

I know there have been a lot of people on this thread discussing the poor experience of Huntingson and his father at Sage Mountain Outfitters and specifically at Cal Stucky, but I would like to ask everyone to put differences aside for a while and pray for Cal, his wife and their two daughters. On August 12th, Cal was involved in a terrible head on collision where he broke his back, pelvis, and suffered severe head injuries and facial factures. He is still in a coma at a hospital in Seattle, Washington. You can track his progess at caringbridge.org.
I'll write again as more infor becomes available.
God's Speed,
Semmeshunter

bslugnut

Semmeshunter,
I have hunted with SMO and though I did not harvest a bull, it was not their fault as weather was tough and the elk ran to me too quickly.

I know quite a few hunters that book with Cal annually or every other year. So, he can't be that bad. And if they were to guarantee an animal, would that be hunting?

Having said that, Cal is in very bad shape at this moment and his family needs your thoughts and prayers. He was in a serious car accident last week.

http://m.mtstandard.com/mtstandard/d...ps=4&full=true

cjg

Huntingson you are a big baby. This was by far the best outfitter i have been to and i have been to a lot. You sound like a rich spoiled *******. Stay home and hunt if you know so much. Cal and Renee are very kind people!!

sachiko

I don't post much on these forums and I know nothing about elk hunting so I'm looking at this as objectively as I can.

First of all, I'm not strong enough to use a bow that could make a 45 yard shot. My husband could do it, but maybe the wind was strong that day.

Elk are found in the woods here in Michgan, but I don't know how it goes out there in the West.

The mixup about arrival times? Well people can screwup on stuff like that.

The cook's drunk boyfriend? Well a girl can't always be responsible for her dummy boyfriend.

But there is one element that I don't think was given enough attention, the overflowing potties. Reading about those potties, were I planning on an elk hunt would definitely, cause me to cross this outfitter off my list. I've relieved myself in the woods when necessary, but if I'm using a potty, it had better be clean.


Unlike us sheep, she's fussy about stuff like that

huntingson

You strike me as an absolute genius. Sure, I will stay home in Ohio and hunt elk. Good plan.

You spent the time to become a member of this site simply to make that post? Impressive. Impressively sad, but impressive nonetheless.

Calling me all the names that are bouncing around your head like BBs in a railroad boxcar doesn't change a single fact that I stated in my original post or any post since.

I do want to say that I wish Cal a full and speedy recovery.