I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Hiya folks. I' d like to run this by you and see what your opinion is on the matter.
My son, brother, and I booked a hunt with an outfitter in Maine for bear this fall. We booked the hunt back in Sept., and asked the outfitter if we could get the week of my son' s 21st birthday, which was the week of 9/24/03. He said yes, and we sent out our deposits (300.00 apiece, with another 300.00 due by the end of june). A few weeks later the outfitter e-mailed me that they had made a huge mistake in that the bear season wasn' t even open the week that we booked, and that we could change our hunt to an earlier date or get our deposit back. The only opening they had was the first week of the season (last week in august), and I was concerned about the bug problem in Maine that time of the year, so I e-mailed them back with my concern and asked for some more info and a few references of fellas that hunted that early in the season up there. No reply! I waited another wee and sent a duplicate of the same e-mail, and again got no reply. A week later we all got a letter from the outfitter stating that our money had been deposited and that we were booked for the last week of august. I thought this was really unfair in that we didn' t really agree to take that week as the preferred date for our hunt, and I was ready to raise a stink, but my brother and son said to let it ride because we had heard so many good reports from the references and that they had a good camp set up. I had cancelled a bear hunt in New Brunswick about 5 years ago because the outfitter didn' t even take the time to figure out when he could take on clients for the hunt, and was ready to do the same with this outfitter, but let it ride because of being outnumbered on the vote.
Anyway, my brother has his own steel fabrication business, and my son works for him, and they have been having a rough year as far as work goes. Not much work coming in and a lot of unemployement being drawn out. And I' ve only worked a few months in the last 7 months because of lack of work and some health problems that have recently risen. So I called the outfitter to see if we could get our deposits transferred to a hunt for the fall of ' 04 since none of us can really afford to dish out the cash this year. Got a call back saying that they were really trying to fill our spots, but if they couldn' t , we' d lose our $300.00! After being forced to accept a date that we didn' t want to begin with, I think it only fair that the outfitter make an exception and give us a spot next fall. Under any other circumstances, I would cut my losses and let them have the deposit. What is your opinion? Thanks ahead of time for any responses.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

I stopped at the part where you said you was afeared of bugs. Get yer pink arse out there an' hunt! If you ain' t gonna take the bad with the good, stay home an' play with your computers, sell yer rifle, or take up needle point. $600 bucks for a bear hunt ain' t much. You sir, need to cowboy up.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

As a hunting guide, outfitter and consultant for more than 14 years, I smell a rat.

The outfitter should know when the season is open, unless the dates were changed. And you should be allowed to either pick your dates, or get your money back. The problem is that the money is probably not on deposit, but has been spent. Deposit money usually goes for leases, operating expenses and as pay to the outfitter as soon as it comes in.

If you don' t get to pick your dates this year or next, then demand your money back. The outfitter had no right to arbitrarily choose a date for you. Tell the outfitter you will contact the outfiters and guides asociation, and the State Licensing association to make a complaint if you don' t get what you want. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau, and the Chamber of Commerce in the area.

Since we don' t want Hunting Net held responsible I' dappreciate it if you would e-mail me with this outfitters name. Maybe I can help by e-mailing him. I also like to keep track of stuff like this, so we all know who is good and who isn' t.

T.R. Michels, moderator " T.R.' s Tips" forum
[email protected]

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Thanks for the reply, T.R.! I just sent this outfitter a request for satisfaction, and I' m going to give them a week or so to make this good. If I don' t hear from them by then, I will contact you with the name, and will be contacting some of the other sources that you provided. Thanks again for the helpful post, and I will keep you updated.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Okay, now I come to the MANLY MAN, mr. BeaverJack! Since you are evidently just slightly above a neanderthol on the evolutionary ladder, I' ll go real slow with my response to your post.:D First off, I am nowhere near put off by insects when I hunt. I have spent many hours nestled down in a swamp waiting for the woodies to fly over and contributing many pints of blood to the skeeters. I hunt early archery season here in PA. and give the blackflies and deerflies lots of protein for their eggs. Plus, I have clothing and concoctions that prevents the bugs from taking too much of my fluids. The problem lies with my brother and my son, who both have had some severe reactions to some forms of insect bites, and since I rarely get a chance to spend any amount of time with either one of them these past few years because of work schedules, I figured I' d try to make them as comfortable as possible since we were all going to be shelling out $1200.00 apiece for this hunt, not including licenses! Now, where you came up with $600.00 dollars is way beyond me, but I think you automatically thought you were dealing with some limp wristed city boy, which couldn' t be farther from the truth. The $600.00 dollars was the two part deposit, and we didn' t send in the second $300.00 (thank God) due in June because we knew we might have a problem getting rescheduled for next year when we cancelled this year. So, in saying that, my advice to you would be to go bite the tails off of a couple scorpions, maybe indulge in a little foreplay with a cougar, or snack on some 16 penny nails washed down with 200 proof rotgut, and leave the serious posting for someone with a mentality level that is lots higher than a flea' s.[&:] I don' t know about anyone else, but I wasn' t impressed with your chest thumping!

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

If anyone has severe problems wiht insect bites they should carry an Epi-Pen for allergic reastions, wear a Bug Tamer suit, and use Citro-Flage, which is a camouflage makeup with Citronella oil, that repels bugs. If you can' t find the hunting products let me know and I' ll find their address/number/website.

My daughter has allergic reactions to insect bites, which affects her chronic asthma, so she carries and Epi-Pen at all times, and we have tried a few products.

T.R.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Stick to your guns!! Do not let this outfitter take advantage of your family!! Good luck.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Thanks for the support, handloader1. We' re not giving up without a fight.

Thanks for the helpful info, T.R.!

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

You' re welcome, and keep me posted.

May God bless, everyone reading this, their families, their friends, their business endeavors, and their finances,


T.R.

Rm. 10:9 " Jesus is Lord"

He saved my life, my marriage and my soul.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Snoball,
I agree with your stance on this one.
Sounds like a the outfitter did not know his business and now he is trying to make you pay the price for his lack of knowledge.
Agree you should get your money back or your choice of a different hunt.
For what its worth.
Who wouldn' t choose to hunt when there are less bugs in your situation?

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

SnoBall57,

Sounds as if it has been a rough year for your family. I almost didn' t reply to your post because it is more bad news, and you have sure had more than your share of that. While this scenario may seem to be a single event, I think it is really several seperate events. You were promised a specific hunt period and on that basis sent a deposit. When you found out you couldn' t have that period that was the time to raise cain and cancel. You were " offered" another time period and accepted it. This was the time too continue to demand the return of your deposit if not happy. At this point in time I think you have established a contract. Due too difficult conditions, understandably, you requested a postponement to ' 04. From what I understand, such a switch is dependant upon the guides ability to fill this years hunt, unless it has been agreed by both that such postponement would be allowed. If the guide is unable to fill the slot, you have two options, go on the hunt or cancel and loose your deposit. Sorry to be the such a bearer of bad news. I hope that thins work out for you. Good luck.:(

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Actually Big Bob I don' t see where the man accepted the hunt in August. It looks to me like he didn' t have much choice at all. He replied to the outfitter with concerns after the guy offered another time frame. I think he got hosed and I hope the outfitter makes it right in the end. If the guy spent his deposit then I' d say he should cough it up or at least move the hunt to 04. After all it was the outfitters mistake that caused the " need" for changes in the first place.

Snoball57 just out of curiousity have you checked to make sure the outfitter was telling you the truth on the dates for bear season? I mean maybe hes bumping you for someone else and giving you a lame excuse.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

I don' t know what the weather is like in Maine in August/early September, but it is usually hotter than Hades here in Minnesota. I won' t even allow a hunter to book a bear hunt with me in early September, because it is hot, and the bears are nocturnal, waiting to hit the baits until after 9:30-10:00 PM.

Most guides here only charge $500 for unguided, no room, no food hunts. You don' t need a guide for a baited bear hunt, just a bait site and a stand.

I think you' re being played, son. Epecially if you can' t get references.

T.R.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Snowballs,
Well, at least you talk like you gotta pair. I gotta admit, I can only wash down 10 penny nails with my brand of rot gut. My grandaddy however, could handle ring shank pole barn nails, but he used homemade corn liquor. If you accepted the hunt in august, you' re obliged to make good on yer word. Even if you jus' didn' t make a stink, the outfitter held a spot for you. I ain' t sayin' the guy didn' t make a mistake, but unless you bellered right then an' demanded a refund, he assumed you were more innerested in huntin' bear, an' didn' t even mind a few skeeter bites. I gotta admit, the limp-wrist handle did make me think you were a lil' bit of a light stepper.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

I have to agree with BigBob .30-06 on this. If it was really a big deal that you didn' t get your hunt on your sons b-day, you should have cancelled the hunt then, or when he told you he booked you for the other weekend. Now that 9 months have passed, I think your sol.

I don' t mean to make things worse here, but you really should have done your homework (oh my god, was that me or my dad saying that:)) as far as the dates go and refrences from this guy.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Thanks noway!

Thanks otis. I' ve got your e-mail logged in for when I get ready to book the caribou hunt!

BigBob, you' re right! We probably should have cancelled right after we were told that we couldn' t have the week we wanted. Like I said, my brother and son really wanted to hunt with this guy, and it is their first bear hunt over bait.

rather_be_hunting, thanks for clearing up the misunderstanding with BigBob. And come to think of it, I didn' t check to see if the season ended before the week of my son' s birthday. Wow, that would really tick me off if I found out that I was bounced to make room for another party! Thanks for the tip!

BJ, the main problem here is that I DID NOT accept the august date, it was GIVEN to me by the outfitter without my consent, and when I tried to question why, I never got a response and my money was deposited, which, evidently sealed the deal, in their eyes!
If you knew how I got that " handle" , you' d probably change your opinion on just how " manly" I am.

Jorgy, I' m not trying to blow my own horn here, but I think I did a " bang-up" job of checking references. I made a pile of phone calls, called a bunch of people that hunted with this outfit that weren' t even on the reference list, and even contacted some folks that live in the same area and aren' t affliated with this outfit. I also contacted some agencies in Maine affliated with hunting and guiding. I' m pretty sure that is why my brother and son were so adamant about hanging in there with this outfit. I' m not " S.O.L." just yet. I' ve got a few aces up my sleeve! ;)

thanks for all the responses, guys. Appreciated them all.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

take a deep breathe you can work this out. the fact that the guide just assumed you would take the first week bothers me. you should be entitled to a refund. when you booked he should have known the season dates as well as yourself. always do your own homework! i have hunted bear in maine a couple times and always requested the first week. it can be hot in the upper 80s but usually not bad. the mosquitoes arent too bad if you got some unscented fly spray and a headnet. i like the 3d leafy mesh type headnet because the leaves sewn on them keep the skeeters at a further distance from your ears which can be more annoying than getting bit. if you choose a stand near water or a swamp you will have more bugs than hunting a ridge in maine which i prefer .they also have a gnat type bug that is hard to see but bite like a horsefly. there called no-see-ums.they love arms so make sure you get the camo jersey gloves with the long sleeve.guides in maine are kinda serious about what they do but have poor manners and arent much for long conversation and getting back to people in my experience. i say give it hell and be more careful next time.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Having lived in northern maine for several years, I thought for sure the outfitter must be wrong on the dates. I just checked and he is right...I had forgotten they have different season dates for hunting over bait..something I never bothered with. You can hunt the general season all the way up to November 29th, and there were so many bears roaming around the oats fields, I just couldn' t see working so hard putting bait out. I' d highly recommend to anyone who wants to travel to Maine to hunt bears...especially with a rifle, to bypass outfitters entirely and travel up into Aroostook County into the farm country. Just about any farmer will let you hunt....and if his land ain' t posted (unless things have changed recently) you can access it at will. Just look for oats fields bordering thick woods.....not too difficult up there and still hunt around the perimeter in the evenings.....and watch wear you step...there will be scat iles everywhere! Treestand hunting for bowhunters is even pretty easy to make happen. Sure would ease the strain on the ole wallet!

Mainers like most folks don' t care all that much for out-of-staters (whom they call flatlanders) tromping around in their neck of the woods...but hunters sure help fuel the slow economy...especially up north.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

I have booked hunts with outfitters but only after checking several references .I have never sent money until a contract was sent out to me with the dates and conditions of the hunt.This outfitter sounds very suspicious and appears to be trying to take advantage of you by accepting money without having first agreed on a date.I hope things work out for you but I am sensing you will be having more problems based on this outfitters prior behavior.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

T.R,my fellow Minnesotan,I' m sorry but I must disagree with you to a point about the bears not hiting the bait piles till well after dark. Granted some do but when I' ve got my permit and I' ve hunted them on my property. They' ve came in at various times during legal hunting hours. IMO the ones that hit the bait piles well after dark are the old timers(the big boys),because they are smarter then the average bear(no pun intended):D And if their is not alot of hunting pressure in the area they will go to the piles during shooting hours. For instance last year,during the opener(Sept.1st) my brother-in-law and myself video taped a 300+pound bear at 7:30pm. He was beautiful.:D

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

We have gotten some good tips here.


Most of the outfitters I know and talk to in Minnesota agree that when it' s hot bears don' t hit baits as often, or as early, as they do when it cools off. But, there is ALWAYS the exception.

T.R.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

" I have never sent money until a contract was sent out to me with the dates and conditions of the hunt."

Why anybody would book a hunt without doing this is beyond me, at least with a new outfitter.
If the guy won' t do that, he' s a small time, fly by night operator, and not worth taking a chance on.
Unless you know and trust the guy, get it on paper. Sad, but true.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Wanna revive this one?

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Nope. Its been dead for six years.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Is there anything new that you have to say or do you just want to revive every single thread that youwere a part offrom back in 2003?

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Spend 20 bucks on a thermocell and GO HUNT!

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Wow, Snoball57, this sounds like the making of my recent elk trip to Wyoming, under the post buyer beware of table mountain outfitters. There is definitely something wrong if he doesn't know the dates of the hunting season. Also, food for thought,I would have to have talk with him now about what you expect to get for your money, get things cleared up now, don't wait till its to late.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Yall do know that this hunt was booked in 2003 right?
It is 6 years old.
T.R. just likes resurecting old threads that he was apart of before he was kicked off HNI. :eek:

Snoball57 hasn't posted since February 2004.

RE: I' d like to hear your opinion......
 

Nothing like patting yourself on the back there T.R.