I' d like to hear your opinion......
06-14-2003, 06:04 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Williamsport PA. USA
Posts: 293
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.
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.
06-14-2003, 06:32 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky (by God!) Mountings
Posts: 572
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.
06-14-2003, 07:39 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 417
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]
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]
06-14-2003, 01:30 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Williamsport PA. USA
Posts: 293
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.
06-14-2003, 01:58 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Williamsport PA. USA
Posts: 293
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.
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!
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!
06-14-2003, 02:17 PM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 417
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.
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.
06-16-2003, 05:27 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 417
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.
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.
06-16-2003, 08:55 AM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: meridian idaho USA
Posts: 429
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?
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?