superstrutter

First of all, I wouldn't pay to go on a guided waterfowl hunt, especially for Snow Geese. They are a nuisance and many landowners will let you kill all you want. You just have to do your homework. I luckily have a good private duck hunting spot, but if I didn't I would hunt public WMA's before I would go on any guided hunt. To answer your question, yes I would have been ticked off. For the same reasons you were. Nothing is guaranteed, but your guides made a big mistake in hunting with you and taking geese after the hunt. You better call the guide police. I would have said you can have all the geese, just give me half of my money back. Snows aren't that great eating anyway. It's the Specks that are the real prize.

eldeguello

I agree with swampthing-the only time a guide should shoot if there are paying hunters is to keep the Cape Buffalo from stomping the client. Obviously, that was NOT the case here......

Waterfowl guides should have calls and dogs, not shotguns.......

bigcountry

Not sure what this has to do with the post?

Duckmasta

That sucks, id get my money back or at least half. Specks are the best anyways

bigcountry

I see people saying they would get thier money back. How? All sales are final. And think about it, would you really demand your money back? It would appear as if we are unhappy, because we didn't get more birds.

We were going to stiff them the 200 dollars we owed. But they demand a credit card for the first payment. Beleive me, you don't want to go down that road.

Its kinda my fault. On the shore of MD, I have heard horror stories on Ken Schraders deer hunting leases. Where 6 hunters show up thinking they got a lease, and they bow hunt it all year, and then gun season comes and 8 more hunters show up. Big showdown. Lots of yelling. But Schrader is a pretty powerful guy over there with alot of pull with the law. He controls over 20K acres on the shore.

So honestly, I should have known better and regconized where thier is smoke, there is fire. But figured theirs's two sides to a story. Some people love the guy and come back to his bridgeport manor every year.

Also, they asked us to sign release forms before the hunt that gives them the right to collect funds no matter the outcome of the hunt.

Allseasonhunter7

whenyou are with a guidethey are supposed to beworking...

bigcountry

I have this weird feeling that its one of those deals, that the boys can hunt free if they work getting decoys out or something. There was another couple there, a girl and her boyfriend, and she said that her boyfriend works for Ken being a deer hunting guide on occassion.

Thats were it gets to be a slippery slope.

Thanks guys for the replies. I am going to email the owner. If he writes back, you get what you get, then I will let it go. If he wants to make something right, I will herald it too. I also believe I should get back half the money or a big break on another hunt.

SwampCollie

No big, in hindsight, I think you did the right thing. If you would have stiffed them the cost of the agreed upon hunt, that would have put you in the wrong, legally and morally. From here, however, your recourse is shaky. Its a risk you have to take, thats why these forums are good. You probably saved someone from getting hosed by these guys down the road. And, you may well be saved yourself from a bum steer by someone else who got the shaft in a similar manner.

Yeah, but, they are the only crap game in town. Gotta take a chance. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. But yes...I have heard of crap like that before, and you have to look over the fine print sometimes. Occasionally, those fine print statements are just standard procedure to protect everyone, but sometimes, they are guarentees that a guide can do whatever he wants and get away with it free and clear.

That release is a big red flag. Admittingly, thats hunting and most people understand that. But forcing you to sign that release means that, legally, he could have set you out in a mud parking lot for 15 minutes, blow a call three times, packed it up and charged your Visa.

And as you were speaking about that dude who was putting out deeks and calling, in exchange for hunting free....thats probably exactly what it was. Of course, your average paying guest doesn't see it that way.

The way to do this, really, is to go one on one with a guide. Meaning, just you and your party, and one guide. No double parties, no people you don't know. That way, there are no social graces, and if you are getting hosed...you know whats up right out of the gate.

Good luck, big. Let us know what happens!

Tyrus21

If it would have been me I woulda took the birds that the guides wanted to mount and started cutting those birds for meat. I'd like to see the looks on their faces then.

bigcountry

You know, i left that blue on the back of that truck, and am kicking myself right now for not breasting it out right in the parking lot.