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Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
12-02-2006, 07:24 PM
#1
Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
As some of you guys are aware of I traveld to Alberta last month for a whitetail hunt and came home less then happy with my outfitter ...as discussed in detail on this forum I felt he did not give us the effort that we had paid for ....well he called me today and confssed that he was wrong, that he was not prepared for the bad weather and really had no plan "B" ... he asked me what I thought would be fair on his part to make it up to us ... so here is my question ... what would be fair ? I will attach the story of my experience for those of you who have not read it ... you guys help me make the call ..I want to be fair...
dd
I'm back from my hunt in Alberta Canada where I hunted 6 days for whitetail. I want to first tell you guys who do not know me that I have hunted Canada 5 times and with this outfitter 3 times ...this was the WORST hunt I have EVER been on.... I went with a good friend of mine from North Carolina who also has hunted with this outfitter 3 different times in the last 5 years and this was the week when Rut is in full swing...we were the only two in camp ( he only hunts 6 per year ) and it cost us $4500.00 each plus Glen bought a moose tag for $500.00 ...+ airfare ...when we arrived it was cold and snowing and had been snowing for about a week with snow in the forcast for the week we would be hunting ...I had to make my trip to Alberta witout my rifle because when I arrived at the airport I could not find the key to my rifle case and they would not allow my rifle on the plane unless it was locked ...so I called Don (the outfitter) from Nashville before I flew out and told him ...he said he would have a rifle available for me when I arrived ..obviously not the best of situations but I was a victum of circumstance so I got on the plane and headed to Alberta ...once there my friend and I were very excited..this is something we had talked about and planned all year ...we had both took a nice trophy buck there in 04 and had agreed we were not going to take anything less the a 160 or larger anything less then that we were prepared to come home emptyhanded....now for the positive points of the hunt ...the outfitter had 4 stands set up for us ...very nice and comfortable with a small heater ...the food was very very good ...the accomodations were above averege ...now for the negitive points ... the first day when we were drove out to our stands we were told that we would have to hike into the blinds because the 4X4 might get stuck in the snow ...I had almost a mile to walk and Glen had about a half of mile ...now that may not sound like a long way to walk to deer hunt but try it through 2 1/2 foot of fresh snow with a loaded back pack and a rifle ...once there we were both soaking wet even though the temp was 10 degrees or less most of the hunt ... once in stand we would
sit for 11 hrs a day staring up a very narrow cut line hoping to see a monster buck cross out of the bush ... between Glen and myself we put in 120 hrs in the stand ..hiking in and out while our outfitter set in his truck all day smoking ...drinking coffee ...listning to sports radio ...and napping ...during the 120 hrs we spent on stand we saw a total of 6 deer ...thats rightONLY 6 deer between the two of us in 120 hrs...and the outfitter never offered to go try and scout out any area's that might show more activity ...he never did anything to try and help make our hunt sucessful ...there was no plan B ...just sit and watch ...needless to say we both left less then happy ..not because we did not harvest an animal but because we both felt we did not get the service we paid for ...no effort from the outfitter .... so lets just say this was a lesson learned ...and just a footnote about the rifle the outfitter furnished me with ...he wanted me to pay $100.00 for the use of it ...thats AFTER the hunt and AFTER he knew we were pretty upset...while in my stand on the 2nd day I was so bored that I decided to shoot at my decoy about 100 yards away...it shot WAY high.... so guys there it is in a nutshell ... the good Doctor is not a happy camper.
dd
dd
I'm back from my hunt in Alberta Canada where I hunted 6 days for whitetail. I want to first tell you guys who do not know me that I have hunted Canada 5 times and with this outfitter 3 times ...this was the WORST hunt I have EVER been on.... I went with a good friend of mine from North Carolina who also has hunted with this outfitter 3 different times in the last 5 years and this was the week when Rut is in full swing...we were the only two in camp ( he only hunts 6 per year ) and it cost us $4500.00 each plus Glen bought a moose tag for $500.00 ...+ airfare ...when we arrived it was cold and snowing and had been snowing for about a week with snow in the forcast for the week we would be hunting ...I had to make my trip to Alberta witout my rifle because when I arrived at the airport I could not find the key to my rifle case and they would not allow my rifle on the plane unless it was locked ...so I called Don (the outfitter) from Nashville before I flew out and told him ...he said he would have a rifle available for me when I arrived ..obviously not the best of situations but I was a victum of circumstance so I got on the plane and headed to Alberta ...once there my friend and I were very excited..this is something we had talked about and planned all year ...we had both took a nice trophy buck there in 04 and had agreed we were not going to take anything less the a 160 or larger anything less then that we were prepared to come home emptyhanded....now for the positive points of the hunt ...the outfitter had 4 stands set up for us ...very nice and comfortable with a small heater ...the food was very very good ...the accomodations were above averege ...now for the negitive points ... the first day when we were drove out to our stands we were told that we would have to hike into the blinds because the 4X4 might get stuck in the snow ...I had almost a mile to walk and Glen had about a half of mile ...now that may not sound like a long way to walk to deer hunt but try it through 2 1/2 foot of fresh snow with a loaded back pack and a rifle ...once there we were both soaking wet even though the temp was 10 degrees or less most of the hunt ... once in stand we would
sit for 11 hrs a day staring up a very narrow cut line hoping to see a monster buck cross out of the bush ... between Glen and myself we put in 120 hrs in the stand ..hiking in and out while our outfitter set in his truck all day smoking ...drinking coffee ...listning to sports radio ...and napping ...during the 120 hrs we spent on stand we saw a total of 6 deer ...thats rightONLY 6 deer between the two of us in 120 hrs...and the outfitter never offered to go try and scout out any area's that might show more activity ...he never did anything to try and help make our hunt sucessful ...there was no plan B ...just sit and watch ...needless to say we both left less then happy ..not because we did not harvest an animal but because we both felt we did not get the service we paid for ...no effort from the outfitter .... so lets just say this was a lesson learned ...and just a footnote about the rifle the outfitter furnished me with ...he wanted me to pay $100.00 for the use of it ...thats AFTER the hunt and AFTER he knew we were pretty upset...while in my stand on the 2nd day I was so bored that I decided to shoot at my decoy about 100 yards away...it shot WAY high.... so guys there it is in a nutshell ... the good Doctor is not a happy camper.
dd
12-02-2006, 07:31 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Mount Vernon Ohio
Posts: 178
RE: Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
Dr. I felt your pain on the trip gone bad. I give your outfitter credit for having the guts and conscious to call you and admit his error. I hope you get a return trip next year and he does you more then right..
12-02-2006, 07:40 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wilmington NC
Posts: 4,919
RE: Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
i say a full refund after what he did DD you could buy your out of state tags and go on wuite a few trips with Jarod on the website i gave you and not have to no where near so dang cold and you will see deer and be more than pleased because you also have to think about the plane tickets to alberta and teh tags and permits
but that is just m .02 cents on the subject
but that is just m .02 cents on the subject
12-03-2006, 11:25 AM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
Sounds like the outfitter couldn't control the weather and that was the biggest problem. Ya'll had good trips before, and were probably hunting the same way you did this year, except for the weather. Go back for theat costtrip, it sounds like a good place to hunt, and cross your fingers on the weather.
12-03-2006, 02:32 PM
#5
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: south east alabama
Posts: 1,268
RE: Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
bad hunt for you, things happen sometimes, good business man on his part,for calling you up. talk it over and come to and agreement, i think you'll both be happy, good luck and hope you kill another life time buck. let us know how it goes.
12-03-2006, 04:02 PM
#7
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,079
RE: Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
ORIGINAL: timbercruiser
Sounds like the outfitter couldn't control the weather and that was the biggest problem. Ya'll had good trips before, and were probably hunting the same way you did this year, except for the weather. Go back for theat costtrip, it sounds like a good place to hunt, and cross your fingers on the weather.
Sounds like the outfitter couldn't control the weather and that was the biggest problem. Ya'll had good trips before, and were probably hunting the same way you did this year, except for the weather. Go back for theat costtrip, it sounds like a good place to hunt, and cross your fingers on the weather.
12-03-2006, 04:26 PM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
well, thats awefully nice of him. I would ask for a half price hunt next year. He cannot control the weather, and never heard of an outfitter having a plan B on bad weather. Bottom line, you had a bad hunt, and he wants to make it good, go for it. But I wouldnt' demand a free hunt, you have had success with him in the past.
12-03-2006, 04:41 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ILLINOIS
Posts: 1,207
RE: Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
I would also go for the discounted hunt for next year. I think if you ask for a full refund, you will hear hysterical laughter, followed by a slamming of the phoneon his end.
12-03-2006, 07:07 PM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Neches, Texas
Posts: 5,514
RE: Alberta Hunt Update ..what should I do?
If you had good experiences with this outfitter before, I'd take him up on next years hunt at cost! It sounds like he did not have a plan "B", but you can't account for poor weather conditions 6 months to a year in advance!
