Last year some friends of mine invited me to a RMEF banquet.I bid on a hunt thrugh the Austin Texas chapter. I won the bid on a hunt that is supossed to be a 1 x 1 7 day outfitter sponsored combination elk and mule deer hunt. The outfitter is Ralph Johnson of North Fork Creek Outfiters. I am out close to $6k as I have paid for the hunt and the outfitter sponsored combo tags. I have recently ran across several very negative reviews about this outfitter on Hunt Info Systems outfitte reviews.

Anyone here have any info pro or con about this outfitter. I would hate to loose the money, but I'd be mad as hell and probably not responsible for my actions if I were to waste 10 days traveling from Houston to Montana and back if the circumstances were as bad as the reviews indicated.
GWB

GeeDee -

i'd recommend giving the guy a chance; it might even pay to tell him straight up that you've heard some negative things about his outfit and you'd like to give him a chance to prove the naysayers wrong. that might motivate him to work twice as hard and provide a good experience, if you put it to him in a forthright yet respectful manner.

if all else fails, at least you got to go to montana! just kidding, but seriously, an approach such as that might make lemonade out of this potential lemon.

i say the above out of no experience with guides/outfitters, but out of a very good working knowledge of customer service and PR.

Hunt Info Systems outfitter reviews

quote:

When I arrived, there was no room in camp so I was forced to stay in a hotel, at my expense, for the first night. After that, I was able to stay on a cot in the office (not the bunkhouse). There were too many hunters in camp. Overall the guides were inexperienced and unorganized, but the guide I had was very good. There must have been 15-25 hunters in camp at any one time. The area we were hunting did not support that many hunters, let alone the number of hunters from the other outfitter service hunting the same land. Too many hunters, lack of organization, preferential treatment to certain hunters.... the list goes on and on. I would NEVER hunt with this outfitter again.

Tas....
Hadn't heard from you in a long time. Maybe posting in different forums. Hope you and yours are doing OK. I hear what you are saying. I am not going to totally freak out on the guy yet. However, by accident yesterday evening I had hit the web site "Hunt Info Systems". There were either 5 or 6 reviews on this outfitter, and none were positive. Two guys said they had filed a complaint with Montana fish and game. One was talking legal action. All had described terrible accomodations, lousy food. No/inexperienced guides and on and on.

Vapo,
I really appreciate you taking the time to look up the info on the HIS website. The review you posted in your quote was one of the six I read. I have e-mailed two of the reviewers and called a third. Perhaps these guys were all together in a group and had a bad hunt and decided to nail this outfitter.

Not to beat a dead horse, but a little more detail to my request for info.

A couple of guys that I was on a deer lease a couple of years ago are high muckety mucks in the Austin Texas RMEF chapter. They invited me to their annual fund raiser/auction last fall. I had made a couple extra dollars and had had a couple of beers and bid on a guided elk hunt. I ended up winning it at a price that I thought was reasonable. You know what they say about assuming. I had gone on a public lands elk hunt a couple of months before on an undersubscibed unit in Coloroado with some older "experienced guys" and saw one elk in 5 days of hunting. I figured a guided hunt bought at a RMEF banquet would be legit. And it still may be. I am trying to determine if I still want to do this hunt.

The hunt is described as a seven day, on 1 guided combo hunt for elk and mule deer. Evidently in Montana an outfitter sponsored combo tag is automatic you just have to fork over +/- $1550 for the big game combo.
The date for my hunt is to be Sept. 21 through the 27th. It is described as an early season bugle hunt. It is a gun hunt rather than bow hunt.
I did not want an canned hunt and am not looking for any guarantees, but five or six reviews made it sound like this outfitters operation was basically a scam and that he totally misrepresented his hunts. I hunt year round in Texas and did a public lands hunt in an undersubscribed unit in Colorado last year. I was hoping that by paying an outfitter I would be able to increase my chances of taking a bull. I do not measure the total success of a hunt solely by whether I take a trophy. However, I do not want to travel from Houston, Texas to Montana, then find out that I am going to be in a 3 person bunk house/tent with 10 other guys and hunt the side of a road with 30 other people in sight, no/bad food and unsafe conditions.
That is why I asked if any one had any experience with this outfitter that may be positive. All six of the references over a two year period were negative. Perhaps these guys were all together and had a bad trip. Quien Sabe.

Anyway if anyone has anything positive to say I would sure like to hear it
GWB

quote:

I figured a guided hunt bought at a RMEF banquet would be legit

Never assume that!

Did you contact any of the outfitters references? I'm sure they can shed some light on the state of the outfitters service. All outfitters have a list you can talk too, that should help you.

PM Sent

It is certainly possible that things have changed through the years, but the Johnson family has been guiding in the Gardner/Jardine area for many many years with good service. There have been more than one generation of them hunting all the big game species in that part of Montana.

Just to be sure, there is more than one Johnson in the Gardner area. Warren is, I believe, Ralph's brother, and their huge camp is located just beyond the infamous Deckard Flats firing line. It is something of a factory because they hunt migratory elk coming out of THE PARK when big storms push them during regular season as well as the late season migration when elk file out of there headed for the Dome Mountain winter range. When the weather is dry and mild, the Johnson ourfit will ride the country in the Beartooths trying to find an elk for their clients. It is tougher hunting these days because of drought and wolf depredation. (AH HO, there I did it).

Bill Hoppe is another long time guide in Gardner, but I think he has more or less retired. Not certain of that.

The other Johnson, is Edwin Johnson. He has leased the Church Universal and Triumphant Royal Teton ranch, also known locally as CU'NT. Most of his hunts are on Mol Herron Creek up against THE PARK line at Electric Peak. His clients are generally higher end on the deep pockets side. You might want to be certain which Johnson you're talking about.

I would ride with Warren on any day. Can't say the same for the other Johnson. Leave it at that.

I will start by saying that I have NOT hunted with them, but 3 years ago I took my wife and sons for a vacation in Glacier Park and Yellowstone. We did a one day horseback ride with them , and then a chuckwagon steak barbeque. i would say, facilities looked to be in great shape. People were very friendly and accomodating. My experience was worth the trip. Its beautiful country around there, but driving up to their place on the dirt road was interesting, but I guess par for the area. Fairly remote.

Follow up to my first response. North Fork Outfitters refers to the north fork of Bear Creek. The Johnson clan used to live at the mouth of the drainage right at Jardine. So, the name and location is correct, but you still might want to check and see whether or not the reviews are assigned to the Johnson you're booked with.

All that aside, forking a horse and kiyi-ing along the high country of the Beartooths next to YNP is a great experience. You might even get lucky and have a wolf chase an elk herd right over the top of your pony. Have to shoot in self defense! The elk that is.

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the input.

Yellowstone,
Lloyd and Ralph Johnson are the outfitters,
and as I am finding out, the Johnson family has a history there. I've spoken on the phone to two of the people that posted negative responses concerning this outfitter. Evidently the hunters were on a "migration hunt" later in the year and had an extremely negative experience. One of these hunters told me that based on numerous complaints NCFO is having to walk the straight and narrow. Also, I am doing a different hunt than they did.
I plan to do a little more research, talk with Montana Fish and Game and hopefully the local game warden. I have spoken with my bud who invited me to the RMEF auction about the situation. After I get my ducks in a row I plan to address my concerns to the outfitter and ask for a couple of positive references from hunters who have made the same hunt in the last couple of years. At that time I will make my decision as to whether I will go on the hunt. As someone said earlier, there are probably much worse places to be than near Yellowstone park in September. I was there last september in the park with on a motorcycle ride and it was absolutely beautifull.

Once again thanks for all the responses.
GWB