I just received an ad from Shoshone Wilderness Adventures Team Sportsmen. Any AR members out there that have first hand information about S.W.A.T.S? Any AR members joined?
Thanks

I got one too. Went to File 13.

I was a little concerned over the 7 day 2X1 PG hunt for $1250 that included roundtrip airfare from JFK.

Angry clients have their say.

Some interesting reading about John Andre's ( SWATS) work ethics on the Bowsite.com forums.
Not sure how to post the link below but its under the heading of NWT barren ground caribou season closed.
Absolutely worth a look.
forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=381066...56...

Thanks for the input!

This was Johns reply to the Bowsite thread.

I own Courageous Lake Caribou Camps in the Northwest Territories. Until 2005, the government had a department known as RWED, which was Resources, Wildlife, and Economic Development. In 2005, the government split the department, and put control of wildlife with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. It has been hell for outfitters in the NWT ever since. The environmentalists want to stop all the diamond mining and development in the NWT. The Indians (First Nations) have the political power, and the environmental movement uses scare tactics about the wildlife so they will shut down the development. Outfitters are caught in the middle. If the Indians are told the caribou are down, the Indians will push to stop white hunters from hunting. That is what is happening now in the NWT. The caribou are not down, in fact, according to the government, they went from 354,000 in 1980, to over a million today. The Bathurst herd, which ENR says has crashed, had 350,000 caribou in 1996. They have since divided the herd into three herds, the Bluenose East, the Bathurst, and the Ahiak. The Bluenose East has 71,000, the Bathurst 32,000, and the Ahiak 250,000. Add those numbers up, and it comes to 353,000 caribou, the same as always. Now, with the outfitters calling "bullshit" on the ENR biologists, they are digging in and trying to destroy the industry. Without outfitters and hunters on the land to testify to the number of caribou, they will control all the information, and eventual access to the land. The outfitters in the north have been fighting like crazy for three years to preserve hunting. The NRA intervened right away. SCI finally called me this week, and offered help. Better late than never. In regard to the return of deposits, I cannot return them. The money has been spent on lawyer fees, camp supplies, marketing, etc. I don't chase women, I don't smoke, and I don't gamble. I am fighting, along with the resident hunters and the other outfitters, as best as a small businessman can, against a government bent on destroying me. Because I have run a good camp, and grown to be the largest outfitter, some of the smaller outfitters have resented my presence, being an American. I do not apologize for working hard and doing a good job. I ask those who have hunted with me to chime in. Our hunt is a good one. Yes, it is caribou hunting, and some years are better than others. We have had a 97% success (dead, mature bulls) rate over the past ten years. At present, it is impossible for a normal, logical businessman to operate in the NWT. Until there is personnel changes in the NWT, it is a gloomy picture. The greatest caribou hunt in North America is being taken away, and all based on a political agenda. Go to www.shoshonewilderness.com, and click on the Photo Gallery of caribou. Pictures don't lie. There is not a few pictures of big bulls there, but hundreds. Not all monsters. but pretty damn nice bulls. Don't criticize the outfitters in the NWT, help them! Call SCI, and ask them to jump into this fight. Thank you. If anyone wishes to speak with me personally on this issue, or the similar issue of wolves here in the west, please e-mail me at john@shoshonewilderness.com or 406-375-8400. Thanks to all the sportsmen out there that care about these wildlife issues.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by kudu56:
This was Johns reply to the Bowsite thread. " In regard to the return of deposits, I cannot return them. The money has been spent on lawyer fees, camp supplies, marketing, etc."

Reading off the Bowsite.com forums 90 or so hunters lost all their deposits due to Andre spending it partly or mostly on lawyer fee's fighting the ban on caribou hunting for the 2010 season. Should their money have been used for court costs or is it the outfitters responsibility to cover that? Is it legal to do this?

If you booked a stone sheep hunt and you found out your deposit was gone and had been used on lawyer fee's for the outfitter you may not see the funny side of it when having to re book another hunt.

Also unsuccessful caribou hunters from the 2009 season were only offered a 10% discount on another hunt when his glossy brochure states clearly that "If not (successful), then you can come back at our cost in a future season."

Maybe when it comes to picking outfitters we should judge them not on how many inches their average is but how they conduct themselves when things turn pear shaped?

I got one yesterday also. Too many great reputable outfitters out there to risk a new one, especially if he gives me the wrong vibes. Circular file after looking at pics and reading.

quote:

Originally posted by Blank:
I got one yesterday also. Too many great reputable outfitters out there to risk a new one, especially if he gives me the wrong vibes. Circular file after looking at pics and reading.

Me too, except that I circle-filed it without looking at all the pictures.