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Alf, I regret reading such reports about guests coming here to hunt. These are the kind of experiences that leave a lasting bad taste in ones mouth about coming here and hunting. It just pisses me off to here that someone spends hard earned money, travels all this way to get screwed. I have encountered similar disappointments on "guided" fishing trips, and can empathize with your friend.

It sounds like that outfitter owes your two friends a good bit of a refund!! 2,000 each! I think this sort of antics happens more than we realize. One, people either may not know any better, due to limited hunting experience. Or two, they may feel a bit embarrased and say nothing to anyone. And how does someone challenge something like this? They came from RSA to USA, have a limited stay. What, spend their hunt challenging the outfitter and guides actions trying to get the bugs straightened out....then return home with nothing? Greedy outfitter, lazy guide. I think sums this experience up pretty well.

I'm sorry your friends didn't have a better bison hunt.

Sorry to hear about your fiasco as well.

Unfortunately, this thing happens all to often in the USA and Africa. I have experienced this myself both here and abroad. You cannot blindly trust any outfitter or guide to provide you with a trophy animal even if that is exactly what you paid for. You must know what a trophy animal is yourself and then refuse to shoot the small non-trophy animal when instructed to. There is an old saying for this "buyer beware". Be an educated consumer, and you will be better served.

Lucs

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Alf,
Its discouraging to learn of your hunt problems. Unfortunately, this happens too often.

Best advice is to use a reliable booking agent, some of who post here, to sort out the bottom feeders. Especially when you travel to a foreign country you will be subject to this if references cannot be checked out.

There are many reliable outfitters out there, just have to locate them.

pmm

Now this really frosts me! I am very sorry you had to experience this kind of BS! I would file a complaint with SCI as well as the Montana DNR and anyone else who will listen for that matter. This is the poorest excuse for a hunt I have heard in a long time. Besides being unethical and outright distastefull, this boarders on theft by deception.
The fact that your hunt was ruined is bad enough, but the wanton waste of meat is really criminal as far as I am concerned.

[ 11-18-2003, 08:19: Message edited by: Mike Smith ]

Alf ... I sent you an e mail..

ALF! Thanks for the warning and report.

I thought it took place in Montana? Oregon Born who lists California as home kept speaking of you coming here to hunt? I was confused! He must be a transplanted Kalifornian from Oregon in Montana!

Alf,

As a lifelong Montana resident I am sickened by the report on your hunt. Unfortunately, it happens all to often here. Most of our ranchers don't have a clue about running a hunting business. They view out-of-state hunters as just a way of getting money for a family vacation.

At least you saw some beautiful country and went home with a deer and speed goat in the truck.

Ski+3

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Sounds like Glenda Reynolds is a boob.

Alf,
If you ever get an itch for a real fair chase Bison hunt, give me a call, I have one that will please even the worst critic, and yes they are in a high fence, were they not the wild rascals would be in Canada tomarrow...It is a high country and lots of humping some respectable mountains, with some failed stalks for sure...

http://www.overlandbuffalo.com/

Alf you could have bought a Bison from this place and got the size you wanted for less-
there are several web sites that offer game for sale-
ie buy cheap and sell high!

they just put up a fence and stock it with game and sell hunts

I read article about Hog hunts- where the preserve would go to a stockyard buy boar hogs turn them loose in a fenced pen then sell hunts over the weekend at a $1.00/lb

as my good old mum always said look before you leap

whtailtaker

These don't sound like the free-ranging buffalo I've heard of. The wild ones will RUN LIKE THE WIND if they see you. Elk are lazy buggers compared to buffalo when spooked. Those guys will run for miles if spooked. I'll lay odds that you were hunting farmed buffalo.

The last hunt I've talked to guys about took 3 days, MANY stalks, and they had to pack the meat out up 45 degree hills.

Mark in Utah

Mark,

What you suspect has already been established. Alf was supposed to hunt the Crow Indian Reservation which is, from everyone I have talked to, totally free range but still a technically private herd (although in VERY big and WILD country). He was switched from this area to another (less than ideal) location upon his arrival.
Where are you in Utah . . . around the Henry Mountians thus explaining your interest in Bison?

Best,

JohnTheGreek

As a Montanan, displaced to California with the military for a few years, I am disgusted that you had to experience that hell.
I have a number of years hunting out of the Missouri Breaks near Jordan and other parts of eastern Montana. Some outstanding country for hunting and I have a few trophies to show for it. Glad you got a goat and a Mule deer. During these past years I've crossed the 7W and Glenda's path and have since ensured that I stayed far from her and her ranching operations. She may have a guide license, however......one cantankerous, old women.
Some of the outfits with buffalo on them just figured out that a few of us will pay to shoot a nice bull on a "fair chase" hunt or one for just meat. So somebody's got to become the "guide".
I shot a nice 3 year old bull, that is now on a pedastal in my office, off a ranch in South West MT "hunt" was to primarily to put meat in the freezer, but I got a nice bull as well.
Anyway, I have a great personal friend who is a FWP game warden in Montana who I hunt with, and after listening to his stories from both sides of the campfire, I would recommend calling the local game warden and getting their perspective on your potential hunt area,outfitter and his reputation with them. Just a thought.

I sure hope you provide the same information to the Montana Fish and Game Department, the Department of Tourism, and the Governors office.

Hunters mean money to states and that is the way to get their attention.

The sad part is that one bad provider paints the whole rest state with the same brush or at least taints the judgment from us outsiders.

We have to say . . . 'Well if that type of operation is tolerated then it may be fairly widespread, will we ge caught in the same sort of deal.'



Lets hear some good or great bison hunt stories.