RTF Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 Over the last year I have read at least 2 articles in our local paper complaining about Canada guides. I thought I would print them here for you all to read. I have never had any expierence with guided trips to canada, but this makes me think twice. [ QUOTE ] 12/30/05 O Canada, we stand on guard for thieves OUTDOORS COLUMN BY RICK BROCKWAY A year or so ago, I wrote about the bad luck I’ve had with Canadian guides. I’m sure they’re not all bad, but it seems everyone I run into up there is out to take Americans. I overheard a whitetail guide in New Brunswick tell his friend, "I don’t care about repeat business, there are millions of them across the border who can’t wait for me to take their money." So, over the years I have been very careful. I’ve diligently checked references and tried to search out reputable places to hunt but still have been taken. A friend of mine, John, stopped by a little more than a year ago, wanting to hunt caribou. He had a brochure from a club in Quebec. I had heard great things about these camps. In fact, I knew two guys who had hunted there and saw the giant, trophy antlers from the bulls they had taken. John asked me if I was interested in putting a hunt together for the following year. I had hunted caribou in northern Quebec in 1985 and always wanted to go back, so I decided to jump on board. I called a few guys and got things rolling. On the back cover of this club’s 16-page, color brochure it said, "For Reservations or Information, call or e-mail ..." This I did, finding out that a late-season hunt was still available for the next-to-last week of the season. This was perfect because the biggest bulls are usually taken near the end of September. I sent a check to hold our spot until the full deposit for the group could be collected. My deposit was never received, even though it was sent by Global Priority mail, but the club agreed to hold our spot until my bank could issue another check. I soon received a call requesting a credit card number to cover several thousand dollars by 3 p.m. that day, or our reservations would be canceled until the following year. There was no way I was going to give a credit card number over the phone for that much money, so I asked for our deposit back. He refused. A few weeks went by before one of our guys decided he would use the deposit, since there was an opening available for a hunt. He said when he contacted the club, he was told we had no deposit with them. The owner said he had never even heard of us. I called Canada, faxed the information I had and found out I was dealing with an agent who never booked us with the club, but instead, put us into his own camp. I had never heard of his operation. I had no references or any information concerning the hunt. As careful as I had been, I had been taken — again. Though the information I used was commercially printed on the brochure, the owners of the initial club couldn’t care less that some agent was using their multi-pictured, advertising booklet to book hunts for his own camp. I would be outraged. This situation gave me a bad feeling about both organizations and tainted my view of other Canadian outfitters and guides. For the moment, we have lost. Even when you take all the precautions you possibly can, something can still go wrong. It makes me wonder if I even want to go to Canada again. I’ve heard a multitude of horror stories, so I know I’m not alone. I’m real tired of being taken. So, if you’re planning a hunt for next fall, be careful, check many references and do your homework. Most of the time, it will pay off and assure you of a great hunt. Maybe you should just plan on hunting in the United States. It seems like our business isn’t appreciated elsewhere. Rick Brockway writes a weekly outdoors for The Daily Star. E-mail him at [email protected]. [/ QUOTE ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaskBucks Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap It is unfortunate that a few bad apples may spoil the reputation of a lot of top end outfitters/guides. I know several here in Saskatchewan that have over 80% return clientele and treat them very very well...These idiots are cutting their own throats with their lack of professionalism. Word does get around...I agree witht eh fact that the writer tells the reader to do their homework and get references from, not only return guys, but people who are no longer with the outfitter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherguy Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap Love the way people have a bad experience in a country and say the whole country is bad. There are terrible outfitters and really great outfitters in every country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkrie1357 Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap Did It Ever Say Who the Outfitter Was?? Maybe I Missed it in the artical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian_Goose Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap My uncle is an outfitter and he takes pride in his returning cliental. He tells it how it is though, and explains that he offers hunting trips not shooting trips. As you will have your chance to see deer, but its not fish in a bucket. He does alot of scouting so once your up in the stand (he doesnt use shooting boxes) its up to you. One of his guys took a 180 with a bow this year. Very nice animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puffy Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap In any business there are good and bad operators to deal with. The best advice in choosing an outfitter is word of mouth from those who have been there and to contact the outftter and ask every question you can think of to astablish fact from fiction. Better Business bureaus also provide info on these businesses as well as outfitter organizations for the Province you intend to hunt. No matter where you decide to hunt, its best to exhaust all your avenues of info. before you commit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joebobhunter4 Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap thats to bad... i was up in saskatchewan last summer on a bear hunt and me and my brother both got our bears... and the guide was excelent... they had awsome food... he would go four-wheeling with us and he'd do what ever we wanted with us... i hope to go back someday... the name of the outfitter was Delorme outfitters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addct2hntng Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap I feel his pain I have ben takin by guides and its the worse feeling ever when all we want is a good effort at a good hunt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palssonater Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap Terrible Article. Should have never gotten published. Terrible Journalism to even group all the "CANADIAN" guides together. Write a review on a specific company, not all of Canada. Very not cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doughboy1956 Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap It seems weird that this Rick Brockway names a Province, but not the outfitters he hunted at. Maybe he never crossed the border. If i had a bad hunting trip with an outfitter. the first thing i would do, is give out the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doughboy1956 Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap [ QUOTE ] Over the last year I have read at least 2 articles in our local paper complaining about Canada guides. I thought I would print them here for you all to read. I have never had any expierence with guided trips to canada, but this makes me think twice. [ QUOTE ] 12/30/05 O Canada, we stand on guard for thieves OUTDOORS COLUMN BY RICK BROCKWAY In fact, I knew two guys who had hunted there and saw the giant, trophy antlers from the bulls they had taken. John asked me if I was interested in putting a hunt together for the following year. I had hunted caribou in northern Quebec in 1985 and always wanted to go back, so I decided to jump on board. I called a few guys and got things rolling. Rick Brockway writes a weekly outdoors for The Daily Star. E-mail him at [email protected]. [/ QUOTE ] [/ QUOTE ] I think you should read this guys articles more closely. He CONTRADICTS himself, over and over. 1. He says he knew the guys and seen the trophy antlers they had. 2. So the guys he knew must have enjoyed their trip and were treated well enough, to give him the name of the outfitter, so he could go. 3. He says he hunted in Quebec before, and always wanted to go back. 4. If he wanted to go back, that bad, He must have been treated like a king, the first time. 5. He says his check did not go through. Did it bounce? 6. So he must be the thieve, Canada stands on guard for.As he states at the top of his article. PS. Canada is a country like the USA and is spelled with a capital letter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camelNS Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Re: Canadian Guides Get Bad Rap There are bad apples all over the place and they seem to ruin it for all the good fellas out there.I've heard some horror stories about some US guides also.Also alot of fenced hunting going on in the states.Pay alot of money and walk up to the deer and shoot it.Not thats called having a bad rep.Talk about bad ethics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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