Bad Guides and Experiences

[Nuts]

I do not have a lot of experience's with guides. I prefer to go my own and figure it out. However I have had some and I cant say there has not been challenges. Here is examples:

1. Moose Hunt. Booked an archery hunt with an outfitter that specializes in archery hunts. 1v1 guided. Highly recommended and reviewed as an outfitter. Turns out my guide had never guided and archery hunt. He was worried I would hurt his success rate. He talks me into taking my rifle. What I thought was day in under 2 hrs he has called a bull to 30 yds. I don't shoot mostly because it was small. With a bow I might have. Later we spend a night at a spike camp with another guide and my buddy. Through discussion I realize that the other guys had a full day of hiking to there spike camp and did not hunt as the season was not open yet. Had I shot that bull I probably would not have known it till he had me doctor the date.
2. Canadian Bear hunt 25 years ago. Great outfitter and guide for hunting. He tells me he ordered a bunch of stuff from Cabela's. I had offered to bring up anything he ordered. I did not know till he opened the boxes in Canada I had just brought him cases of 9mm ammo and a bunch of reloading supplies. Had I been caught......I knew they were heavy but was young and dumb and never asked. Also probably the only time I did not get searched at the border

 

[Sheltowee]

Grabbed a leftover landowner cow hunt in NM one year through a well-known booking service after striking out on a DIY solo elk hunt in CO. Was limited to two properties roughly the size of a good city park and saw precisely one (1) cow elk, across the property line, which the guide had my hunting companion fling a shot at from 300 yards. Fortunately missed by a solid six feet.

 

[F250]

Nuts : regarding #1… ultimately knowing the game laws and seasons are your responsibility regardless if guided or not. You are the one pulling the trigger. Regarding # 2 … Why on earth would you transport sealed cartons of anything across an international border without knowing what is in them ?!?!

 

[Nuts]

Nuts : regarding #1… ultimately knowing the game laws and seasons are your responsibility regardless if guided or not. You are the one pulling the trigger. Regarding # 2 … Why on earth would you transport sealed cartons of anything across an international border without knowing what is in them ?!?!

Both items were live and learn. Both were a long time ago. Information and computers were not what they are now. Not sure if google existed. We certainly didnt have access to it. Naive. Trusted others. Lots of reasons but 100% my responsibility. There is good and bad to the information available now over 25-30+ years ago. We didnt Google to find out this information. We went to a hunting show. Met the guy. Paid him. Talked on the phone. Traveled to him. He provided us with our license. I am not sure in hind site how one would have verified the info provided by the outfitter in regards to seasons. Some phone calls I suppose.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Not counting Africa I’ve been on two guided hunts. Guides and outfitters did everything they should have done. No complaints. I guided 30 successful elk hunts, several hundred upland bird hunts, thousands of fishing trips. Had several clients I hoped to never see again. Had a group of four guys arrive in King Salmon, never made it out of town. By the time they were done in the local store I took them back to the airport and left them there. Had two guys miss their first shot and start spraying rounds into the herd, had to knock the rifle down twice. Had a guy show up with scope mounted backward. Had a guy show up with windage adjustment on top and elevation off on the left side. Countless new boots. Mounted several scopes and zeroed guns by headlights, flashlights and lanterns. Sent a few guys from the field bird hunting because they were so dangerous. Had one guy from Portland intentionally start pointing his shotgun at me after I scolded him. That got resolved rather dramatically. Had a guy shoot his elk on the first day of his trip after less than a quarter mile flat walk. He wouldn’t go down in the draw for pictures or to help quarter and pack. That’s my job but he’s the only one who never went to the elk or at least hold a leg kind of thing. While I’m taking care of the elk he takes my truck and drives back to the main ranch, an hour drive.
Damn guides and outfitters

 

[Nuts]

Not counting Africa I’ve been on two guided hunts. Guides and outfitters did everything they should have done. No complaints. I guided 30 successful elk hunts, several hundred upland bird hunts, thousands of fishing trips. Had several clients I hoped to never see again. Had a group of four guys arrive in King Salmon, never made it out of town. By the time they were done in the local store I took them back to the airport and left them there. Had two guys miss their first shot and start spraying rounds into the herd, had to knock the rifle down twice. Had a guy show up with scope mounted backward. Had a guy show up with windage adjustment on top and elevation off on the left side. Countless new boots. Mounted several scopes and zeroed guns by headlights, flashlights and lanterns. Sent a few guys from the field bird hunting because they were so dangerous. Had one guy from Portland intentionally start pointing his shotgun at me after I scolded him. That got resolved rather dramatically. Had a guy shoot his elk on the first day of his trip after less than a quarter mile flat walk. He wouldn’t go down in the draw for pictures or to help quarter and pack. That’s my job but he’s the only one who never went to the elk or at least hold a leg kind of thing. While I’m taking care of the elk he takes my truck and drives back to the main ranch, an hour drive.
Damn guides and outfitters

Lol. Yep. Where did you salmon guide?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Lol. Yep. Where did you salmon guide?

Based out of King Salmon, home river was the Naknek. I forgot about the guy who showed up with his 12 year old son and two prostitutes.

 

[ashersdad]

I've been on quite a few guided hunts over the last 15 years. Most in Alaska, a handful in Canada and one in Greenland. I can honestly say I would gladly hunt again with any of the guides I have had over the years. Several have turned into lifelong friends. I consider myself lucky.

 

[Nuts]

Based out of King Salmon, home river was the Naknek. I forgot about the guy who showed up with his 12 year old son and two prostitutes.

Very nice.

 

[Nuts]

Very nice.

Haha. Missed the son's and prostitutes when I said very nice. Lol

 

[SaskHunter]

I forgot about the guy who showed up with his 12 year old son and two prostitutes.

Yo, this is wild!!!

 

[Nuts]

Yo, this is wild!!!

Never hired a prostitute but I can say in downtown Amchorage I waved a woman to cross the road. Didn't really pay attention to her until she tried to get in my truck. She was a Crack Whore who thought my go ahead was a come on in. I was on the phone with my wife. I accelerated rapidly away. My wife occasionally reminds me about the time I tried to pick up a prostitute

 

[Hem]

Based out of King Salmon, home river was the Naknek. I forgot about the guy who showed up with his 12 year old son and two prostitutes.

I worked at a salmon facility near Naknek briefly, summer of '85.
I remember landing on the beach in a 4 prop( DC-10?). Reassuring to see the graveyard of crashed planes along the bluff heading to the salmon plant.

 

[mtmuley]

I always figured a guide was a glorified babysitter. mtmuley

 

[buckbull]

Based out of King Salmon, home river was the Naknek. I forgot about the guy who showed up with his 12 year old son and two prostitutes.

Well, you know...if the fish aren't biting...

 

[LopeHunter]

Have been on around 100 big game hunts in the United States over the past 5 decades. Paid to access private 5 or so times and hired a guide less than ten times. All but four of the guided hunts were into wilderness where horses would be handy or using a guide was mandatory for the tag.

Most of the other hunts were solo on public lands and that was always Plan A but sometimes the siren call of a special tag includes the need for a guide.

The guides on my hunts helped by being another set or two of eyes glassing and taking care of horses. I did not really need a guide to judge the quality of the animal or even to field-dress and cut up the animal but sure is nice not having to do all the work by myself starting when the animal tips over. Horses in wilderness was always a treat since could have better food and maybe a cot and meal tent.

Guides are human so is a bit hit or miss if I clicked with them and what skills they brought to the table or their insight to the hunting area. I always got back to the trailhead in one piece and seems when with other people then I end up with more interesting stories after the hunt.

 

[BuzzH]

I always figured a guide was a glorified babysitter. mtmuley

For a lot of hunters, that's entirely true.

Like any hunt it is what you want to make of it.

The two guided hunts and two transporter hunts I've done, I didn't want or expect to be babysat. So, I just didn't allow it. On my sheep hunt in 1995, I caped my own ram, helped break the ram down for packing, and carried my share of everything. The caribou hunt this fall, I glassed as much if not more than my guide (although my guide was a much better on the glass than I was). I helped with the horses without getting in the way, washed dishes, cooked dinner a couple times, and otherwise didn't allow my guide and wrangler to wait on me.

Same thing when I went with transporters. I didn't let them do everything. Did my share of the work and sure as shit didn't expect to be waited on.

Its the same way when I fish AK every year. I clean off the deck, put rods away, help untangle lines, net fish, gill the fish, etc. etc.

But, there are certainly hunters that barely lift a finger to do anything, I experienced that this fall and confirmed why I would never want to be a guide. If you get the right clients it's probably a lot of fun, you get a lazy turd that won't even glass or help around camp, help with the horses, etc., probably a nightmare.

 

[Salmonchaser]

99% of the folks I guided were great people and we worked well together. Best tip I ever got was from three upland hunters who went through three boxes of shells by lunch on pointed birds. They killed three roosters.
I know there are shitty guides/outfitters out there, due diligence is important. If an operator won't provide licenses and insurance information as required by the state and or feds that is a big red flag. Shame on you if you never asked. Alaska has finally started prosecuting people who are caught hunting or fishing with unlicensed guides/outfitters. When you ask for references ask for a few references who had a bad trip. Apply your common sense and experience. A guy who passes on a 330 bull knowing the outfitter got only one over 350 the last two years, really shouldn't be belly aching if he goes home with a tag in his pocket.
I'm just having a little fun with the o/p there are some bad operations but an outfit that has been in business for ten or twenty years with lots of repeat clients will likely give you a good trip but you still need to do your homework.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I had guys fish with me 17 years in a row. Prior to guiding I did 20 years of police work, almost all of that on the swat team and as a defensive tactics instructor. Not a babysitter. You want to have a good trip, be like Buzz, Ashersdad and Lope hunter.

 

[jpc01101]

As someone said earlier guides are humans, there are good ones and bad ones and good ones that have bad days/weeks. If you constantly have bad experiences with guides (or anyone) think of this saying that I share often with my adult kids. If you leave the house and run into an asshole then you ran into an asshole, if you leave the house and all you run into are assholes...YOU'RE THE ASSHOLE.