Eastman's MRS

[BlakeA]

So after switching to their new system online, subscribers no longer have access to past MRS sections (2013,2014 Nevada Deer and Elk for example) unless you upgrade to a digital subscription for $10 more. If you cancel the mail delivered hard copies and just go digital it will cost you the same as the hard copies per subscription. Obviously at the end of the day it's $10, and obviously I'm not a tech guy who can even begin to tell you how much it's costing them to upload past MRS but I do find it kind of annoying. That was a nice feature as a member to kind of study how much changes the staff truly does make each year in regards to stats. I use the MRS to see which "trophy units" they are bragging up each year so I know where NOT to apply. I guess it just gets annoying when businesses force you to buy more to access something you already paid for....End of rant.

 

[Oak]

I perused the CO sheep section of their MRS the other day and it was painfully inaccurate. So much so that I felt the author might be intentionally misleading applicants. It was poor enough that I was going to write a letter....I just haven't done it.

 

[ERSS]

Thanks for the warning. I used to DVR their show, but got tired of feeling like I was being talked down to for 30 min

 

[Oak]

Hmm.....

 

[LopeHunter]

I dropped Eastmans when MRS errors and ommissions were at an unacceptable rate the year NM added more sheep hunts. I figured was being written and edited by non-hunters or staff that had morale issues. There had been staff turnover.

Information you can't trust is not worth a penny and could cost you.

 

[Elkmagnet]

If you are really green when it comes to nr apps it could be helpful. But I do believe they purposely omit the units they put in for in Idaho either that or they're very incompetent. after you do a few apps yourself and dig around a little on the interwebs i feel you'd be better off without the mrs.

 

[Big Fin]

If folks on this site started their own research service, I can assure you that the recommendation of units would be better than anything out there that currently gives "top unit" ratings. There are some guys here who know this stuff extremely well. One of them answered my email last night around midnight. I am always looking for any little tidbit.

I dropped Eastmans about three years ago. Just not something I found useful anymore. I still have Huntin' Fool, so I don't end up being a fool and applying in a unit they recommend (usually good units, but odds get screwed up really bad).

This year, I've spent way more time on the goHUNT.com INSIDER site than any of the research tools I have. Just a lot of different information I can't get elsewhere. I already know good units, just by looking at the drawing odds/demands. That's the easy part. What I need now is more information about these units and see if that works for my strategy, schedule, and preferred hunting style. goHunt doesn't give "unit ratings," rather provides lots of information that helps you learn more about units, without having been there.

 

[1_pointer]

One of them answered my email last night around midnight. I am always looking for any little tidbit.

I asked you to keep that Hoosier recco' a secret!

 

[Gr8bawana]

I don't get Easman's for any research they might have. I just like to read the stories and look at other hunter's animals.
I also get Peterson's Hunting magazine which I will not be renewing. I started reading it back in the mid 70's but it has gotten so full of ads now it's rediculous. This mont's issue has 26 full page ads out 72 pages. Thats not counting all the half page ads.

 

[LCH]

I've only been in the world of non-resident hunting for 3-4 years now, doing a couple trips per year. I've never felt like I was at a disadvantage by using the free resources that are available. I've seen the free preview pages of some of the paid subscription services, but the data shown was the same I could pull together myself given a little time.

Not knocking HF, MRS, or others, I just prefer to do my own research.

I asked you to keep that Hoosier recco' a secret!

Hope this means an Indiana episode of Fresh Tracks is in the works :hump:

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

I notice their comments don't make sense and some of their blue chip units are only really blue chip if you have private access. I also have caught discrepancies here and there so I don't give them a lot of attention any longer.

 

[1_pointer]

Don't get your hopes up. I was trying to be funny. Nothing worth drawing, IMO, for a NR in Indiana. Besides, there's now way I'd be lucid or, if still awake, sober at midnight Fin's time.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I think what Randy did made perfect sense and I'm hearing from a number of members who have decided not to renew because of that and what the OP mentioned. When a company puts out a product and doesn't even know how their own Wyoming elk draw works, I don't know why anyone would trust anything in their publications! Other sites I'm on also have many members pointing out numerous errors in the various state MRS write ups just like is being mentioned on this thread such that it's a ridiculous waste of money if that's all you are paying for. I like the two magazines for the same reasons Gr8bawana mentioned and that's it. I got banned from posting on their forums a couple months ago over what the OP mentioned when I and WapitiBob, along with a bunch of other members, told them they needed to put back the MRS until subscriptions ran out. That got nowhere and a class action complaint was filed through the Wyoming Office of the AG, who gave them 30 days to respond in writing. So far there has been no word back on whether any action is being taken, so it looks they may have gotten away with cheating a lot of subscribers out of their money. It's not that much per person, but it adds up to a lot of money with the number of subscribers they have and was certainly illegal to pull the plug right in the middle of people's subscriptions and then have the nerve to ask for more money to get it back!

 

[WapitiBob]

They should have just put the MRS pdf's back on the site. It takes 5 minutes and everybody would be happy.

After my last Eastmans rant Hoshour and I talked for a while. He's trying and he added a bunch of new data tables to provide more info but every issue has had mistakes and copy/paste errors. 10# of @@@@ stuffed in a 5# sack as my dad would say. I think they're trying to provide too much. They need to step back and re assess what info is important and go from there.

 

[The Hedgehog]

People are mad because somebody took their turd?

 

[WapitiBob]

I watched Myth Busters polish a turd.

well, sorta. More like a satin finish....

 

[Steve O]

I am so glad the credit card I used to automatically renew to Eastman's was stolen, it will save me the trouble of tring to cancel my subscription. They committed fraud by taking away the MRS we already paid for and "allowed" you to have it back for $20. Every MRS has blatant errors so simple to catch it it obvious nobody proofreads any of it. Heck, there are 700 elk tags available in most of the "blue chip" Nevada ek units. And their app doesn't work worth a hoot.

Not worth $0.05.

 

[.280 Remington]

MRS and Eastmans are pretty useless. Unless you want to learn how to hunt Quakers.

 

[TheTone]

I've always been really curious about how they rank Idaho elk units; I would assume they have some interesting suggestions.

 

[Bulldog0156]

I found the recent MRS info for some of the eastern MT stuff to be woefully inaccurate. Maybe it will keep people away