T.A.G.S Program

[Antler King]

Just thought I would fill everyone in on my recent expierence with Cabelas TAGS application service. This was the first year that I utilized an aplication service for out of state hunts. Usually I apply for as many states and species as possible, but due to many states requiring up front tag fees it has become quite expensive. So after researching USO, Cabelas and a few other agents, I went with Cabelas. I filled out the hunter profile choosing a DIY profile, chose my own areas and spoke with the representative to get the ball rolling. I decided to only use them for a single state this year with that being New Mexico. After the long wait this summer I was happy to hear that I had drawn a New Mexico 2C deer permit for late season Archery. Cabelas notified me of my success and gave me a list of a couple outiftters to use if I changed my mind about a DIY hunt. I spent a lot of time talking to people who had hunted the unit prior, talked to biologists, bought maps etc, just like all of you do when planning a hunt in an unknown area. Fast forward to Dec 28th, 2010. On my way to New Mexico with the wall tents, stove , coolers, tire chains, food ect, for a 15 day hunt. After driving for 765 miles decided to stop and spend the night at a motel and finish driving the remaining 350 miles the next day. While sitting in the motel I discovered something called an outfitter number on my deer permit, I was baffled by this. At this point I'm thinking the number must be tied to Cabelas because they in fact were the ones that sent my applications in. After a long sleepless night I contacted cabelas and found out that they had indeed put me into the outfitter sponsored pool ( to increase my draw odds) and that legally I had to hire an outfitter to be able to hunt that unit, at least they somewhat apologized for thier mistake (by giving me a preferred outfitters phone number) but here I am almost 800 miles from home and no where to go. Needless to say I didn't get to hunt the unit because I refused to pay an outfitter and of course Cableas didn';t offer to pay for one in lieu of thier mistake. I did however finish the trip to New Mexico and scoutted the area for future hunts. After paying Cableas for a tag that i couldn,t use, buying a habitat stamp, and spending who knows what on all the extras (food, hotels, maps, emotional distress, ect. ) I have come to the conclusion that I am never using a service like cabelas again.
NOW I know what all of you are thinking! Why didn't I look at my tag closer? The Answer is I guess I am stupid. I did look at the hunt unit , time of the hunt but in all of the excitetment I didn't read the fine print. It sure would have been nice if when cabelas called me to tell me I drew they had let me know it was an outfitter sponsored tag, sure would have saved me some time and money. I know it sounds like I am whining and I am but I just wanted to let people know to do thier homework and if you do draw a tag with one of these services read the fine print!

 

[JCS]

Lesson learned the hard way

 

[wyoming556]

I guess it is't just you. Previous problems for 500+ customers

Commission denies request to extend 2008 antelope, elk application deadline
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission today unanimously voted to deny a request by a national outdoor equipment retail company that would have extended the 2008 pronghorn antelope and elk draw deadline.

Cabela’s petition to the commission was a result of the Arizona Game and Fish Department receiving elk and antelope applications after the established deadline that were submitted by the company’s tag application service on behalf of 568 hunters.

According to the petition, Cabela’s sent to the department three packages through a private courier from Nebraska on Feb. 11, 2008. The packages didn’t arrive at the department location until after the posted deadline time of 7 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2008.

The commission agreed to the hearing in accordance with Commission Rule R12-4-611 that allows for petitions to be heard by the commission when no other administrative remedy exists.

 

[jeffpg]

wow!

Totally unacceptable!

Just another of the many reasons I'll continue to roll my own.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Antler King is a "NICER" person them I am for the way he handled the situation.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[Bambistew]

That sucks... some people (me included) have to learn the hard way.

 

[NChunter]

I thought about trying the Cabelas TAGS service, now I am glad that I didn't. It is much cheaper to learn from others mistakes.

 

[Big O]

That hurts bad- Cabela's has such good customer service from the retail side, that's a little suprising.

 

[Spitz]

Man that stinks! What is unbelievable is that the outfitter number that was put on your application corresponds with a specific outfitter in NM. Most would have required a contract before the application was sent in in order to give you their outfitter number. Even so, whoever's number was used should have received some notification that they had a client successful in the draw and contacted you after the fact.

SO, I would be throwing a major fit with Cabelas if I were you.

 

[A-con]

: I filled out the hunter profile choosing a DIY profile,

I hope you keep a copy of this. If so, I would contact Cabela's, speak to a manager and ask for/demand a refund of all fees, including the tag fee.

 

[xrayts]

TeLl them you will post your story on every hunting forum on the Internet. They may not care about you, but I bet they care about their potential customers.

 

[WapitiBob]

You do not have to hire an "expensive" outfitter.
You can in fact, do a "drop camp" hunt and bring your own camp. You were perfectly legal to hunt on your own, self guided, provided you had a contract of services signed by both you and Cabelas (the outfitter) stipulating the services to be provided and that you would be "reasonably supervised".
I assume you had a signed contract because they are legally bound by NM law to have such BEFORE they submit you app in the draw.

I would research it and have a $300/hr guy give them a call.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

You bet your buttoonski! As good as Cabelas is I would be on them for that until I received total compensation for the wasted fees, etc.!!! If they don't take care of it satisfactorily, I would agree with the other posts that I would be on every friggin hunting website I had time to access telling what happened. Bad publicity is certainly not what they want or need, especially in this economy. I heard of that big booboo they made as soon as it happened and I think they were praying that with their well-known name that the G&F would make it good and they got a big surprise when they didn't get anywhere with their appeal! I can't believe they didn't send those applications out more than one day ahead of time with all that money and trust that people had in them to handle things properly!

 

[noharleyyet]

The devil is ALWAYS in the details. Like Bambi, I've learned everything the hard (expensive) way.

...that does suck antler king.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I just went into the NM website and see that 12% of the licenses are allotted to nonresidents who go with an outfitter and 10% are allotted to those who don't. After I made the previous post I got to thinking as to how or why Cabelas could have an outfitters number to put on your application without the outfitter not knowing what is going on! It would seem that as soon as you drew the license that either the outfitter with that number would call you or Cabelas would tell you to call the outfitter in question. You said they gave you the names of several outfitters you could use because they had put you in for that draw, so why would they do that if they had put another outfitter's number on the form in order to draw the license? This whole thing makes no sense at all!!! The whole thing makes it sound like they don't know what they are doing and it stinks! That is sure not what I always have thought about the name Cabelas when it comes up and I do a lot of business with them because they have always been great about anything you buy and may want to return for any reason!!!

 

[WapitiBob]

My bad, you need to have the contract signed before the "hunt".

 

[Bucnutz.wis]

Ouch - that really blows... I'm with the rest of the guy's - time to roll out the barrel of Whoop - azz !!

 

[1_pointer]

You do not have to hire an "expensive" outfitter.
You can in fact, do a "drop camp" hunt and bring your own camp. You were perfectly legal to hunt on your own, self guided, provided you had a contract of services signed by both you and Cabelas (the outfitter) stipulating the services to be provided and that you would be "reasonably supervised".
I assume you had a signed contract because they are legally bound by NM law to have such BEFORE they submit you app in the draw.

I would research it and have a $300/hr guy give them a call.

I'd be interested in "the Rest of the Story" in light of this. If Bob's right, you may have been able to hunt with Cabelas being the "outfitter".

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Cabelas would not be considered an outfitter unless they secured a license thorugh the State of New Mexico. They would be considered more of a booking agent in this scenario. The only thing that he could have done in this particular situation is sign a contract with the outfitter whose number was on the license or another licensed outfitter when he found out what Cabelas had done. He said he chose not to do that because of the money involved and that's why he filled out the profile paperwork for a DIY situation in the first place. As I stated earlier, I would press this one to the max and go all the way to the top of the mountain if I had to, but they would pay all, and I mean all, expenses before I was done with them!!!

 

[Calvin]

I've learned the hard way, on a number of things. It hurts in the short term, but it seems the hard/expensive lessons are why educates me on how to do things the right way and benefits me in the long run.