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Hunter Comments

Here is my report from our recent trip for turkey to Whetstone Creek in SD booked with Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures. 1) Outfitter: Whetstone Creek (booked by Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures) 2) Owner: Christi & Dean Rozeboom 3) Address: Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures, 180 East Fifth Street, Suite 1300 Saint Paul, MN 55101 4) Phone: Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures (877)482-3982 5) E-mail: [email protected] 6) When: May 1-4, 2008 7) Where: Burke, SD 8) Guided: Semi-guided; pointed out roosts and small amount of available property. 9) Drop: No 10) Transportation to hunting area: Ten minute self-drive from lodging to hunting area, walk in & out. 11) Accommodations: WELL-equipped ranch house including HOT showers. 12) Trophy hunt only: No 13) Species hunted / harvested: Rio Grande and Merriam's turkeys hunted. Two Rio Grande turkeys harvested. 14) Tools used: Bow. 15) Land hunted: Private 16) Cost: $475 per person for three night/three day hunt. 17) Challenging terrain adversely affect hunt: No 18) Did weather adversely affect hunt: Yes. Heavy winds and rain on May 1st; 60 mph gusts, horizontal rains, and stinging ice on May 2nd. 19) Quantity of game: Excellent 20) Quality of game: Excellent 21) Guide's Competence: Group could have used more "semi-guiding." 22) Guide's Hunting Ethics: Unknown 23) Condition of Equipment: Some blinds were available on the property, but the one we saw (small hoop blind) would not have functioned well for archery. 24) Food: Group provided using the well-equipped kitchen. 25) Accommodations: Outstanding. Best place I've ever stayed while hunting. 26) Trophy care: Handled by hunters. 27) Meat care: Freezer on sight. 28) Number of outfitted / guided hunts for myself: 6 29) Contact me on Bowsite, user name dustyvarmint if you have questions. 30) Recommended: No. If you can afford to double the hunt cost and use a proven archery outfitter then do so. If this price-point is all you can afford, you want to observe lots of turkeys doing what turkeys do, and you will accept marginal shot opportunities then you may want to consider this hunt. General comments: There were 5 members in this group. Opinions given are mine and not necessarily that of the other group members. Two birds were taken. Four of five hunters took shots from 20 to 30 yards at birds genuinely trying to avoid blinds and decoys. Prairie dog shooting and coyote hunting were also available. Two people fired 5 shots each starting at 319 yards in the prairie dog town - there was no further action. We didn't try coyote calling. The area is beautiful. I recommend having Christi give you a comprehensive tour of the available hunting property. We started looking at this hunt a year ahead of time. Initial calls and e-mail to Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures went unanswered. Once contact was made by us we were told by Mike at Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures several times that this was an archery hunt, unpopular and there was no need to book until late winter. When we called back to book we were told that the first three weekends were already booked. That pushed us into week four. Highly recommend dealing only with Nick.

Was the outfitter notified of problems? - YES

Outfitter's Response

First off Jerry and his group have been a great group of clients to work with from start to finish. Upon getting back from their trip he informed of his issues with this hunt. He openly accepted my response to his comments and disappointments. With that being said, lets look at this hunt and know that 4 out of the 5 groups that hunted turkeys there this past spring with bows have rebooked for 2009.

It is a semi-guided hunt under $500 and that includes nice lodging and private land access to 3000 acres of Missouri break country that is full of Merriam's and Rio Grande turkey's. Hunting turkeys with your bow is a tough challenge. Four out of the five hunters in this group got shots within thirty yards at turkeys with two gobblers being harvested. Jerry explains they were not quality shots because the birds were "walking". I guess not everything can be presented perfectly on a hunt and especially on an archery hunt. The prairie dog town on the property is not big and is considered and billed as "an extra thing to do", not prime time prairie dog shooting.

On a hunt like this you should expect to have private property in a game rich area. Both were delivered and it is up the hunters and thier capabilities to make it happen.

They had bad weather for the almost two days which means they only had "quality" weather for a day and a half. They did pretty darn good for having limited "quality" time in the field.

As far as our services and his complaints Mr. Long was not mis-informed by Mike during his original conversation about the potentail dates at Whetstone Creek. Due to being an archery hunt for turkeys this has not been a "popular" hunt that we book. In the time from his first phone call to when he made contact with me it all of a sudden without warning became a high demand hunt. Even with that we were able to get him dates the 4th week of hunting, which is almost smack dab in the middle of the season - you really couldn't have asked for better dates even if you had booked a year out. However, I apologized right away for not getting his "ideal" dates. Keep in mind he still had the choice to book or not book the trip for his group.

We try our best to meet the needs and wants of our clients every day. There are some things we can control and not control. Mother nature is not one of them. Their group was provided exactly how the hunt is advertised. If they had gone 5 for 5 I doubt they would be disappointed with the dates they hunted.

Once again I would like to thank Jerry Long and his group for booking a trip with us and I hope to help him plan his next adventure.

After reading the other reports and outfitters that received a "1" I think his rating is a little harsh.

Sincerely,

Nick Chiodo Gander Mountian Outdoor Expeditions 651-325-4379 [email protected]