The lodge and the food was great. The attitude of Mark the owner and the hunting was not so great. When we arrived at the lodge there were 11 people in camp(Mark said there would only be 8). The first night before the hunt Mark said that he would like for everyone to hunt all day, but if we wanted to come back in at lunch to call and we would be picked up. The fisrt day it poured down raining and my buddy didn't have rain gear and called to be picked up at lunch. When he called our guide he told him to hang in there and hung up on him. The next day my binoulars got fogged up from the inside from sitting out in the rain the day before so I called my guide at lunch to be picked up so I could run to walmart which was 15 minutes away to get a cheap pair. He told me to hang in there maybe something would come close enough see and then hung up. As far as the hunting another guy and I saw large numbers of deer and he saw 1 shooter for about 2 seconds the first day. Everyone else saw 1-5 deer a day. One guy only saw 1 deer in 3 days and they refused to move him. Mark stated to me before I booked the hunt that he has never had a client that didnt see a 140" or bigger buck. He had 10 that week that didn't see one. This was a 4 day hunt and all but 2 people left after the 3rd day. One person stated he could see more deer at his house. This is the 5th outfitter I have hunted with and Mark is the only outfitter taht has not called 2-3 times before the hunt the only time he called was to collect the rest of the money. Mark also got upset because somebody shot a doe one evening. There were several more issues you can call me @ 7709008845
Was the outfitter notified of problems? - NO
The First gun hunt of 2010. Man this hunt just wont go away, because of the weather I seem to get blamed for it. As I stated in the other report that was a result of this hunt we could not controll the weather and the hunting was not up to par those days.I was just glad some did see deer and was really surprised they did with all the rain and storms that hunt.
I don't really want to have to write about every little thing but I feel it nessessary to protect the integrity of Premier Outfitters, the staff and myself. I know we cant plese everyone and that in the future there will most likely be other hunters that are not happy about one thing or another, so if and when the time comes I will try to let the people know just what happened. I will also tell it just as it happened that is why some of the responses are so lenghty.
Mr Astin seemed to be enjoying himself and never once complained about his hunt, in fact everytime he came back to camp he told everyone about all the bucks he was seeing.He even told everyone that he passed a big eight that walked right under his stand and described the buck to me,I then got my computer and showed him and his buddy the buck he discribed and his buddy said and I quote "man you are crazy if that buck walks under me he is going to get shot" The buck was a 140 deer. But Mr Astin did say in his report he did see alot of deer.
To answer the statement about his buddy not being picked up in the rain. Mr Astins buddy called my Guide and said he did not bring his rain gear for the day and was sure it was going to pour rain could we pick him up? He was told that we were watching the radar and that he was very close to the lodge and if it was getting bad call and we would get him, He never called us and that day it showered off and on. I am sorry and I hope people don't take this the wrong way but that morning everyone knew it was going to rain and everyone was asked if they had their rain gear before they left.We also told his buddy to just call and we would get him because he was in a stand that we could get to without disturbing another hunter we would have picked him up if he would have called back, but we don't run a baby sitting service we are all grown men.
Mr Astin did call and asked if he could be picked up to be taken to wal-mart to get some binos because his were fogged up from the day before, this is what he was told.Mr Astin was told that due to the fact that he stated that morning he was going to sit all day as were the other two hunters in his group we could not get in and get him because we would have to go right by two other hunters to pick him up and we would not mess up their hunt, he would just have to rely on his rifle scope and we would take him that night. He failed to mention I gave him my brand new binos to use for the rest of his hunt.I gusss that would be me having a bad attitude.
The statement about would see a i40 buck I think this is where the problem is coming from because another hunter has said the same thing that was on this same hunt. I have told people that the two previous years that most hunters had seen a shooter buck and that was the truth. In a four day hunt on our properties it is very commom for a hunter to see shooter bucks not all will be in range and until this hunt last season when we had crazy wet stormy weather that was the case. I never told him or anyone else they would see one but the chances were very good and I still stand behind that statement. Our properties are full of mature bucks and alot of hunters reoprt seeing large numbers of bucks. If anyone reads the other 32 reports this is evident.
About never calling him except to get the money. Iam the first to admit I dont call my hunters all the time and don't see the need to. What I tell my hunters is that they have my contact information and that they are free to call me at any time and I will be more than glad to give them updates, also that if I don't hear from them I will contact them when the final payment is due.If a client request trail cams I will email them some as soon as I can. My time is spent hanging stands, planting food plots and placing trail cams among everything else that comes along with being a outfitter.But Iam never to busy to talk to a hunter and have done so countless times even while out in the field hanging stands. Mr Astin spoke with me four different times during the course of the summer and I gave him updates and I did as I told him I contacted him for his final payment as I do everyone else.
To address the statment that someone shot a doe and I got upset, Well that someone was his buddy that didn't call back to be picked up because of rain, (this buddy also came to the hunt with him). His buddy and everyone else were told in a orientation meeting why we did not want doe shot at night. This hunter spoke up in the meeting and said that he would go home empty handed if he did not kill a buck. Mr Astin is the one that told me his buddy killed the doe and he could not believe he shot it after being asked not to do so in the meeting. He said his buddy said he was not going to hunt the next day because of the rain and was going to kill something. So yes I got upset as anyone else im my position would have.So I guess that is why Iam labeled as having a bad attitude.
I wish Mr Astin much luck in the future.
rained first day rest of the time weather was good
