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Hunter Comments

I booked my hunt with Dennis Brookshire after talking with him at the Michigan deer and turkey spectacular in Lansing Michigan. I explained to him that I wanted to hunt elk on horseback. He jumped in and said I have a great horseback hunt you and your girlfriend can enjoy, if you can ride a horse down a trail. So we both booked our hunts with Dennis and got on horseback throughout the summer. Arriving in the camp on the first day of the hunt, we we're tired and hungry, Dennis wasn't there and his camp cook and camp jack quit on him 2 days before our arrival. We were given 1 hot dog to eat by a "guide" named jw. Who also quit the next day. This was considered the first day of the hunt by Dennis. Day two at breakfast we were told we would have to walk, because the horse trailer had no brakes and he could not get the horses up to the trail head. Dennis never did get the horse trailer repaired while we were in camp. So we walked everyday with a guide who was unfamiliar with the territory, and later discovered unlicensed to guide in the state of Idaho at the time we were in camp. The hunt was horrible and animal sightings were almost non-existent. The only saving grace was the cook named Dawn who Dennis hired on day 3 if our hunt. She was great. I explained to Dennis on the last day of hunt how unhappy we were and he physically blocked my girlfriend from entering back into the kitchen tent. He later apologized for his threatening behavior. Which was borderline criminal. Hunting with Dennis Brookshire would be a great risk to yourself and your family. I advise you to steer clear of this shady outfitter. I have filed a complaint with the Idaho outfitters and guides licensing board. It was a costly disaster, hopefully putting the word out will prevent this from happening to someone else!

Was the outfitter notified of problems? - YES

Outfitter's Response

Yes mark and Tina booked a hunt with us at the Michigan show where Tina specifically told me she wanted a hunt and would prefer not to ride horse. Tina and mark arrived at the camp and stayed in my 35 ft fifth wheel which we provided for Tina so she would not have to potty in our camp latrine. We hired several guides to go us and they were all licensed when mark and Tina arrived. Any one of you hunters out there can call the Idaho outfitters guide board and ask them. Although our guide was unfamiliar with the area he was a well versed guide and took mark and Tina on a hunt on the opening which was the 6th Of September. Mark forgot to mention that he shot a nice heavy beam bull that day. Tina and mark we’re together. Mark insisted that he put a good shot on the animal and so the next day they took my pack animals up and walked in to where they thought the bull was. Tina was so egsauhsted that she stayed in camp and could barely walk. Mark and the guide could not find the bull and that was sad. Mark was done hunting and he knew he found blood his hunt was over. Oh and my cook was there on the 6th to cook all meals. I felt bad about the fact that marks hunt was over and Tina decided to go into town and do some shopping with one of the other hunters wives. We said that was great. So I decided to go ahead and let mark keep hunting. He was very thankful and away we went. Tina went out with me and mark on there last day and like the other days was only able to walk 1.8 miles. She did what she could but it was to rough of country for her. Her comment was that she should have talked to some other women hunters before booking a hunt with us. I agreed and we turned back to the truck. This was there last day. We had other hunters in our camp and we offered them to come back on another hunt and they agreed to come up in 2020. Yes I blocked Tina from entering my kitchen tent and asked her to leave the other hunters out of our conversation. Mark told me he was very upset with the whole hunt and he did not appreciate me blocking Tina from entering my kitchen tent. It was a sad situation from a couple that we felt of all the hunters we have seen , and everything we did to make there hunt successful and make Tina comfortable,that they were so unhappy. All in all we had a good hunt with mark and Tina. But I wonder I’m his complaint why he failed to mention he shot a bull? And his guide that was licensed did his job and continued to do a good job for the rest of the season. Book a hunt with us. But be prepared. That my friends will ruined the hunt. Good luck in the future to mark and Tina. Be prepared. Oh and we did fix the trailer brake. Dennis Brookshire. Owner