Bowsite.com

I contacted Joe Austin and arranged a Snow Goose hunt for my grandfather and myself to take place on Saturday 02.29.2020. I am an 18-year-old licensed hunter in Maryland, so he sent me all the links needed for Delaware. Wednesday 02.26.20, I obtained all of these items. On Thursday, 02.27.20, my grandmother contacted him to ask about these licenses for my grandfather. At that time, Joe said he could no longer accommodate the hunt and cancelled it. Once my grandmother told me this, I called Joe to ask what happened and he said there were not any snow geese in the area. I understood that and agreed to cancel the hunt. I asked about the $200 deposit my grandmother had sent him and he said he would tear up that check. Then on the evening of 02.28.20, I receive a text from him "Are you straight for tomorrow. I'm not feeling good. Bobby Meats will take care of you. One of our guides. You coming. Tried to reach you. Be to Argos Corner at 4:30" I replied "This is very late notice, we called the hunt off yesterday so we didn't book a hotel or anything" He says "I offered you the lodge and you refused. That's on you. And I made it clear you wouldn't know where until the evening before to determine the best hunt possible for you. How would you like to pay the balance" I responded "You told me you were ripping up the check, actually u txted my grandma to tell her and not even me we sent you money last Tuesday but somehow we didn't get a spot till the day before really man come on...And you wouldn't even be the guy who was guiding us today it was Bobby idk what your trying to pull here but it's not working you decided to txt me 24 hours later and say oh you had of told ME not my grandma Thursday that we weren't going to have a spot I would have assumed the same thing we're not going and then you wanted us to drive to New York this is a fucking scam for real" Joe then proceeded to block the numbers of myself and my grandparents. Every time we attempted to call him, it went straight to voicemail. My father called and left a message. My grandmother contacted her bank to stop payment on the check only to find out, Joe had already cashed it. Later the evening of 02.29.20, he called my father back not realizing it was my dad. When my father confronted him about the situation, he said "no...I tore up the check of a Pennsylvania women" and that I backed out of the hunt. So, maybe Joe had my hunt confused with another one, but not taking my calls or rationally speaking to us to understand the misunderstanding and offering to refund our money for his lack of business and organizational skills is what bought me here and will have me reporting him to the DNR. My mother posted this same information on Facebook - "I’d like to expose Joe Austin of DOA Outfitters Inc. out of Mardela Springs, MD www.doaoutfitters.com My 18 year old son contacted this man and scheduled a hunt for him and his grandfather on 2/29 in Deleware. His grandmother mailed the man a deposit check for $200. Two days before the hunt on 2/27, the grandmother called to verify all the license needs. At that time, the owner said he needed to cancel because he no longer had a spot but then offered a spot in New York...the trip was cancelled. My son called to confirm this and the man said yes and that he had ripped up the check. Then last night, 2/28 he texts my son and says to meet him at 4:30am for this 2/29 hunt. My son replied confused and said no thank you. With such bad business etiquette, the grandmother called to stop payment on the check only to find out he cashed it on 2/25. He has now blocked my son and his grandmothers numbers and will not answer any of our calls. Regardless, the $200 check should not have been cashed and the money now needs to be returned. I understand a non-refundable deposit when the guest cancels, but not when the outfitter cancels or changes it to a location not possible." to which he responded - "I’d like to expose Joe Austin of DOA Outfitters Inc. out of Mardela Springs, MD www.doaoutfitters.com My 18 year old son contacted this man and scheduled a hunt for him and his grandfather on 2/29 in Deleware. His grandmother mailed the man a deposit check for $200. Two days before the hunt on 2/27, the grandmother called to verify all the license needs. At that time, the owner said he needed to cancel because he no longer had a spot but then offered a spot in New York...the trip was cancelled. My son called to confirm this and the man said yes and that he had ripped up the check. Then last night, 2/28 he texts my son and says to meet him at 4:30am for this 2/29 hunt. My son replied confused and said no thank you. With such bad business etiquette, the grandmother called to stop payment on the check only to find out he cashed it on 2/25. He has now blocked my son and his grandmothers numbers and will not answer any of our calls. Regardless, the $200 check should not have been cashed and the money now needs to be returned. I understand a non-refundable deposit when the guest cancels, but not when the outfitter cancels or changes it to a location not possible." to which he responded - "Cindy Johnson Gilroy I can't make him come. He was told by text everything to go on the hunt. Sorry he couldn't make it" "I don't air DOA business on FB. INAPPROPRIATE. I will take care of this in another manner." "Agreed Justin Cassell. I always perform business in a proper matter and I shouldn't discuss this private matter in a public place. I could post the texts that say a totally different story but that's not proper." "Id like to expose Cindy Gilroy for being a good mom and defending her son. But I think I would have reviewed his texts before you said such a horrible thing about a square shooting outfitter" "Chuck Lewis That's why I do tell them. Any snow goose hunt is feast or famine. I'm always honest to my potential guests. I could give a list of names but that's not appropriate now is it" If he were to offer to refund my grandparents money, this would all be over. I also found this on-line - "GLASGOW (AP) — A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to illegal outfitting and numerous other game violations last fall in Phillips County.

Joe Austin of Mardella Springs, Md., accepted a plea deal in District Court last month, Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department officials said Monday.

He pleaded guilty to more than a dozen counts — including acting as an outfitter/guide without a license, wasting waterfowl and upland birds, unlawful possession of illegally taken wildlife, and hunting without a license.

Austin, who owned DOA Outfitters, is required to pay restitution and other charges totaling more than $13,000.

Last October, he guided two undercover investigators on illegal waterfowl, pheasant and antelope hunts around the Malta and Dodson areas.

“He’s a common thief,” Malta game warden Mike Lee said. “He was stealing business from legitimate outfitters and stealing the resources from the sportsmen of Montana. This case illustrates the lengths that people will go to exploit and profit from the natural resources of the state, and the sad thing is that he apparently didn’t have any lack of customers who were looking for a shortcut to access the state’s wildlife.”

Was the outfitter notified of problems? - YES