HuntingReport.com
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Subscriber-Written Trip Report On Pioneer Outfitters Hunts |
Below is one sample of such a Report which is made available to you FREE of Charge.
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DATE
AND PLACE OF HUNT |
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| Report
ID: |
3934 |
Weapon
Used: |
Rifle |
How
Hunt Was Conducted? |
Guided |
| Date
of Hunt: |
September 11, 2003 to September 24, 2003 |
| Place
of Hunt: |
United States Alaska Chisana |
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OUTFITTER,
GUIDE AND BOOKING AGENT DETAILS |
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| Outfitter
(or safari company): |
Pioneer Outfitters. PO Box CZN; Tok; AK; 99780; Tel. 907-734-0007; Fax: 907-734-7433; |
| Personal
Guide (if any): |
Jim "Omar" Toll |
| Booking
Agent (if any): |
Russ Walker; Bullseye Outfitters. 215 Kyle Road; Valencia; PA; 16059; Tel. 724-444-4864; Fax: 724-444-6952;Email: russhunt@stargate.net; Web www.bullseyeoutfitters.com |
Trip
Arrangements
(if self-guided): |
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| License
Required: |
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GAME
DESCRIPTION |
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| Major
Game Animals Taken: |
Sheep, Dall - Availability: Scarce - Trophy Size: 32" |
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Bear, Grizzly - Availability: Scarce - Trophy Size: 7' |
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| Game
Sought But Not Taken: |
Moose - Availability: Kept in camp - no follow up on one moose seen. |
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Wolverine - Availability: Kept in camp and hunt cut short - no opportunity. |
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Wolf - Availability: Kept in camp and hunt cut short - no opportunity. |
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Bear, Black - Availability: Kept in camp and hunt cut short - no opportunity. |
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| Game
Condition Comments: |
Can not fully comment, as I did not venture into the area as planned, owing to lost time and hunt cut short. |
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SERVICE
RATINGS (excellent, good, fair or poor) |
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| Quality
of Outfit: |
Poor |
Guide/PH
Ability: |
Good |
| Condition
of Camp: |
Poor |
Condition
of Equipment: |
Fair |
| Quality
of Food: |
Poor |
Trophy
Care: |
Good |
| Name
of Airline: |
Northwest |
Airline
Service: |
Excellent |
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COSTS |
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| Hunting
Fees: |
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Amount: |
$10900 |
| Trophy Fees: |
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Amount: |
$0 |
| Permits/Licenses: |
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Amount: |
$1580 |
| Commercial
Airfares: |
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Amount: |
$1100 |
| Charter Airfares: |
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Amount: |
$400 |
| Other Costs: |
$100 bus ride and $500 guide tip. |
Amount: |
$600 |
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SUMMARY
REMARKS |
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| Problems
of Hunt: |
Hunt was cut short to four and half days from 14 days as contracted. Outfit is totally disorganized. |
| Highlights
of Hunt: |
Beautiful scenery. |
| Equipment
Recommendations: |
Long range rifle and knowledge of ballistics; be in shape. |
| Would You
Recommend This Hunt to a Friend? |
No |
| Why? |
It was the worst experience of my life - with so much time wasted during the hunt in addition to the hunt effectively lasting only four and half days instead of 14, the outfitter had total disregard for resolving the matter. |
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HUNTER
INFORMATION |
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| Hunter
Name: |
Pando Vasilovski |
| Contact
Information: |
Tel. 585-889-5090 - 2779 Scottsville Rd., Scottsville, NY 14546 E-mail: pando@rocmestter.rr.com |
| Hunting Experience: |
30 years hunting in USA, Canada, Africa, and Europe. |
| Physical Condition: |
Excellent. |
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IMPORTANT
NOTES (actions taken if hunter unhappy with hunt) |
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| Notified Outfitter? Yes |
Notified Personal Guide? Yes |
Notified Booking Agent? Yes |
| Seeking any
kind of restitution or other settlement from agent, outfitter
or guide? |
| If Seeking Restitution, What is Sought? |
Partial refund of hunt costs, plus the value of license cost for which I had no opportunity. |
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ADDITIONAL
HUNTER COMMENTS AND/OR OUTFITTER/BOOKING AGENT REBUTTAL |
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To: The Hunting Report From: Pando Vasilovski Date: October 20, 2003 Re: September Alaska Hunt
My September 2003 hunt in Alaska with Terry Overly of Pioneer Outfitters was very poorly planned and executed. During the initial discussions with my booking agent, Pioneer Outfitters was represented as a high quality outfitter capable of offering a quality hunt for all of the species that I desired. However, the experience of my hunt proved to be in sharp contrast to these claims, owing to the tremendous disorganization of the outfit, as well as the total disregard for addressing the issues that I incurred and communicated while the hunt was being conducted. Despite taking two of the animals on my list, I consider this hunt a disaster, and strongly advise that fellow hunters avoid hunting with this outfit. I attribute whatever success I achieved to basic luck more than anything else. We simply bumped into the grizzly that I took, which proved to be the only bear seen and taken by any of the hunters in camp. I took a Dall sheep, but my guide misjudged him as 36" around the curl. He taped out at 32" instead. The rest of the time was spent attending to trophy care (I agree that this is important), finding the horses and allocating them to hunter/guide teams, and waiting for guide and area assignments to be made. In some cases, this meant leaving the main camp either to hunt or to travel out to the spike camp as late as 4:00pm. In other cases, it meant staying in the main camp and watching TV all day. The hunt was represented and formally contracted as a 14-day multi-species hunt, but I was only able to hunt four and half days. This happened despite my booking agent and outfitter being in camp with me while my hunt was being conducted. Despite my repeated requests for all of us to discuss the matter, individually they elected not to address the issue. Terry would simply walk away when I approached him, and my agent asked me to spare him from a potential altercation with the outfitter. For background purposes, it might be helpful to know that I am a no-frills hunter and a reasonable person who always prioritizes hunting over creature comforts. I also believe in open and honest communication, and it was disappointing to say the least to have grown men, supposedly responsible for the way a hunt is represented and conducted, to not be able to work together and provide answers to reasonable questions. Basically, my hunt was "shut down" after I took the two animals, which may have had something to do with having nine hunters in camp when I had been told there would only be six. That said, there seem to be more fundamental issues in question here, such as ignoring basic responsibility to a paying client with a written contract in hand, and having no real concern for the way clients are treated. Pando Vasilovski
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Subscriber-Written Trip Report On Pioneer Outfitters Hunts |
Below is one sample of such a Report which is made available to you FREE of Charge.
|
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DATE
AND PLACE OF HUNT |
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| Report
ID: |
3636 |
Weapon
Used: |
Rifle |
How
Hunt Was Conducted? |
Guided |
| Date
of Hunt: |
August 20, 2003 to August 30, 2003 |
| Place
of Hunt: |
United States Alaska Wrangell Mountains |
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OUTFITTER,
GUIDE AND BOOKING AGENT DETAILS |
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| Outfitter
(or safari company): |
Pioneer Outfitters. PO Box CZN; Tok; AK; 99780; Tel. 907-734-0007; Fax: 907-734-7433; |
| Personal
Guide (if any): |
Charlie Culbertson |
| Booking
Agent (if any): |
Mitch Rohlfs; Rohlfs, Mitch. 6203 Terrace Heights Dr; Yakima; WA; 98901; Tel. 509-575-0418; Email: rarexp@aol.com; |
Trip
Arrangements
(if self-guided): |
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| License
Required: |
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GAME
DESCRIPTION |
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| Major
Game Animals Taken: |
Sheep, Dall - Availability: Abundant - Trophy Size: Average. |
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| Game
Sought But Not Taken: |
Wolf - Availability: None seen. |
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| Game
Condition Comments: |
Eleven shootable rams were seen. None were really impressive, all were fat and healthy looking. A 38 inch ram would be rare here. |
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SERVICE
RATINGS (excellent, good, fair or poor) |
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| Quality
of Outfit: |
Excellent |
Guide/PH
Ability: |
Excellent |
| Condition
of Camp: |
Excellent |
Condition
of Equipment: |
Excellent |
| Quality
of Food: |
Excellent |
Trophy
Care: |
Excellent |
| Name
of Airline: |
Alaska Air |
Airline
Service: |
Excellent |
| Airline
Comments: |
Alaska is lowering baggage weight limit to 50 pounds. Full charge is made for excess weight. |
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COSTS |
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| Hunting
Fees: |
Discounted from $8,900 for 1X1. |
Amount: |
$6400 |
| Trophy Fees: |
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Amount: |
$0 |
| Permits/Licenses: |
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Amount: |
$500 |
| Commercial
Airfares: |
From Yakama, WA to Fairbanks. |
Amount: |
$700 |
| Charter Airfares: |
From Fairbanks to Chisana. |
Amount: |
$700 |
| Other Costs: |
Park service fee. |
Amount: |
$200 |
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SUMMARY
REMARKS |
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| Problems
of Hunt: |
Weather frequently causes lost days in this area. |
| Highlights
of Hunt: |
Very good horses. Experienced guides, who understand how to get an old man up the hill. |
| Equipment
Recommendations: |
Take lightweight good quality rain gear. |
| Would You
Recommend This Hunt to a Friend? |
Yes |
| Why? |
This hunt is doable for an older man in pretty good shape, but he must be able to climb. |
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HUNTER
INFORMATION |
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| Hunter
Name: |
Thomas L Perry |
| Contact
Information: |
Tel. 509-965-0569 - 4701 Hilltop Lane, Yakima, WA 98908 |
| Hunting Experience: |
50 years. |
| Physical Condition: |
I can wiggle all my fingers and toes. |
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IMPORTANT
NOTES (actions taken if hunter unhappy with hunt) |
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| Notified Outfitter? |
Notified Personal Guide? |
Notified Booking Agent? |
| Seeking any
kind of restitution or other settlement from agent, outfitter
or guide? |
| If Seeking Restitution, What is Sought? |
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|
 |
ADDITIONAL
HUNTER COMMENTS AND/OR OUTFITTER/BOOKING AGENT REBUTTAL |
 |
Subscriber-Written Trip Report On Pioneer Outfitters Hunts |
Below is one sample of such a Report which is made available to you FREE of Charge.
|
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DATE
AND PLACE OF HUNT |
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| Report
ID: |
3108 |
Weapon
Used: |
Rifle |
How
Hunt Was Conducted? |
Guided |
| Date
of Hunt: |
August 30, 2002 to September 20, 2002 |
| Place
of Hunt: |
United States Alaska Chisana |
|
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OUTFITTER,
GUIDE AND BOOKING AGENT DETAILS |
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| Outfitter
(or safari company): |
Pioneer Outfitters. PO Box CZN; Tok; AK; 99780; Tel. 907-734-0007; Fax: 907-734-7433; |
| Personal
Guide (if any): |
Jimmy "Omar" Toll |
| Booking
Agent (if any): |
Keith Atcheson; Jack Atcheson & Sons, Inc.. 3210 Ottawa St; Butte; MT; 59701; Tel. 406-782-2382; Fax: 406-723-3318;Email: office@atcheson.com; Web www.atcheson.com |
Trip
Arrangements
(if self-guided): |
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| License
Required: |
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GAME
DESCRIPTION |
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| Major
Game Animals Taken: |
Sheep, Dall - Availability: Abundant - Trophy Size: Mature ram. |
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Moose - Availability: Average - Trophy Size: 58 inches. |
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Bear, Grizzly - Availability: Average - Trophy Size: 6 foot 9 inches. |
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| Game
Sought But Not Taken: |
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| Game
Condition Comments: |
Game was plentiful. |
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SERVICE
RATINGS (excellent, good, fair or poor) |
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| Quality
of Outfit: |
Excellent |
Guide/PH
Ability: |
Excellent |
| Condition
of Camp: |
Excellent |
Condition
of Equipment: |
Excellent |
| Quality
of Food: |
Excellent |
Trophy
Care: |
Excellent |
| Name
of Airline: |
Alaska Air. |
Airline
Service: |
Fair |
| Airline
Comments: |
Very difficult to ship trophies. |
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COSTS |
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| Hunting
Fees: |
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Amount: |
$15900 |
| Trophy Fees: |
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Amount: |
$0 |
| Permits/Licenses: |
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Amount: |
$1300 |
| Commercial
Airfares: |
American-Alaska Air award ticket. |
Amount: |
$0 |
| Charter Airfares: |
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Amount: |
$700 |
| Other Costs: |
User fee St. Elisa National Park. |
Amount: |
$450 |
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SUMMARY
REMARKS |
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| Problems
of Hunt: |
Traveling with trophies. |
| Highlights
of Hunt: |
Taking all three trophies in 14 days of hunting. |
| Equipment
Recommendations: |
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| Would You
Recommend This Hunt to a Friend? |
Yes |
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HUNTER
INFORMATION |
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| Hunter
Name: |
Mark Pickering |
| Contact
Information: |
Tel. 505-281-3145 - 68 Via Entrada, Sandia Park, NM 87047 |
| Hunting Experience: |
25 years. |
| Physical Condition: |
Good. |
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IMPORTANT
NOTES (actions taken if hunter unhappy with hunt) |
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| Notified Outfitter? |
Notified Personal Guide? |
Notified Booking Agent? |
| Seeking any
kind of restitution or other settlement from agent, outfitter
or guide? |
| If Seeking Restitution, What is Sought? |
|
|
 |
ADDITIONAL
HUNTER COMMENTS AND/OR OUTFITTER/BOOKING AGENT REBUTTAL |
 |
Subscriber-Written Trip Report On Pioneer Outfitters Hunts |
Below is one sample of such a Report which is made available to you FREE of Charge.
|
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DATE
AND PLACE OF HUNT |
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| Report
ID: |
981 |
Weapon
Used: |
Rifle |
How
Hunt Was Conducted? |
Guided |
| Date
of Hunt: |
September 10, 1998 to September 30, 1998 |
| Place
of Hunt: |
United States Alaska Unit 12 |
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OUTFITTER,
GUIDE AND BOOKING AGENT DETAILS |
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| Outfitter
(or safari company): |
Pioneer Outfitters. PO Box CZN; Tok; AK; 99780; Tel. 907-734-0007; Fax: 907-734-7433; |
| Personal
Guide (if any): |
Lee and Omar |
| Booking
Agent (if any): |
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Trip
Arrangements
(if self-guided): |
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| License
Required: |
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GAME
DESCRIPTION |
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| Major
Game Animals Taken: |
Moose - Availability: Abundant - Trophy Size: |
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| Game
Sought But Not Taken: |
Bear, Grizzly - Availability: None seen |
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Sheep, Dall - Availability: Inability to climb. Guide screwed up a shot on one ram. |
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| Game
Condition Comments: |
Lots of bear and moose. Sheep have been on the decline for a few years. Still plenty of legal rams. |
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SERVICE
RATINGS (excellent, good, fair or poor) |
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| Quality
of Outfit: |
Poor |
Guide/PH
Ability: |
Fair |
| Condition
of Camp: |
Poor |
Condition
of Equipment: |
Poor |
| Quality
of Food: |
Fair |
Trophy
Care: |
Poor |
| Name
of Airline: |
US Air/ Alaska Air |
Airline
Service: |
Good |
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COSTS |
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| Hunting
Fees: |
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Amount: |
$13000 |
| Trophy Fees: |
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Amount: |
$0 |
| Permits/Licenses: |
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Amount: |
$1500 |
| Commercial
Airfares: |
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Amount: |
$1100 |
| Charter Airfares: |
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Amount: |
$600 |
| Other Costs: |
Travel/ lodging/ food |
Amount: |
$600 |
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SUMMARY
REMARKS |
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| Problems
of Hunt: |
Very unorganized. No communication with hunters. Did not provide the sheep hunt and conditions agreed upon. |
| Highlights
of Hunt: |
Being in the mountains and seeing 39 inch ram, experiencing moose hunt in the rut. |
| Equipment
Recommendations: |
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| Would You
Recommend This Hunt to a Friend? |
No |
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HUNTER
INFORMATION |
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| Hunter
Name: |
Tom Lang |
| Contact
Information: |
Tel. 814-763-2272 - 20619 Brown Road, Saegertown, PA 16433 |
| Hunting Experience: |
I have taken six bull elk, four rams, and all turkeys in North America. |
| Physical Condition: |
This year heavy. |
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IMPORTANT
NOTES (actions taken if hunter unhappy with hunt) |
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| Notified Outfitter? Yes |
Notified Personal Guide? |
Notified Booking Agent? Yes |
| Seeking any
kind of restitution or other settlement from agent, outfitter
or guide? Yes |
| If Seeking Restitution, What is Sought? |
Partial refund |
|
 |
ADDITIONAL
HUNTER COMMENTS AND/OR OUTFITTER/BOOKING AGENT REBUTTAL |
 |
Subscriber-Written Trip Report On Pioneer Outfitters Hunts |
Below is one sample of such a Report which is made available to you FREE of Charge.
|
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DATE
AND PLACE OF HUNT |
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| Report
ID: |
152 |
Weapon
Used: |
Rifle |
How
Hunt Was Conducted? |
Guided |
| Date
of Hunt: |
August 21, 1998 to August 30, 1998 |
| Place
of Hunt: |
United States Alaska Wrangell St. Elias National Park (GMU) 12 |
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OUTFITTER,
GUIDE AND BOOKING AGENT DETAILS |
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| Outfitter
(or safari company): |
Pioneer Outfitters. PO Box CZN; Tok; AK; 99780; Tel. 907-734-0007; Fax: 907-734-7433; |
| Personal
Guide (if any): |
Charly Culbertson |
| Booking
Agent (if any): |
Keith Atcheson; Jack Atcheson & Sons, Inc.. 3210 Ottawa St; Butte; MT; 59701; Tel. 406-782-2382; Fax: 406-723-3318;Email: office@atcheson.com; Web www.atcheson.com |
Trip
Arrangements
(if self-guided): |
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| License
Required: |
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GAME
DESCRIPTION |
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| Major
Game Animals Taken: |
Sheep, Dall - Availability: Average - Trophy Size: One dall ram 34 1/2 inch curl, 13 inch base |
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| Game
Sought But Not Taken: |
Wolf - Availability: Did not see any. |
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| Game
Condition Comments: |
Saw lots of sheep, but legal rams were hard to find. About 150 ewes and lambs, 11 rams of which two were legal. |
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SERVICE
RATINGS (excellent, good, fair or poor) |
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| Quality
of Outfit: |
Excellent |
Guide/PH
Ability: |
Excellent |
| Condition
of Camp: |
Excellent |
Condition
of Equipment: |
Excellent |
| Quality
of Food: |
Good |
Trophy
Care: |
Excellent |
| Name
of Airline: |
Northwest |
Airline
Service: |
Fair |
| Airline
Comments: |
They went out on strike while hunting. Had to use Alaska Air and United to get back to the Midwest. |
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COSTS |
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| Hunting
Fees: |
|
Amount: |
$6900 |
| Trophy Fees: |
|
Amount: |
$0 |
| Permits/Licenses: |
|
Amount: |
$540 |
| Commercial
Airfares: |
|
Amount: |
$587 |
| Charter Airfares: |
|
Amount: |
$575 |
| Other Costs: |
Park Tax, tips, food and lodging |
Amount: |
$1607 |
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SUMMARY
REMARKS |
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| Problems
of Hunt: |
Eleven hours of horse back riding to the camp (30 miles). Muscle cramps in legs from walking on steep rocky slopes. |
| Highlights
of Hunt: |
Shooting my full curl dall ram (my first sheep)! |
| Equipment
Recommendations: |
Good pair of boots (like Asolo). |
| Would You
Recommend This Hunt to a Friend? |
Yes |
|
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HUNTER
INFORMATION |
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| Hunter
Name: |
Dennis Zornig |
| Contact
Information: |
Tel. 319-242-0252 - 302 3rd Avenue South, Clinton, IA 52732 |
| Hunting Experience: |
I have taken two trips to Alaska for moose, caribou and grizzly bear). Thirty years of hunting in Montana, Colorado and Wyoming for elk, deer, and antelope. |
| Physical Condition: |
Fair |
|
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IMPORTANT
NOTES (actions taken if hunter unhappy with hunt) |
 |
| Notified Outfitter? |
Notified Personal Guide? |
Notified Booking Agent? |
| Seeking any
kind of restitution or other settlement from agent, outfitter
or guide? |
| If Seeking Restitution, What is Sought? |
|
|
 |
ADDITIONAL
HUNTER COMMENTS AND/OR OUTFITTER/BOOKING AGENT REBUTTAL |
 |
|