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Four of us had booked a trip with a guide that said he "Followed the geese". Checked his references and they looked good. We booked a trip for March 19-20-21 and sent a small deposit; didn't sign a contract.
Got to Yankton and looked at the motel he wanted us to stay in. It was a real dump so went to a Day's Inn. Rooms were the same price and they had a nice breakfast and nice field to aire the dog. When we got the guide by cell phone, he was in a bar and said he'd meet us at 6:00 A.M. next morning. Next morning at 6:30 the assistant guide showed up and took us to the field. Said the owner was drunk and couldn't get out of bed.
Got to the field and he was set up in a cut alfalfa field with no grain. The geese were feeding 40 miles north of town in the corn. He said there would be four of us and the guide. When we got there there were ten of us including the guide. He wanted to add two more the last day. The decoy spread was a joke; all socks, no shells, no design to the spread. No reason for the geese to land there. First day the ten of us got a total of six geese. We got three.
At the end of the day we told the guide we weren't coming back; we do it ourselves. The head guide met us on the way into town and cursed us out. We told him we'd signed nothing with him and he'd not met any obligation he promised to. He followed us to town, apologized, and asked what he could do to make it right. We told him we wanted to be set up in a grain field the birds were using, four men to a guide. He said he'd pull half the decoys and guide us personally.
Next morning he was drunk again and the asst. guide showed up, taking us back to the same field. I told the other guys I wouldn't go out, no use throwing good money after bad. They didn't either. He had added two more guys. We went back to a restaurant and had breakfast. While there we ran into the other four that were with us the day before; they were pissed and hadn't gone out either. We finished breakfast and went to a sport shop and met three other hunters going out with him the next day. We talked them out of it and they headed for Missouri.
Our only satisfaction was that we cost the drunken, liar nearly $1700.00 a day in guide fees. Funny though. As lousy as the guided part of the trip was, the companions were so great that we had a blast anyway. Got to work the dog on wild pheasant and she had a ball plus retrieving three geese.
Oh yah, the guides didn't have dog's either.
I guess we learned that no matter how well you check a guy out, you never are sure you won't be burned. Thank goodness we had only given him $500.00 down and we gave him not a cent more though he threatened us with the sheriff and law suits.
Here's what we learned. Get a signed contract with everything spelled out. Make them guarantee no more than your group to a blind (I'm sure everyone probably has a four person minimum). Question him on his spread and the field's he's shooting (we actually did that and he lied about it). Ask the references how long ago they hunted with the guy. Find out how long he's been in business (this guy had been at it 12 years).
I'd only go again with someone that's really an established name. Actually, like I told the other guys, we should each just buy 4 dozen decoys and do it ourselves. It would be a lot cheaper. I knew going in that there are probably more fly-by-night guides and outfitters than nearly anything else. Anyone with a few thousand bucks can become one and when you're knocking down $1500.00 a day, it looks attractive. Hell, that's good money in anyone's book!!!! They got me once, but they ain't gonna get me again. Hope the drunken [email protected]#rd goes broke.
Got to Yankton and looked at the motel he wanted us to stay in. It was a real dump so went to a Day's Inn. Rooms were the same price and they had a nice breakfast and nice field to aire the dog. When we got the guide by cell phone, he was in a bar and said he'd meet us at 6:00 A.M. next morning. Next morning at 6:30 the assistant guide showed up and took us to the field. Said the owner was drunk and couldn't get out of bed.
Got to the field and he was set up in a cut alfalfa field with no grain. The geese were feeding 40 miles north of town in the corn. He said there would be four of us and the guide. When we got there there were ten of us including the guide. He wanted to add two more the last day. The decoy spread was a joke; all socks, no shells, no design to the spread. No reason for the geese to land there. First day the ten of us got a total of six geese. We got three.
At the end of the day we told the guide we weren't coming back; we do it ourselves. The head guide met us on the way into town and cursed us out. We told him we'd signed nothing with him and he'd not met any obligation he promised to. He followed us to town, apologized, and asked what he could do to make it right. We told him we wanted to be set up in a grain field the birds were using, four men to a guide. He said he'd pull half the decoys and guide us personally.
Next morning he was drunk again and the asst. guide showed up, taking us back to the same field. I told the other guys I wouldn't go out, no use throwing good money after bad. They didn't either. He had added two more guys. We went back to a restaurant and had breakfast. While there we ran into the other four that were with us the day before; they were pissed and hadn't gone out either. We finished breakfast and went to a sport shop and met three other hunters going out with him the next day. We talked them out of it and they headed for Missouri.
Our only satisfaction was that we cost the drunken, liar nearly $1700.00 a day in guide fees. Funny though. As lousy as the guided part of the trip was, the companions were so great that we had a blast anyway. Got to work the dog on wild pheasant and she had a ball plus retrieving three geese.
Oh yah, the guides didn't have dog's either.
I guess we learned that no matter how well you check a guy out, you never are sure you won't be burned. Thank goodness we had only given him $500.00 down and we gave him not a cent more though he threatened us with the sheriff and law suits.
Here's what we learned. Get a signed contract with everything spelled out. Make them guarantee no more than your group to a blind (I'm sure everyone probably has a four person minimum). Question him on his spread and the field's he's shooting (we actually did that and he lied about it). Ask the references how long ago they hunted with the guy. Find out how long he's been in business (this guy had been at it 12 years).
I'd only go again with someone that's really an established name. Actually, like I told the other guys, we should each just buy 4 dozen decoys and do it ourselves. It would be a lot cheaper. I knew going in that there are probably more fly-by-night guides and outfitters than nearly anything else. Anyone with a few thousand bucks can become one and when you're knocking down $1500.00 a day, it looks attractive. Hell, that's good money in anyone's book!!!! They got me once, but they ain't gonna get me again. Hope the drunken [email protected]#rd goes broke.
