Search results

  1. alaska_bou

    Leica apo-televid vs Kowa Prominar. Need input

    Great choice! I also bought a 66. It is my new favorite.
  2. alaska_bou

    Record Book or Throw the Book

    I think all record books have become a bit of a joke. Boone and Crockett, with their "principals of fair chase" BS, allows desert sheep taken from Mexico's Rancho La Guardia (a high fenced ranch) to be entered into their record books. The ranch has a high perimeter fence on three sides, and an...
  3. alaska_bou

    Leica apo-televid vs Kowa Prominar. Need input

    Just a few years ago I had owned the Kowa 85 (Prominar), the Swaro 85 and the Leica 82 (APO) at the same time, and I compared them side by side on three different tripods at dusk. It was a great comparison as I could resolve the branches of dead trees on top of a mountain at four miles with good...
  4. alaska_bou

    NZ Trophy Export costs

    The last time I hunted NZ I took my trophies home as checked luggage. I flew through LAX and has zero problems. The conservation dept in Christchurch can issue a stamped/notarized letter authenticating the origination of harvest, and the only document needed on the US side is a 3-177 form as...
  5. alaska_bou

    NZ Stag Outfitters

    In New Zealand you have two choices: wild and free range hunts for stags that are realistically going to score in the mid 200" range (they will not exceed 300"), or you can hunt inside a high-fenced estate for stags ranging from 300" up to and exceeding 1,000" these days. I have hunted NZ a few...
  6. alaska_bou

    Tipping

    I have had outfitters tell me that overtipping can be a problem, especially in third-world countries, as it can easily condition the packers, guides, trackers, etc, to work harder for one perceived demographic of clients than another.
  7. alaska_bou

    Tipping

    When every one of the above examples suggests 10% to 20%, it doesn't take a genius to average those numbers. You are totally right, I must not be in the industry, and I must not have been on over 50 guided hunts on every continent over the last 20 years, so clearly you know better than I do :)
  8. alaska_bou

    Tipping

    Here is one: https://www.huntinfool.com/articles/type/staff-articles/how-much-should-i-tip And another from Montana guide: All hunts are fair chase. We will need to see your Montana hunting or fishing licenses and we will need to fill out liability release forms before you begin hunting. Please...
  9. alaska_bou

    Tipping

    Sometimes the best tip is seeing the guy that trained all year “running” all the newest gear struggle on the mountain. The big tip comes when he says he’s a long range shooter and wiffs a 200 yard shot. At that point I feel rich beyond belief 🤣 Hunts ending early are lame anyhow… This comment...
  10. alaska_bou

    Ak moose drop camp guide reference

    I hunted with Renfros once, and I had a very mixed experience. I regret not going with Papa Bear as I have never heard a single negative thing about them. Wade takes A LOT of unguided hunters (I think over 100 annually now), and your experience can be very dependent on the luck-of-the-draw...
  11. alaska_bou

    Tipping

    I shake my head when I see more and more outfitters imposing higher tip suggestions on their clients, with some claiming 15-20% of the total hunt price is "normal." What you heard on the podcast is spot-on, imo. I generally think a 10% tip is good on any hunt, anywhere in the world. That said, I...
  12. alaska_bou

    Audad Sheep Hunt -Desert Safaris texas - Sketchy Situation

    I would bet the reason Hunter couldn't give you directions was because he didn't have a place sorted out for you to hunt. I appreciate you sharing your story, and congrats on a beautiful bull in Alberta!
  13. alaska_bou

    Planning a once in a lifetime sheep hunt

    I would not avoid Alaska. What I would avoid are the outfitters who prioritize money/bookings over hunter opportunity by continuing to take more hunters than their area can realistically provide for. Two AK outfitters jump to mind; one who has been 100% on opportunity over the last three years...
  14. alaska_bou

    Overpowered with a 10x32. Maybe going to B series Maven

    I have a pair of Maven B.3 series in 8x30. Build quality and the optics are good for the price point. I would caution the practicality of a 6x bino. I think the 8x would be ideal if you want something easier to hand hold and with a wider FOV than the 10's.
  15. alaska_bou

    Rancho La Guarida, Mexico. Do B&C's "fair chase" principals have a price tag?

    I realize that. I am asking why, on this ranch, B&C is allowing record book entries of desert sheep taken in a high fenced environment.
  16. alaska_bou

    Rancho La Guarida, Mexico. Do B&C's "fair chase" principals have a price tag?

    Rancho La Guarida is a 20,000 acre ranch in Chihuahua, Mexico, that is surrounded by a high fence on three sides, with an inescapable canyon on the fourth side. At a sports show a few years ago, the owner, Jose, showed me photos of live rams that were available to hunt, and I noticed they had...
  17. alaska_bou

    2026 Kyrgyzstan Ibex Hunt?

    In the past it has taken 24hours so we could bring trophies home in our luggage. But now it has been taking 2 weeks. They just launched a new website to issue them. So hopefully that resolves the issues. The trophies from our groups this year just hit the USA. The cost of export and shipping was...
  18. alaska_bou

    Anybody hunted Kamchatka lately?

    I know a guy who did in 2022. He hunted sheep and bear, but he said his trophies are unlikely to ever be exported from sanctions on Russian commerce. If you are looking at moose, you should understand the biggest bulls are killed in November and December by running them down on a snowmobile...
  19. alaska_bou

    Pending Toyota Recall

    Mine is a platinum, so I can't relate to this comment. My guess is you either have or have looked at a lower trim SR or SR5?
  20. alaska_bou

    Pending Toyota Recall

    Pick one of the aftermarket options and add them. Problem solved.

Latest posts

Featured Video

Latest Articles

Back
Top