2021 Brooks Range Aviation Review

Joined
Jul 16, 2021
Messages
30
Location
Kansas
I wanted to start this review off with a disclaimer as this is only my group of 4’s experience and everyone can have difference experiences, but I still wanted to write a “short” review on our Caribou hunt we just returned from with Brooks Range Aviation. I am not trying to start any debates and really do not want any negative comments I just want to post how we felt about our experience with Brooks Range Aviation as I know when planning these type of hunts the more reviews someone can read the better.

We scheduled a drop camp Caribou hunt with BRA back in 2019 for this fall and our hunt was from 8/26-9/4. We were delayed slightly by weather and did not get out until 8/27 but we were picked up on the day we requested on 9/4. From a hunting perspective we ended up with 3 out of 4 caribou and a bonus wolf and our 4th hunter passed on many respective bulls waiting for that special bull that did not show up. Not only did we do well but of the 22 hunters that we talked to that were there either before, during, or after us 19 caribou bulls were harvested (all non-residents so only 1 per person) for an 86% success rate. There were a lot of quality respective bulls taken and it seemed like the groups that went later in the season did much better than the earlier groups.

We had a very exciting time in the field and while out hunting we saw over 1,000 caribou, 15-20 grizzlies, 5 wolves, and 2 wolverines. We also had great fishing and caught many Greyling at the lake were camped on. Overall there were lots of great memories and plenty of stories to share with for those interested in hearing more about our hunt itself and what I would recommend for that piece of the experience.

In regards to what to expect with a BRA “Caribou Hunt” itself and our experience I want to be real with a few people so you know what you are getting into. I have “Caribou Hunt” in quotes because they changed their information this year and they are no longer a big game transporter and instead do them as a Part 135 Air Carrier as an “Incident Hunt” this is info directly from Judy. In regards to picking a location you can do all the research in the world but depending on what lakes are available and what lakes the weather will allow pilots to get to you may be limited on options when you arrive. I included a photo that they have posted on the wall of half of the 15 or so lakes they have to pick from so when you arrive you will basically see what all is taken and decide where you would like to go or they may help with that depending on who they are picking up the day you are going out so they can possibly drop you off at that same lake like they are picking up a group like we did. It felt like they were more so concerned with getting people to the closest easiest lakes that would burn the least amount of fuel over going to the lakes with the best chances of killing Caribou. I fully understand Caribou do move a lot and success can be had at any of them but obviously some are going to be better at certain parts of the season than others. They have been doing this for 40 years at the same lakes so I would sure think they have a good idea when certain camps are doing well where the next best places to be are.

They mention having a bunkhouse to stay in while waiting to get into the bush or back to Fairbanks but just so everyone is clear the bunkhouse is only a small garden shed with 2 bunk beds that is approx. 10 x 14 in dimensions. If that bunkhouse is full your options are sleeping in the hangar (no door so the entire wall is open) or a $150 cabin that is about the same size as the bunkhouse and those may or may not be available. There is a shower available which is great and some decent food options in Bettles. BRA has frozen and processed foods that were not bad for a decent price (my go to cheap option was a $3.50 Totinos pizza that you could cook right in their office).



If you want real meals head over to the Bettles Lodge in town, this is also where they have beer and mixed drinks. The food was more pricey at $30-$45 a plate for dinner depending on the night, while there they basically give you 1 or 2 options for dinner but we felt it was worth it. Bettles Lodge was very inviting, we thought they were great people and honestly, I felt more at home hanging out there having a few $7 unique alaskan beers playing cards than we did around the BRA which leads me into my next point.



The biggest thing that I want people to be aware of with BRA right now is that the business is for sale (not very actively as I even was curious on a ballpark price and could not get anywhere). The whole time I was in Bettles, we arrived the afternoon of 8/25 and did not fly out until the evening of 8/27 and then another 2 full days on the back half I hardly saw Jay and only knew who he was because I asked a worker who that was walking by. As one of the owners who was in town (there are 14 people in town) the whole time I would at least think introducing himself and seeing how we were doing as we were sitting around for days inside his hangar would not have been too much to expect. Judy the other owner (husband/wife team) was not very welcoming either if I am being honest, she did not really introduce herself nor ask anyone else’s names in our party or seem to care much about me and my group. I understand that this is a DIY hunt through a “Transporter” but as a group of 4 that is about to write a $12k check to the operation I was at least expecting a little more of a warm welcoming experience while in Bettles and at the BRA headquarters from the owners and pilots. Most of the younger folks they had working/helping them were very helpful and seemed to care about us as customers and our experience. Unfortunately, the owners and pilots were very distant even though they were present and around town the whole time but they didn’t seem to want anything to do with the hunters or guests flying with them.



I do not want this to detour anyone and there are tons of great reviews on BRA but after 40 years I am afraid that until someone else buys the place and pushes a few changes and adds some more energy to the operation I may look elsewhere. If I am being honest from the time I arrived in bettles to the time I got into the field I was feeling very uneasy with the decision I made going with BRA. Like I said once we were finally in the field hunting it was completely different as we did well along with many others. The place has so much great potential but it is sad to see the place starting to fall apart a little bit.

My bull I took on the 1st day
Michael Caribou.jpg

My brothers bull took on day 5
Trevor Caribou.jpgTrevor Caribou x2.jpg

Another member of our parties bull taken on day 5
Richland Caribou.jpg

The wolf I was able to take (they are very skiddish up there)
Wolf.jpg

One of many Greyling
Greyling.jpg

The bunkhouse that is open for guests
BRA Bunk House.jpg

The map of available lakes
BRA Lake Map.jpg
 
Joined
Nov 3, 2017
Messages
1,456
Location
AK
You pretty much nailed it as far as I'm concerned. I've only flown with them once, and everyone seemed to be doing very well as far as finding animals and fishing. And it hardly seemed like people were ever delayed more than a day. So those a two huge positives.

Communication is not so great and I had the exact same read on the owners. Jay never so much as looked in our direction. Very little communication up front and it seems like a lot gets lost in the paper work. Luckily my partner took a screen shot of proof of down payment, as Judy tried to charge us full price and fought us tirelessly about the fact we already paid for half the trip (there is no wifi or phone in Bettles so there wouldn't have been a way of proving it without a screen shot). I don't think it was anything dishonest or unethical, just simply unorganized.

One of the pilots was friendly enough, but the other one was a full blown prick. He had no desire to be flying hunters, didn't say more than a couple of words to us, and basically just wanted us out of his plane. Bring a pack of lightbulbs with if flying with BRA to smoke the pilot over the head with. Maybe he'll lighten the F up.

We had a great time at the Bettles Lodge and spent a good amount of time over there. People that worked there were excellent. Also partied with the locals down at the river, which made for some pretty wild stories.
I've flown with TONS of small operators across AK for work and play, and BRA is right at the bottom for communication and organization. Congrats on a successful hunt!
 

AKBorn

WKR
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
639
Location
Tennessee
Thanks for your honest review, glad you guys saw a lot of animals and had fun in the field. I have run into people in AK who have been in the services business too long and need to move on to something else, I try to steer far clear of them these days. Doesn't cost much time or effort to make customers feel welcome, but some never seem to get it or are too burnt out to care...
 

Gznokes

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
122
Location
Utah
I wanted to start this review off with a disclaimer as this is only my group of 4’s experience and everyone can have difference experiences, but I still wanted to write a “short” review on our Caribou hunt we just returned from with Brooks Range Aviation. I am not trying to start any debates and really do not want any negative comments I just want to post how we felt about our experience with Brooks Range Aviation as I know when planning these type of hunts the more reviews someone can read the better.

We scheduled a drop camp Caribou hunt with BRA back in 2019 for this fall and our hunt was from 8/26-9/4. We were delayed slightly by weather and did not get out until 8/27 but we were picked up on the day we requested on 9/4. From a hunting perspective we ended up with 3 out of 4 caribou and a bonus wolf and our 4th hunter passed on many respective bulls waiting for that special bull that did not show up. Not only did we do well but of the 22 hunters that we talked to that were there either before, during, or after us 19 caribou bulls were harvested (all non-residents so only 1 per person) for an 86% success rate. There were a lot of quality respective bulls taken and it seemed like the groups that went later in the season did much better than the earlier groups.

We had a very exciting time in the field and while out hunting we saw over 1,000 caribou, 15-20 grizzlies, 5 wolves, and 2 wolverines. We also had great fishing and caught many Greyling at the lake were camped on. Overall there were lots of great memories and plenty of stories to share with for those interested in hearing more about our hunt itself and what I would recommend for that piece of the experience.

In regards to what to expect with a BRA “Caribou Hunt” itself and our experience I want to be real with a few people so you know what you are getting into. I have “Caribou Hunt” in quotes because they changed their information this year and they are no longer a big game transporter and instead do them as a Part 135 Air Carrier as an “Incident Hunt” this is info directly from Judy. In regards to picking a location you can do all the research in the world but depending on what lakes are available and what lakes the weather will allow pilots to get to you may be limited on options when you arrive. I included a photo that they have posted on the wall of half of the 15 or so lakes they have to pick from so when you arrive you will basically see what all is taken and decide where you would like to go or they may help with that depending on who they are picking up the day you are going out so they can possibly drop you off at that same lake like they are picking up a group like we did. It felt like they were more so concerned with getting people to the closest easiest lakes that would burn the least amount of fuel over going to the lakes with the best chances of killing Caribou. I fully understand Caribou do move a lot and success can be had at any of them but obviously some are going to be better at certain parts of the season than others. They have been doing this for 40 years at the same lakes so I would sure think they have a good idea when certain camps are doing well where the next best places to be are.

They mention having a bunkhouse to stay in while waiting to get into the bush or back to Fairbanks but just so everyone is clear the bunkhouse is only a small garden shed with 2 bunk beds that is approx. 10 x 14 in dimensions. If that bunkhouse is full your options are sleeping in the hangar (no door so the entire wall is open) or a $150 cabin that is about the same size as the bunkhouse and those may or may not be available. There is a shower available which is great and some decent food options in Bettles. BRA has frozen and processed foods that were not bad for a decent price (my go to cheap option was a $3.50 Totinos pizza that you could cook right in their office).



If you want real meals head over to the Bettles Lodge in town, this is also where they have beer and mixed drinks. The food was more pricey at $30-$45 a plate for dinner depending on the night, while there they basically give you 1 or 2 options for dinner but we felt it was worth it. Bettles Lodge was very inviting, we thought they were great people and honestly, I felt more at home hanging out there having a few $7 unique alaskan beers playing cards than we did around the BRA which leads me into my next point.



The biggest thing that I want people to be aware of with BRA right now is that the business is for sale (not very actively as I even was curious on a ballpark price and could not get anywhere). The whole time I was in Bettles, we arrived the afternoon of 8/25 and did not fly out until the evening of 8/27 and then another 2 full days on the back half I hardly saw Jay and only knew who he was because I asked a worker who that was walking by. As one of the owners who was in town (there are 14 people in town) the whole time I would at least think introducing himself and seeing how we were doing as we were sitting around for days inside his hangar would not have been too much to expect. Judy the other owner (husband/wife team) was not very welcoming either if I am being honest, she did not really introduce herself nor ask anyone else’s names in our party or seem to care much about me and my group. I understand that this is a DIY hunt through a “Transporter” but as a group of 4 that is about to write a $12k check to the operation I was at least expecting a little more of a warm welcoming experience while in Bettles and at the BRA headquarters from the owners and pilots. Most of the younger folks they had working/helping them were very helpful and seemed to care about us as customers and our experience. Unfortunately, the owners and pilots were very distant even though they were present and around town the whole time but they didn’t seem to want anything to do with the hunters or guests flying with them.



I do not want this to detour anyone and there are tons of great reviews on BRA but after 40 years I am afraid that until someone else buys the place and pushes a few changes and adds some more energy to the operation I may look elsewhere. If I am being honest from the time I arrived in bettles to the time I got into the field I was feeling very uneasy with the decision I made going with BRA. Like I said once we were finally in the field hunting it was completely different as we did well along with many others. The place has so much great potential but it is sad to see the place starting to fall apart a little bit.

My bull I took on the 1st day
View attachment 324944

My brothers bull took on day 5
View attachment 324945View attachment 324946

Another member of our parties bull taken on day 5
View attachment 324947

The wolf I was able to take (they are very skiddish up there)
View attachment 324948

One of many Greyling
View attachment 324949

The bunkhouse that is open for guests
View attachment 324950

The map of available lakes
View attachment 324951
Thank you for your comments and your statistics. I felt like the post was fair and even handed and included the pros and cons of the trip. I agree with you when you observe that it was strange that the owner didn't interact with you and that some of the employees didn't share at least a little bit of excitement. By the way, well done on your hunt. Some beautiful bulls and net/net you guys did the hunt right.
 
OP
mikenelson9091
Joined
Jul 16, 2021
Messages
30
Location
Kansas
I’ve used them twice with 3 other guys. Had good success both times. I guess I don’t need to be welcomed or my ass kissed by the owners at any place I’ve went. I just want what they are advertising and they did that for us both times.
I agree they did what they were advertising. I really tried to make sure that my review was honest and hope it did not come off that I was bad mouthing them by any means. They definitely put hunters on animals as I lead off my review with but I wanted those going up there to have an idea of what to expect before and after you are in the field if that matters to those booking with them. One of the main reasons that I posted this was that I ran into other hunting parties that were using BRA while we were there that all did their research on the forums as well and we all kind of felt that it was a bit different than we had expected based on what is out there on them. Hunters who have used many transporters in AK may be more used to that type of service so it might not come to as much of a surprise as it did to me. With the price of this hunt and all the podcasts and youtubers out there I see more people going for a DIY caribou hunt in the upcoming years as I would consider it to be one of those entry level true Big Game Hunts once you are past the deer, antelope, and elk. This post was more for those people so they have an idea of my experience so they have realistic expectations when they get to make this trip which I hope many people do.
 
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
13
You pretty much nailed it as far as I'm concerned. I've only flown with them once, and everyone seemed to be doing very well as far as finding animals and fishing. And it hardly seemed like people were ever delayed more than a day. So those a two huge positives.

Communication is not so great and I had the exact same read on the owners. Jay never so much as looked in our direction. Very little communication up front and it seems like a lot gets lost in the paper work. Luckily my partner took a screen shot of proof of down payment, as Judy tried to charge us full price and fought us tirelessly about the fact we already paid for half the trip (there is no wifi or phone in Bettles so there wouldn't have been a way of proving it without a screen shot). I don't think it was anything dishonest or unethical, just simply unorganized.

One of the pilots was friendly enough, but the other one was a full blown prick. He had no desire to be flying hunters, didn't say more than a couple of words to us, and basically just wanted us out of his plane. Bring a pack of lightbulbs with if flying with BRA to smoke the pilot over the head with. Maybe he'll lighten the F up.

We had a great time at the Bettles Lodge and spent a good amount of time over there. People that worked there were excellent. Also partied with the locals down at the river, which made for some pretty wild stories.
I've flown with TONS of small operators across AK for work and play, and BRA is right at the bottom for communication and organization. Congrats on a successful hunt!
I could copy and paste this story as it mirrors my experience as well. Communication was frustrating and I ran into the exact same problem with proof of payment. I also just so happened to have a screenshot of both my convo with BRA and proof of deposit. Even with that shown to them, we argued for quite some time.

Before arriving to Pump Station 5, we had very very very sporatic responses from BRA to the point where I was nervous about making the drive up from Fairbanks without at least getting some kind of response before hitting the road.

Our group went 3 for 6, with 2 of the others having the necessary opportunities. That being said, we had no room for error. I shot the only shooter bull I saw and it just happened to be a very nice bull and on the 2nd to last day. All 3 bulls in our group were indeed exceptional trophies, but 3 folks ate tag soup. A group was on our lake right before we arrived, so we did have to deal with some trash, fecal piles and bears on carcasses in the general vicinity. We went the last week of August and only had 2 good weather days out of 8. I would estimate that we saw approximately 100 total caribou in the 8 days. No bugs though!

BRA left a little to be desired on their end but it also was a very "value" type trip.

Might I add for those doing research. The terrain was unforgiving. I don't know how in the hell you train for tussocks, but it was really really tough. I had a rough time and I was in decent shape.
 

AKBorn

WKR
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
639
Location
Tennessee
"The biggest thing that I want people to be aware of with BRA right now is that the business is for sale (not very actively as I even was curious on a ballpark price and could not get anywhere)."

This should be a big red flag for future DIY caribou hunters. Dropping a deposit with a company that is trying to sell can be a good way to lose a deposit, and there's a big risk of whomever buys the outfit not meeting whatever expectation the company sellers put in your head....
 

Lrs183

FNG
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
37
Great read and fun seeing the pictures. I do have to say I side more with the original poster than those saying basically suck it up.

I don't expect to argue with an outfit that I've paid thousands to as a down payment aa to whether I actually paid that or not. I expect them to have their house in order when talking money, especially when internet service isn't easily accessible. It's important to have matters in order.

As a hunter, I wouldn't expect to be 'catered to' but I would expect to be treated as someone who's valuable. They sound like they're riding on their name at this point rather than providing an experience from a to z like they likely used to at one point. If they don't sell soon, this will probably catch up to them over the years.

It's no different than being on a charter fishing boat or going to a restaurant. I don't particularly care if I'm your 5000th customer of the year. I expect to be treated like my several grand matters to your paycheck. If you're that burned out then get out.

Then again, perhaps I was raised different. When I go to work I treat my co workers and clients with decency and they matter. Am I perfect every day? Of course not. But they don't feel like they're dealing with people who couldn't give a hoot if they're there or not.
 

mooster

WKR
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Messages
599
I wanted to start this review off with a disclaimer as this is only my group of 4’s experience and everyone can have difference experiences, but I still wanted to write a “short” review on our Caribou hunt we just returned from with Brooks Range Aviation. I am not trying to start any debates and really do not want any negative comments I just want to post how we felt about our experience with Brooks Range Aviation as I know when planning these type of hunts the more reviews someone can read the better.

We scheduled a drop camp Caribou hunt with BRA back in 2019 for this fall and our hunt was from 8/26-9/4. We were delayed slightly by weather and did not get out until 8/27 but we were picked up on the day we requested on 9/4. From a hunting perspective we ended up with 3 out of 4 caribou and a bonus wolf and our 4th hunter passed on many respective bulls waiting for that special bull that did not show up. Not only did we do well but of the 22 hunters that we talked to that were there either before, during, or after us 19 caribou bulls were harvested (all non-residents so only 1 per person) for an 86% success rate. There were a lot of quality respective bulls taken and it seemed like the groups that went later in the season did much better than the earlier groups.

We had a very exciting time in the field and while out hunting we saw over 1,000 caribou, 15-20 grizzlies, 5 wolves, and 2 wolverines. We also had great fishing and caught many Greyling at the lake were camped on. Overall there were lots of great memories and plenty of stories to share with for those interested in hearing more about our hunt itself and what I would recommend for that piece of the experience.

In regards to what to expect with a BRA “Caribou Hunt” itself and our experience I want to be real with a few people so you know what you are getting into. I have “Caribou Hunt” in quotes because they changed their information this year and they are no longer a big game transporter and instead do them as a Part 135 Air Carrier as an “Incident Hunt” this is info directly from Judy. In regards to picking a location you can do all the research in the world but depending on what lakes are available and what lakes the weather will allow pilots to get to you may be limited on options when you arrive. I included a photo that they have posted on the wall of half of the 15 or so lakes they have to pick from so when you arrive you will basically see what all is taken and decide where you would like to go or they may help with that depending on who they are picking up the day you are going out so they can possibly drop you off at that same lake like they are picking up a group like we did. It felt like they were more so concerned with getting people to the closest easiest lakes that would burn the least amount of fuel over going to the lakes with the best chances of killing Caribou. I fully understand Caribou do move a lot and success can be had at any of them but obviously some are going to be better at certain parts of the season than others. They have been doing this for 40 years at the same lakes so I would sure think they have a good idea when certain camps are doing well where the next best places to be are.

They mention having a bunkhouse to stay in while waiting to get into the bush or back to Fairbanks but just so everyone is clear the bunkhouse is only a small garden shed with 2 bunk beds that is approx. 10 x 14 in dimensions. If that bunkhouse is full your options are sleeping in the hangar (no door so the entire wall is open) or a $150 cabin that is about the same size as the bunkhouse and those may or may not be available. There is a shower available which is great and some decent food options in Bettles. BRA has frozen and processed foods that were not bad for a decent price (my go to cheap option was a $3.50 Totinos pizza that you could cook right in their office).



If you want real meals head over to the Bettles Lodge in town, this is also where they have beer and mixed drinks. The food was more pricey at $30-$45 a plate for dinner depending on the night, while there they basically give you 1 or 2 options for dinner but we felt it was worth it. Bettles Lodge was very inviting, we thought they were great people and honestly, I felt more at home hanging out there having a few $7 unique alaskan beers playing cards than we did around the BRA which leads me into my next point.



The biggest thing that I want people to be aware of with BRA right now is that the business is for sale (not very actively as I even was curious on a ballpark price and could not get anywhere). The whole time I was in Bettles, we arrived the afternoon of 8/25 and did not fly out until the evening of 8/27 and then another 2 full days on the back half I hardly saw Jay and only knew who he was because I asked a worker who that was walking by. As one of the owners who was in town (there are 14 people in town) the whole time I would at least think introducing himself and seeing how we were doing as we were sitting around for days inside his hangar would not have been too much to expect. Judy the other owner (husband/wife team) was not very welcoming either if I am being honest, she did not really introduce herself nor ask anyone else’s names in our party or seem to care much about me and my group. I understand that this is a DIY hunt through a “Transporter” but as a group of 4 that is about to write a $12k check to the operation I was at least expecting a little more of a warm welcoming experience while in Bettles and at the BRA headquarters from the owners and pilots. Most of the younger folks they had working/helping them were very helpful and seemed to care about us as customers and our experience. Unfortunately, the owners and pilots were very distant even though they were present and around town the whole time but they didn’t seem to want anything to do with the hunters or guests flying with them.



I do not want this to detour anyone and there are tons of great reviews on BRA but after 40 years I am afraid that until someone else buys the place and pushes a few changes and adds some more energy to the operation I may look elsewhere. If I am being honest from the time I arrived in bettles to the time I got into the field I was feeling very uneasy with the decision I made going with BRA. Like I said once we were finally in the field hunting it was completely different as we did well along with many others. The place has so much great potential but it is sad to see the place starting to fall apart a little bit.

My bull I took on the 1st day
View attachment 324944

My brothers bull took on day 5
View attachment 324945View attachment 324946

Another member of our parties bull taken on day 5
View attachment 324947

The wolf I was able to take (they are very skiddish up there)
View attachment 324948

One of many Greyling
View attachment 324949

The bunkhouse that is open for guests
View attachment 324950

The map of available lakes
View attachment 324951
Thx for taking the time to document your experience. I felt the same with ARtic A. They took my money for a bus ticket. Only problem
Is it was a ticket for a camping trip more than hunting. Your post will educate many on their qualities & performance, good and bad. Well done. Congrats on some nice animals.
 

carter33

WKR
Joined
Apr 12, 2017
Messages
473
Location
Fairbanks
I also agree that a certain level of service/hospitality is expected when spending thousands of dollars. I don’t have the most experience flying into the backcountry but out of 4 different operators I have flown with I would fly with 3 again. The 1 that I wouldn’t was because of the attitude and the feeling that they dropped me as short as possible to get to the next person. Not a real great feeling. To summarize that by saying someone wants their “ass kissed” sounds an awful lot like something CNN
paraphrase. Not unreasonable to hope for a shred of hospitality in a new place.

I have been stuck in some pretty remote places over night and even a tip from the pilot on where to go catch some grayling makes a lot of difference.

I will also add though you get what you pay for and that has held especially true in my experience on drop hunts in Alaska.
 

bmrfish

WKR
Joined
Aug 15, 2015
Messages
326
Sounds like you had a great hunt! All the other stuff is just color in the full remote Alaska experience.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

rayporter

WKR
Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
4,250
Location
arkansas or ohio
they were the rudest people i have have ever paid money to.

they lost our gear and lied about it. a young chap that unloaded the commercial cargo plane said our stuff had arrived. they must have sent it out with someone else!

tried to delay us for 2 days cause they wanted to have a flight in to pick up hunters when they took us out.

and just for the record-that hanger floor is cold!
 

Larry Bartlett

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Messages
1,502
it's a shame really, what happens to bush services with age. Jay has been sickly for years and barely gettin' it done. They've put a lot of successful guys like us in the field for longer than I've been using them (23 years).

They may not sell the business the way they want, but someone will fill their shoes. Let's hope they have a conscience and conservative approach to those GPS coordinates collected over the past 3 decades by BRA...
 

Ono

FNG
Joined
Sep 29, 2015
Messages
95
Location
Washington
Flew with them in 2019. Communication seemed to be par for a trasporter/outfitter, especially as the season got close. Comms get increasingly sporadic. Important communications while we were in the field were on time. We slept/cooked in the hangar before and after, no complaints here. Slept in some bad places throughout the years, but this was not one of them. Jay drove us to and from the otter and beavers. We had the choice of drop site. They provided a spot to debone and room in the freezer to get some meat chilled on the back end. Hangar also has a functional shower. White gas and canisters were provided by BRA. As above, they provided the service advertised. Was it a red carpet with in flight service, no. Food and beer in Bettles is expensive. Postal rates on banana boxes out of bettles isn't too bad though.

Being accused of not paying a deposit when you had, is unprofessional and crappy service, sorry you had to deal with that. I would have been annoyed.

A little unclear about the losing gear post. Bettles isn't SEATAC. In general, seems like there's some lack of 3rd world/bush/outfitter travel experience in the posts above that met reality.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 

KU_Geo

WKR
Joined
Sep 18, 2015
Messages
702
Location
Golden CO
Good review and it looks like you had a great trip. As for your comments on “customer Service”, I had a similar experience in 2013. Glad to see that at least they are consistent😃….
 

rayporter

WKR
Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
4,250
Location
arkansas or ohio
A little unclear about the losing gear post. Bettles isn't SEATAC. In general, seems like there's some lack of 3rd world/bush/outfitter travel experience in the posts above that met reality.

let me explain about the gear. a raft and a package consisting of oars and a rowing frame and a food box were unloaded by the young fellow and put in the hanger. when i arrived for my trip only the raft remained. so someone took our gear.

to me this is losing it. she flat out lied and said it did not arrive after the kid said he had unloaded it and put it right there.
 
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