Alaska Challenge Guide Service

[FAFO23]

I want to tell my story so that maybe I can get the word out about this guy and save someone the time and money that he cost me. His name is Craig Hill, Alaska Challenge Guide Service.
Before I booked with him, I did plenty of research. Web searches and calling many of the references on his web site. Web searches yielded very little information but the calls to references were all positive. The stories from them are all consistent and told of a hard-working conscientious outfitter. The one thing that bothered me was that all references are from 2018 or earlier. After many conversations with Craig Hill and countless text messages/emails I felt comfortable and booked a 14-day brown bear hunt.
The hunt started on 9/25/24. I actually started to feel a little uncomfortable shortly after meeting up with Craig in Anchorage, he seemed disorganized and chaotic. Weather delayed us a day getting to camp for one day. The camp we flew into was at Cape Yakataga, about 100 miles east of Cordova. This is when I knew it wasn't going to go well. Upon landing we opened a storage container that contained an Argo and a 4 wheeler. Both were in horrible condition and would not start. After working on the Argo we traveled about a mile to camp. Upon arriving at the "cabin" (actually a 12x16 garden shed) I entered to find it full of rotten food and piles of dirty dishes from the spring hunt. It stunk bad. My first job as a paying hunter was to clean frying pans full of rotten grease, not what I expected. At this point it is obvious that no one had been there since spring. Craig is now cursing and yelling as he tries to get one of three generators running.
I could have lived with all of that if he had made reasonable effort to hunt but instead him and my guide slept late. I approached him and told him my concerns and was met with indifference. Then when I did get my guide to leave camp, I realized that he had no idea where to go. I ask him what was going on and he informed me that he had never been there before. 4 out of the 5 guides had never been there. I never did get him up early to hunt. There were 4 other hunters in camp that will tell you similar stories.
Back to the equipment issues, we were promised top notch Argos,4 wheelers and jet boats. It was all junk and most inoperable. A couple of the other hunters spent the first two days trying to get a couple machines running. They installed a starter on an Argo and mounted a boat motor with hopes of using them.
This is already too long but does not cover anywhere near all the problems we had. I will list a few more.
Drug and Alcohol use by several of the guides, with one guide having really crazy behavior one night.
Two hunters and a guide stranded in the bush 20 miles from camp for 4 nights due to equipment breakdown.
A 4-wheeler lost to the tide after a failed rescue attempt.
Jet boat left by Craig to close to the ocean was upside down and damaged after tide came in.
I could go on and on. I really never hunted and the trip was absolutely miserable.
I am realistic about these hunts, if I don't kill an animal or even see one I would be ok as long as there is reasonable effort made. It was not

I was there. This is just a fraction of the things that went on there at camp.

 

[FAAFO]

I was there. This is just a fraction of the things that went on there at camp.

Did you leave with your butt hurting?

 

[FAFO23]

Did you leave with your butt hurting?

Wtf? Are you ok? Or just a child?

 

[FAAFO]

Wtf? Are you ok? Or just a child?

Hey I’m just spitballing here since you’re being so coy.

You didn’t answer the question

 

[hamkyl16]

Thought this outfitter got shut down… he’s known for using the refuge with no permit, ect. Thanks for sharing. There’s other legit outfits like Expedition Lodge if you want to hunt that unit.

 

[Skidoo850]

UPDATE: The Alaska State Troopers flew into Cape Yakataga last Wednesday and shut this guy down!!! Apparently, he was hunting this area without a permit. His permit had expired last December. The sad thing is there were three hunters that had just arrived and had to leave.
I filed my formal complaint last Monday, I would like to think that maybe it caused someone to take a look and triggered this.

 

[FAAFO]

UPDATE: The Alaska State Troopers flew into Cape Yakataga last Wednesday and shut this guy down!!! Apparently, he was hunting this area without a permit. His permit had expired last December. The sad thing is there were three hunters that had just arrived and had to leave.
I filed my formal complaint last Monday, I would like to think that maybe it caused someone to take a look and triggered this.

Thanks for the update!