Outfitter Rant

[Blackstorm]

I have used my Colorado outfitter for several years and have been ecstatic in past years with what they provided, this year being the exception. I don't know if I'm right or wrong but the outfitter has several thousand acres of private land and a 13,000 acre concession on BLM that abuts their ranch. The outfitter only allows 6 hunters per gun season in each of the four gun seasons, the guides do a 2:1. I have harvested several animals on the ranch and BLM land and its generally a quality hunt. The original outfitter is transitioning out and a son in law is taking over the operations. This year started out great as one of the hunters canceled and the outfitter could not replace the hunter as draws had closed and there were no left over tags. I was placed with a hunter that only wanted to hunt the ranch which was fine with me, and the solo hunter hunted and tagged out the first day on BLM land. My guide was a sincere guy from the area but was not skilled, but this was not a problem as I had hunted it in the past and knew some of the better spots on the ranch. our group let the other pair of hunters and their guide select where they wanted to hunt and we would hunt another part of the ranch. I saw 5-6 sm groups of elk but no legal bulls the first two days, our guide mentioned this to the other guide. Here is where the issues started the other group would pick one area but within an hour or so they were in our area setting up to hunt within our sightlines. I mentioned this to our guide that I don't want them that close to our group as there was plenty of animals and grounds on the main ranch. The second night we saw some elk and backed out so they wouldn't get spooked and possibly stay in the area over night, and the told the other group that we were backing out and within 5 min they came in on their truck and roared past us to try and shoot an elk (they spooked them) . I asked to go out with the guide that tagged out with solo hunter on day one going into the BLM wilderness area on foot (about a 3-mile hike) to be away from these guys. The hike was hard but we saw elk all morning with a glimpse of one shooter. when we got up to put our stalk on these guys moved from where they were hunting to our end of the ranch about a mile and a half away and set up on the ranch border but about 800 yards away from us but we and they clearly saw each other. I called them out at dinner they need to do their own scouting and to stop poaching around me.

Was I wrong ?

I am not going back to this outfitter, I use outfitters and guides for these type hunts and I have used outfitters and guides many times and never encountered this before.
they claim that they were not poaching and the son in law was with them and he said it was OK

 

[dieselchessy]

Sounds like you need to talk to the outfitter and explain his son in laws behavior. Then find another outfitter, or try DIY public land and have a similar experience.

 

[Rich M]

Hope you didnt tip the guides. They are supposed tomwork together, not screw clients over.

Does sound like public land.

 

[AlphaK9]

That's frustrating and I would be pissed too.

 

[sndmn11]

What is a BLM concession and BLM wilderness?

Was I wrong ?

Yes. You knew other hunters would be doing the same exact thing you were. If you wanted to be the only hunter in the property, then that is the hunt you should have contracted.

 

[406RoadToad]

If you book a place with other hunters and are mad there are other hunters it’s on you.

If you had been in an area with no animals would you have expected your guide to say no we can’t go after elk on a different area of the property you had paid to hunt?