I met Ryan in a NWT sheep camp in 2021. He was guiding for a well known McKenzie Mountain outfitting camp. I was looking to hunt whitetails in Canada and Ryan suggested I come hunt with him as he owned Spot and Stalk Outdoors in the Peace River area. I should have done more research but the little I did came back positive and he had killed some really nice deer.
In early January 2022 I gave a deposit to hunt in the fall of 2023. A month prior to the hunt he said he may need to reschedule do to medical reasons. I knew he was having health issues when I met him and figured we would just push the hunt back a year. He stopped communicating and I pulled the plug a few days prior to leaving as I didn’t know if he was there to take me on the hunt.
Long story short communication was good at times and then nothing. I asked for my deposit back and he said ok. Then for the next 2.5 years it was one excuse after another. Money was in the mail, etc. He did wire me $500 on 2 separate occasions and gave me a pair of Leica Binos as collateral. I was kind during the entire ordeal even though I’d catch him in lies. He had paid me some and if I remained kind and compassionate I was hoping to get the rest of my deposit back.
Well, I finally went off on him this past week and posted my experience on FB where we share several common friends in the Canada hunting community. Once my post was made I quickly heard from some friends in Canada of his antics. Come to find out he was convicted of poaching bears in 2024 and fined $12k and lost his guide license for a year. His 2 American clients also were fined. He invited me on that bear hunt to repay his debt but I didn’t want anything to do with him and going on a hunt at this point in time. Not only was he convicted I found out he ripped off a couple of other hunters from another guide I know up there for $30k.
At least I got some of my deposit back and only lost $4k. Stay away from this deadbeat.
In early January 2022 I gave a deposit to hunt in the fall of 2023. A month prior to the hunt he said he may need to reschedule do to medical reasons. I knew he was having health issues when I met him and figured we would just push the hunt back a year. He stopped communicating and I pulled the plug a few days prior to leaving as I didn’t know if he was there to take me on the hunt.
Long story short communication was good at times and then nothing. I asked for my deposit back and he said ok. Then for the next 2.5 years it was one excuse after another. Money was in the mail, etc. He did wire me $500 on 2 separate occasions and gave me a pair of Leica Binos as collateral. I was kind during the entire ordeal even though I’d catch him in lies. He had paid me some and if I remained kind and compassionate I was hoping to get the rest of my deposit back.
Well, I finally went off on him this past week and posted my experience on FB where we share several common friends in the Canada hunting community. Once my post was made I quickly heard from some friends in Canada of his antics. Come to find out he was convicted of poaching bears in 2024 and fined $12k and lost his guide license for a year. His 2 American clients also were fined. He invited me on that bear hunt to repay his debt but I didn’t want anything to do with him and going on a hunt at this point in time. Not only was he convicted I found out he ripped off a couple of other hunters from another guide I know up there for $30k.
At least I got some of my deposit back and only lost $4k. Stay away from this deadbeat.
