Verifying information?

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Hello all;
Does anyone know if there is any way to verify success rates, ect. for various outfitters? Do the Dept of F&G keep such statistics, or do I have to go and take the word of the outfitter?
Thanks in advance.........

[Rapier]

You may ask any outfitter for a list of prior customers as refrences. Then you call the customers and ask pointed questions such as: How was the service at the airport, how about service in the field, were the rooms clean and well kept, was the food good, how about transportation, any thing wrong or any complaints at all, etc. By all means ask about the subject of the hunt. Most hunters will tell you the truth, if you ask.
Ed

[scalerman]

Just be aware that the outfitter is not likely to give you the names of people that he feels will give him a bad report.

[skeet]

Just be aware that he will NOT give you a name of an unhappy camper is more like it. Not in his best interest.. Understand... I guided waterfowl hunters for 35 yrs. One of the guide outfits I worked for was an absolute crook. He kept getting clients for 10 yrs after I quit him(after half a season). His brother was a game warden who they made a warden cause they couldn't catch him..and that is a fact. He was even worse after that.. A reputable guide will tell the truth about his success rate up to a point though. They are always upbeat for the coming year. Be careful where you go..the wolves are seriously taking a very large toll on the elk herds...and now they are turning the Mexican grey wolf loose in New Mexico and probably Aridzona. Just what we need..more animal engineering by the USFWS. S S S... ASK about wolf predation in his hunting area if you are hunting Montana Idaho or Wyoming. A tree hugging judge has shot down Montana and Idaho wolf hunting. The good ol boys don't "hunt" 'em here. S S S

[Jack]

Scalerman and Skeet make a good point- asking for references is a good idea, but be aware that the references given will be people the outfitter knows will give a good reference.
It's no different than what people do on resumes.
So, to get around that, do something called 'parallel referencing'. Call the references listed, ask them your questions, but make sure you ask this question, too: "who else was in camp with you?" Try to get contact info for those people, that are NOT references given to you by the outfitter. If you can contact a few of those people, you'll get a better picture of what to expect from the outfitter.

[popplecop]

Skeet, what state was that, that hired poachers cause they couldn't catch them. I was born and raised in a county that was notorious for deer poaching. There were 5 of us on the warden force at one time, we were hired in the 50s, 60s and early 70s. All of us took a written civil service exam, then an oral, then a hiring interview before being hired. Wisconsin is the home of Civil Service since the teens I think. Anyway the 5 of us were always accused of being hired because they couldn't catch us what a crock in our case.

[skeet]

Maryland.. At one time it really was scofflaw heaven. But things were tough so people had a tendecy to live off the land..or water. I knew this guy pretty well. He was put on the force about 1956-58. He continued to trap and hunt wherever he wanted..and had the badge to allow it.(well that's what most people back then figured)..if ya had a badge it was ok to be where you were. There was a lot of cronyism in Md at that time..politics etc. even my father was tied up in it some. He got a part time job with the State racing commission just cause he was mildly connected. The game warden was eventually made to quit because of a lot of complaints...about 1970 or so IIRC. The guy was more than mildly connected though..so he got away with what he did for a fairly long time. And when he was enforcing the law..he really was pretty good at it..and fair. He made some pretty big cases. Not all game wardens at the time were very fair. The best were very fair as long as you were straight with them. BTW we had NO deer to speak of in the 50's to early 60's. We did have waterfowl though...ducks. And in the early to mid 60's the geese..the population just exploded goose hunting was unbelievable at times..good to great at others