John here, thanks to those who sent a heads up. For the record I am not the outfitter, I am a guide who also handles the bookings, scheduling etc. Every year we offer one, sometimes two hunts for guys who can't afford a regular stone sheep hunt, it is a 10 day hunt as opposed to our usual 14 and it is later than our usual sheep hunts so the weather can be an issue. That said it has worked well in the past to get Average Joes their stone or at least a consolation caribou and/or mountain goat, plus it keeps my guides busy before the moose rut. When Bradley VanHoose first contacted me he was looking for a cheap way to get his Stone, I offered to book him on a discount caribou hunt with a sheep on trophy fee, he was aware we would not hunt optimal caribou country but the hunt cost was only 9,000 (plus license, tags, charter and tax), in short we would make our profit only if we got him a ram. The summer before Brad's hunt I had a cancellation on a full length sheep hunt which I offered to Brad at no extra charge, he turned it down and the hunter who did book killed a 13 year old ram and a billy goat, if you have the time the hunt was filmed and is a really good production.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVF8TjTBSY0 On the Brad VanHoose hunt the weather was tough, float plane into camp was delayed and they did not connect on a ram. Brad was then offered the same hunt for 2016 at our cost 8,700 (plus license, tags and charter) while he argued about the price, I couldn't do it for less than cost, and he re-booked for 2016. This summer he sent me a email wanting ''to make sure there are animals to hunt'' seeing this exact scenario unfolding I offered him a full refund of his deposit which he turned down. This year turned out tough as well, not just for us but in many sheep areas, he saw over 60 sheep but no shooter quality rams. He left on good terms, told the guide he would be back and then got home and changed his mind. Brad told me to send him 15,000$ or "it will get ugly on social media".
This is our 10th year running CSO, we have taken over 300 hunters and harvested dozens Boone and Crockett animals. The outfitter and I have always been the last people paid and we have gone to extreme, sometimes humorous lengths to make sure guys are satisfied. Clearly we can't win them all. I encourage anyone who is interested to check us out on our website or on Facebook, we've been fortunate to get some really great trophies in the toughest, prettiest country around. Oh and ''ok'' moose? last year we killed 17 bulls that green/grossed over 180, all the way to 218. All the best gentlemen. John
