Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cassair Stone Outfitters

I've sheep hunted with this outfitter for the past 2 years. Although the guides work hard and they have good horses and decent equipment, their area is lacking the number of sheep for a quality hunt. I saw 3 small rams on my first hunt and 3 small rams on my second. John Schapansky is who you will deal with but unfortunately he doesn't return telephone calls or emails on a regular basis. They offer a base hunt + trophy fee option which is nice but it's basically a discounted hunt with poor success. I guess they do ok on their moose hunts but I would not recommend sheep hunting with them. I felt obligated to post my experience with this outfitter so others don't make the same mistake I did. The good news is I'm already booked with a different outfitter for 2018.

Welcome to the'Fire????

Your first post and it's to bitch about an outfitter?

Ed

Real sure you aren't trying to spell Cassiar ?

GFY

Sometimes you see lots of sheep sometimes you don't, that's hunting........

And you made that mistake two years in a row?

cut the guy some slack he may be honestly trying to say you from his mistakes or maybe he just has a beef with this outfitter. Welcome to the Campfire Sheep Hunter

Of course there is also the issue of the "small sheep", were they half curls or legal rams you turned down?

Wild guess...but you wont see too many more posts from him...

....Nope

Had the OP included.

"I have memoed John Schapansky a copy of this post, identified myself by my given name, and provided him a link to this page, in case he cares to tell HIS side of the story"

....well, I'd be interested in seeing what was involved, and disinclined to call this another case of back shooting.

doesn't seem to be the case though.

GTC

For what Stone sheep hunting costs, you expect more than a camping trip. That said, it was my third trip before I had a chance at a sheep I wanted.

Interesting responses to my "first post." I was trying to be helpful. I've been lucky enough to go on many hunts around the world and have done sheep hunts in the past. I know first hand about how it should work and what sheep hunting is like. I guess I'm confused..... instead of attacking my "first post", consider it a helpful insight. I posted it to inform not complain. If you are going to invest the time and money in a hunt.... I would welcomed any insight. The reason I went back a second time was because they discounted the hunt and I hoped that I was just unlucky the first time. I welcome any comments and would be happy to share the full experience if any one is interested. Also, I'm happy to provide John's contact information so you can get the full story.

Thanks for the report

I think the reason the comments were made is because when your first post is as it was, it sounds like you have an axe to grind, and a grudge, rather than joining for other reasons.

I can understand your frustration with the outfitter.

But, I can also see the other side of the coin of having someone hunt and hold the outfitter responsible for everything. Including the nature of hunting itself, the weather, and lady luck.

Hope you have more success hunting with another outfit.

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

I guess it would have been more tactful to ease into the forum instead of posting an apparently controversial topic. I honestly thought I was doing a good thing by sharing. I'm new to the forum and will try to post more positive topics and be more cautious on what I share publically. More importantly, I hope to add something to the forum and provide information that is helpful.

"Brad told me to send him 15,000$ or "it will get ugly on social media".

Well, at least you're a man of your word.

GFY

John,
I appreciate your response finally. It's unfortunate that we are discussing this on a forum but at least there is some dialogue now. Just to clarify, I was never looking for a cheap sheep hunt. All I ever wanted was a good hunt with the goal to take a representative animal. I never threatened anyone but simply asked if any scouting was done prior to my hunt so as not to have a repeat scenario. If I remember correctly, you became very defensive regarding you outfit which is to be expected. According to my guide, no scouting was done because of your ibex hunt in Kyrgyzstan. As far as my post on this forum, it worked!! You had to respond and at least attempt to justify why my hunt went the way it did. By the way, when the guide and wrangler ask if I'm going to return it seemed more appropriate at the time to say yes to avoid an uncomfortable discussion. Nevertheless, I appreciate you taking the time to respond and wish you would have handled this differently.

Thanks for the posting OP. our experience and communication of it, may help others make a decision on where to hunt sheep.
Sounds like you were unhappy with the hunt or better said lack of opportunity. Can't disagree with you. At the price of a sheep hunt these days, not even seeing a shooter ram in two hunts is something I would not be happy about either.
Good luck on your next sheep hunt.

I love the folks who book a hunt then complain about the hunt.

And the "I just thought I was doing a public service" whine is a great nauseating touch...

I'd stick to deer hunting over feed...