I would like to get other's opinion on a hunt and the actions I should or should not be taking. I'm going to try and keep this anonymous because I am not looking to badmouth any outfitter or guide. I am only asking for the opinion of more experienced guides/hunters on how this situation should be handled and see if perhaps I am looking at it wrong. August 2017 I went on a sheep hunt with a lifelong friend of mine. The hunt was paid for by me as a wedding gift to my friend. Long story short we both killed sheep but weeks later we were informed that my friend's sheep was not a legal ram due to being 7 years old. Mine was legal. I will say that at the conclusion of my hunt we were both satisfied, gave a good tip, etc. After tagging out there seemed to be no doubts at the whether or not the sheep was legal. Camp attitudes seemed happy all round. I mention that because after the fact, the outfitter seemed to indicate to the trooper that he had his doubts once he saw the horns in camp. That rubbed me the wrong way. Anyway, the outfitter's initial plan was to see if he could buy the horns back in an auction so that we could get them. I see his point there because we paid for a sheep hunt, went on one, shot one, and could have the horns if they came to auction. From my viewpoint- I paid to have a guide because I am not a resident and it is the law and its also the law to shoot a legal ram. Which is not what happened. In NO way at any point did I or my hunting partner pressure a shot or express dissatisfaction with any aspect of the hunt. We are great guys to have in camp and we do what we are told so it isn't like the guide was getting direct pressure to make a quick call as to shoot or not. In fact, the ram in question was located on the first day, looked at for a long time by another guide who couldn't say with certainty he was a shooter then that same guide was with me a few days later when we glassed them for about an hour and even though the younger ram was the bigger I told the guide that I wanted to kill the oldest of the two and so I shot my ram. Two days later my partner was with the his guide and was given the green light to shoot. At first we were told things, "Would be made right." The outfitter's idea of that seemed to be getting us the horns by buying them at auction and then getting another cape since that one was confiscated. Honestly that left a bitter taste in our mouth. I feel like I paid for once was truly a once in a lifetime hunt for my friend and yea, it's about the experience, but I paid for a chance at a legal ram and that isn't what was delivered. It was not the last day of the hunt so he still could have located another ram and had an opportunity. Regardless, we agreed to wait for months until this auction would happen. Well it just came and went and the horns were not there. Then we were told that another auction will be occurring soon and to wait on it. That's really stretching my patience as we are now 6 months in and no resolution but I am trying to give every benefit of the doubt and be agreeable. Just today my partner was sent a text by the guide saying that the horns will not be in the upcoming auction. Here is my question. Is it reasonable to ask for a refund or partial refund at this point? I feel like it is. I understand the outfitter has the same cost whether we see nothing and hunt hard for 10 days or if I killed a world record. That's part of hunting. This was not a trophy area but it was real wilderness and tough hunting. That part I am satisfied with but that fact remains that is the guides responsibility to make the call to shoot. I respect his authority in that role and I feel like in this scenario we did not get what we paid for. I don't expect a full refund because I am not looking to hurt the outfitter financially but I feel my gift to my friend was tarnished along with the memory of the hunt and to me getting half the cost of the hunt back would seem fair. Obviously my partner would not have tipped the guide who told him to shoot an illegal ram so that is another expense that I am not asking for that was part of the overall cost not to mention travel, time off work, etc. There were other minor problems with the guide but I am not picky or one to complain. Again, I am not typing this to whine. I want your thoughts as to whether or not I am out of line to ask the outfitter for a 50% refund. Not of both hunts but just my partners.
Thanks for reading a long post.
