I booked a northern BC goat, moose and elk hunt in 2019 for a 2020 hunt. Of course Covid killed that hunt and it was moved to 2021. I just received an email from the outfitter advising the open border and adding a $4200 "Covid Rebooking Fee". WTF?

Its just good ole fashioned supply and demand Capitalism......

Just tell him ya got the shot, and why.

800 times.

Tell him to GFY

They better freshen up the corn pile if I have to pay that extra

Probably just making the switch to summer moose and elk tags.

They better be guaranteeing you get the triple header.

A well known and respected organization (Stone Mountain Safaris) in premier country that I hunted with in 2008. New owner bought it closing June 1 last year. Bad timing for sure. They are sitting on a decent deposit of mine. Time to dig out the original contract.

i should say.



Lets see what the fine print reveals.




I suspect most people are so eager to get out of the house that they get more people to pay the fee than dont pay.

$4200? It would seem they're fans of the no-lube approach.

I believe you are correct. A year with little to no hunting can't hurt the quality/quantity of the critters either.

Hunts like that are expensive. I have a good friend who does a lot of those types of hunts. He can easily afford it.

He would lose his mind over that fee.

Check out the Jim Shockey thread in the Canada forum.

Unless Gerald, Darrell and the rest of the locals have been freeballing their own poaching party. Hopefully not.

Everyone hates when pay to play hunting gets more expensive for the sports.

Except most everyone else, of course.
Grin

No it's not.

It's highway robbery by outfitters who already have a hefty deposit--likely nonrefundable--from many American hunters. Should be criminal.
And chief among them is Jim Shockey who justified this criminality, adding that 'deadbeat' U.S. hunters should understand and pony up for the hardship.
I'd tell 'em to kiss my ass in the future and use an Alaskan outfitter.

Well, at least you survived covid unlike the10 bazillion poor souls who did not. An extra $4,200 all things considered doesn't sound too bad, no?

You voted for Biden, yes?

You're gonna have to steal a lot of "Stone Mountain Safaris" towels and ashtrays to make up for $4200.

Sounds like they should have given you the option (in 2020) to either pay an extra $4200 to reschedule for 2021, or to get your deposit money back, and part ways. “New owner” waited almost a YEAR to tell you this??

To tell you NOW, “Oh, by the way, you need to cough up an extra $4200!”, is pretty crappy.

Guess it depends on what YOU wanna do. I’d already be leary of “new owner” and “questionable business practices”....

I have.

Doubtful as it is a healthy flight into camp.



The return on the ALCAN.

Wonder should you ask how much interest they earned on your deposit?

Sucks Ed,

Good luck with it all.

Poor behavior all around on the part of the new owner, if you ask me.

http://stonemountainsafaris.com/

Poor behavior indeed. Foreshadowing of future behavior?

Two possibilities....

1) Outfitter already has your non-refundable deposit, can screw you for some more.

2) Outfitter already has your non-refundable deposit, and unanticipated rise in costs associated with the delay and Covid have made it impossible for them to even break even without additional $4,000+

I'd be asking the outfitter that question. I know, crazy talk to go to the source.

Because they can.

IIRC you are due to go in less than a month. No idea where you stand legally on it all, but I would not be happy about the short notice of a significant increase on an already pricey hunt.

Ed: if they are associated with or attend either SCI or DSC, I'd give those organizations a call if you get the run around.

Post it on every platform you can find

They took that interest and went to lunch twice.

Exactly. If they pulled this crap less than a MONTH before the trip (when they KNOW you’ve already booked flights/etc), then this is akin to theft.

The new “owner” has had over a year to make you aware of necessary “price increases”, and instead waited until the last minute, KNOWING he had you over a barrel.

If nothing else, do the hunt, and don’t tip a damned DIME...

OTOH, business owners have been hammered with all the restrictions. They have to charge to stay above water. Some are taking unfair advantage of it, obviously, but many are just doing what they can to survive. As far as not tipping, will the hunt be conducted by the owner or by a hired guide who has no control over what the boss does?

Does this mean I can now drive to Alaska?

Transitory inflation.

Lawyer advice time !!!!!

Do the conditions applied at the time of your booking apply to the new hunt at this date ?

Best of luck to ya.

It sounds like you're getting a raw deal. IMO, the outfitter should honor the terms of the original agreement. It appears he is unwilling, or perhaps unable, to do this. I read Shockey's article and it was a bunch of self serving BS. Ultimately, I might just pay the extra and go on the hunt. It may take a year or two to rebook elsewhere and I'd not want to lose the time. There's no guarantee of tomorrow for any of us. Out of curiosity, will your total be greater than the 2021 price that the new owners are charging?

Is he the guide too? Is 15% tip normal? If so you can get half back by stiffing him on the tip. 😆

Well you can either go and try to enjoy the hunt, and hopefully have a good experience and some good trophies and meat, or you can stay home and lose the money you put down. Not a great alternative, but go and see how it plays out. I hope you have a good hunt. I wouldn't send the money, I'd take it with me. You never know what the Canadian gov't is going to do from one day to the next.