Forbes Outfitters

Submitted by: Robin Perez

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Review Submitted: Jul 15, 2018

Hunt Date: Oct 27, 2016

Species Hunted: Pronghorn Antelope

Days Hunted: 3

Hunt Type: Guided

Primary Terrain: Prairie

Method: Rifle

Price Range: 1000-1999

Unwilling to keep promises

We took my father for his 80th birthday to satisfy his lifelong bucket list desire. We're experienced hunters, though not with pronghorn. Dad and I both had tags to hunt. Forbes advertised themselves as having "an abundance of trophy game," "having knowledgeable, expert guides," and giving the "opportunity to hunt thousands of acres for antelope...Having a 100% success rate for all antelope hunters...We highly recommend this hunt for kids and beginners." When I called them, we discussed my dad's mobility (adequate but limited distance) and they assured me we'd have ample target opportunities. Nothing could be further from the truth. We found that late season hunting is a gamble at best. We usually couldn't get with in a couple of miles from the antelope without them taking off into the neighbor's property. The thousands of acres were limited to active cattle and horse ranch land. We implored out young guide countless times during our hunt to contact Forbes to get permission to hunt on the neighbor's land but he refused. We expressed our frustrations to Penny each evening but she never offered to contact the other ranch owners. We literally had 4 shot opportunities in 3 days, 2 each. My dad's first opportunity was halted by the guide because the pronghorn were atop of a small knowle and he worried that cattle might be out of sight on the other side. I was prevented from attempting a 300 yard shot because the goat moved a few feet and he feared he got too close to the other antelope for a safe shot; I didn't agree but acquiesced. After spending all day in a blind, dad finally got a half blind smallish goat (literally blind in one eye). My other opportunity was a 400 yard miss; my bad. Our 20 something guide was nice but inexperienced as a guide. We wasted some time searching for horses which may have gotten out and watching some comedy he just had to show us. He seemed at a complete loss of how to hunt these skittish pronghorn. We wasted most of our time driving back and forth on the same land, only having a few opportunities to actually stalk. He wasn't open to suggestions (though both dad and I are experienced hunters). I'd brought radios and we suggested several times to break up and try to communicate via radio. My brother was with us and we believed that with 2 on the ground and 2 in the vehicle, we might be able to "herd" some pronghorn to the hunters. He finally conceded the last day; which worked but as he and I were stalking I told him we should contact the others again to get a current 20 on the herds location. He refused, insisting he knew where they were, and as a result, we traversed the wrong direction and scared them away. I've been hunting long enough to realize that nothing's guaranteed. I've never paid for a hunt in before and hit 90% of what I shoot at. After the hunt Penny told me that had she known our problems, she'd have called the other ranch owners, feeling sure they'd have let us hunt their land as well. This empty claim only added to my frustration since we reported our issues to her every evening and asked our guide several times each day to make such requests to her. They offered to let us hunt with them the next year for small discount but, of course, we refused.

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