Bryce Outfitting

Submitted by: Richard Palenik

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Review Submitted: Dec 29, 2016

Hunt Date: Dec 22, 2016

Species Hunted: Elk

Days Hunted: 5

Hunt Type: Semi-Guided

Primary Terrain: Mountain

Method: Rifle

Price Range: 2000-2999

Misled and lied to.

One reason I booked an elk hunt with James Bryce and the main reason I am posting this review is; When researching hunts on line I did not see any negative reviews for Bryce Outfitting and I did find some negative reviews on other Colorado over the counter tag hunt options. I don't want anyone else to book a hunt with him for the same reason. I have been on about a dozen guided or semi guided hunting or fishing trips. I have not given a critical review or asked for a refund until now. I was mislead, lied to, and unprofessionally serviced to the point I believe I was swindled. I sent a registered letter to Jim Bryce detailing my experience and asking for a refund and never got a response of any kind. Which after the way I and others were treated on the hunt is what I expected. When I asked James about the private lands to the south being pretty close. He said that he had hunting rights on them but there was good hunting much closer. That private land is owned by hunters I encountered, spoke with and continue to communicate with. James does not have hunting rights to it. When Craig, the other semi guided hunter and I encountered 9 other hunters opening morning as they ATV'ed in from the south and started hunting around and even in the spot Craig was put on by Don, our appointed guide for the day. James response was that they own 40 acres down south, they haven't hunted for years, and should not be ATV'ing in there. Truth is, they own much more land than 40 acres. They only ATV in to the BLM land. They hunt every year, a few saying 15 to 20 years in a row. I and Craig were lied to by James. When I asked how far camp is in from the road James said 5 miles. Turns out it is 2 & 1/3 mile SW from the trail head. To make that issue worse according to James guides his drop camp is only about a mile north of his base camp. Groups of hunters come in from all directions to a rather small area. When I asked how many hunters would be in camp James said seven. Another lie. There was Adam whom had bartered a deal with James to hunt that season. Also another man whom had guided early season for James in return for he and his girl friend to be able to hunt the hunt I was on. So not only were there 10 not 7 hunters. James paying hunters paid a competitive price for a quality hunt while James made somewhat illegal deals with help to keep costs down which seriously hurt the quality of the service he rendered. Reasons why these misleading answers or lies are important is that I paid $2,500 for what I was lead to believe to be a remote hunting camp and area. It was not. Both groups of the guided hunters he had while I was in camp complained about hunting pressure. One guided hunter saw other hunters to the north, numbering in the mid teens on consecutive days. As it turned out James Bryce knew of that pressure as one evening comments were made that those hunters had been fined before for ATV use and another comment was made that the fine wasn't high enough thus they are still coming in. James later told me that that fine was 2 or 3 years ago, thus he knew of the hunting pressure to the north of camp for years. Another lie was that I asked James how many semi guided hunters would be in camp, he said two. I asked James if we would each have a guide opening day and be shown different areas. James said yes. Craig ( the other semi guided hunter) and I were taken to the same area by the same person Don, and each recommended a stand. Those stands were only .31 miles apart, on the same ridge and overlooking the same draw (Quaky Draw) and in an area he knew to have a lot of hunting pressure. So we did not each have a guide nor shown separate areas. Now as to unprofessional service. The evening of opening day I relayed my experience to James and Don ( our first day guide) about the hunters in the area I was shown and my plan to go back there for the second day in part because Craig was not going back, and of the other hunters complaints of high hunting pressure in other areas around camp. Plus those hunters were leaving on horseback. On the morning of the second day I was on stand at first light only to have a guide and a hunter ride 2 horses 250 yards in front of me right through the area I was watching and tie up their horses less than 400 yards in that area and in plain view. When I texted James I found out it was one of his guides and he said he would get them out of there and chew them out. Come to find out it was Don my opening day guide. Both Don and James apologized but that morning damage was done. Another day I was on that stand and mid afternoon, another of James guides brought 2 or 3 hunters right to my stand. I was so frustrated I texted James and explained. James said they should not be there. The guide apologized that evening saying he didn't know I was there. I basically told him that James knew where I was and it was his fault as he is the outfitter. Again, damage done. The next morning I walked to that stand at dawn only to find Rick, another of James guides and a guided hunter on my stand. Rick told me guided hunters have first choice and I had to leave. I was in the process of showing the hunter a spot I made of rocks to sit, and a rope sling for shooting, and explaining the yardage markers I had ranged while Rick confronted me, called me several names including jerk. When I called James I was told he shouldn't have been there. I was so upset I just wanted to leave which was a day before schedule. Craig was so upset he had left the day before. Back at camp James said he was going to fire Rick, which didn't change the damage he had done to my hunt. On the pack out Don and nephew Adam explained that Rick had pissed off hunters on other hunts and no one in camp liked him but James needed him to help pack out camp after the season. I have now been told James did fire him, true or not, damage done. More unprofessional service was; one evening I was outside my tent and overheard several of James guides and workers talking inside the cook tent. They were complaining about the shooting of one hunter, the attitudes among other things of the guided hunters and saying how they could hardly wait to break camp. I told James about it just before I was packed out and I added "maybe they should be talking about ways to better service his customers'. Reviews I read before booking mentioned the food, tents and horses. Breakfast and supper were adequate and something different every day. Lunch fixings were peanut butter and jelly or processed ham and mustard on sliced white grocery bread. The tents were dry and could be heated if needed. The horses were fine and I felt as safe as I could being on a horse. That is the extent that I will say I received what I was told I would. Nothing was clean however in comparison to other camps I have been in. No attempts were made to keep horse manure separate from tents or remove it. When I left there was only one elk killed in our camp. An illegal bull, which a fine was paid and animal confiscated. One Star is too high to rate this as a HUNT. A horse back camping trip maybe however that's not what I booked.

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