Silver Bow Outfitters
Silver Bow Outfitters
Rated 2.75 out of 5.0 based on 18 Outfitter reviews.
Contact: Len Howells
Location: Libby, Montana
Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer, Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat, Shiras Moose, Pheasant
State(s) Hunted: MT
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Submitted by: Jeff Butler
Review Submitted: Oct 7, 2013
Hunt Date: Sep 23, 2013
Species Hunted: Black Bear, Elk, Mule Deer
Days Hunted: 10
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Jungle
Method: Bow
Price Range: 9000-10999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
bow hunter
Extremely poor service and I would not recommend anyone use them. From what I am now seeing from others is exactly what we experienced. Modern cabins is no electricity and water comes from a spring. Expect cold showers and to be made fun of for bathing. Pack rats are your neighbors along with other things like cats on the table when ya eat and you cant see what it is you are eating. Forget pack horses and mules they have them but you wont use them. You ride in a smoke filled truck to some nearby location around the family farm and walk to the top of a ridge breathing cigarettes all the way up by a guide who has never taken an elk. Sleeping is to be expected by your guide and there is NO communication but you don't go hunting until 8am and often times will be back by 2 to set and wonder what is next and if or when you get to go back out again. We decided to forget it and leave after 5 days of this and had actually paid for extra days after Mr. Howells convinced us it would be needed in order to get an animal, I asked for the $3,000 extra we had given him stating we would not even be using the 7 days already paid for the trip only to be told NO he didn't have it and had already spent it. Buyer be ware I purchased this through the Safari Club International and couldn't check it out prior to the auction so we got the shaft I pray nobody else make the mistake of wasting their hard earned money or the two weeks away from work and family for this misadventure!!!!!!!
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Submitted by: Jeff Graner
Review Submitted: Mar 15, 2013
Hunt Date: Nov 18, 2012
Species Hunted: Mule Deer, Elk
Days Hunted: 8
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Mountain
Method: Rifle
Price Range: 2000-2999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Fall elk/mule deer
Met outfitter at SCI banquet in Hinckly,MN. 8 hunters in our group booked for fall 2013 and later 6 hunters booked for fall 2012. The fall 2012 hunt did not go as described when we booked. Thought we were going to hunt out of spike camps back in away from local pressure. Not the case. Lets just say the whole hunt was not what we expected or what was told to us at booking time. The food was great, best part of the hunt. Needless to say, not going in 2013. If anyone would like to discuss this hunt feel free to call. 507-767-2229
Submitted by: Tom Mccracken
Review Submitted: Aug 19, 2011
Hunt Date: Nov 12, 2002
Species Hunted: Elk, Mule Deer
Days Hunted: 0
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Any
Method: Rifle
Price Range: 5000-6999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
bend over
i left the morning after i arrived,the cabin had no heat and the bed had blood in it. i have been on several hunts all over the US and this outfitter shouldnt even be compared to others. i traveled 3000 miles to this place and my guide lived 50 miles from where i had came from,he had just got done hunting himself and decided now he is a guide. my best guess would be the closest these people got to an animal was at the zoo. save your money and dont go.
Submitted by: Oscar Abner
Review Submitted: Nov 16, 2010
Hunt Date: Sep 26, 2010
Species Hunted: Black Bear
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Mountain
Method: Rifle
Price Range: 1000-1999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Montana Black Bear Fall Hunt
My hunting buddy Ken and I had applied for an Antelope hunt in Wyoming and did not get drawn in a limited quota area. We were disappointed and as a back up plan we contacted Len Howells, owner of Silver Bow Outfitters, Libby Montana in regards to a Fall Black Bear hunt. He advised us of the difficulties of fall Black bear hunting and we decided the risks were acceptable and booked a hunt. When we arrived at the ranch we were met by Len, Donna and the rest of the family /staff, and showed where we would be staying. Our accomadations met with our approval in the form of gas lighting and generator powered lights, satelite TV, hot showers. Once we were settled in we were instructed as to our major mode of transportation (horseback) and were then required to sight in our rifles. We then had an orientation pertaining to shot placement on black Bears finished off with dinner and a good nights sleep. Our hunt started off with about a seven mile scenic ride up the mountain where we glassed the berry fields for bear. It only took about five minutes to spot our first bear but he wasn't quite big enough to be a shooter, before the day was over we saw four more bears and messed up a stalk on big color phase bear when the wind swirled at the wrong time. We saw two more bears the next day and the weather kept us off the mountain on the third day. We saw a lot of beautiful country over the next two days but weren't able to connect on a bear. The hunt met all our expectations with the exception shooting an animal, but thats why they call it hunting. Everyone at Silver Bow Outfitters worked hard to make our hunt a success and Donna is an excellent cook and we did not go hungry. Overall Len is is a knowledgable hard working outfitter that has every intention of making your hunt safe, successful, and memorable. He was disappointed that we didn't get a bear, and made us an offer to allow us to come back for a spring Bear hunt at a Fraction of his usual hunting rate, so we are going back in May of 2011.
note: The following reviews predate the numeric rating system and are not included in this outfitter's overall rating.
outfitter review submitted by: Jim Trotter on Nov 3 2009
Species Hunted: elk
Game Quality: none
Accommodation Quality: terrible
Camp Condition: terrible
Food Quality: poor
Guide Experience: porr
Other Personal Experience: terrible
Overall Impression: disaster
Recommend: never
Reviewer Comments: This was the worst week of hunting in 50 years. This outfit should be forced out of business. They lie about every detail and the place is filthy.
outfitter review submitted by: Rich Delisle on Dec 10 2007
Species Hunted: Elk,Muledeer,Whitetail
Game Quality: Too far to see
Accommodation Quality: Good
Camp Condition: Good
Food Quality: Good
Guide Experience: Good
Other Personal Experience: OK
Overall Impression: Not as advertised
Recommend: Not at this time
Reviewer Comments: Outfitter was not prepared for hunters ,lack of horses,4 wheelers to cover mountains.This is the second year that this has happened that i am aware of.
outfitter review submitted by: Steve Boswell on Jun 27 2004
Species Hunted: elk, deer
Game Quality: poor
Accommodation Quality: poor
Camp Condition: poor
Food Quality: fair
Guide Experience: poor
Other Personal Experience: poor
Overall Impression: very poor
Recommend: never
Reviewer Comments: *CORRECTION* (see other entry) I notified the Montana Board of Outfitters not Montana Guide and Outfitter Association.
outfitter review submitted by: Steve Boswell on Jun 25 2004
Species Hunted: Elk, Deer
Game Quality: Poor
Accommodation Quality: Poor
Camp Condition: Poor
Food Quality: Fair
Guide Experience: Poor
Other Personal Experience: Poor
Overall Impression: Very Poor
Recommend: Never
Reviewer Comments: I booked a ten day archery hunt, one on one. My guide was the owner and we had agreed to a pack in on horses, high country hunt for deer and elk. We never used horses. We never packed in and we never hit the high country. The weather cooperated, but the outfitter always had plenty of excuses. I saw one cow elk in ten days and the only deer seen were a few doe and yearlings that hung around camp. The oufitter lives year round in the area I hunted. It soon became obvious the outfitter did not scout beforehand. The oufitter was busy trying to put the motor back into his truck during the middle of the day when he had told me this is when we would be fishing while in the high country. His wife guided me on a couple occasions while he worked on his truck. I found out later she was not licensed during the time she guided me. Between the outfitter and his wife arguing and pack rats climbing around the cabin, it was an interesting time to say the least. The outfitter has about eight to ten horses/mules with new saddles and gear but didn't have equipment to transport them. I contacted Montana Guide and Outfitter Association to file a complaint, with little to no satisfaction. The Board members are guides and outfitters themselves. This outfitter has had several complaints filed against him in the past but none have been sustained; therefore, he is in good standing with the Board.
First Page
Contact: David Stanley
Location: Ocate, New Mexico
Species Hunted: Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Turkey, Mountain Lion
State(s) Hunted: NM
Colorado Hunting Information
Colorado is one of the best western states for trophy mule deer hunting and has the largest population of elk in the west.
Ohio Hunting Information
Ohio is best known for its trophy whitetail deer. In fact, the world record non-typical whitetail was harvested in Greene county by Mike Beatty in November 2001,
Illinois Hunting Information
Illinois is widely known as a top trophy whitetail destination. Illinois also has some great waterfowl hunting, especially in southern portions of the state.
