Willow Air
Willow Air
Rated 1 out of 5.0 based on 3 Outfitter reviews.
Location: Willow, Alaska
Species Hunted: Black Bear, Alaska-Yukon Moose, Wolf
State(s) Hunted: AK
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Submitted by: Brian Harris
Review Submitted: Aug 15, 2013
Hunt Date: Aug 1, 2013
Species Hunted: Black Bear
Days Hunted: 10
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Any
Method: Bow
Price Range: 11K-15K
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?
Lets Be Honest... If you can...
Lets Be honest Peggy. You were looking for a fight. Want to call me out? Why are there so many reviews on line about the rude customer service they receive at Willow Air, but very few if any comments about the guides or flights. 1st) You said you would pick us up at the hotel at noon. No problem. We told you we had a rental to return. You called later to tell us you were running about a half hour late and we said ...no problem. You walked into the hotel at 12:40 P.M., we were sitting in the lobby waiting for you, once again no problem. But now after we returned the rental car, (which wasn't fast enough for you), you had to buy groceries, stop by an aircraft repair place to drop off a part and then drive roughly an hour and 30 minutes to Willow and you blamed us for being late for some fictitious 3:00 flight that actually we find out, never existed. Steve said we were scheduled to go around 5:30 or 6:00 but it didn't stop you from complaining the entire time. 2nd) You then proceeded to bitch because we hadn't returned our precious hunter packet for licenses filled out with a check. Please note Peggy: Your letter was dated July 10th. Postmarked the 14th and arrived at my mailbox on the 26th. That gives us 2 business days to hope a letter and my check travel from Missouri to Alaska in 2 days. I still think I was better off to bring it with me rather than mail it at such a late date. Great and once again no problem for me, but it once again didn't stop you from bitching. 3rd) The liquor was not mine. I made that clear. I didn't buy it and I didn't consume any of it. Ask the guides. You willing allowed it because it was Casey's and you seemed to like him. You even let him over 11 pounds from your sacred 75.00000 pounds you seem to enforce like a drill seargent. 4th)I didn't complain about anything to do with your camp. YOUR guide told me in response to my many compliments about his camp, that I should please mention it to Steve. So that's exactly what I did. I was never speaking to you, but once again, you couldn't resist an opportunity to come from around the corner in a tirade and yell that you considered that a "back slap to the face"... oh Peggy. If only we could all be that lucky! We have hunted in Alaska several times before and never had any trouble and we will most surely be back. Just not to your joint! You can take a deep breath and relax because you sure won't have to worry about seeing me or my $ ever again. What do you say to that Pegs???
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Submitted by: Brian Harris
Review Submitted: Aug 12, 2013
Hunt Date: Aug 1, 2013
Species Hunted:
Days Hunted: 10
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Foothills
Method: Bow
Price Range: 11K-15K
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?
Worst attitude by owner .
The hunt and the area hunted were just fine. The problem is this: If you're going to deal with Willow Air either as a hunter or just to use their flying services, you will have to deal with the owners wife, Peggy. I'm telling you... left there as mad as I've ever been. She is the meanest. rudest, most hateful person I've ever dealt with and would NEVER EVER go back there. She was constantly bitching from the time she picked us up in Anchorage, an hour and a half drive to Willow and most of the time we waited for our flight out. When we returned from camp she was waiting just looking to pick a fight. Fortunately for them they are located in such a nice area that they book solid a year ahead of time on most hunts year after year and so they don't think they need to be nice to people.
Submitted by: Brian Harris
Review Submitted: Aug 11, 2013
Hunt Date: Aug 1, 2013
Species Hunted: Black Bear
Days Hunted: 10
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Any
Method: Bow
Price Range: 11K-15K
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?
Worst Customer service ever
Hunt was fine, guides were really nice guys who worked hard for you. Didn't get a brown bear this time - that's hunting. What really blows is that we had to deal with the biggest %itch the industry has ever seen. She does pretty much all the paperwork and the office stuff and I'm telling you... she tries her hardest to start a fight over anything and just bitches ALL the time. Real shame. Liked the guides and the area but will NEVER do ANY business of ANY kind with Willow Air ever again because of her. I should have read other outfitter reviews before booking. I find a lot that told the exact same story: nice guides, nice area, total meanest rudest person ever to deal with. Real shame I have to give them a 1 star. 0 would have been more fitting.
Outfitter Response: Brian, I am sorry if you thought I was rude to you. I only interfaced with you approximately 2 hrs. out of a nine day hunt. You slept on the drive from Anchorage, so I'm not sure how I was "mean" to you then. If I need to be your scapegoat, then so be it. I am tasked with enforcing the FAA rules we live by as a commercial carrier. With 25 yrs. in the US Navy, following regulations is not difficult for me. I sent you a contract and a gear list that reiterated a 75lb. limit. If you show up with too much luggage, it's my job to get you under the weight limit. I'm amazed, because I didn't even feel I was negative about it until after the hunt was over and you attempted to blame us for not telling you ahead of time "how nice the camp was." So somehow it was our fault you brought too much stuff. Like I said, I'm sorry if you took offense to the policy and our enforcement of it, which is only for your flying safety.
Contact: Gene Smith
Location: Olive, Montana
Species Hunted: Mule Deer
State(s) Hunted: MT
Iowa Hunting Information
Iowa is one of the best Midwestern states for monster whitetail bucks. Non-residents must apply for a tag in their annual drawing. Archery tags are the most sought after and depending on what units you apply for generally take 2-4 years to draw.
Manitoba Hunting Information
Manitoba is known as a top destination for avid waterfowl hunters. Huge flocks of ducks and geese can be found from the Arctic coast of Hudson Bay to the prairie potholes on the southern border of this Canadian province. There is no legal requirement for non-resident waterfowl hunters to use a guide, but many are available and a high percentage of non-Canadian hunters utilize them. In addition black bear, Canada moose and whitetails are hunted throughout the province.
Utah Hunting Information
Utah has recently been outstanding for trophy elk, but the best tags take many years to draw. Utah does have conservation tags available for purchase that allow hunters to bypass the drawing. Given the high demand for these premium tags prices can be high. In the past Utah has been a top trophy mule deer state but recently only a handful of units consistently produce B&C caliber deer.
