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Dooped

mudingbuck

PMA Member
I already posted this post in my original post (lottery winner), but I want to make sure everyone has a chance to see this so they don't draw a tag of a lifetime and get dooped like we did.

All American Outfitters and Guide Service is the name of the company. You ever get a chance to hunt with this guy. PASS ON THAT!

After 4 short years of trying to get an elk tag for one of the best units in the world, we finally drew a New Mexico 16A elk tag. To say I was excited would be an understatement. I trained like no other for this hunt. Losing 30 pounds and was in the best shape of my life.We drove 20 hours to our guides and saw all kinds of elk just as we were getting in the area. We meet our guide Brandon and he showed us where we were staying and was telling us all the right things. Everything else went down hill from there. He told us we would be sitting on watering holes and wallows. Thats how you hunt them this time of year he says. I thought to myself I didn't train to sit in a blind, but if that up my odds of sticking a giant Gila bull I'll do anything. We drove the trailer with the quads out to an area that was on our unit and close to where we would be hunting, that was an hour away on a pretty crappy gravel road. From there we went back to the bunk house and prepped for the next day. 3 AM we get up and finished loading and getting ready. 4 AM we left the bunk house and drove that hour to our quads. We didn't know if we were even going the right way because Brandon pulled out of the drive and was gone. Anyways we made it out there and then drove the quads 45 minutes to the spot where Brandon was going to have Adam sit. The sun was just coming up when we got there, perfect! Other then the fact that there was already another hunter in the area. Brandon had Adam hunt it anyways. Then we went to my spot, a wallow, and just as I was getting to the blind i heard a bull bugling!!! As soon as I settled into the double bull he shut up! I didn't see anything until last light and that was a young 260 class bull at 70 yards. The night before Brandon was saying don't shoot that little 300 class bulls wait for the 350/400 class. So I didn't even try, not that I really had a shot because I only saw him for a few seconds. Dark came, Brandon met me at my quad and we picked Adam up and then made the 35 min quad ride back to the truck. We finally got back to the bunk house just before 11 PM. Ate dinner and went to bed.
We did that for the next 7 days. About every other day I saw elk, but never had a shot at any bulls and never saw anything bigger then that 260 6x6 I saw on the first day. I had so much more luck then Adam. He never saw anything, after 3 days we convinced Brandon to take Adam and go after the elk. They did that for an hour and still never heard or seen anything. Walking back to the quads they bumped a couple of elk that were about 200 yards away. Brandon tells him, "Well at least you didn't get skunked." Then put him back in the same blind where he didn't see anything. The next day we finally talked him to moving Adam. I was in a spot that I felt could get it done so I wasn't to worried about moving. We both rather be chasing them. Adams brakes went out on his quad the 2nd day and the third day he got a flat as they took off, Brandon didn't come back and find him for an hour and a half. After Brandon moved Adam all he saw were other hunters.

We never shot anything and Adam never saw anything. If you would have told us we would go to the Gila and never get a shot at a bull I would have have thought you were crazy. We feel that Brandon went out to the water hole and the wallow the day before we got there and pooped up a couple of double bulls in the middle of no where and never brushed them in or anything. He said the elk don't mind them. We both brushed them in, but still didn't feel to confident.

On top of all that we had hub on the trailer seize up on the way home. Mydon't give a poop attitude decided to bolt the tire back on and drive it slowly to town, where we found a little shop, the owner stopped what he was doing and help us get the old hub off. Then we found a farm store that had trailer parts. Took a couple trips, but we found the right parts. Then ole boy helped put it back together. Then after 4 hours of helping us only wanted 70 bucks. We gave him more than double and he barely took it!

168 hrs since September 1, In that time I spent 97 hours in the blind, 28 hours driving, 24.5 hours sleeping, and 14 hours of shower and prepping for the next day. That only left 4.5 hours to eat dinner and get to know our guide.

Long story short, we got dooped by a junk @$$ guide. Semi guided at best. If you ever get the chance to hunt the Gila don't waste your time with Brandon Gaudelli owner of All American Outfitters and Guide Service.

Heres a few pix of my week.21469621_10210007662568751_1015627777_n.jpg21476120_10210007663688779_1782130600_n.jpg21476306_10210011570866456_42869693_n.jpg21476319_10210007662688754_1196473946_n.jpg21476345_10210007661728730_1737831304_n.jpg21552573_10210007662848758_1301503502_n.jpg
 
Feel bad for you guys, really bad!!! How did you find this joker (outfitter)? What made you pick him for your trip? Along with putting the outfitters name out there, how about the names of anyone who recommended him too?
 
We were referred to him by a different hunting site. There wasn't a lot of info on the guy but what we did find was all good info. After a few times talking to him, we decided he was the guy. He talked a good game. Turns out talk was all he did.
 
Ouch! Very sorry to read that. I hope you can get in on a good elk hunt someday that erases that bad experience.
 
That sucks, Ive always worried about things like that about guided hunt.... Ive been on 2 guided fishing trips and one pheasant hunting trip, every one of them never sat as good as an awesome day with buddies back home.
 
That really sucks about your Gila hunt! I've hunted that unit 2 times with 1 hunt ending up with a nice 315" 6x6 bull. We had some of the same outfitter experiences that you did. We would get up in the am, go out for an hour or so, head back to the truck just when the bulls started bugling good. When I asked "why are we heading back when we can hear bulls screaming" they would say "we don't want to educate them and run them off the ranch". They would take us out to water holes in the afternoon, drop us off and say they were going to go scouting while we sat the tanks. Well to find out they were out driving around drinking beer and not doing any scouting. After 5 days of this crap, we told them we were going after the bulls we had been hearing all week. After some heated conversations, they agreed and wouldn't you know it we got into the elk and I killed that bull I was talking about. Later we found out that Pat & Nicole from Driven were scheduled to come in the week after us. This is why they didn't want us to get after the bulls. Saving them for the celebrity hunters. Bunch of BS. While hunting with that outfitter, I met a guy named Kurt Akin. He was guiding a couple guys on public. He has his own outfitting business (Akin Outfitters) in northern NM up by Chama. That was in 2009 and since then Kurt and I have become great friends. He is one of the best elk guides around and a great guy. He lives in Michigan and guides elk in NM, salmon in Alaska, steel heads in Michigan and whitetails in southern IA down by Fremont & Ottumwa. If someone wants a to go on a really good elk hunt I would send you his way. He guides 2 hunters per guide and only 4 bow hunters per season. Only negative is that he is usually booked up, but worth a try to see if he has any openings for 2018. I went with him last year and had opportunities almost every hunt. I passed couple small bulls and came really close on (2) 300"/310" 6x6 bulls. It was a great hunt everyday. Chased them in the mornings and evenings. You won't see the monster 350"bulls like you do in the Gila, but you will be in bugling bulls every hunt. I'm going back this October with Kurt during rifle season. I know it seems like cheating, but couldn't pass up the tag that came available late after an older gentlemen had to back out. He's out there right now hunting the 1st bow season. I know the hunting has been really good so far for them with one traditional bow hunter tagging out on a 250" 5x5. That was earlier this week. Haven't heard from him since then.

Kurt Akin (Owner)
Akinoutfitters.com
 
Damn man. Sorry to hear about your bad experience. can't imagine getting let down like that after all the planning that goes into a western hunt.
 
Man that sucks. I got screwed on a $150 dollar waterfowl guide down in Northern Missouri about 12years ago and I still haven't let that go. So I cannot imagine what you are feeling.
 
Kinda a human nature thing.... lot of lazy and Dumb people out there unfortunately. I see it with deer hunters all the time- don't wanna put in the time, work & effort. Results are: poor or even stuff like poaching or just trying to do things the "easy way". Whatever that is. It's like this with work, hunting & life in general.... small portion of folks who really go full force to do things right. Sounds like u got urself a classic case of "lazy bums". Not that they did anything illegal thankfully but yep- I'm not surprised.
I did a fishing trip and other guys around... had no clue what they were doing. We spent every free minute trying to find "good spots". Within couple days- other lazy dudes just followed us. Kinda funny. Kinda. This sort of stuff just never ends. Sorta like the hunters on public.... most do things so dumb it's crazy. MOST. Then I have a few rare select buddies that put in a ton of time, go way back in middle of no where and "somehow" shoot a dandy on public land with consistency. Hard work usually has it's rewards. Too bad ur guide didn't have that view. Sorry- that sucks!!
 
That really sucks about your Gila hunt! I've hunted that unit 2 times with 1 hunt ending up with a nice 315" 6x6 bull. We had some of the same outfitter experiences that you did. We would get up in the am, go out for an hour or so, head back to the truck just when the bulls started bugling good. When I asked "why are we heading back when we can hear bulls screaming" they would say "we don't want to educate them and run them off the ranch". They would take us out to water holes in the afternoon, drop us off and say they were going to go scouting while we sat the tanks. Well to find out they were out driving around drinking beer and not doing any scouting. After 5 days of this crap, we told them we were going after the bulls we had been hearing all week. After some heated conversations, they agreed and wouldn't you know it we got into the elk and I killed that bull I was talking about. Later we found out that Pat & Nicole from Driven were scheduled to come in the week after us. This is why they didn't want us to get after the bulls. Saving them for the celebrity hunters. Bunch of BS. While hunting with that outfitter, I met a guy named Kurt Akin. He was guiding a couple guys on public. He has his own outfitting business (Akin Outfitters) in northern NM up by Chama. That was in 2009 and since then Kurt and I have become great friends. He is one of the best elk guides around and a great guy. He lives in Michigan and guides elk in NM, salmon in Alaska, steel heads in Michigan and whitetails in southern IA down by Fremont & Ottumwa. If someone wants a to go on a really good elk hunt I would send you his way. He guides 2 hunters per guide and only 4 bow hunters per season. Only negative is that he is usually booked up, but worth a try to see if he has any openings for 2018. I went with him last year and had opportunities almost every hunt. I passed couple small bulls and came really close on (2) 300"/310" 6x6 bulls. It was a great hunt everyday. Chased them in the mornings and evenings. You won't see the monster 350"bulls like you do in the Gila, but you will be in bugling bulls every hunt. I'm going back this October with Kurt during rifle season. I know it seems like cheating, but couldn't pass up the tag that came available late after an older gentlemen had to back out. He's out there right now hunting the 1st bow season. I know the hunting has been really good so far for them with one traditional bow hunter tagging out on a 250" 5x5. That was earlier this week. Haven't heard from him since then.

Kurt Akin (Owner)
Akinoutfitters.com

Funny you mention Kurt. I have hunted with him when he started guiding (in Oregon for elk) and have helped him hang stands on his Iowa property. He is a friend of a friend from Michigan and a solid down to earth guy. His whole life has been guiding and being in the outdoors. I believe he even went to college for some "outdoor" degree like wildlife biology. No guide can ever guarantee any success but Kurt is one that I would be comfortable paying to guide me because I know he will put in honest effort to put me on game.

OP...sorry to hear about your horrible guide. Just keep doing what you are doing on websites to hopefully save others from the same fate.
 
Well, I ran into a guy out in the Gila. I forgot to get his contact, so I left my contacts under his trail camera. I hoped he would reach out to me just to compare notes if nothing else. Today he called! Turns out he was a guide in AZ and drew a tag in the Gila this year himself. Long story short. We talked for 30 minutes and he told me if/when i draw again he will come help me no charge!!!! As said that this was just a crappy rut, he hunted hard only to shoot what he called a meat bull, 310 bull!!!
 
Man sorry to hear that you guys had a terrible experience out in New Mexico. If you ever decide to go again i would highly recommend Compass west Outfitters, SW of Roswell, if you can get a tag drawn. You can look at their facebook page and it speaks for itself, my dad and i recently got back from our trip harvesting a 344 and a 310 bull with archery equipment. Very awesome experience and trip to say the least. In elk every day, good camp, awesome guides. Might look into them if you get time and what to try another hunt out that way.
 
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