I received the following from my brother-in-law Brian; a disabled veteran. A very bad experience:
Hi all, I am writing to express some thoughts on my recent bear hunt, and to ask for some assistance. First of all, to the NAHC, my name is Brian Travers and I am lifetime member # 4031****. I recently spent a pretty fair amount of $$ on a guided bear hunt in northern Ontario, Canada, at Golden Eagle Camp, owned and operated by Mr. Gary Stocking. I did indeed get a nice bear, and being physically challenged made it even sweeter. I am 50 yrs old, have been an avid bowhunter since about age 12, a former Hunter Safety Instructor, and also member of the NRA and the New York Bowhunters, which I feel very privileged to belong to. I also hunt with shotgun, rifle, and muzzleloader (which is what I got my bear with) I would like to know how I can alert other hunters in North America, including both the US and Canada about my experience at Golden Eagle Camp. I have never really been one to complain, but the treatment I received was definitely less than cordial. I have saved all of our emails back and forth as I was preparing for this hunt, but when I arrived, things were not as I was told. I asked for meals ahead of time, and was instructed that I would need to pay for them upon my arrival there. I was told upon arrival that I was not included in their meal plan! So be it, I went to the store and bought provisions, no big deal. I was then quoted the price of $120 (Canadian) for taxes, of which I would receive 1/2 back when going back across the border into the US. It actually turned out to be $150, of which I got $20 back. Still no big deal, mistakes happen. What really threw me was the arrogance and language of Gary Stocking, using the "F" word in practically every sentence, yelling, ordering. After I shot my bear, I waited in my stand for a few minutes, and then noticed that he and his assistant were looking in the wrong direction, so I got down to tell them the right area, to which he screamed at me to "Get my f___ing ass back up in that f___ing stand!" So I did. My friend Ken who went with me there made the mistake of putting a donut on the bait, to which Gary then told me "Your f___ing budding just made a major f___ing mistake, the dumb f___." Well, while I do agree that Ken should not have done that, it was not my fault, and he had no right to talk to me that way. Believe me, I spent 8 years in the military, and am no stranger to bad language, but I SINCERELY FEEL THAT WHEN THE PUBLIC IS YOUR LIVELIHOOD, YOU SHOULD NOT TALK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS THAT WAY. I just could not believe the way I was treated there. I felt like more of a bother than a customer. I did email Gary after I got home, and told him how I felt in a very polite, but honest email. He emailed me back accusing me of trying to get a refund from him (which is the furthest thing from my mind) called me a liar, and informed me that "He calls the shots, and people play by his rules or else". He further informed me that my friend Ken and I are being "blacklisted" throughout northern Ontario and will never be able to hunt there again. Well so be it, this is a big country. What I would like to do is spread the word to other hunters that I would never recommend his services. I am not trying to be vengeful, I just dont want to see any other hunters be treated that way. I have saved our emails about the prices, etc, plus the email that I wrote to him, and his response to me, and will be more than glad to share them with anyone. Hunting is, and should always be enjoyable, whether you bag your game or not. And when you pay a large amount of $$$ for a hunt, you should feel comfortable there. So I ask NYB, and NAHC to please let me know how I can go about getting this word out. Thanks for listening, and happy hunting.
Brian Travers
29716 Ringneck Place
Salisbury, MD 21804
traversbm@msn.com
