Off Topic - Outfitter debalacle

Just thought some of you might find this interesting if you hadn't heard about it. Its pretty much the hottest topic on the other site I often frequent - bowsite.com. Last week the Quebec caribou outfitter Tuttulik canceled the remainder of this season hunts and appear to have gone bankrupt. Meaning some 200-350 US hunters are facing the ever growing reality that the (nearly) $5000 they pre-paid for this years hunts and/or $1200 paid on deposit for hunts in 2009 is gone. Aside from some of them getting a very brief e-mail message telling them to stop packing (some of these guys were set to depart for Montreal in hours) there has been NO information provided by the company as to the truth of the situation. Some information indicates the company running the outfit has gone into "recievership", whether this is true is not known. Compounding the problems with this situation is that this outfitter hunts on tribal land owned and controled by Inuits. Fears are that this really means these guys will never have any legal recourse. Imagine planning, saving and dreaming for years for some and then to be told that your dream hunt that you've paid for in full simply doesn't exist anymore and that you can forget about ever seeing any amount of a refund. Your moneys gone and your not going hunting and no one's going to be able to do a thing about it. Is sucks and I really feel bad for these folks. Any of us that have ever hunted in Canada with an outfitter need to pay attention to this story. It will probably have longstanding ramifications. I hunted caribou in Quebec in 2006. It will definately make me think twice about going there again.

That makes a very good case for going through a booking agent.

What can you tell me adout booking agents. What Where Who?

Lars

Does the booking agent guarantee the hunt or the finances paid? If you paid with a Visa card, can you get your money back? I understand that Visa will reimburse you if you are not satisfied with your product or don't receive it, does this apply to outfitters as well?

Man that really blows. All those people losing all their money and nothing they can do about it. I think I would be hunting an outfitter.

I agree...

This is really unfortunate...

Going through a reputable booking agent will save you in situations like this because they hold the money until the hunt is completed. Many booking agents will have several to dozens of hunting operations they book for but they do tend to be rather specific in who and where they book hunts. Atcheson's is probably one of the more well known agents and can likely book a hunt for you just about anywhere. As with any business arrangement make sure you have all of the details of the hunt and the money in writing. What the booking agent "guarantees" is a function of who the agent is and how they run their business.

You would see me on here with a Outfitter as a Trophy. That really blows for all those people losing out like that.