I am sorry so many of you were taken by these fools.

I would like to say this about guided hunting. First, check lots of references. Second, talk to your outfitter as much as you can and ask all the questions you can think of. You are investing your money for a reason, RESULTS. Third, to get the most out of a guided hunt tell the outfitter exactly what your looking for to a T.

I like doing 2 day hunts on just about everything we offer. I will say if a guide can not put you on game the first day and get you a opportunity of a shot in 2 days, they are not near the outfitter they think they are. It's the guides job to know where the game are and put the client on them. You pay for quality!

In the last 3 years, I have had 1 person not kill out in 2 days. Bless that young mans heart he missed a good buck 2 different times at less than 100 yards. Most clients kill out first day on low and high fence hunts. If your looking for a quality relaxed hunt for the company, you, and family give me a call. Let's Hunt !

Howdy, all. I am a first time poster but an avid hunter. I mainly hunt hogs due to the fact you can hunt them year-round and they are challenging. I usually hunt public land but at times, I'll try outfitters and ranchers to have a better chance especially when it's hot and the hogs are primarily nocturnal. I wanted to reply to this thread not really in defense of affordable outfitters but rather just to outline my experience:

I have been there twice. The first time was a two day hunt and I was alone. First of all, James is personable and seemed to know what he was talking about. He was always responsive and was in my opinion, honest about what to expect. I got to Bryson and called him and he guided me to the cabin I was staying in. it was decent. Not the ritz but certainly accommodating. I didn't encounter any stench. My first night hunt was difficult due to the position of the blind. it was a full moon hunt and the blind faced the moon as it rose. It was very difficult to see. I did see two pigs but didn't take a shot due to the inability to clearly see. i don't like wounding animals. Wyatt was my guide and even though he is young, he knows his stuff. The next night, I was taken to a tree stand overlooking a feeder. There was a ton of fresh hog tracks. Before the moon came up, a large boar came up behind the stand and rooted around for a few minutes. I had no shot again. The wind was swirling and even though i used scent spray, it knew something was up, gave a warning grunt and split. I had to end that hunt early due to a migraine but I did see a pig. So, that first trip was good even though i didn't bag a hog.

James felt bad about the busted hunt due to my migraine so he offered a deep discount to come up again. I went up the first weekend in May 2015 with my dad. My dad is a rookie hunter. They put us up in a mobile home which again, wasn't the ritz but again, just fine for shacking up between hunts. Our first night Wyatt took us to two ground blinds. Good, fresh activity and fresh corn. I ended up getting a small boar this first night. My dad struck out but that was largely due to the really full moon and that we didn't hunt too late - the hogs were still light sensitive and were coming out later. The next night we were taken to two different spots. My dad saw a bobcat and some deer but again, the hogs eluded him. I on the other hand took a 180b boar! So, two nights, two pigs.

I can honestly say that I felt that James and Wyatt worked hard to get us on the pigs. it was a tricky time due to it being the first few days of the full moon. They drove us all over, were on time and in some cases actually pushed us to be ready earlier as to maximize our chances. So, for my two trips with these guys, I had good experiences. I am going up again in early June and will post again to report on the conditions. With it being hotter, the pigs will likely be more predictable - they will be mainly nocturnal and near water sources.

Sorry to hear folks had bad experiences with these guys but it seems that if that was the case, they've really turned things around.

Sorry but based on the experience I had with this "outfitter", I couldn't bear for the last post in the thread to be a positive one. With all due respect to the prior poster who I am glad had a positive experience, my experience mirrored almost exactly the same as others in terms of the difference between what was represented vs actually delivered.

You might be able to turn service around, but I am not sure you can fix integrity and I cannot imagine how anyone with integrity could have represented what we were sold then delivered what we actually received.

When I read threads like this, it's the exact reason I created Texas Outfitters Network website with guide/outfitter reviews. Hunters need a place that has objective reviews and the more the better to keep someone from losing hard earned money.

I researched and listed 1000 outfitters in Texas and hope, through user reviews, to identify both the good and the bad ones.
There is an Affordable Outfitter in Graham in the list. Don't know if it's the same.

If you have a review please go add one at http://texasoutfittersnetwork.com - click on Submit Review, then search, then click Write Review.

If the outfitter isn't listed, you can add it or contact me and I'll add it. We need to weed out these guys that are taking people's money.

Thanks.

I had a horrible experience with them also. The worst I've ever experienced. I started a thread for review back in January.

Public Service Announcement for Affordable Outfitters.

I was looking for a quick deer/hog combo hunt for early 2018. Found Affordable Outfitters online. Texted them asking a few questions and whether they had room. They did and I looked online for some reviews. After looking around, could not find any truly positive review and most were negative, so I texted them that I would not book with them due to negative reviews. The person responded, "LOL" Then they proceeded to "review bomb" my phone over and over and over with their own "positive" reviews. I asked them to stop and they finally did with the final text..."Hey pard, I thought you liked to read, so I sent some TRUE reviews for you to look at." So glad I did not do business with this person. Not sure what the upside is to aggressiveness towards potential clients, but not going to convince me.

You be the judge.

http://www.affordableoutfitter.com/

File under "Should have done basic research online." To echo just about everyone's comments regarding Affordable Outfitters in Bryson/Jacksboro, YOU WILL GET TAKEN/DEFRAUDED if you book here. Was part of a group of 4 hunters last weekend 3/25/17-3/26/17. Almost everything written above about these guys happened to us. Lots of texts, lots of cam pictures, lots of promises of hogs, tip "upfront" for pre-guide work, pay up front right away and then NOT A SIGN of a PIG. As very avid/rabid hunters (2 of our group of four have over 60 years of hunting on multiple continents) we decided to hunt 6PM to 6AM and 6PM to 2AM the second night. No pig tracks, no pig sign. Nada. Really fat raccoons and one anorexic doe were the only things we saw the whole 2 1/2 days. Really wish I did my homework before I drove 10 hours to this place. Seriously wondering what legal recourse I have. I'm sure it's zero but please let this post be a warning to anyone looking to book here. And to echo the dirty/unsanitary conditions of the lodge, I can't say it was due to the uncleanliness of the lodge but one of my group got a double infection of pink eye from the trip. If you book here after reading this or the other warnings, expect to be taken for a ride. Having hunted in every corner of the great State of Texas over a dozen or so trips, I have never seen an outfit so poorly represent an otherwise incredible part of our country to be in as an outdoorsman.

You dodged a bullet here.

Attention Anyone thinking of booking with this Outfitter. If you are talking to James Rae near or in Bryson Texas,pay attention: Friend and I booked a 3 day hog hunt with this guy for June 16-18, 2017. We received countless pictures of hogs everywhere. Needless to say, we were excited. The excitement stopped right there. A few days before we arrived, we received texts informing us that we "should" and I mean "should" be ready to give the guide $50 upfront on arrival before anything else. Ok, we thought, no biggie. We get to Bryson a little earlier than expected and contact our "guide" who meets us at little gas station/store. He then proceeds to drive us to our "lodge". We get unpacked and then are informed that because its hot, 98+ degrees, the hogs aren't moving during the day so we will be hunting at night. He tells us he will be back at 6 that afternoon to pick us up and leaves. At 6:30, he shows up and tells us we will be hunting from 7-12. We question this timing as the pictures we had received has shown the hogs on the feeders between 10 pm and 7 am. Hunting 7-12 effectively removes any chance of seeing pigs but we said, what the heck. We get to our "blinds". My friends is a 30 year old Winnebago painted camo. His feeder was nearly 100 yards away with two very pale green motion activated lights. Not the 60 yards we were told they would be with nice bright lights. He saw absolutely nothing the whole night. I got to my blind, standard wooden deer blind and my feeder was also 100 yards away down a dirt road with only 1 shooting lane. I saw nothing. The other two guys we hunted with also saw nothing. If the pigs are there after midnight, why did they pick us up before midnight??? We tell our "guide" we have no problem staying all night and hunting but are effectively told, "no". We get back to the lodge and are informed that he will check out the other ranches and look for alternative spots for tomorrow. We hear nothing from him until 3 pm. We are then told he will be there to get us at 7 and our new spots are 23 miles away. Shows up at 7:30. Takes 30 minutes to the blinds. We are "allowed" to stay until 1 am that night because he has to pick the other two guys up first. Blinds are closer this time but my blind has a faulty pale light which stays on the whole time giving me no chance to shoot. At 9:45, the rancher who owns the land begins to fire an AR15 wildly with this drunk friends. Again, no chance for hogs. Here is the bottom line. The Outfitter flat out lied. We never saw him nor talked to him during our hunt. He visited the other hunters but not us. We weren't allowed to hunt when the pigs were out. The blinds are crappy. We paid for 3 days to hunt and spent a total of 10 hours out of a possible 48 hours actually hunting and during the time with no chance to see anything. Complete and total scam and waste of money. Do NOT and I repeat, DO NOT book a hunt with this outfitter. Money was the only thing that they were interested in. Promised a great hunt at an affordable price, we got a horrible hunt. $495 bucks for 10 hours hunting.

So just returned from a 3 day trophy buck bow hunt. Got there on Tuesday after getting numerous pictures of game cams showing big bucks out during daylight hours. Upon getting there, the whole time they never put me in a blind where there was pics of daylight hour bucks. I was put in 2 blinds the first one on day one sitting there I hear 2 rifle shots about 150 yards away and them someone come walking through my area looking for a blood trail. I told my guide and was told they owned that land and to not worry about it. When I asked to be pit in the blind from the pic I got from the owner, his son, which was my guide told me no. Big waisted time and money.

Damn 6 years of negative reviews and this guy is still in business?

One of my well respected turkey hunting clients drove from Mississippi with 4 buddies and hunted here opening weekend of bow season this year. Not 1 person laid eyes on a deer and they were all way disappointed. He said he did Kill a hog however he paid for a big buck. Never even saw a doe. Just thought I would share. He has since booked a deer hunt with me for 3 week of November. I don't even offer deer hunts but this is a great client and definitely one that affordable Outfitters should not have done that to.

I went on a hog hunt with this outfitter a little while back. Hunted 2 days and nights and never saw a hog. He demanded my balance of the payoff as soon as I got there then didn't care what happened after that. I asked for part of my money back after my snipe hunt was over and he refused saying that if he refunded people money he wouldn't be in business anymore. And now everyone knows why, he is a crook and a scam artist and he doesn't care how your hunt goes after he gets your money. So if you are thinking about going to hunt with this guy, DON"T. It is not worth your time or money. Save your money and frustrations and go hunt with a good outfitter who cares about his hunters.

It was the worst of the worst. I booked the hunt in April 2017, gave the down payment, was shown pictures of feeders and deer. I asked if I could get my brother on a management buck, and the owner said "we can try and do that." A week before the hunt, we communicated and he texted me pictures of feeders with deer all over them and nice, above-ground blinds. So we head out and drive 1400 miles to get there. When we got there, I was informed we were not allowed to take a buck because the season was over (which he should have told me when I booked it). As we sat down to pay for the trip, which he asked for in cash, the price had increased $50 each. What were we to do, turn around and go home? Again, I had been planning this for 8 months. We were also told to tip the guide at the beginning of the hunt for the work he supposedly had already done. In spite of these red flags, with all the terrific pictures, we were still looking forward to a meat hunt. We pull up to a field and were dropped off in a makeshift, plywood box, not anything like the pictures of the blinds he sent me. We were told to not leave the blind until the guide picked us up. I have been a hunter all my life, and after 3 days of not seeing any deer, pig, nothing, I decided to look at the feeder. I know what fresh track looks like, and I didn't see anything. I felt like I was duped and scammed. 48 hours of driving to be ripped off. Please do not use this outfitter if you are looking for a Texas hunt. I've hunted Texas numerous times and had some great hunts there, but this outfit is a scam. Smoke and mirrors.

This sounds just like our hunt. My son booked with "Affordable Outfitters" for March 26,27,28 2018. A 3 day hunt. First night 6ish to midnight, son saw a coon and a deer at the feeder. I saw nothing. Second night 6ish to midnight, son was in camper and all he seen was a deer. I was in woods on a lane(very narrow shot to feeder)blind. I saw a total of two coons. We hunted 2 nights on a 3 day hunt. Never did see any of the hogs sent to my son on his phone. This was my first experience with an outfitter and my last.A great big rip off!!

I need to add more to my previous post about this rip-off artist at "affordable outfitters" My son and myself were about 2 hours away and we were informed we had to pay up front with cash. After our experience with them, I understood why. You cannot stop payment on cash.We were pressured to tip guide up front for his hard work(?). Note to clean cabin before we left. Outside of cabin smelled like sewage. After our second and last night hunt of a 3 day hunt, Wyatt told us he had ran over a sow and 6 piglets, and said we could have the piglets. Back at cabin he laid piglets out and took a picture of my son and me like we had killed the little things. This place is a scam supreme!!

I had a great time with two good hunters Lucas Hickman and Jared Barns/ the hog slayer.We hunted 2 nights and bullets was flying and Hogs was dying it was a great experience for me and my son accompanying them and Jared and Lucas have Hunted with affordable Outfitters for years and have always had a pleasurable experience and my friend Jared has said he has been to a lot of places and it's the best place he's ever been for hunting and nice lodging also he has made many YouTube videos their to back this he is known as the hog slayer. and Lucas has harvested multiple Hogs deer turkey and ducks booking several hunts over several years and has a awesome hunting photo gallery as a result of his Harvest making good memories and having a good time with the hunt and the lodging and the staff

How old were your children when you started hunting? My son is now 6 and it seems to me early. Although I see that he is interested, he asks to take him on a hunt. I think to start by showing you how to shoot at targets and go to nature. Recently I bought a new optics for myself https://www.atncorp.com/smart-hd-optics I'll just try how to shoot it

i read most of this whole thread. i am somewhat new here but not a troll or anything despite my low post count.

i booked with them for an upcoming hunt, they already charged me $150 deposit but after reading this i decided to cancel. i called and asked for a refund but they said they will only do it if they book over my slot, and based on their practices outlined in this thread i am not expecting any of that to happen. but i also don't think it's worth paying the full amount and driving 3 hours to waste 3 days on, either.

We call that “cutting your losses “ and it was a smart thing to do.

Why in the heck was “the guide tipped well” for what you just described?

Ran in to some fellow turkey hunters eating lunch in Graham Tuesday, I asked if thad any luck that morning, guys told me they heard lots of bird but none came in. I asked them why they didn't go after them, He said he was hunting with "affordable outfitters" and that their guide told him that the turkeys on this place had been called with no luck by "professional callers" and to sit still in a blind and wait for them to come to you. They also said the guide advised them against decoys because all they would do is spook the turkeys, instructed them that Rio's were the smartest of all birds and to be silent. These guys booked and drove all the way in from Georgia, without apparently reading any reviews of the outfitter. I don't know this guy personally, but having been a guide for 20+ years its hard to watch honest guys get screwed over and over by these clowns.