I don't see all the drama you keep referring to. I see opinions. I see stated facts as believed by both parties involved.

I will say from my perspective it's not helping when you and Haiden post things like "I can't believe all this drama" and "let the trolling begin..." when opinions are posted. I can assure you posts like this are not helping.

Looks pretty straightforward to me as to what happened. The post attempting to answer the detailed account of the hunt was not very helpful to the cause. Pretty much just confirmed the account with some excusifying added.

all this disaster over some stinking javelina. They are all over deep south and west texas. If they are present on a ranch that would be obvious and known.

anyone who hunted on the place even one year would know whether they were there or not. If I was hiring a guide for game I would be hiring because he knew the animals were there and he knew where/how to find them. not on the off chance that I might haphazardly see one.

I have no dog in this fight. But..... the more you post the more I believe the op.

If your reputation was so important to you then why didn't you resolve this by refunding his money? If the money isn't worth mentioning like you just posted? You could of avoided all this bad publicity which would of been a prudent business decision. I don't wish you any harm with your business and hopefully you can get his resolved and lay this all to rest.

But when you start insulting what is your core market for your business (middle aged men) because of facts and opinions being posted you had best quit while your ahead.

Really. I wish you no bad luck and was willing to leave the door open that you were sick and because the boss was out sick, things got mixed up and inadvertent mistakes were made, which could be fixed.

Instead, you going down this path is only digging the hole deeper and removing the honest mistake option from consideration.

If your reputation means something, you'd own a mistake and refund this man his money including the travel costs.

Instead, you make excuses and attack those who are presenting some facts as well as your own customers.

Anyone can post anything, sure I'm just saying there's better ways to handle an experience your not happy with. In my opinion this is harassment. To find a post from 2013, then express negative opinions. the issue is, a unhappy customer. I think there are batter ways to handle this than a public hunting forum. If the outfitter was a scam, yes speak up! But the fact is STHO and its employee's are not a scam! The property's they hunt off of are not a scam! They offer great hunts, and yes obviously the hunter was not happy. But that should stay between outfitter and hunter! To do what has been done in my opinion that is not right. Then create fake profile's. I'm just saying there is way better ways to handle this scenario

I am glad that I am old and not middle aged. It is raining outside and I have nothing better to do than haggle on the internet. But since i am old and this doesn't involve me I guess I will just read what the middle aged have to say about this.

Which of the profiles are fake, sir? Please report them so the Mods can take action.

If this is the case (I added the bold and green emphasis to Haiden's comment) then please issue a full refund to me. I would be happy to provide receipts for travel costs as well since the dollars are "minimal" to you.

Thank you,
Steve

There actually are few, if any, better ways to handle the accusations than a public hunting forum. What, in your mind, would be the better option, if you're still un satisfied with the outfitter's response? Send it to the local news?

Also, harassment has a definition, and Steve's original post isn't it.

Lastly, it hasn't been determined yet if Steve was scammed, but nothing the outfitter has responded with seems to have changed anyone's mind on the possibility that he was scammed, or at least mislead to believe he would be hunting a property with Javelinas.

I was wrong I have to respond. Give him all the money back he gave you. You are not responsible for his travel expenses. He should have checked more who he was paying. Chalk that up to him. There is a lot of "Craw Fishing" on where he was taken to hunt and if there was really any of the game he paid for available. I don't have a dog in this fight and I don't know who is telling it like it really is. but I see two who might loose a lot of trust from all on here before it is all said and done. Take this from an old man who has been through it all.

"That's a bold statement."

Businessmen write refund checks. Posers post on the internet insulting others that post on the internet.

Amen to that!!! I understand mistakes were probably made intentional or not, we are only human!!!! I'm there with ya don k it's raining and I can't work and do what I need to do either and this doesn't involve me at all but at 30 years old reading all of this and listening to what all is said I feel like 30 going on 60!! Ps not cool on the middle aged comments. Seriously guys they are just a bunch of nasty stinky no good for nothing (except causing a big stink obviously) big [censored] rodents that are actually a heck of a lot of fun to hunt especially with a bow!!!!! By the way I'm flat eat up with javelina!! Can promise ya one thing you either have them or don't and you can dang sure tell if you have them, especially if you have feeders set out because they are the first ones to the feeders and the last ones to leave and buddy let me tell y'all they dang sure don't miss a meal! Sooo I'm going to go back to haggling I front of this handy ol computer in my hand just cuz I'm just too dang middle aged and board to do anything else with all this wonderful rain we are receiving!!! Good day!

And as far as "middle-aged", we're a dam sight more cunning than you, ya' little $#@^!

yeah oldest saying in the book is "the customer is always right" - word of mouth and reputation is all any business owner has IMO. Been in business 36 years and even if I am right, I am wrong if need be. An unhappy customer will cost you way way more than a refund.

although I agree in principle with "the customer is always right" theory ... with the internet, your name/business can be trashed way too easily by the keyboard quarterback and often times you do have to stand on your own principles after bending over backwards to a certain degree. If I have a beef with someone, I will work it out like gentlemen to where ever it leads between the parties directly involved ... not some to an open public forum ... but that's me.

carry on

woahhhh easy now don't get too excited!! What would your definition of dam sight more cunning be exactly?? You don't know this lil $#@^!!!! I'm not here to take sides with either party. Just could t help myself after reading dons post!

You are correct - however, if a customer tries to reason and the business blows them off then a public forum is very useful. Certainly there are customers who are impossible to deal with - but in todays world with public forums a business owner will lose far more. Many, many people in todays world google a business for reviews (including me) - if there is a trend of negative customer reviews then folks will move on - right or wrong it is the world we live in. SOOOOOOOO, again - as a business owner you are better, overall, appeasing the customer - period. Not saying it is right - it is what it is.

Also by saying that about don k's post, I was dang sure not insulting him by any means. I look up to people like don and his generation along with the comments he has made in this ordeal a lot more than I would you creek runner. Especially when making judgment on outfitters being hand to mouth and couldn't cough up a refund even if they wanted to. Pretty bold statement. Not all outfitters or guides are the same here. Like I said you don't know this lil $#@/!!

Wasn't pointed at you young man, but the "outfitter" that tried to insult folks that post on the internet...while posting on the internet. Kind of ironic.

Whatever kid. 'Glad you got it outa your system. Great way to promote your own business, by the way.

Honestly sir was not trying to insult anybody here. I'm not taking anybody's side here on account that I don't know the whole story here. I'm with you on the insults coming from the outfitter. Not a fan. It just kind of struck a nerve when I read the comment about not being able to come up with a refund when I look up to people that live life with good morals and values. With that being said I do everything possible to be up front and honest (obviously) with all of my hunters and do whatever I can to give them success when hunting with me. If something goes wrong then I do what it takes to make it right. I was honestly not even going to comment on any of this and just got a kick out of dons post and how I'm right there with him on his ideas and thoughts about the whole subject. The comment that was made by the outfitter that insulted the majority of his customers gives us outfitters a bad rep in general again not a fan. All I am trying to get out of this here is that when people spend money they expect success and I do (NOT) want people to think all outfitters here are bad. By the way I am of the younger gen but live life like the old along with my technology so I made the comment about not looking up to you creek runner I'm sorry for that. My old tech is slow to refresh or update so couldn't see your comment before the last. Like I said we are only human and I was quick to judge again I'm sorry but all of this whole ordeal can be fixed very easily without the back and forth. It is good to advise people on who to use and who not and as a hunter I would be very grateful to hear others opinions on the subject. Especially if people are spending their hard earned money towards something they love and placing their trust in those that take advantage. It turns people to hate something the love doing. It is not hard to do the right thing towards those that give you their trust. I have close to a hundred thousand acres to hunt and have taken hunters out the majority of my lifetime and have not had any complaints yet. We all make mistakes but it is how you handle those mistakes to make a right determines the kind of person you are in life which goes to everything not just guiding or hunting. Hope y'all can make a right here.