yukon stone outfitters ltd.

Had the time of my life. Amazing guides, great camp, and huge animals. Can't wait to go back. The entire crew was very personable and took care of our every need. First class operation!

My brother Joel and I booked a hunting trip with Darwin at Yukon Stone. Upon arrival at the airport, we were never greeted by anyone or given instructions. We had no idea where to go. After making several phone calls trying to find where we were booked, we gave up and ended up finding a room ourselves.My brother was put on a Base Camp at McNeil Lake and I was put on a Spike Camp at Moss Lake. When I got to Moss Lake at about 7 PM, my guide was still setting up camp. He had only been there 2 hours prior to my arrival. Even with my help it took a long time and it was dark when we stopped for the night. I thought the site should have been set up prior to my arrival. The next morning we had to drag the boat to the lake and install the motor. Since the supplied ladder was broken, we had to build one in order to get the stored gasoline out of the trees. We have no idea how long that gas was sitting there. Nothing was ready so part of my hunt was helping the guide set up camp. The food was stored outside the tent door in cardboard boxes. No coolers or wooden boxes were supplied and we were in grizzly country. The Coleman lantern had one mantle partly broken off but with no spare mantles, we had to use it like that all week. The Coleman stove was not only old but it was also dangerous. It would flair up once in a while. Our table was nailed between 2 trees, we were concerned the stove might set fire to the trees.I've hunted moose in Manitoba for 27 years and Yukon was to be my dream hunt. Early in the week my guide thought we were in a not too productive area. I agreed with him. Reasons: not many fresh tracks, few beds, no wallows, no scrapes, no rubs, no bull sightings.The boat motor was a constant thorn in our side. The first day it would spit gas out of the carb and flood itself. The rest of the week it would be hard to start. We couldn't hardly get any speed out of it. It would stall when we tried to increase the speed. Then it had to be cranked for 10 minutes or longer for it to start again. The guide phoned Darwin for new gasoline, new motor and tools. All we got was gasoline. It took us a long time to get to the other end of the lake and back. That got us back to camp late at night with a late supper before bed.We did our best and covered a lot of ground looking for activity. My guide was a good hunter but didn't know the area. It was his first time at Moss Lake and the Yukon. I know from my experience, knowing the area makes a big difference. In fact when Darwin came to try to fix our boat motor, he said he saw 2 60"+ bulls 2 lakes east of us and when we went there the next day, it was 6 PM by the time we found the lake. Had we found the lake sooner, we could have possibly stalked those 2 bulls across the lake instead of attempting shots at 510 yards. My guide should have known there was an easy way around the lake. Not knowing this, cost us a lot of time.I kept a diary of the animals we saw every day by flashlight in the tent at night. We saw a total of 4 cows and 2 calves on our lake the whole week. This is not a hunt of a lifetime as promised on the website. This is not the expectations I had. I thought we would see bulls every day. Is it possible I was put on that lake because it was close to McNeil Lake where my brother was? It certainly was an easier choice given the fact there was a boat there already. A month or so after the hunt, my guide was telling me they have plans of taking the boat out of Moss Lake. I don't think they would do this if this was such a great lake. Was the rut even started? We were told it was, but in Whitehorse everybody we talked to said we were too early. When booking our trip we told Darwin we were available on any date and wanted the dates that would give us the best chance at the biggest bulls.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unfulfilled Promises:Quotes taken directly from Yukon Stone Outfitters' website:“Our base camps, though rustic, will be comfortable with hot showers, small generators and good cooks. For your trip of a lifetime, come join us in the fabulous YUKON.”http://www.yukonstone.com/Location.phpMy Remark to the above quote:As promised on the website, the Base Camp at McNeil Lake where my brother Joel was, had no hot showers, no small generator and no cook. I had a spike camp so did not get any of these amenities nor did I expect to.More Quotes from Website:“we intend to develop this concession into the Number one destination in the Yukon. We intend to do this with service and quality products.” http://www.yukonstone.com/ContactUs.php“This will not be a big business, but will be a dedicated professional family group that will give you a Yukon Hunt of a Lifetime!” http://www.yukonstone.com/ContactUs.php --------------------------------------------------------------------------------My Responses to Darwin's Comments:Darwin's Comment: “A boat, a lake, a shoreline are not hard to hunt for experienced guides.”My Response: We never saw ANY bulls on our lake.Darwin's Comment on the boat motor: “However it did run at all times.”My Response: Our motor did NOT run at all times and when it did, it ran extremely poorly. We had long periods of frustration, anger, and quiet moments. The guide requested a new motor on the first night. We never did get one.Darwin's Comment: “The motor would only run at half speed however running at full speed on a 4 mile long lake really not required.”My Response: When it ran, it ran at a little better than trolling speed. I was always afraid it wouldn't start at all and we'd have to paddle back to camp. This was not what I paid for.Darwin's Comment on not being at the airport or having a room booked: “We did not receive confirmation of their travel plans prior to our departure for the bush in July, hence the booking on the 6th.”My Response: Email dated June 19, 2007 10:01 AM gives our complete flight plans with arrival dates with a specific request to book our rooms.Darwin's Comment on flying us in one day early: “The camp was set up and the client came in a day early. I apologize. I should have sent him in a day late.”My Response: The camp was not completely set up. The guide had only been there a few hours before setting up. I helped him out once I got there. Contract states hunt to begin September 7, 2007. He flew us in at 7PM on September 6, 2007. Add 6 hours flight restriction (Yukon law), he had to fly me in on the 6th to honour his contract.Darwin's Comment: “JP forgot to mention he missed a 60” bull.”My Response: 510 yards across a lake is hardly considered a good opportunity. This bull was on another lake a mile and a half from ours. Darwin's Comment: “Perhaps they forgot to mention that Joel turned down a trophy bull early in the hunt and killed a smaller bull with 2 days to go?”My Response: Joel saw only 2 bulls all week; the first one was a small bull. His guide didn't see the antlers because the bull was behind a tree. There was never any question of shooting and he doesn't know at what point Darwin considered this a trophy moose. The second moose he saw, he shot. It was a 50.5 inch.Darwin's Comment: “The pilot or manager are always available to call taxi or take the client downtown.”My Response: Is that why we stood around in the cold for approximately 20 minutes looking down at our boots till finally the pilot said he'd give us a ride. If it was his job, someone should have told him.Darwin's Comment: “Took them a new motor as soon as I received the call.”My Response: Joel at McNeil Lake got a new motor (his didn't work either). We did not receive any new motor at Moss Lake. He came the day after we phoned and tried unsuccessfully to fix the motor. He knew it wasn't working good and chose to do nothing more about it for the entire time I was there.Darwin's Comment: “There were tools, obviously not the one the client wanted.”My Response: The only tool we had at Moss Lake was the chainsaw spark plug wrench with a flat screw driver on the shaft.Darwin's Comment: “Both clients had good opportunity at trophy animals. This is what I agreed to provide.”My Response: He did NOT provide this.Closing Remarks:The lack of game is my biggest complaint. I know hunting is not a guaranteed sport but I'm not a rookie. Darwin was not ready for me with little or no planning, no scouting, with questionable equipment. He put my guide on a plane with food and sent him to McNeil Lake to pick up whatever he could find and dumped him on a lake close by where there was a boat. He did not have time to scout as he was busy setting up camp. Our chances of success before starting was next to nil.Keep in mind, this guided hunt cost my brother and I over $12,000.00 EACH. This was back in 2007 and does not include our flights to and from Winnipeg, nor our hotel rooms before and after the "hunt".A copy of my complaint was sent to the following on February 9, 2007:http://www.yukonoutfitters.net/ - Nothing came out of ithttp://travelyukon.com/ - No Response http://www.tiayukon.com - No ResponseVisit http://yukonstonereviews.weebly.com for more details as well as pictures