[markc]

We booked our archery hunt with Chama River Outfitters and hunted the first season which ended last week 9/14/09. All I can say was we were not impressed and very disappointed with our experience that we had while hunting with Bob and Chama River Outfitters. Our guide had allegedly guided for Bob for over 15 years, he was in bad health and was a chain smoker.

On our first hunt after taking a shower and trying our best to get scent-free we jumped into our guide's truck only to have him light up a cigarette on the way up the mountain. After we got on the mountain the guide continued to smoke while trying to call in elk into archery range. This went on for about two days and that is when things got bad.

When we requested that our guide not smoke while we were driving up the mountain he got really pissed and threw a fit. He agreed not to smoke in the truck but continued to smoke on the mountain while trying to call in elk into bow range.

On the third day we were working a big 6x6 that paced the edge of the meadow for 20 minutes and never came out. When I turned back to look at the guide about 75 yards back he was sitting under a tree smoking a cigarette. He often smoked and called down wind which was a big wast of our time if you know what I mean!

It was at this point that we lost it. Our guide was more concerned about his next cigarette break than trying to put us on elk.

When we went to Bob Ball about this he said he had been hunting for 40 years and that smoke did not bother the elk or any wildlife. He went as far to say that when he was a guide he used to light up a cigarette on a mountain to see which way the wind was blowing. Bob was very argumentative and did not offer to give us another guide through the remainder of the hunt.

We have been bow hunting for over 8 years and have never had any experience like this with any other guide or outfitter we have hunted with in the past. We actually ended up leaving a day and a half early because it got so uncomfortable in the camp with Bob and one of his lead guides who continued to chastise us.

Our guide was a chain smoker and was completely out of shape and could barely walk half a mile. He spent most of our hunts looking for his next smoke break.

While they did have in our opinion a few guides who were worthy to guide bow hunters, two of them had never guided on this lease. As a matter of fact none of the guides were allowed to come up to scout out the lease before we arived which we thought was really odd.

We were also encouraged to shoot black bears without a license, they said if we killed one that one of the guides would go into town and get a tag.

While Sheila and the people in the kitchen were incredible cooks and the scenery was breathtaking, we would never recommend any bow hunter to book a hunt with this company.

They are more geared towards rifle hunters which is evident in the fact that 3 of their guides were rifle guides and they only had 1 guide with bow experience.

[shortbus]

Mark,

Thanks for posting your experience. Would you mind posting this in the hunting guides review section under the Chama River Outfitters listing?

Thanks and I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience.

That is why we have created our reviews section, so that people can use it as a resource to choose the guide that fits with them the best.

I hope you have better luck next time!

[Mookster]

I just returned from a rifle hunt with Bob & Sheila Ball of Chama River Outfitters. Both my hunting buddy and I were succesful in taking very nice elk.

While taking an elk was great, the whole experince was even better. This was due in large part to our guide, Ray Coffman. Ray was energetic, knew the terrain, was good with the timing and ability to call using bugling and cow calls. He kept the hunting fun, knew when to give the flatlanders some time to breath, shared a lot of stories regarding local landmarks, and in short really made it a very positive experience.

As good of a time as we had, there were a couple of hunters in camp with some concerns. Even though elk were taken by most, several comments were made regarding a very passive hunting approach. These folks complained that they thought the experience could have been better.

Again, our experience was just the opposite. Ray couldn't have done a better job. Food was great, kitchen service was outstanding, accomodations were comfortable. Bob & Sheila are very knowledgeable, cordial, and run a safe operation.

I highly recommend Chama River Outfitters and as with any outfitter, suggest open and clear communication ahead of time as to the type of guide and method of hunting you are looking for.

Happy hunting!

[oucorry]

Thanks for the review, Mookster. And congrats on your elk.

[Robert Ball]

I thought I would respond to the outrageous untrue comments made on this site by Mark Cuilla regarding his hunt with Chama River Outfitters. I won’t respond to all of his comments as it would take too long; however there are some comments that he made that just can’t be left alone. First he stated that I did not offer them a different guide. That is absolutely not true. On the third day of the hunt I went in the bunk room and told both Mark and his friend that since both of the hunters that hunted with my head guide had already shot their elk I would let them hunt with my head guide for the final two days of their hunt. Mark took me up on the offer and went out with my head guide on the fourth morning. He failed to mention the fact that on that outing he shot at and missed an elk at 25 yards! They went to the arrow which was stuck in a tree, unscrewed the shaft from the broadhead went back to camp packed up and went back to Texas with a day and a half left in their hunt. These facts prove that his statements of not getting another guide and having a chance at an elk were both false.

Mark also stated that only one guide had any experience guiding bow hunters. Let me give you the qualifications of my guides. Mike and Jim have been bow hunting for elk in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico for 26 years. They have both been very successful in doing that. Mike has been successfully guiding bow hunters for 14 years and Jim for 13. Billy, one of our other bow guides has worked for us off and on since 1995. Ryan, one of our other bow guides killed a monster New Mexico Bull as well as a bear, mule deer and antelope with a bow all prior to his 21st birthday.

He also stated that the new guides were not allowed to scout the ranches prior to the hunts. This is also absolutely not true. On two different weekends the new guides stayed with us and spent four days with me looking at all of the country involved in our hunts.

The guide that took Mark and his friend complained at several guide meetings that Mark had blown encounters with bulls. On one occasion Mark was set up on one side of a small park and his buddy on the other side. The bull was coming in hot and got to the edge of the meadow just in time to see Mark running across the middle of the park going to his buddy. These types of things happened on three different occasions the three days that they hunted.

Bow hunting for elk is very difficult if everyone does what they are supposed to do but impossible if the hunters don’t stay where they are put. When I read Mark’s comments, needless to say I was furious! We are very proud of our staff and have been for 25 years and I could not let this pass! After reading his remarks I called him on the phone and when I reminded him of his false statements, he hung up on me.

Should you have any additional questions, feel free to call me (575) 756-1881 and I will explain my response in more detail. I can also put you in touch with numerous other people who were in camp and witnessed what was going on as well.

Bob Ball
Chama River Outfitters