LILIDAHO
New member
Awesome! LIL
2014 Alaska Moose
- Thread starter thecrittergitter
- Start date
recon6036
Well-known member
Sounds and looks like quite an adventure. Wish the outcome would have been better for you. Great job on tagging a super bull!
sra61
Member
I'm pretty sure that he has to have bonding. You should be able to file a claim against his bond. Guys like that will really only react to a financial hit. It may be a pain, but this guy needs to be stopped. The State hopefully will do their job, and keep him from getting somebody killed! Alaska is no place to play around with peoples' lives!
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
Nice bulls. Sounds like a bummer to deal with some of those folks.
wow, just getting around to reading this. What a bummer. I hope that guide has what is coming to him. Lord knows you were in the right all along the way. Glad in the end you made the best of your hunt no matter what are how much crap was thrown in front of you. Congrats on your Alaskan experience and I hope your next one is a little more rewarding.
Ridge Runner
New member
What an adventure and a great finish. Congrats to both of you.
WBouldin
Well-known member
keep us posted on the investigation!
Great write-up! Have to same I'm impressed at how you turned a terrible situation into a successful trip, all while respecting the boundaries and other hunters in the process. I'm going to remember this if I ever have a bad trip/hunt. Thanks for sharing your experience!
http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?21742-Alaska-Range-Dall-Sheep-My-First-Sheep-Hunt
This might violate forum rules but here is a sheep hunt with the same outfitter from this year.
This might violate forum rules but here is a sheep hunt with the same outfitter from this year.
thecrittergitter
Well-known member
I have been asked for updates on our moose situation. Not a lot has changed but I can assure you it is going to. Harold and I have been notified that we are not being charged with any of the waste (which we had already assumed) of our moose but our antlers are going to be held as they will be required as part of the case against Tom. I have mailed a letter to the Department of Business and Professional Licensing stating all the things I saw while I was there. It appears, many other hunters in camp will be following suit. I'm taking this to the bitter end just for the sake of future hunters not getting screwed. Not just the potential of getting screwed but being put in dangerous situations.
Will keep you updated but its gonna get pretty rough for Tom shortly.......
By the way, anyone wanting to do a DIY moose hunt in AK, I got some good GPS coordinates I might hand out for free
LOL
Will keep you updated but its gonna get pretty rough for Tom shortly.......
By the way, anyone wanting to do a DIY moose hunt in AK, I got some good GPS coordinates I might hand out for free
LOL
havgunwilltravel
Active member
I have been asked for updates on our moose situation. Not a lot has changed but I can assure you it is going to. Harold and I have been notified that we are not being charged with any of the waste (which we had already assumed) of our moose but our antlers are going to be held as they will be required as part of the case against Tom. I have mailed a letter to the Department of Business and Professional Licensing stating all the things I saw while I was there. It appears, many other hunters in camp will be following suit. I'm taking this to the bitter end just for the sake of future hunters not getting screwed. Not just the potential of getting screwed but being put in dangerous situations.
Will keep you updated but its gonna get pretty rough for Tom shortly.......
By the way, anyone wanting to do a DIY moose hunt in AK, I got some good GPS coordinates I might hand out for free
Great work CG, you hear of far too many hunters getting screwed up in Alaska by ruthless outfitters and I sure hope there is one less operating soon for the good guys to not have to deal with.
eddiewalker
New member
I really enjoyed reading your thread and all that you overcame to get your animal. I've run into a few bad outfitters and I've even been subpoenaed to testify against an outfitter in Idaho back in the 90's. Unfortunately in that case, the day before I was to fly out to testify, they worked out a deal that was barely a slap on the wrist. Hopefully they are more aggressive in Alaska!!!!
Eddie
Eddie
mdhunter61
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2010
- Messages
- 438
I have been asked for updates on our moose situation. Not a lot has changed but I can assure you it is going to. Harold and I have been notified that we are not being charged with any of the waste (which we had already assumed) of our moose but our antlers are going to be held as they will be required as part of the case against Tom. I have mailed a letter to the Department of Business and Professional Licensing stating all the things I saw while I was there. It appears, many other hunters in camp will be following suit. I'm taking this to the bitter end just for the sake of future hunters not getting screwed. Not just the potential of getting screwed but being put in dangerous situations.
Will keep you updated but its gonna get pretty rough for Tom shortly.......
By the way, anyone wanting to do a DIY moose hunt in AK, I got some good GPS coordinates I might hand out for free
Good on you for following through! Based on the accounts I have read or heard, this outfitter showed blatant disregard for the law and may have put many hunter's safety in jeopardy. Not to mention showing no respect for game harvest laws and letting hundreds of pounds of meat go to waste by his blase and poorly organized approach.
SLIVER300WSM
New member
Great write up, despite your circumstances. My hat is off to you for your perseverance and for flat out getting it done!
I sent you a PM.
))--SLIVER-->
I sent you a PM.
))--SLIVER-->
Beendare
New member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2015
- Messages
- 13
I sheep hunted with Tom Shankster in 2010 and I can see why guys have a bad taste after hunting with him. No doubt Tom is a bad outfitter- overpromising, unorganized...but some of the things you mentioned are just part of being dropped off in Alaska- stuff happens.
I bought a sheep hunt at the WSF banquet in Sacramento in 2010 for $6k- what a deal...well maybe not.
Its a long story but the RD version;
I flew in from Magrath with 2 other hunters- both rifle [I was bowhunting] and there were about 10 guys in camp with only a couple guides- a big mess and they had all been weathered in for 3 days. I was promised a certain Bow guide and first thing i did was confirm this with Tom and then i met the guide outside and told him to GET EVERYTHING READY TO GO- all of his gear and food ready to go and on the runway. In the meantime, while everyone was in the main tent relaxing in their longjohns drinking beer- we got it together even tho i just flew in. Tom couldn't fly due to weather. As it goes in AK, shit weather magically cleared at about 10 pm that night and while everyone else was drunk in their longjohns we were packed and ready to go so when i said," tom its clear" he said who is ready right now...'We are" he said load up and we flew out first- pissing off many to no end i'm sure, BTW I wasn't in head to toe Sitka gear.
I flew in after my guide to find half of our dome tents rainfly was shredded- crap equipment- and he was trying to fix it. I had seem remnants of another abandoned tent 1/4 mile down river flying in so I walked down, salvaged some of that shredded tent and we jury rigged and duct taped it over our tent.
The sheep hunting sucked as it was an open unit- over the counter tag.......but after a few days of tough hunting we found one legal ram and sat on him for a few days trying to get a bow shot. It was wide open. A couple times we got stuck climbing on rocks we had no business scaling without rock climbing gear- I wasn't digging that - tough country. I don't mind hiking but that was just stupid. About 5 days in we had 6 different planes circling the legal ram and the guide must have told me 20 times, if i don't shoot that ram soon with a rifle someone is going to come in and shoot him right out from underneath us- so i capitulated.. I hadn't shot a rifle in probably 20 years and the steep uphill 240 yd shot with a .338 scoped me but good!
When we got back to Toms main camp there were still guys that hadn't hunted yet- a cluster..... I went out back to look around an the meat he had been using for camp had fly larvae in the ripped game bags- a bit disappointing though cooked it probably didn't make much difference- tasted fine though now my appetite for it was waning..
Toms outfit is totally unorganized and i would say- stay away. I'm a big boy and its my fault for not doing more homework on the guy even at WSF auction.
Besides the Tom Shankster thing- i think there is something that needs to be said.
WARNING: Some of these ARE HARD CORE hunts....and not for the faint at heart. If you are getting dropped in the woods in the middle of nowhere- stuff happens...so be ready for that. I'm not making excuses for Toms crummy operation...but I get the feeling some of the guys complaining just don't get what is involved here.
Some of the "can't fly because of weather" in your post.....truly is can't fly with a supercub. If you have ever flown in a Supercub...you know what I mean....if its crummy weather you feel like you are in a kite. Almost all of the flying in Ak is line of sight and weather can change from clear to socked in in 20 minutes....not good when you have a 1 hr flight.
When you get dropped in Ak you have to have your big boy pants on. No amount of bit ching or moaning will improve the situation so when you plan one of these hunts- bring your glass half full mood- because things go wrong. I have no doubt many of toms clients got screwed but some of the stuff that happened- HAPPENS- when being dropped off in Ak. You run into difficulties, a guy has to expect that....
You defied the odds and harvested 2 moose- congrats, its not the usual for sure and Tom has to get some credit for that.The whole meat thing may or may not come back on YOU- lets hope not as it sounds like tom should have got you but in the end...its your responsibility, That meat is supposed to come out first before racks and everything- thats the game laws in Ak you agree to when getting a license.
I bought a sheep hunt at the WSF banquet in Sacramento in 2010 for $6k- what a deal...well maybe not.
Its a long story but the RD version;
I flew in from Magrath with 2 other hunters- both rifle [I was bowhunting] and there were about 10 guys in camp with only a couple guides- a big mess and they had all been weathered in for 3 days. I was promised a certain Bow guide and first thing i did was confirm this with Tom and then i met the guide outside and told him to GET EVERYTHING READY TO GO- all of his gear and food ready to go and on the runway. In the meantime, while everyone was in the main tent relaxing in their longjohns drinking beer- we got it together even tho i just flew in. Tom couldn't fly due to weather. As it goes in AK, shit weather magically cleared at about 10 pm that night and while everyone else was drunk in their longjohns we were packed and ready to go so when i said," tom its clear" he said who is ready right now...'We are" he said load up and we flew out first- pissing off many to no end i'm sure, BTW I wasn't in head to toe Sitka gear.
I flew in after my guide to find half of our dome tents rainfly was shredded- crap equipment- and he was trying to fix it. I had seem remnants of another abandoned tent 1/4 mile down river flying in so I walked down, salvaged some of that shredded tent and we jury rigged and duct taped it over our tent.
The sheep hunting sucked as it was an open unit- over the counter tag.......but after a few days of tough hunting we found one legal ram and sat on him for a few days trying to get a bow shot. It was wide open. A couple times we got stuck climbing on rocks we had no business scaling without rock climbing gear- I wasn't digging that - tough country. I don't mind hiking but that was just stupid. About 5 days in we had 6 different planes circling the legal ram and the guide must have told me 20 times, if i don't shoot that ram soon with a rifle someone is going to come in and shoot him right out from underneath us- so i capitulated.. I hadn't shot a rifle in probably 20 years and the steep uphill 240 yd shot with a .338 scoped me but good!
When we got back to Toms main camp there were still guys that hadn't hunted yet- a cluster..... I went out back to look around an the meat he had been using for camp had fly larvae in the ripped game bags- a bit disappointing though cooked it probably didn't make much difference- tasted fine though now my appetite for it was waning..
Toms outfit is totally unorganized and i would say- stay away. I'm a big boy and its my fault for not doing more homework on the guy even at WSF auction.
Besides the Tom Shankster thing- i think there is something that needs to be said.
WARNING: Some of these ARE HARD CORE hunts....and not for the faint at heart. If you are getting dropped in the woods in the middle of nowhere- stuff happens...so be ready for that. I'm not making excuses for Toms crummy operation...but I get the feeling some of the guys complaining just don't get what is involved here.
Some of the "can't fly because of weather" in your post.....truly is can't fly with a supercub. If you have ever flown in a Supercub...you know what I mean....if its crummy weather you feel like you are in a kite. Almost all of the flying in Ak is line of sight and weather can change from clear to socked in in 20 minutes....not good when you have a 1 hr flight.
When you get dropped in Ak you have to have your big boy pants on. No amount of bit ching or moaning will improve the situation so when you plan one of these hunts- bring your glass half full mood- because things go wrong. I have no doubt many of toms clients got screwed but some of the stuff that happened- HAPPENS- when being dropped off in Ak. You run into difficulties, a guy has to expect that....
You defied the odds and harvested 2 moose- congrats, its not the usual for sure and Tom has to get some credit for that.The whole meat thing may or may not come back on YOU- lets hope not as it sounds like tom should have got you but in the end...its your responsibility, That meat is supposed to come out first before racks and everything- thats the game laws in Ak you agree to when getting a license.
thecrittergitter
Well-known member
Beendare,
You obviously have seen the operation first hand and have pretty much witnessed the same garbage I did.
I want to be clear that I absolutely have flown in a super cub on multiple occasions as have many folks on this site. I have been in situations where there is absolutely nothing a person can do about weather of conditions of a hunt so I understand that more than many. I ended up without a brown bear last year because I got stuck in a tent in a snowstorm for a number of days. Nothing anyone including the outfitter could have done about that. The point of this thread was let people know about the complete disregard for hunters, even when flying conditions are good in that camp. You seemed to insinuate that I don't know what flyable weather is in a super cub in Alaska. I absolutely know where that boundary is and when its not flyable, I have no issue whatsoever with not putting someone's safety at risk, in fact I want the pilot to be sure he feels good before I get in one! I'm telling you that there were times where Tom would claim it was too windy to fly, but then a new hunter would show, and all of a sudden, weather wasn't an issue to go fly. One of the hunters in camp was actually a very experienced pilot and made it very clear to Tom a few times that his claim for unflyable weather wasn't justified. What it boiled down to, Tom had way too many hunters and no guides. The weather claim was just an excuse he used to cover up that he didn't have any guides for the guys sitting around.
My hunting partner has more hours in a super cub hunting and guiding hunters in Alaska that I do hunting hours! And the Alaska State trooper will defend the fact that every time Tom disregarded our message to fly and get us, he was flying his super cub at those exact times to defend it was very flyable conditions.
So I absolutely understand and plan for things to not go perfectly on a drop hunt like this. But I feel there is damn sure room to complain when a guy intentionally leaves you in the field even though conditions are fine. Turns out, Tom had told the hunters in camp that we were in the field conducting illegal activities. Was the only thing he could come up with when the state trooper was there having to confiscate illegal animals. A blatant LIE, and in fact, HE and his guides have been telling people that at recent sports shows which is extremely unprofessional.
As far as the meat goes...........we absolutely understand that the meat is our responsibility. However, that changes when a person signs a transfer of possession form. Which is exactly what we did. Tom Shankster signed a transfer of possession form which turned 100% of the responsibility of our stuff to him! He then left it in the field, let it and the capes rot out, and the antlers to be taken by the state troopers that flew in for them after we had left.
So all in all, your post confirmed to any hunter wanting to hunt with Tom, they are in for a shitty experience and a waste of a lot of money. I'm glad someone else could confirm the same experience.
But I want you to understand by your second half of your post that I wear my big boy pants every time I set foot in the woods, especially Alaska. There most certainly were times when the weather was not safe to fly..........those aren't the times I complained about.
The sad thing is, that sheister is out booking dozens more hunters for 2015 at these shows, but has yet as of yesterday, paid any of his guides or packers for their entire season last year! What a damn crook!
You obviously have seen the operation first hand and have pretty much witnessed the same garbage I did.
I want to be clear that I absolutely have flown in a super cub on multiple occasions as have many folks on this site. I have been in situations where there is absolutely nothing a person can do about weather of conditions of a hunt so I understand that more than many. I ended up without a brown bear last year because I got stuck in a tent in a snowstorm for a number of days. Nothing anyone including the outfitter could have done about that. The point of this thread was let people know about the complete disregard for hunters, even when flying conditions are good in that camp. You seemed to insinuate that I don't know what flyable weather is in a super cub in Alaska. I absolutely know where that boundary is and when its not flyable, I have no issue whatsoever with not putting someone's safety at risk, in fact I want the pilot to be sure he feels good before I get in one! I'm telling you that there were times where Tom would claim it was too windy to fly, but then a new hunter would show, and all of a sudden, weather wasn't an issue to go fly. One of the hunters in camp was actually a very experienced pilot and made it very clear to Tom a few times that his claim for unflyable weather wasn't justified. What it boiled down to, Tom had way too many hunters and no guides. The weather claim was just an excuse he used to cover up that he didn't have any guides for the guys sitting around.
My hunting partner has more hours in a super cub hunting and guiding hunters in Alaska that I do hunting hours! And the Alaska State trooper will defend the fact that every time Tom disregarded our message to fly and get us, he was flying his super cub at those exact times to defend it was very flyable conditions.
So I absolutely understand and plan for things to not go perfectly on a drop hunt like this. But I feel there is damn sure room to complain when a guy intentionally leaves you in the field even though conditions are fine. Turns out, Tom had told the hunters in camp that we were in the field conducting illegal activities. Was the only thing he could come up with when the state trooper was there having to confiscate illegal animals. A blatant LIE, and in fact, HE and his guides have been telling people that at recent sports shows which is extremely unprofessional.
As far as the meat goes...........we absolutely understand that the meat is our responsibility. However, that changes when a person signs a transfer of possession form. Which is exactly what we did. Tom Shankster signed a transfer of possession form which turned 100% of the responsibility of our stuff to him! He then left it in the field, let it and the capes rot out, and the antlers to be taken by the state troopers that flew in for them after we had left.
So all in all, your post confirmed to any hunter wanting to hunt with Tom, they are in for a shitty experience and a waste of a lot of money. I'm glad someone else could confirm the same experience.
But I want you to understand by your second half of your post that I wear my big boy pants every time I set foot in the woods, especially Alaska. There most certainly were times when the weather was not safe to fly..........those aren't the times I complained about.
The sad thing is, that sheister is out booking dozens more hunters for 2015 at these shows, but has yet as of yesterday, paid any of his guides or packers for their entire season last year! What a damn crook!
