Greg Merriam/Discount Hunts LLC

[nhn2a]

Hello everyone,

I was curious if anyone who lives out west has ever heard of or run into a person named Greg Merriam or Discount Hunts LLC. Greg runs a company called Discount Hunts in Colorado which supposedly sells or partners with outfitters to sell cheap hunts that are either open slot or cancellation hunts. His hunts are in several western states with most being in Colorado since that is where he is located. He caught my attention because he was selling a 4 person semi-guided mule deer hunt for $3995 ($1K per person). Pretty good price based on what I've found. I've done a lot of research but haven't been able to find any reviews on him or his company good or bad. The only reviews on his Facebook site are negative because of a car accident he was supposedly in which is completely unrelated to hunting.

I've actually talked to him on the phone a couple times to gauge his level of knowledge and he seems to know his stuff fairly well. He also says he's been doing this for 20 years so I'm surprised I cant find any reviews good or bad.

I know the saying that something that is too good to be true normally is but figured there would be negative reviews if he really was bad. Again, curious if anyone has heard of him or this business.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Rather than looking for information on him that you probably won't find because of what he does, I'd be looking at exactly who he is going to hook you up with for that little amount of money. If you can't get information on who he's going to book you with so you can look into that operation in depth, I would not deal with the guy. It's also only March and I have to wonder how this early in the year he would have much to offer along those lines.

 

[LopeHunter]

Buyer beware. The best facilitator last year could be a train wreck this year. A train wreck last year is most likely a train wreck this year. I value my time more than my money so if something does not ring true on every level then I walk. My 2 cents.

 

[nhn2a]

Rather than looking for information on him that you probably won't find because of what he does, I'd be looking at exactly who he is going to hook you up with for that little amount of money. If you can't get information on who he's going to book you with so you can look into that operation in depth, I would not deal with the guy. It's also only March and I have to wonder how this early in the year he would have much to offer along those lines.

Thanks for the great advice! I hadn't quite thought of that route. Not sure if he will share this info but if not then that may be a good indication that something fishy is going on.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Thanks for the great advice! I hadn't quite thought of that route. Not sure if he will share this info but if not then that may be a good indication that something fishy is going on.

If you can't find out exactly who is going to get the bulk of that money to thoroughly check them out by talking to references that have booked with them in the past, you might as well be sending your $4K to Nigeria! Just be aware that hunting is now an "industry" and there are plenty of con men working it now just like every other facet of our world where money is involved.

 

[6x6350bull]

Hello everyone,

I was curious if anyone who lives out west has ever heard of or run into a person named Greg Merriam or Discount Hunts LLC. Greg runs a company called Discount Hunts in Colorado which supposedly sells or partners with outfitters to sell cheap hunts that are either open slot or cancellation hunts. His hunts are in several western states with most being in Colorado since that is where he is located. He caught my attention because he was selling a 4 person semi-guided mule deer hunt for $3995 ($1K per person). Pretty good price based on what I've found. I've done a lot of research but haven't been able to find any reviews on him or his company good or bad. The only reviews on his Facebook site are negative because of a car accident he was supposedly in which is completely unrelated to hunting.

I've actually talked to him on the phone a couple times to gauge his level of knowledge and he seems to know his stuff fairly well. He also says he's been doing this for 20 years so I'm surprised I cant find any reviews good or bad.

I know the saying that something that is too good to be true normally is but figured there would be negative reviews if he really was bad. Again, curious if anyone has heard of him or this business.

Did you ever find out more on this guy or go on a hunt? Ran across him and been trying to find info and it is like he is a ghost.

 

[480/277y]

That speaks volumes.

The ONLY bad hunt I ever went on was a cancellation BC goat/mulie hunt. For conversation.

 

[LuketheDog]

Dunno, every time I see the word "Discount" in a business name, I lower my expectations...

 

[nhn2a]

I never got any info on him good or bad. I did talk to him for an hour on the phone but didn't have a warm and fuzzy afterwards. Our group opted to do a DIY hunt and pulled it off successfully as you can see under some of my other posts. If you do decide to use him, please post a review as there are none out there that I could find.

 

[SteveE]

I never got any info on him good or bad. I did talk to him for an hour on the phone but didn't have a warm and fuzzy afterwards. Our group opted to do a DIY hunt and pulled it off successfully as you can see under some of my other posts. If you do decide to use him, please post a review as there are none out there that I could find.

Good Lord.

Here is a review : paying someone for something you can do on your own is foolish.

You answered the question correctly. You went DIY and figured it out. If people would stop paying these fools it would help the entire hunting community.

Get out there and do it on your own. If you don’t measure success by inches you will have a great, life changing experience you could never just buy $$$.

 

[nhn2a]

Good Lord.

Here is a review : paying someone for something you can do on your own is foolish.

You answered the question correctly. You went DIY and figured it out. If people would stop paying these fools it would help the entire hunting community.

Get out there and do it on your own. If you don’t measure success by inches you will have a great, life changing experience you could never just buy $$$.

Very true, in hindsight I wouldn't have wanted to do this any other way. All in all we didn't have but about $3,500 invested in this trip including tags. That's not bad considering the tags made up about $1500 of it. We could have done it even cheaper had we camped. Had we attempted to use an outfitter, it would have cost closer to $10K or more for two mule deer and an Elk. Also there is a huge sense of accomplishment knowing that we did it on our own (with heavy use of this site). Some of the money I would have spent on an outfitter I instead used to improve my gear and buy my own spotting scope, better optics, better pack, etc so not only did we accomplish this I have a lot nicer gear now to do it again on many of upcoming trips we are already planning.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Glad the DIY worked for you and you didn't waste your money with that dude!

 

[Don K]

Funny, I was looking online in 2014 and came across this guys brochure he had online. I click on the link and my jaw hits the ground as there is a picture of my son and a friends son with a bull he shot. Here a hunt was being advertised as a private land hunt in northern New Mexico and they used this picture for part of the advertisement. Funny thing is this bull was taken on a DIY hunt in a prime unit that is nowhere near where he is advertising and I had never heard of this guy until then. I sent him numerous emails and he told me the picture would be removed as I told him this was "False advertising" and he had not gotten permission to use that picture. Took me 2 years and he finally removed the picture.

Haven't been on his site in awhile, probably should check to see if it showed back up.

 

[Don K]

Well guess hes back at it.

https://discountedhunts-public.sharepoint.com/Documents/NM-BElk-RASTRES%20IED-RRANCHBAKE-NICDOMI.pdf

Second picture down, advertising it as a unit 51 ranch hunt, and it was a Unit 17 youth DIY hunt...........

 

[belly-deep]

Sounds like a snake to me. As if “discount” in the name wasn’t enough...

 

[Kiwi]

Its so temping isn't it?

Buy a cheap hunt and have a rewarding and successful adventure. I use to dream of a discounted Alaskan adventure (I'm required to be guided in AK) but I'm glad I gave up and plan to stick to swap hunts in the lower 48. I just pretend AK doesn't exist now haha

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Well guess hes back at it.

https://discountedhunts-public.sharepoint.com/Documents/NM-BElk-RASTRES%20IED-RRANCHBAKE-NICDOMI.pdf

Second picture down, advertising it as a unit 51 ranch hunt, and it was a Unit 17 youth DIY hunt...........

Can you contact the CO authorities to see if any agency oversees booking agents like that to put them on to that crooked SOB?!

 

[6x6350bull]

Well guess hes back at it.

https://discountedhunts-public.sharepoint.com/Documents/NM-BElk-RASTRES%20IED-RRANCHBAKE-NICDOMI.pdf

Second picture down, advertising it as a unit 51 ranch hunt, and it was a Unit 17 youth DIY hunt...........

Appreciate the feedback everyone. My dad is 73 and the main reason for a possible guided hunt is he only has a couple years left and want to be successful. He is just hoping for a good percentage hunt but no a slam dunk gimmie.

 

[Don K]

Can you contact the CO authorities to see if any agency oversees booking agents like that to put them on to that crooked SOB?!

Have not done that, good idea

 

[SteveE]

Very true, in hindsight I wouldn't have wanted to do this any other way. All in all we didn't have but about $3,500 invested in this trip including tags. That's not bad considering the tags made up about $1500 of it. We could have done it even cheaper had we camped. Had we attempted to use an outfitter, it would have cost closer to $10K or more for two mule deer and an Elk. Also there is a huge sense of accomplishment knowing that we did it on our own (with heavy use of this site). Some of the money I would have spent on an outfitter I instead used to improve my gear and buy my own spotting scope, better optics, better pack, etc so not only did we accomplish this I have a lot nicer gear now to do it again on many of upcoming trips we are already planning.

Right on!! You are so much farther along with that quality gear vs GIVING IT AWAY. Plus you learned so much more OYO. The taste of accomplishment is so much sweeter OYO.

If your Dad is on his death bed then so be it but for anyone in decent health with two feet that connect up with two legs, do it on your own. The land ownership maps make this stuff easy, use it and enjoy YOUR public lands and YOUR wildlife.

Get the $$money$$ out of the game!!!