DIY Map by Bearpaw

[sirmissalot]

To delete it would make it look like there's something to hide. I hunted with one of Dales maps for bear and saw them everywhere he said I would. It's a map not a guided trip. For someone like me who is 6 hours away it is well worth the money to pay Dale for his knowledge of the area.

[WA hunter14]

so basically what you wanted was a map with clear cuts and draws highlighted on them that said deer funnel through this canyon every morning and evening or deer bed on the edge of this clearing, but its just not realistic for 300 bucks. Im sure dale knows places like that(i do and so do many successful hunters) but they sure dont come free and easy and those are the kinds of places he either keeps for himself or takes his clients to, clients that are paying 3 grand. what he gave you seems to be public land areas with access that have deer but you have to go there and find where specifically they live and travel and do the hunting yourself, seems pretty fair to me. On the other hand i agree the time it took to get it was not right and not getting fully what he says you get when you buy one(the taxi info and such) also isnt right. Personaly i would have been mostly satisfied and would have gone and hunted hard.

[blazenfish]

Well I hope I have talk to them at bearpaw and so wish I could afford to go. But limited funds blows goats.... but the adventure and knowledge is well worth it...

[silverdalesauer]

I've never hunted with Dale (Bearpaw), but one day I will. I've heard more stories of how great a guy he is from good friends I've met on this forum like Radsav and Paw66. I drool  every time I see what he's posted for his guided hunts and have often thought about buying one of his maps.Heck, I'd spend $300 just to sit down with him for 4 hours to learn how to be a better hunter. Imagine what a person could learn just to listen to his stories, his suggestions, and his wisdom. Of course, you don't even know the guy. You just think he's some "site sponsor" who made a fast buck on you.

The OP is a fool for the way he acted and even more foolish the way he tried to infect the rest of us with his negative attitude and review of Dale. You chose the wrong forum and the wrong group of outdoors men/women to try to chew out Dale. 

Sounds like you need to apologize publicly now to Bearpaw... or you might as well forget anyone on here taking you seriously in the future.

[xXLojackXx]

This is comical. Sounds like you should have put an extra 0 on your $300 map price, and paid for the guided hunt that you were expecting.

[ctwiggs1]

This is comical. Sounds like you should have put an extra 0 on your $300 map price, and paid for the guided hunt that you were expecting.

 

[bugs n bones]

Good lord......that's why we call it hunting and not killing

[kentrek]

This "bad" review has actually peaked my interest for these maps in a good way

[Bob33]

I haven't used the service, but my expectation is that I would be given information on some areas to hunt that held game in the relatively recent past. This would allow me to focus on the 5% to 10% of a county or GMU that has a higher probability of harvest success rather than the 90% that doesn't.

I've been told many times by other hunters "you should have been here yesterday!", so even very detailed, current information is only valid if you're right there.

[JimmyHoffa]

Would a prettier map with less helpful information be worth the $300?   

[hrd2fnd]

Been contemplating using Dale's outfit now for a few years, the OP's comments are the first I've read in a negative light. The OP has his beliefs on what he expected for his costs. I also feel Dale and the OP were able to reach a compromise with the 50% refund, as well the map.

The information from what I saw before the picture was removed, provided me only more questions to go over with Dale when the day comes to purchase.

 

[bearpaw]

Legitimate Complaint
jpc has a legitimate complaint in that I was super slow in getting the map to him and definitely at fault for that reason. I was in Wisconsin remodeling my sister-in-law's house for 6 weeks from late June until August and did not have access to the paper map needed to fulfill his request. If I remember correctly I informed him over the phone I was on vacation and would do the map when I got home. The remodel did take 2 or 3 weeks longer than expected so I was ultra slow getting home and sending the map. I don't blame him at all for being upset and will repeat my apology for being so slow.

Paper or PDF Map
I asked jpc if he wanted a pdf which has more detail or a paper map that is handier to take in the vehicle. He wanted a paper map and wanted preferably mule deer areas in NE WA. He told me where they had been hunting for the last several years so I knew where not to send him. I informed him that there were more whitetail in NE WA and that many areas would have both types of deer. For pdf maps I use a digital 7.5 which is exactly what I show in the photos on my website. For paper maps I normally use either DNR or National Forest Maps. Because I wanted to send him to at least 6 mule deer hunting locations in GMU 108, 117, and 113 I needed to use the larger Forest Service map which shows all those GMU's. If I used a 7.5 paper map I would have only been able to show him a couple good hunts on any one map. The DNR maps do show more detail but out of print for Chewelah quadrangle (not available anywhere, not even from the state printing office) so sending a Colville quadrangle and Chewelah quadrangle was not an option. If I remember correctly I marked 8 of the best mule deer areas I know in those GMU's on the forest service map so I actually gave him more info than I had promised.

(When I get a chance I will list on my website what kind of paper maps I use so there will be no surprise to anyone who orders a paper map in the future.)

What I Thought Was Unfair
After I sent the paper map I received an unhappy response asking for a more detailed map or a full refund so I explained that I can't do the sort of detail he wanted on a paper map and I offered to do another pdf map (for the area of his choosing) free of charge. He agreed and sent me details of which area he wanted. I had that map nearly completed and I received another email in which he changed the area he wanted and added more specifics to satisfy some of his family members. At this point I decided I was not going to be able to please the guy and offered a 50% refund. He had admitted he had already been out to one of the areas I recommended so I was not going to offer a full refund, I figured 50% was fair since he already had reviewed the hunt areas and he accepted that offer and I promptly sent the refund the same day I received his acceptance of the offer.

About The Maps
I have a lifetime invested in learning all these areas and knowing roughly how many animals are in one area verses another area. We hunt in most of the areas almost every year because outfitting is my fulltime business. These maps are great for anyone who does not have time to find new hunt areas. I sell the maps for about the same cost as three tanks of fuel. I normally provide at least 4 good areas on every map but in this case I promised 6 areas and I delivered 8 areas. I custom make each map and several of the areas I recommended to jpc I had not recommended to anyone else this year.

Doing Business
I was the lead service technician for a manufacturing company for many years and traveled to 47 states repairing company equipment. Over the years I learned that in any business you can never please all the people all the time. In our hunting business we have a pretty high satisfaction rate, I figure on the average only about 3% are unhappy with our services. That's 3 out of 100 people, I wished I could make it 0 out of 100 people but we haven't been that lucky. Because we provide services (mostly guiding) to more than 100 people every year it seems I have to try and make things right with a few unhappy people nearly every year. It's a part of business that cannot be ignored, but usually if I make things right with people that resolves the problem for both parties. For some reason it seems no matter what you do to make things right eventually someone will carry some sort of grudge and want to ruin your business, I've even had it happen a couple times over the years after making a full refund. Thankfully the majority of hunters are an awesome group of people to do business with, there is not any other business I would rather be doing.

Payments & Refunds for Maps
If someone gives me a credit card I normally do not charge the card until I do the map. Some folks send a paypal payment when they order a map and I have a couple hunters who are waiting on a map right now, if they already paid and want a full refund before they get the map I will gladly do a full refund the same day they contact me. If I have not charged their card and they feel they have waited to long simply contact me and I will cancel the order without putting any charge on the card.

Internet Reviews
Reviews on the internet are a handy thing, I look at them all the time on all kinds of products and services. You can usually read through all the reviews and get an idea if you want to try a product/service or not by the review and the replies. I would ask that the mods do not remove this review and admit that there might be a few other folks who are disappointed in my slowness, especially this year. If anyone is unhappy simply contact me and I'll make it right.

I better get going, I've got a couple more maps I need to get done so guys get them in time to go hunting.

[Duffer]

...... and once again Dale is The Bigger Person  (you know what I mean, Dale!) 

This just adds to the bazillion reasons is why I will continue to do business with Bearpaw Outfitters; until I can no longer hunt at all

[Dbax129]

Wow. I have thought about buying the maps before. I would love to get a bear over there for fall season sometime.  I live in the Puget sound region though, so scouting would be prettty tough. I gotta say, after reading the op and all the replies (and by the time I came by the pics were gone) I think next year I may have to do it.  I think I've been convinced that this is a great deal and probably worth more than what the seller is asking. Dang, now all I can think about is a big blond of cinamon black bear....

[rasbo]

I deleted the pics of the maps because I felt it was in poor taste to put them up..That being said,Rasbo outtfitters now has maps for sale DYI maps $299.99  my bad