Dirtbag Guide
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: South Roamer
13-Sep-17
I wanted to give this guys name (Justin Mills) to all the hunters and outfitters out there in Colorado and surrounding areas. This guy had worked previously for Circle K Ranch in El Dorado Colorado. He guided us for 3 days of our hunt and talked us into buying 4 mule deer tags, which we paid for and never recieved. Turns out he not only didn't possess the tags, but also doesn't have a license to guide either. Deadbeat scammer and is known to hunt the Colorado, Wyoming and Washington mountain areas. Last known location was Trinidad Colorado. We turned him in to the DNR, but just trying to start a thread to help fellow hunters chime in on any other deadbeats taking hunters for their hard earned money.
From: Forest bows
13-Sep-17
Why didn't you know you can't buy mule deer tags?
From: Glunt@work
13-Sep-17
Thats stinks. Guides working for outfitters aren't required to be licensed in CO but outfitters are. Anyone buying landowner tags should read up on the rules ahead of time. If you pay for or receive the vouchers through someone who isn't the land owner or officially designated as an agent for the landowner, the tags are invalid anyway.
Its easy to trust fellow hunters, I do it all the time and rarely have an issue. The only really bad one was a wolverine I left with a young taxidermist in Alberta. He disappeared with my wolverine and a few dozen other mounts in process for other folks.
From: South Roamer
13-Sep-17
Forest bows, I've only been hunting a couple years and am from Texas. This was in Colorado, and I wasn't familiar with Colorado tag guidelines. I had assumed this guy knew and was telling me from experience. But I can assure you i've learned alot about them now. I realize how hindsight is 20/20, and I look like a fool putting trust in a guide I didn't know well enough. But is'nt asking me why I didn't know you can't buy mule tags like asking a young buck why he walked into an open field with a feeder near by? I'm just trying to spread the word about a dirtbag who took advantage of us.
From: md5252
13-Sep-17
Circle K seems like a decent operation so hopefully they fired him and it won't reflect poorly on them.
From: OkieJ
13-Sep-17
No one should go hunt another state without knowing the regs , period. Don't ever rely on someone selling the hunt.
From: Franklin
13-Sep-17
It`s not easy for a non resident hunter to know every thing a resident landowner is entitled to in their home state. There could be "landowner tags"...."herd control tags"...."CWD tags" etc. The point being the guy that FLEECED these guys is the SCUMBAG...not the trusting souls that took him as being honest.
From: kellyharris
13-Sep-17
I had a guide in my camp a few years back for Ohio Muzzle loader his name is Joe Ferraro looked shady as all get out I slept every night with one eye open
From: Medicinemann
13-Sep-17
OkieJ, In the strictest sense of the word, you are correct. Every hunter is ultimately responsible for compliance with any and all game laws. That being said, most people will agree that the primary purposes for using an outfitter/guide for a hunt are to GUIDE the hunter...in many ways.....for navigation, for local knowledge pertaining to concentrations of game, perhaps for food/shelter, and certainly to help keep non-residents compliant with all game laws. However, given that every state has their own "twist" on some of the more subtle nuances within the game laws, most outfits and guides readily accept the responsibility of keeping their hunters compliant.....because if they don't, they probably won't be in business for long. I have been on more than my fair share of big game bowhunts. Many of them were outfitted or guided, and while I try to familiarize myself with the local game laws before arriving, the outfitter/guide were always my default when in doubt, or if the question wasn't addressed in a hunting regulation or pamphlet. Not all questions are answered by a hunting season regulations guidebook..... South Roamer, I was just bowhunting for Pronghorn a few weeks ago in the Trinidad area. Glad that I didn't have any contact with the aforementioned, better safe than sorry.
From: WV Mountaineer
13-Sep-17
^^^^^^Well said^^^^^^^
From: PAstringking
13-Sep-17
Well said Jake
From: Native Okie
13-Sep-17
"I've only been hunting a couple years and am from Texas" Being from Texas was enough said. LOL.
From: SonofButch
14-Sep-17
Don't make this about the hunter
From: longbeard
14-Sep-17
The guy is trying to do the hunting community a solid and all some of you can do is pick him a part and the mistakes he made. Just in case you missed the point, I'm sure he now realizes the errors he made in trusting someone else. Jake's post said it best. Thank you Jake and thank you South Roamer for the heads up!!
From: BullBuster
14-Sep-17
Nice retrospective advice...not. People generally believe and trust their guides. I know i do. Thanks for the heads up South
From: jdee
14-Sep-17
You're not alone Southern Roamer, if you look you can find many stories similar to yours. Not all guides and outfitters are created equal !!! Seems like you could have him investigated or arrested for theft of services or for theft of your money.....4 witnesses against one thief. ? Me personally, I would beat his azz !!
From: Thornton
14-Sep-17
You can buy landowner tags in CO. I've hunted with a guide before that provided the tag for mule deer.
