Mike Berry Hunting Guide-The Results

[mattador96]

I went with Mike Berry in pursuit of wild pigs north of Bakersfield on a private ranch. This is the first time that I have ever hunted with this guide. The price of the hunt was 495. We met Mike about 40 minutes south of the ranch in the morning and follwed him to the ranch. He lead us down a path and told us to climb a hillside about 20 yards above a trail that he said had huge pig activity. We waited for about 3 and half hous and nothing at all came by. We heard numerous shots up the hill and wonderd what was going on. We met up with Mike again and realized that the friend who was drving him around was hunting quail.

We got back in our truck and followed them around looking for pigs. We stopped after lunch to look for signs and also for his friend to do some more quail hunting. We found a little pig sign and several bear tracks. Later in the evening we went back to the firts spot and waited for something to come by. Nothing other than squierls and birds was to be seen. I'm not really sure what to think of this. We didn't see a single pig and saw very little sign. Overall we saw very few animals of any sort. I think we saw a total of 6 deer. They also saw a few bobcats and a 3X3 buck.

I have been on several guided hunts. There were a few things that struck me as odd about this one. The other guides in the past asked for a deposit and the balance at the end of the hunt. He asked for the balance up front. The other guides drove us around in their truck. We used our own. I have never had a guide bring a friend along who was also hunting. I am not sure if the shotgun blasts scared any pigs away or not. I have never had a guide leave us at a spot and go elsewhere. I have never not seen any pigs. I am not trying to bash the guide. I am just reporting what happened. Come to your own conclusions. I have gone with 4 guides at this point . The only ones I recommend are Alfred Luis and Andrew Twisselman. He has offered to have me come back out for free. I am not sure if it is worth the 2 plus hours drive.

 

[Caviel]

Yea, doesnt sound too good to me. How much was twisselman?

 

[Savage21]

That sounds pretty shady if you ask me. I've never used a guide, but to my understanding they're supposed to stay with you and guide you to the pigs, not point you in the right direction. Sounds like "semi-guided" to me.

Also his friend driving him around hunting quail is the worst part of the story. Of course the shotgun blasts scared the pigs away lol. I wonder if this guy is low on cash, doesn't have a steady job or source of income from game guiding and was trying kill two birds with one stone before Christmas. Either way, that's bad buisness if you ask me.

 

[Mel Carter]

Thanks for this post. I'll be booking a hog hunt in April and this guy was one of my options. I'm going to go with twisselman. Tks!

 

[mattador96]

I work hard for my money and expect my guides to do the same. Pigs are normally abundant on the Twisselman ranch between July and August.

 

[spectr17]

How was the hunt offered to you? Guided? Semi guided, DIY trespass fee only? If guided you need to ask exactly what "guided" means. Is that 1 on 1 with you and the guide or are you sharing a truck with 2 other shooters and 1 guide? Did you ask up front how the hunt was going to go? You still hunting on your own vs driving around with a guide? What about meals and lodging? What is the policy of no kill or no hog sightings? 1/2 off next hunt of free to return to try again? These are questions you need to ask BEFORE you pay any money so there is no misunderstandings. Do the questions by email and you have a record to follow up with if a guide changes the deal after you arrive.

Most guided hunts I've seen are 1/2 deposit before and the rest upon arrival. The having a buddy along shooting quail while you the paying client is looking for hogs is nonsense. Also NEVER EVER pay the whole deal up front, the deposit is used to make sure you show up and don't stiff the guide a weekend of his time. If the guide goes BK or disappears you're out the whole enchilada.

I did a Google search and found 2 red flag posts here. One guy never saw a pig like you and the other paid for a hunt and then couldn't get a return call to set up his hunt with Berry. That and him wanting all the money up front would be enough to turn me away. Also the low price is a red flag, most guided hunts for 2 1/1 days are well over $600 now.

 

[house4ursoul]

That sounds a lot like my hunt on the cooley ranch in sonoma a year or so ago. Very sketch. I don't pay guides anymore. I hunt public land. To many scams out there. Especially after talking to wardens about the many scams that most people don't even know about. And the whole debate about how you'll spend more money hunting public land in the long run. Nah. I've put down close to 1500 on "guides" who are sponsored here and came up with nothing. Found a spot that produces pig on public land and that's all I go to now.

 

[spectr17]

Just curious house, these paying hog guide sponsors here you hunted with, were you offered any shot opportunities? Did you see any hogs at all? I just ask after experiencing some hog hunters with guides here who complained about no hog after they didn't hold up their part of the deal. These 3 jokers I recall were drunk and at the local store by 9am after we tried to raise them on their radios about the hogs in the treeline that were staring at them. The 3 bowhunters had changed their radio channel to their own private one to BS and were taking hero shots of them selves in the the open barley field as the hogs watched. This at 8am no less which is prime hog killing time. It was one of the funniest things I've even witnessed. By 10am they were too drunk to continue and told the hunt was over when I saw them at the store. They had a 12 pack down by then. :lol bashing sign:.

 

[house4ursoul]

Haha oh wow! That's quite the story spectre! Oh man.
As for me I was presented with zero shot opportunities. Believe me if it was me who missed I would not be complaining. I didn't see any hogs. I even had one guide tell me that he suspected the pigs were bedded on this hillside after wed been tracking them all morning, but he didnt/wouldn't let me go in after them because the pigs would be spooked out of that area for sometime and he wouldn't be able to bring othe people back to hunt there. Oh man.

 

[Mel Carter]

In regards to your hunt at the cooley ranch, this is a semi guided with NO gaurentee. I've been there and seen tons of hogs and been there and seen zero. I know George personally and know what he offers and how his hunts are laid out. To compare your hunt to this one just because you didn't see hog isn't fair. Two totally different situations, nothing shady about georges operation. If you thought your hunt was shady, you were real quick to want to jump in on the November hunt. Not trying to stir things up, just make sure you have your facts straight before saying an operation is shady, especially when there's a lot of people on here that will dispute your statement.

 

[house4ursoul]

In regards to your hunt at the cooley ranch, this is a semi guided with NO gaurentee. I've been there and seen tons of hogs and been there and seen zero. I know George personally and know what he offers and how his hunts are laid out. To compare your hunt to this one just because you didn't see hog isn't fair. Two totally different situations, nothing shady about georges operation. If you thought your hunt was shady, you were real quick to want to jump in on the November hunt. Not trying to stir things up, just make sure you have your facts straight before saying an operation is shady, especially when there's a lot of people on here that will dispute your statement.

With all due respect Mel you werent there the day I hunted at Cooley ranch.
I wont complain if i dont see hogs, hell im used to hunting public land where youll see nothing but squirrles all day. However, when the guide tells you he hunted the land a few days prior with another client and his dogs after your hunt is over is a pretty big let down(of course I didnt see pigs and no wonder). And then he proceeds to tell me that he thinks all I want to do is kill something and that he can get me a pig with his dogs for 200 more, verbatim. He tells me this as im holding my bow and after I bought a spot and stalk hunt from him. "No I dont want your dogs to find a pig for me."
Maybe he is a good guy who was just having a bad day. All i know is he collected my money first thing and sent me off with no semi-guiding suggestions on where to go or anything a day or so after holding a hunt there with his dogs. Bad management, bad customer service.
As for getting in on the hunt in November, no I was not quick to do so. As I remember it the post was up for some time and I gave my two cents on how my hunt went. Then I thought about giving the benefit of the doubt to George and then the hunt got changed from, what was it, 12 hunters down to 8 per Mavrakis. I dont like last minute changes. And considering how my hunt went at the Cooley ranch made me even more hesitant. In the end, as you know, I didnt go on the hunt. Thankfully per the reports.
Ive been out with other guides since who were much more customer oriented ,regardless of whether or not I got a pig, than he was ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY. Maybe because you do know him personally you get better treatment; maybe not. I dont know. What I do know is that was the worst guided hunt ive ever been on. If youre having a bad day or having personal issues dont let it affect your business. Either way I lose. Im 300 poorer and hes 300 richer.
I didnt want to mention names Mel. But now everyone knows that I had a bad day at the cooley ranch with Mavrakis.

Oh wow, I have to add this in. I completely forgot that my hunt was cut short because one of his dogs got injured on a hunt he was doing simultaneously with my hunt. He came up the trail in his cart while I was glassing a hillside around 3pm and asked me if i knew how to stitch a wound since I was a paramedic.
In his defense he did offer me a hunt the very next day. Of course, I saw no pigs either day. Hogs dont like dogs, shotgun blasts or carts roaring up trails.

For mattador, I would suggest burning boot rubber instead of burning cash. Believe me the pigs are out there on public land. Strap the boots up tight and get to searching and scouting. Besides if you dont see pigs you might see deer, turkey, bear, or even elk and that in turn will help with future hunts.
Guiding is a service that is not regulated. You never know what youre gonna get when you buy a hunt from a stranger. He may or may not feel like helping you out on a semi-guided hunt or help you find pigs on a fully guided hunt.

 

[Mel Carter]

Couple things in your reply strike me odd. You mentioned he said you could do a dog hunt for $200 more? He only charges $100 more from a semi guided to a dog hunt. Second, your an archer, I know for a fact that George doesn't do dog hunts for archers due the risk of hitting his dog or his dogs going in on the hog with an arrow sticking out. And last, George will do all his own stitching on his dogs, had done it for years, he doesn't need nobody to show him how. Most good guides will do their own stitching on their dogs or their vet bill is high.

The November hunt changed from 10 to 8? 8 was the minimum number needed to get the hunt for $400 it wasn't the max, I told George I didn't think I could get the 10 so he ok'd 8. You misread the post.

Again, everyone has there own problems with their hunts, and not saying you didn't have one. But your hunt doesn't sound like George's operation, and from the 3 things I pointed out above, I find it hard to believe it was George who guided you.

Sorry you had a bad hunt.

If you like, I can talk to George to get his side of the story or have him post it here? Seems only fair, since I agree, if those things happened I wouldn't be a happy hunter either.

 

[Bubblehide]

To me it sounds like you got the right to trespass, not a guided hunt. Jesse is right, work out all the details, and get it in writing.

 

[house4ursoul]

Couple things in your reply strike me odd. You mentioned he said you could do a dog hunt for $200 more? He only charges $100 more from a semi guided to a dog hunt. Second, your an archer, I know for a fact that George doesn't do dog hunts for archers due the risk of hitting his dog or his dogs going in on the hog with an arrow sticking out. And last, George will do all his own stitching on his dogs, had done it for years, he doesn't need nobody to show him how. Most good guides will do their own stitching on their dogs or their vet bill is high.

The November hunt changed from 10 to 8? 8 was the minimum number needed to get the hunt for $400 it wasn't the max, I told George I didn't think I could get the 10 so he ok'd 8. You misread the post.

Again, everyone has there own problems with their hunts, and not saying you didn't have one. But your hunt doesn't sound like George's operation, and from the 3 things I pointed out above, I find it hard to believe it was George who guided you.

Sorry you had a bad hunt.

If you like, I can talk to George to get his side of the story or have him post it here? Seems only fair, since I agree, if those things happened I wouldn't be a happy hunter either.

Ok if we must get into detail then lets get into detail.
First off here is an excerpt from his website.

-This is a fully guided hunt, Transportation on the ranch, dogs to locate pigs, field dress, retrival of pig, and all skinning and cleaning is included on this hunt. $500.00 per day per hunter.-

His spot and stalk hunts are $300 a day. Dont believe me, ask him yourself. The $400 rate is a special deal he does for you.

Second, he offered me a .22 he has velcroed to the top of his cart and then made the comment about the dog hunt.

Third maybe I did misread the old post about the november hunt. However, just so you dont think that for some reason I was all excited to hunt Mavrakis' property again, know that I was hesitant to go in the first place and then a change to the plans, of which I thought was coming from Mavrakis' side, made up my mind for me about not going.

Fourth, feel free to ask him yourself about the dog stitching. I have no reason to lie. If he knew how to do it himself then he shouldnt have asked and he should have let me finish my hunt.

Look im not here to argue with anyone. What happened, happened. I wont hunt his property again and thats that. Ive already managed to get pigs elsewhere. The person who posted this asked for an opinion about a semi guided hunt and I gave him my opinion and compared it to a hunt I went on. It wasnt my intention to drop names. However now anyone who reads this knows that theres atleast one person out there who had a bad deal with Mavrakis because you decided to drop his name here. Im sorry that Mavrakis is your buddy; but the hunt I went on was garbage compared to several others ive been on.

 

[Mel Carter]

The "fully guided hunt" is the dog hunt.
Not trying to argue with you, just saying some of the things you mention didn't sound like George's operation. I'm not buddies with George, I have hunted with him 4 times but I do know what type of person he is and what type of business he's trying to run. He tries to make sure all his clients are happy, but that's not always the case.

And by saying your hunt was on the cooley ranch, id call that dropping names since a lot of people know who guides there.
Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread. Post on......

 

[MikenSoCo]

Why I quit Guiding

This exactly why I quit the guide biz. One guy I took out told me has NEVER seen such a good property with so much sign and activity. Told me it was the best hunt he'd ever been on. Never did kill a pig...
The next guy gut shoots a hog at 15 yds., and is then rippin' me for making him spend a couple hours trying to recover the animal. He left all pissed off, AFTER I gave him all his money back and told him to hit the road.
Jesse says it all... "get it in writing".... And sometimes that's not even enough. There are idiots on both sides of the issue. As humans we tend to think most hunters are like ourselves. Not! There are as many different hunters out there as stars in the sky. When you accept payment, alot of things change. At the same time, just because you pay a guide doesn't make him your slave or little skinnin' bitch.
I still hunt the property, but with buddies and people I choose. Living the "Guide Life" is not all it's cracked up to be. It's tough work mentally and physically.... I've debated going back into it. How much are guys payin' these days??!!:lol bashing sign:

 

[HOGHUNTER714]

This exactly why I quit the guide biz. One guy I took out told me has NEVER seen such a good property with so much sign and activity. Told me it was the best hunt he'd ever been on. Never did kill a pig...
The next guy gut shoots a hog at 15 yds., and is then rippin' me for making him spend a couple hours trying to recover the animal. He left all pissed off, AFTER I gave him all his money back and told him to hit the road.
Jesse says it all... "get it in writing".... And sometimes that's not even enough. There are idiots on both sides of the issue. As humans we tend to think most hunters are like ourselves. Not! There are as many different hunters out there as stars in the sky. When you accept payment, alot of things change. At the same time, just because you pay a guide doesn't make him your slave or little skinnin' bitch.
I still hunt the property, but with buddies and people I choose. Living the "Guide Life" is not all it's cracked up to be. It's tough work mentally and physically.... I've debated going back into it. How much are guys payin' these days??!!:lol bashing sign:

I see what ur saying. Personally, I have never ran my own operation, but I have a friend who does. It's a very stressfull job no doubt. Trying to find hogs, under a certain amount of time can make you wanna pull your hair out. My hat is off to you!

 

[mallarditis]

In response to the original poster. I would have never let this hunt get to the point that you did. Certainly not putting ANY of the blame on you because the guide effed this one up. But, as soon as things don't seem right, you need to speak up. I expect on a guided hunt for the guide to hunt as hard as I do. I expect him to be interested in me having a good hunt even if it I'm not successful in killing a hog and I expect MY hunt to be the priority, not his buddy shootng quail. As for paying before the hunt or after, that really wouldn't bother me either way. I just want him to be professional, competent and hard working. Be those things and I'll feel likie I got my moneys worth regardless of kill vs no kill.

 

[HOGHUNTER714]

In response to the original poster. I would have never let this hunt get to the point that you did. Certainly not putting ANY of the blame on you because the guide effed this one up. But, as soon as things don't seem right, you need to speak up. I expect on a guided hunt for the guide to hunt as hard as I do. I expect him to be interested in me having a good hunt even if it I'm not successful in killing a hog and I expect MY hunt to be the priority, not his buddy shootng quail. As for paying before the hunt or after, that really wouldn't bother me either way. I just want him to be professional, competent and hard working. Be those things and I'll feel likie I got my moneys worth regardless of kill vs no kill.

+1. SOOOOOOOOOO Flipin True

 

[mattador96]

I haven't decided whether or not to file a complaint with the department of fish and game. He is a licensed guide. Based on the responses it sounds like pretty much anyone would have felt upset given the same circumstances. I work hard for my money and expect my guides to do the same. That doesn't guarantee a dead pig, but at least do your best.