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Capt. Don Martin

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Everything posted by Capt. Don Martin

  1. I have a brand new Browning front loader tackle system with six model 370 plastic tackle boxes inside. Dimensions are 20" X 12" X 15. I think Cabelas/Bass Pro list this set up for $109-$125.. I'll take $80 and will deliver it in Phoenix or mail it to you if you don't live there. Great Father's Day present for that angler who needs to organize his equipment. Awesome rig, and of course very high quality. Don Martin
  2. Capt. Don Martin

    Great javelina hunt in Unit 18B in 2018!

    Despite seeing a lot fewer javelina this year, the general rifle javelina hunters in our camp this year did extremely well, going 6 for 7! And if not for a scope issue, we would have been a perfect 7 for 7! This is the story. The weather was lousy for javelina hunting for opening day in Unit 18B this year, but for three tag holders in camp that day, Jay Chan, his son Michael, and nephew Kyle who was on his first ever big game hunt, turned out great as they all scored on javelina from 50 to 106 yards! Page and I missed the morning hunt, and were in a different area that afternoon when I spotted two pigs in a wash. Page and I got out and started up a hillside to get a better view of the two pigs. Unfortunately Page got caught up in some catclaw and was unable to make it to a spot where she could see the peccaries. I was able to see one pig who was slowly walking up a ridge line just 100 yards away. I had him in the scope of my Rock River Fred Eichler edition AR-15 in 223 that was loaded with extremely accurate Fiocchi Match 77 grain HPBT bullets, but I really wanted Page to get one first, so I passed on the shot. On Day two, Jay's youngest son Ryan "The javelina whisperer" Chan came to camp and that's where Page McDonald and I met up with him. He said he would go look for pigs while Jay said he would go with Page and I. Did I mention that Page is a 77-year-old great-grandmother? It didn't take Ryan much time to find a herd, but they were in his words, "Over a mile away" and moving towards the edge of canyon." The country were were hunting in is full of rocks and boulders that makes for treacherous walking to say the least. However Page said she was up for it so off we went, with Jay in the lead. We decided that we would just take one rifle on the stalk. It would be Page's Remington Model 7 Mountain Rifle in 260 caliber, that is topped with a Leupold compact 3x9 scope and Harris 25S bipod. It took us over two hours to hike to where Ryan has last seen the pigs. It was Jay would find them on the edge of a canyon, just out of the wind, feeding. The wind was perfect and it took a while (20 minutes) to get Page set up for a shot at an adult pig. However it was well worth the wait to make sure everything was right and that she had the right pig in her scope. The big sow was just 40 yards away and broadside when Page touched off the rifle. The pig went down immediately! I made three quick blasts with the Circe predator call I was carrying and the rest of the herds froze momentarily, not knowing what had just happened. I got the rifle from Page as one of the pigs started to run off. The rest just stood still, looking around. "Better shoot quick, Don" Jay said. I picked out a boar that had stopped in the open at 74 yards. I used my walking stick to steady my aim, and fired. The pug went down and never moved. Jay told us that we had hiked well over a mile from the truck. Matter-of-fact he said it was 1.47 miles according to his GPS. And of course that is "as the crow flies" and did not represent the true distance due to the up and down topography we had walked in. The key was going to be getting back to the truck after Jay and I boned out of the pigs. That hike took more than two hours. I'm not sure how many 77-year-old man or woman could have made that trek. But Page was a trooper and got it done. Afterwards we met up with my friends St. George residents Colby Adams and Scott, and learned that Colby, who was the only one with a tag, had been successful on his morning hunt. That afternoon, Jay's brother Alan, arrived in camp after being snowed in at Flagstaff. Ryan had found yet another herd of pigs and he and his uncle were headed that way. Unfortunately, another group if hunters had also found they pigs and the other hunters did get one out of that herd. The next morning Alan, Ryan, Jay and I went to an area where in the past we had found pigs. Once again it was Ryan who found a herd, but they were over a half mile away and in a catclaw thicket feeding in the warm morning sun. Jay decided to be the "eye in the sky" while Alan and Ryan moved in towards the unsuspecting herd. Wind and sun were perfect and Alan got set up at the herd boar at 95 yards. He had a solid and he rarely misses, so it looked like a done deal. Only one problem... No one knew it, but the scope on Alan's 243 was broken! No one even saw where the bullet hit when Alan fired off the first shot. But the pigs didn't know where the shot had came from and instead of running away, the herd actually started running towards Alan and Ryan. They stopped at 40 yards and Alan fired again. The bullet hit way over the pig. Alan shot again, again and again, 5 times in all, and none of the bullets were even close to his intended targets. It was a long hike back that day for Alan, Jay and Ryan. How disappointing to do everything right only to have a scope malfunction result in a bunch of misses! We decided to switch guns and give it one more try on Monday morning. After all, up to that point we had seen pigs everyday. But the winds came up and despite our best efforts, we didn't see one javelina. That my friends is why it is called hunting and not killing!
  3. Just wondering how sportsmen all over the state felt about the new PointGuard program that the AZGFD started as a way to generate more income? Heard that some, like me, were upset in knowing that some folks are using (manipulating) this new program to their own personal and monetary gain. It is suppose to be "insurance" but it is also a program by design, that is going to raise funds for the Department (and that's not all bad!) Here is how it works..this is ONLY an example, but bet this has really happened. A person has 18 deer bonus points. They only want to draw a Unit 13B (AZ Strip) deer tag. Lets call them Applicant A. But they are offered a gob of money by someone (Applicant who has 13 bonus points who wants the THIRD best deer tag in Arizona, the late Kaibab west side tag and doesn't want to wait another 3-5 years to get it. Applicant B knows that it is going to take 15 bonus points to get into the 20% pass draw, where 20 tags are going to be issued out of the 100 offered. Applicant A and Applicant B apply together under PointGuard. Their points are combined (31) and divided by two, as there are two applicants on this application. That averages out to 15.5 which rounds up to 16 They know that last year, it took 15 points to get into the bonus point pass draw, so they are in!. They applied for the late Kaibab tags and under the 20% pass rule, were in the max point group, so they draw. But Applicant A does NOT want a Kaibab tag, he only wants a Unit 13B tag, so he turns in the tag, and even gets ANOTHER bonus point! Meanwhile Applicant B, who didn't want to play the draw game and didn't want to wait his time to get into the max pool, has a Unit 12A late west side tag, and is hunting this year. All it took was money... and someone with a lot of points who was willing to wait one more year to draw their Strip tag. So my questions is this. Is this fair to all? What if you as a sportsman don't know anyone who has a lot of points they are willing to share OR doesn't have the money to pay to be on the application that a person who has advertised on social media that they will share for the right amount of money? G&F don't think this is a big problem now; but I think in the future you will see more and more folks on the Internet, networking to try and manipulate the system. Bottom line is that folks with a lot of disposable income can jump over the average sportsman, and I don't think that is right or fair. This year I had 17 deer points but my lady friend didn't have enough points by herself to get into the 20% pass. Could we have "bundled up" and maybe got her a late Kaibab tag that she wants? The answer is yes, and it would have been legal to do so. But her and I both refused to sign up for the customer portal, and refused to pay the money for PointGuard. Bottom line is that I drew a Strip tag but she didn't draw that late Kaibab tag. So be it. I know that the AZGFD is facing some issues regarding decreased revenue streams. PointGuard is by design, a program to increase that revenue stream. I was told that 4,500 people had already enrolled in it. Might not seem like a lot, but when folks use it for most if not all of their big game applications, then there is some serious money being raised. As to I Support Wildlife program.. let me talk about that in another post. Don Martin
  4. For those that have a Unit 10 muzzleloader or late bull tag, I'm offering some professional help at a very reasonable price. Just spent almost three weeks up there and saw a number of bulls with the herds we worked including a couple that weren't broken up in the 340 class. I've got a 30 foot 5th wheel I can bring up and supply complete camp if you need that service. Or can do just guide only.. Don Martin Arizona Wildlife Outfitters 928-303-9481 info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com
  5. Capt. Don Martin

    Unit 10 muzzleloader or late rifle bull hunters

    It varies. Depends on ranch fees, how many assistants you want, my insurance costs, how many days you want. I will NOT put two hunters together who don't know each other!
  6. Capt. Don Martin

    Unit 10 muzzleloader or late rifle bull hunters

    No, each guide is charged $500 if they do even one guided hunt on the Boquillas.
  7. Capt. Don Martin

    Unit 10 muzzleloader or late rifle bull hunters

    I hunt on Boquillas. I've paid the $500 guide fee to them, and am licensed with AZGFD. Fully insured too. Be hunting there since I moved to Kingman in 1972..😉
  8. Capt. Don Martin

    Unit 10 Cow Elk Help

    Well we assisted three hunters=one juniors-two adults and got three cows! I'm just gonna say that we didn't hunt in the areas others here are saying you'll find elk. We glassed up every elk herd we found, and some were over two miles away! Never did any "blind hikes!" Tough hunt for those that don't do a lot of hunting up there. I've been hunting on the Boquillas since 1972 so got a "feel" for the elk there. I agree there are too many tags in this unit.. I have no issues with the kid's hunts, but for the AZGFD it is a money maker! The quality of the bulls have gone way down over the last 10 years too, but we saw a number of 6x6's in the herds we hunted. If anyone knows someone with a late rifle bull or muzzleloader hunt tell them to call me. We offer 2x1 hunts for $2200 ($1100 each) and have almost 100% success. I don't really care for the late antlerless hunts, cows are pregnant, and it is a lot tougher to find the herds. Here is what we got in October. We do juniors hunts for less.. Don Martin Arizona Wildlife Outfitters 928-303-9481 info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com
  9. For those who are seeking the permanent bonus point given by the Arizona Game & Fish Department for completion of the one day Supplemental class, the first class for 2020 is now open for enrollment. When: January 4, 2020 Where: 7 Mile Hill Range, Golden Valley Arizona (Kingman) Times: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Arizona time) Max number of attendees: 35--first come first serve, and must register with AZGFD, waiting list of no more than 10 persons will be made in case of cancellations! Cost: $8 paid at the door Who can attend: Anyone ages 14 and older who have taken and passed a hunter education class in another state since 1985 and has proof of graduation can attend this class. Proof must be sent to Chief Instructor Don Martin in the form of a text to 928-303-9481 or by email at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Young persons ages 9-13 who have graduated from a hunter education class can only attend with the Chief Instructors approval. Notes: This is an extremely fast paced class and young persons may have difficulty is passing the final test! A local motel will be offering a small discount for attendees, call Chief Instructor Don Martin at 928-303-9481 for information, but obviously attendees can register at any motel of your choice in the Kingman area. Right now there are still 23 seats open! Remember first come-first serve and only those registered on the AZGFD website will be accepted into the class. No firearms permitted in this class@ It is a "cold facility!" If you register and then find out you cannot attend, please go back online and remove yourself from the roster so that other persons can attend. For more information contact Don Martin at 928-303-9481 or at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Don Martin Volunteer Chief Instructor Region 3 Kingman, AZ
  10. For those who are seeking the permanent bonus point given by the Arizona Game & Fish Department for completion of the one day Supplemental class, the first class for 2020 is now open for enrollment. When: January 4, 2020 Where: 7 Mile Hill Range, Golden Valley Arizona (Kingman) Times: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Arizona time) Max number of attendees: 35--first come first serve, and must register with AZGFD, waiting list of no more than 10 persons will be made in case of cancellations! Cost: $8 paid at the door Who can attend: Anyone ages 14 and older who have taken and passed a hunter education class in another state since 1985 and has proof of graduation can attend this class. Proof must be sent to Chief Instructor Don Martin in the form of a text to 928-303-9481 or by email at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Young persons ages 9-13 who have graduated from a hunter education class can only attend with the Chief Instructors approval. Notes: This is an extremely fast paced class and young persons may have difficulty is passing the final test! A local motel will be offering a small discount for attendees, call Chief Instructor Don Martin at 928-303-9481 for information, but obviously attendees can register at any motel of your choice in the Kingman area. Right now there are still 23 seats open! Remember first come-first serve and only those registered on the AZGFD website will be accepted into the class. No firearms permitted in this class@ It is a "cold facility!" If you register and then find out you cannot attend, please go back online and remove yourself from the roster so that other persons can attend. For more information contact Don Martin at 928-303-9481 or at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Don Martin Volunteer Chief Instructor Region 3 Kingman, AZ
  11. For those who are seeking the permanent bonus point given by the Arizona Game & Fish Department for completion of the one day Supplemental class, the first class for 2020 is now open for enrollment. When: January 4, 2020 Where: 7 Mile Hill Range, Golden Valley Arizona (Kingman) Times: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Arizona time) Max number of attendees: 35--first come first serve, and must register with AZGFD, waiting list of no more than 10 persons will be made in case of cancellations! Cost: $8 paid at the door Who can attend: Anyone ages 14 and older who have taken and passed a hunter education class in another state since 1985 and has proof of graduation can attend this class. Proof must be sent to Chief Instructor Don Martin in the form of a text to 928-303-9481 or by email at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Young persons ages 9-13 who have graduated from a hunter education class can only attend with the Chief Instructors approval. Notes: This is an extremely fast paced class and young persons may have difficulty is passing the final test! A local motel will be offering a small discount for attendees, call Chief Instructor Don Martin at 928-303-9481 for information, but obviously attendees can register at any motel of your choice in the Kingman area. Right now there are still 23 seats open! Remember first come-first serve and only those registered on the AZGFD website will be accepted into the class. No firearms permitted in this class@ It is a "cold facility!" If you register and then find out you cannot attend, please go back online and remove yourself from the roster so that other persons can attend. For more information contact Don Martin at 928-303-9481 or at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Don Martin Volunteer Chief Instructor Region 3 Kingman, AZ
  12. For those who are seeking the permanent bonus point given by the Arizona Game & Fish Department for completion of the one day Supplemental class, the first class for 2020 is now open for enrollment. When: January 4, 2020 Where: 7 Mile Hill Range, Golden Valley Arizona (Kingman) Times: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Arizona time) Max number of attendees: 35--first come first serve, and must register with AZGFD, waiting list of no more than 10 persons will be made in case of cancellations! Cost: $8 paid at the door Who can attend: Anyone ages 14 and older who have taken and passed a hunter education class in another state since 1985 and has proof of graduation can attend this class. Proof must be sent to Chief Instructor Don Martin in the form of a text to 928-303-9481 or by email at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Young persons ages 9-13 who have graduated from a hunter education class can only attend with the Chief Instructors approval. Notes: This is an extremely fast paced class and young persons may have difficulty is passing the final test! A local motel will be offering a small discount for attendees, call Chief Instructor Don Martin at 928-303-9481 for information, but obviously attendees can register at any motel of your choice in the Kingman area. Right now there are still 23 seats open! Remember first come-first serve and only those registered on the AZGFD website will be accepted into the class. No firearms permitted in this class@ It is a "cold facility!" If you register and then find out you cannot attend, please go back online and remove yourself from the roster so that other persons can attend. For more information contact Don Martin at 928-303-9481 or at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Don Martin Volunteer Chief Instructor Region 3 Kingman, AZ
  13. For those who are seeking the permanent bonus point given by the Arizona Game & Fish Department for completion of the one day Supplemental class, the first class for 2020 is now open for enrollment. When: January 4, 2020 Where: 7 Mile Hill Range, Golden Valley Arizona (Kingman) Times: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Arizona time) Max number of attendees: 35--first come first serve, and must register with AZGFD, waiting list of no more than 10 persons will be made in case of cancellations! Cost: $8 paid at the door Who can attend: Anyone ages 14 and older who have taken and passed a hunter education class in another state since 1985 and has proof of graduation can attend this class. Proof must be sent to Chief Instructor Don Martin in the form of a text to 928-303-9481 or by email at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Young persons ages 9-13 who have graduated from a hunter education class can only attend with the Chief Instructors approval. Notes: This is an extremely fast paced class and young persons may have difficulty is passing the final test! A local motel will be offering a small discount for attendees, call Chief Instructor Don Martin at 928-303-9481 for information, but obviously attendees can register at any motel of your choice in the Kingman area. Right now there are still 23 seats open! Remember first come-first serve and only those registered on the AZGFD website will be accepted into the class. No firearms permitted in this class@ It is a "cold facility!" If you register and then find out you cannot attend, please go back online and remove yourself from the roster so that other persons can attend. For more information contact Don Martin at 928-303-9481 or at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Don Martin Volunteer Chief Instructor Region 3 Kingman, AZ
  14. For those who are seeking the permanent bonus point given by the Arizona Game & Fish Department for completion of the one day Supplemental class, the first class for 2020 is now open for enrollment. When: January 4, 2020 Where: 7 Mile Hill Range, Golden Valley Arizona (Kingman) Times: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Arizona time) Max number of attendees: 35--first come first serve, and must register with AZGFD, waiting list of no more than 10 persons will be made in case of cancellations! Cost: $8 paid at the door Who can attend: Anyone ages 14 and older who have taken and passed a hunter education class in another state since 1985 and has proof of graduation can attend this class. Proof must be sent to Chief Instructor Don Martin in the form of a text to 928-303-9481 or by email at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Young persons ages 9-13 who have graduated from a hunter education class can only attend with the Chief Instructors approval. Notes: This is an extremely fast paced class and young persons may have difficulty is passing the final test! A local motel will be offering a small discount for attendees, call Chief Instructor Don Martin at 928-303-9481 for information, but obviously attendees can register at any motel of your choice in the Kingman area. Right now there are still 23 seats open! Remember first come-first serve and only those registered on the AZGFD website will be accepted into the class. No firearms permitted in this class@ It is a "cold facility!" If you register and then find out you cannot attend, please go back online and remove yourself from the roster so that other persons can attend. For more information contact Don Martin at 928-303-9481 or at info@arizonawildlifeoutfitters.com Don Martin Volunteer Chief Instructor Region 3 Kingman, AZ
  15. Capt. Don Martin

    19A questions, help

    Just spent the weekend up in Unit 19A. Private ranches I contacted offering no access, paid or otherwise. Gonna be tough for those who haven't done a lot of scouting to find bucks off the private. Ranchers have been very polite though when I spoke with them. We saw only TWO deer the entire weekend, a doe and spike buck. Put a lot of miles on looking for public lands and antelope... Gonna be a tough one this year I think! Didn't see and real "boomers" either on private or public lands.
  16. Capt. Don Martin

    Ram Score

    agree with the score! He is a shooter!
  17. Capt. Don Martin

    15BW Sheep

    I think it is safe to say my guys and I have guided successfully in this unit for many,many years! We've taken some of the largest rams taken in this unit, and our hunters have been 100% successful. If you are looking for professional help at a very reasonable price on this hunt, give me a call. Got great spotters who, like me, know this area very well. The hunt is booked for the entire season, so there is no rush to take a ram! The ram that Tom B got in 2010 was guided by AWO guide Dan Reed that day. The rest of the team were watching the herd from across the valley. I had pneumonia but helped pack it out before I ended up in the hospital. Here are some other 15B West rams we have taken in the past. 15B West is a tough unit,! Also in 2015 and 2916 we took HUGE rams in Unit 15D! References available!
  18. Capt. Don Martin

    Any sheep hits?

    Oh yes there is a tag in Unit 18B..better check the regs again..
  19. Capt. Don Martin

    Striper fishing ready to take off on Lake Mead!

    There are some yellow bullheads in there, but no flatheads.. Channel cats are the number one cat in Lake Mead. We caught 55 fish Friday night/Saturday morning. 33 stripers and 22 channel cats. I got 16 cats and 13 stripers! Heck of a mess of fish! Capt. Don Martin Striper Hunters
  20. Capt. Don Martin

    Striper fishing ready to take off on Lake Mead!

    As this weather gets hotter, the striper fishing on Lake Mead out of South Cove will start getting better. Last year, from May to August, we caught, according to my report to the AZGFD, 4,773 stripers and 355 channel catfish! Most of our trips we got over 100 fish! Out big striper last year weighed 12 lbs. 12 oz., (Chris Favour) and I got the biggest FISH of the year, a common carp that weighed 13 lbs. 13 oz! Jacob Jacoby caught a WALLEYE, while I got a crappie and another angler even got a rainbow trout. All were taken using cut up anchovies! We set a new record for most fish caught in a night; with over 250 in one night, then over 300 the next! Shelley Favour set a record for the most fish ever caught by a lady angler on our boat with 67 fish! Thinking it will be another good year and have done some fun pre-fishing with friends and have caught fish and will be ready to open the doors around June 1. If you want to go on a fun fish CATCHING trip, think about going with us. You won't catch big fish, the average is just over a pound, but you'll catch a lot of them, and they are great eating! Call for details, I'm already booked up for all the weekends in June and July, but have some week days open. Also got plenty of dates in August. So keep your lines fresh and we'll see you on the water! Capt. Don Martin Striper Hunters 928-303-9481 info@striperhunters.com
  21. UPDATE-UPDATE-UPDATE I got a call from Doug at Camera Land Inc. who is a Leica dealer and in 30 minutes he got more done for me on this issue that anyone in the past 5 months! The Leicas Geovids are in my opinion the best binos out there, Thanks Doug for all your help on this! I don't usually complain about the services of a company in the outdoor industry,but in the case of the repair of my Leica 15x56 Geovid binoculars, I want to share this experience with you if you are considering purchasing these high end glasses. Last December, on a sheep hunt, I had the unfortunate experience of taking a pretty big tumble, and in the process banged up my Leica 15x56 Geovid binoculars pretty bad, after they flew out of the case and hit some rocks (They were tethered and in a case too). On January 2, 2018 I sent an email to COMPANY 7 in Montpelier Maryland explaining that I needed the binos repaired ASAP as I had spring hunts to do. On January 5 I get an email on instructions on how to send them back. I also was told that they company had a limited supply of loaner binos, and since I had a number of spring javelina and turkey hunts to do they would see if they could send me a pair while my were being repaired. I heard NOTHING till April 9 when I send them another email. At that time I still no loaners, no estimates, NOTHING just this statement. "It has been nearly three months since your binocular was logged in and sent on, still we have not been able to provide either an estimate, or warranty determination, Since we sent the binocular on, and with our report, we have received no communication back from channels about the status of your binocular." Today, May 1, I called the company and spoke with the fellow I had been emailing about this. He said he too is disappointed and will send another email to the higher ups including the Customer Relations USA lady and will let me know. Is this not unbelievable? I've been a loyal Leica customer for many years... How do you think I feel now? How would YOU feel if this was happening to you? Don Martin Arizona Wildlife Outfitters
  22. Fellow Sportsmen: Just wanted to give you some more information regarding my post on May 1 regarding the situation with my 15 x 56 Geovid binoculars. To recap, I had fallen during a sheep hunt in December while conducting a donated hunt for the Arizona Elk Society in Unit 16A, through their Hunt For Heroes program and heavily damaged my Leica 15 x 56 Geovids. On January 2, 2018, I called Company 7 from Montpelier Maryland, who I found on the Internet as an authorized Leica repair center. On January 5, I received an email telling me how and where to ship the binoculars back to them for repair. I didn't hear anything until April 9, when I sent them an email asking what was going on? The message I got back at that time said they weren't sure if repairs could be made due to the damage to the binos, that they would need to ship the binos to either Germany or Portugal. Note the binoculars were way out of warranty and were broke during a fall. There was no issue with Leica and warranty repair, I just wanted my binoculars fixed, no matter the cost as they are the glass I use in my outfitting business! On May 1, I again contacted Company 7 and was told they were still awaiting instructions on where to send them and what if anything, could be done due to the amount of damage. Needless to say I wasn't happy with this response, as it now had been almost 5 months and soon it would be time to start scouting! I made a post not only on this site explaining my frustration and disappointment in the customer service. Then something unexpected happened. On Friday, May 4, I got a call from Doug Paymer, owner of Camera Land (516-217-1000) in New York who advised me he had read my post here, and was a Leica Distributor and offered to help me in getting a resolution to the problem! And did he ever get results! I received an email later that day telling me that the emails I had sent to Company 7 had been passed on up in the Leica organization and that I should expect a resolution very soon. The next day I got a message from Leica requesting I call them in regards to me receiving a pair of loaner binoculars while mine were getting repaired. I also got a follow up email from Doug, asking if I had been contacted by Leica. Then on Tuesday, May 8, I got a phone call from Ms. Jennine Jacques, Director of Customer Care for Leica. Ms. Jacques apologized for what had occurred and assured me that this was not the normal customer service for Leica customers. She informed me that to resolve the matter they were sending me a BRAND NEW PAIR of upgraded 15X56 Geovids at NO CHARGE! She said they were being sent next day air! I couldn't believe what I heard! I had resigned myself that I would be purchasing a used set of these binoculars. Then yesterday, May 9,my UPS man showed up with the binoculars as promised. And in addition to the these new binos, there was a gift card from Leica! Now that is what I call customer service! I want to publicly thank Doug at Camera Land (516-217-1000) for contacting me and making some calls on my behalf. And thank you to Ms. Jacques and the folks at Leica for doing what they did to get this situation corrected quickly! I'm not some big time nationally known outfitter who has a TV show, writes for national magazines, and is well known nationally in the outdoor recreation business. Nope, I'm a small, independent Arizona outfitter with limited resources who just happens to believe you should use the best equipment available when hunting for yourself or with clients. I had previously used my old 15 x 56 Geovids for many, many years, on a lot of hunts, and up until I broke them, they served me and my clients very well. And rest assured that I'll use these new 15 x 56's until I am no longer able to hunt or guide! So thanks again to all that helped resolve this situation. And if you are in the market for some new, high quality glass, be it scopes or binos, I wouldn't hesitate to contact Doug at Camera Land. He is obviously a straight up guy and there is no doubt in my mine he will work as hard for you as he did for me if you ever have an issue with a Leica products! If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call at 928-303-9481. Don Martin Arizona Wildlife Outfitters
  23. Capt. Don Martin

    Lousy customer servicwe from Leica USA

    Fellow sportsmen:: Please read the follow up post I made today regarding by broken Leicas in the optics section. I call in Christmas in May! One thing is for sure, if you have issues with Leica (or any product he sells), call Doug Paymer at Camera Land (516-217-1000) and he will get things done! Thanks Doug! Don Martin Arizona Wildlife Outfitters
  24. Fellow Sportsmen: As you may be aware tomorrow, on Friday, May 4 here in Kingman, the AZ G&F Commission will meet to finalize the proposed changes in Article 3 that will affect the take of game in Arizona. One of the changes is the use of trail cameras. The proposal is that live streaming cameras cannot be used at all, and that trail cameras that do not send live images can be no closer to 1/4 mile (440 yards) from a water source such as G&F wildlife waters, or stock tanks. I know there are many opinions on this specific proposal. Department and Commission feels they violate Fair Chase. What do you think? I'm wondering how many of you have sent in your comments to the Department and Commission and if you did, were your comments in support or against this proposal? Plus, if you sent in comments, for or against, do you own tail cameras? Another question is about the use of rifle scopes such as the Burris Eliminator which uses a laser to tell you the distance of the target, then actually moves the sight internally to that distance. Deportment and Commission says that DOESN'T violate Fair Chase, but a trail camera on a water does! Then there is the question about the use of highly sophisticated electronic fishing equipment, so that evenb allows anglers to see fish take a bait. Do you think that violates Fair Chase? Thank you for your input! Don Martin
  25. Capt. Don Martin

    Lousy customer servicwe from Leica USA

    UPDATE-UPDATE! Since I made this post, I got a call from Doug (gr8fuldoug@aol.com) from Camera Land who is apparently a LEICA distributor. IN less than 30 minutes, he got more done to resolve this issue than was done in the past 5 months! Tomorrow, I should know how this issue is going to be resolved! Now THAT is what I call customer service! Note that in my post I never bad mouthed the binos, cause those Geovids are the best! I was just frustrated over what I felt was poor customer service. If I were going to buy a pair of Leicas, I would definitely recommend going through Doug as if you have any issues, he's gonna take care of you! Don Martin Arizona Wildlife Outfitters
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