Twin Rivers Outfitting

Submitted by: Eddie Taylor

Contact Reviewer

Review Submitted: Jul 29, 2023

Hunt Date: May 1, 2023

Species Hunted: Black Bear, Canada Moose, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer

Days Hunted: 7

Hunt Type: Guided

Primary Terrain: Mountain

Method: Rifle

Price Range: 7000-8999

---

Submitted by: Chris Taphouse

Contact Reviewer

Review Submitted: Feb 1, 2018

Hunt Date: Sep 23, 2017

Species Hunted: Canada Moose

Days Hunted: 7

Hunt Type: Guided

Primary Terrain: Wetlands

Method: Rifle

Price Range: 5000-6999

Blair Inscho

Our hunt was booked 13 months in advance. We called the provided references. In communications with Blair we went into the hunt believing we were the first group of hunters and that there would only be 6 moose hunters in camp. Also expecting to hunt with 2 hunters per 1 guide. As described 1 hunter would sit for 1/2 day while the other called with the guide then switch midday. Fast forward to the day before we arrive to camp. We got a call from Blair that our meeting time would be delayed by about 4 hours. That's no problem until he said the reason being that his hunters killed moose the night before and were tired. Wait....I thought we were the first group? Ok, at the meeting area we started to get nervous when 3 trucks of guys were also waiting for Blair. Blair's nephew Dave showed up and collected $ and took us inside to get tags. It was at this time we found out our group of 4 were in separate camps 30 miles apart. Well whatever lets just kill our moose. First night in camp was a little chaotic. 3 of our group was told to have our bags packed to head to spike camp. 2 of the hunters would hunt 1 unit North of spike camp and I would hunt south in a different unit. My other buddy would stay at main camp b/c his dad came with us and was going to hunt bear from that camp. Well hours came and went and we still didn't know who Blair was nor who our guide were. 10pm at night we got the update. Noone is going to spike camp tonight. Turns out Blair and his 1 guide he had in camp were setting up the camp as we waited to meet them. Also at this point there are 10 moose hunters in camp, 1 guy that had deer tags and our buddies dad with a bear tag. Not 6 guys total.... Day 1 We get up at 5:30am, eat breakfast and anxiously waiting to get out on our first day. Still no clue who our guide is. Now it's breaking daylight. My gear is still packed to head to spike camp. Note that my gear is everything that I have to camp for 1 week plus my hunting gear. Dave, comes over as it's breaking daylight and says I need 2 hunters to come with me to hunt. He says throw your gear in this truck and we will haul it to spike camp. I scramble to get my hunting gear for the day ready. Ok, now I'm ready and ask what quad to grab. He points to the one my buddy is sitting on and says get on with him. Note that these are single person quads and were riding double. Ok whatever. We get to the clear cut where I am to hunt over an hour after daylight. We spook a cow moose from the opening. Dave tells me to sit on this wood pile. When I asked him at what time I expect him back he chuckled and said "didn't you bring a lunch? Hopefully someone comes to get you" At this point I realized that I'm here all day. Dave took my buddy to the next spot. I sat all day with nothing but whitetail comeing to the clearing. Now it's dark and 2 approaching 2 hours after dark with noone coming to get me. Finally I see lights coming down the trail. Turns out it was my buddy trying to find me. He had thought someone was coming to pick him up and got tired of waiting. We went to the main road and sat for another 30 minutes. We finally flagged down a guy who happened to be Blair going to main camp from spike camp. So now were stuck 1/2 way between the 2 camps. My gear, including my weeks insulin, is at spike camp when Blair says were heading to main camp. We get down the road a mile or so when we see lights hauling butt the other way. Blair flags the guy down and its the cook for spike camp. I get on his quad and the cook starts ripping the wrong way down the road. I tell him he is going the wrong way and he says he isn't. Finally Blair catches up to us and yells at his employees he's going the wrong way. The rest of the trip back to spike camp was not good. Turns out the camp cook was drunk and explains why he was swerving all over the road. I can't make this stuff up..... Ok, at spike camp we meet 2 Indian guides. 1 was hired that day named Matt and the other was his nephew. The nephew hunted here the week prior with the first group of guys and they killed 1 bull our of 4 hunters. Matt was hired today. He didn't know the area but was a very experienced moose hunter. The decision was made that I would hunt with Matt and that my other 2 buddies would hunt with the nephew. Day 2 We wake up at 5:30 and eat breakfast. Were on a good start and should leave before daylight to get to our hunting area. Matt told me that his nephew told him where we should try to go and to that we would be riding quads most of the day so he could learn the area. Matt was a great guy. He wanted to see us be successful. Well turns out that we had some machine issues and were ready to leave camp an hour after daylight. As we were working on the machines we had a small bull moose and a cow come to the pond not 100 yards from camp. After this week of mess I was ready to kill that small bull but Matt held me off stating that we could do better. The other 2 hunters couldn't kill the moose b/c it was not in their hunting area. So finally we leave and we rode on that single person quad together all day. With an hour left of daylight I tell Matt let's just stop at this swampy clearing and you teach me to call. Earlier in the day Matt had made me my own call our of birch bark. We called a few times and Matt said we should get back to camp. I talked him into waiting until it was dark and was a good thing we did. We got a call back with 30 minutes of light remaining. The bull and 2 cows stepped out into the clearing at 450 yards. It looked like a nice bull so I took the shot and hit him in the shoulder. After a few follow up shots the bull was dead 50 yards from the road. Matt really was a great caller and moose hunter. With a little more knowledge of the land he would have done great. Day 3 and 4 I head back to main camp with my meat to find out that my buddy at the main camp also shot a small bull. Mine was 43 inch and his was 30. On my bull I was the only one that shot it. On my buddies bull we were specifically told if anyone asks that Blair did not shoot the 30 incher. I'll let you decide if he shot it or not.....Also found out that Blair killed a 50+ inch moose and a nice elk when he has hunters in camp was a bit frustrating. We clean our meat up and get it all packaged. Day 5, 6 and 7 Being tagged out at main camp is a great feeling. It was a bit boring at times b/c there were no quads for us to use to take out and hunt wolf or grouse. The guys in spike camp ran our of food on the 5th day. They also broke down twice over 30 miles from camp. The only communication was between my buddy and I if we could get our cell phones to send messages. I would communicate with Blair to let him know how they are doing. I told him that they need supplies and would tell them were they were broke down. One of the nights Blair and his guides were drinking heavy when the text came in. They risked the lives of everyone in that truck by going to pick them up and bring them back to spike camp. Things we found out as the week went on: 1. The references we called were in camp that week and are great buddies with Blair. 2. Spike camp wasn't fully set up until day 4 3. 3 guides were hired on our 2nd day of hunting. They were guys that needed work but had no experience guiding. 1 even made references that this was his best job ever b/c he gets paid to camp. This was made right after he dropped his hunter off at a clear cut and on his way to spike camp came accross a bull moose next in the next clear cut over. Instead of heading back for his hunter he just watched them and proceeded to head to spike camp to get it set up. When I asked him why he didn't go pick up his hunter and kill that things he didn't have an answer. He simply thought it was funny that after he dropped the hunter off that he saw one and didn't have a gun to shoot it. Blair was notified of this by me. 4.Multiple guides were high and smoking dope. Unsafe practices that happened: 1. Bear was in camp around 11pm and Blair shot it with a shotgun right in camp between all of the cabins people were sleeping in. 2. The cooking cabin had a leak and needed to drain the water out. Blair grabbed his 12 gauge and shot 2 holes in the floor and never went out before hand to see if anyone was in the line of fire. Scared everyone in camp. 3. Trucks and quads ripping thru camp at full speed. I made a mention on day 3 that someone was gonna get killed. Next day Blair ran his dog over killing it. Spike Camp Hunters Conversation When the 2 guys got back from spike camp they were very unhappy. They felt like they never got a chance to hunt. They road quads looking for moose every day from daylight to dark. They never sat or called even though they repeatedly told the guides what they wanted to do. Blair blamed the guides and that didn't know. I personally updated Blair on the situation every day so he knew what was going on. Blair passed the blame on to the guide who he said would be fired and that he was going to make it right with those 2 hunters. Well it's been 4 months of trying to email and call Blair and he has fallen off the face of the planet. His operation needs to be shut down and given to someone that will do hunts the correct way. Success So out of 10 moose hunters in camp 3 shot moose. 2 guys had bear tags killing 3 bears. 2 guys had deer tags and they killed 1 deer. From what I can tell Spring bear hunts are good with this outfitter. I would never go b/c it's a shady dangerous camp that is operated improperly.

---

report this review

---

---