Results are in for our 2011 Moose Hunter Satisfaction Survey.
Here are the scores (1-5, 5 is the best):
The Outfitter – 4.9
The Guide – 4.7
The Cabin – 4.5
The Food – 4.8
The Equipment – 4.6
The Hunting – 4.3
Meat and Trophy Care – 5
Overall Rating of Crystal Lake – 4.8
There are a couple notes to make on the survey. Food was often rated more than 5, (one fellow rated it an 11), but I only put in a 5. Hunting quality was definitely down for us this year, a result of very few moose killed in early September. The first two weeks of the season were brutal, the weather was sweltering hot (hottest week of the year in fact), there was a full moon, and the early rut was totally nocturnal.
Here are all the comments for each category. (Many people just filled in ratings without making comments)
The Outfitter
“Dan Brooks is a straight shooter. Everything was as he represented.”
“Extremely knowledgeable, courteous, hard working to give the hunter the best experience possible. Fun to be around.”
“Dan and Ellen: you make a great team and you took very good care of me and my wife. Very gracious hosts.”
“Dan goes all out for you.”
“Very professional.”
“Overall well laid out and organized.”
“Dan Brooks is a real pleasure to hunt with. This is a first class operation.”
The Guide
“A real joy to hunt with. Very accommodating.”
“Like moose, guides have different styles. Dan and Barry both did a great job.”
“Did a fantastic job.”
“Not much talk, but a good guide.”
“Very optimistic, great knowledge of the hunt!”
“Needs to improve hunting skills, very good with everything else. Good company.”
“Very hard working and friendly. Carly is fairly new and could use more experience hunting, but is an excellent outdoorsman.”
The Cabins
“Wonderfully rustic and adds to the outdoor experience.”
“Very rustic but satisfactory.”
“Very comfortable and gorgeous view of the lake. Met all our needs. Generator is a big plus.”
“Unlevel.”
“Everything to be comfortable.”
“Warm and cozy!”
“Comfortable, dry and warm.”
The Food
“Absolutely the best home cooking and plenty of it. I can’t say enough good things about the food. Wonderful! I also loved the fact that prayer was given for our meals and the hunt.”
“Ellen is a fantastic cook. Well done!”
“Superb homestyle cooking in all-you-can-eat format. Ellen is an artist!”
“Guide prepared.”
“AAA Eating.”
“Hot wholesome meals, homemade breads, desserts, and pastries.”
“Excellent, even though in a small camp.”
The Equipment
“Plenty of equipment to get the job done. . . ATV’s, trucks, boats, trailers, etc.”
“All first class equipment.”
“All first class on vehicles, ATV’s etc. The hot shower with propane water heater was a very nice touch.”
“Boat at Lost Lou has scratches.” (The hunter put them there!!)
“Excellent equipment, quads/boats.”
“Had all the equipment necessary to get the job done.”
“Everything ran, most of it well.”
The Hunting Quality
“A true wilderness hunting experience yet allowing for some creature comforts. All locations were awesome and beautiful.”
“Slow for us this year, but we know you can’t control the moose. Bowhunting distances are an extra challenge.”
“Awesome!”
“I would book another hunt.”
“Plentiful moose.”
“Bad year:(”
“Had an off year, rut started late.”
Meat and Trophy Care
“These guys go to great lengths to see that your game is 100% properly taken care of… from packing out to processing. Very clean and neat operation.”
“Great!”
“Didn’t use, but observed others. Outstanding!”
“The cleanest animal I have ever taken to a meat market!”
Overall Rating of Crystal Lake
“Wonderful! I hope to be able to come back in the future. You feel like family there and they all definitely treat you that way.”
“It is not very often that I can say that something exceeded my expectations, but this experience was better than I could have hoped for.”
“A wonderful time with wonderful people. We love Rachel and all the girls. Keep it up!”
“Awesome place.”
“My first outfitted hunt, but would rate this hunt as outstanding!”
“I would highly recommend this outfitter.”
“Didn’t reach my objective but it was a good vacation.”
“Very enjoyable even though I got skunked.”
