Alaska Guide & Outfitting Service, LLC

If I could give them less stars I would. Steve runs a horrible operation and provides countless false information. We were promised the world, and barely anything came true. For days Steve wouldn't pick up the phone while we were in the bush, and he wouldn't respond to Garmin/Zoleo messages which he said they closely monitored for hunters safety and meat logistics. He was supposed to pick up meat day 2, however he didn't pick it up until day 9, and yes the weather was beautiful for flying so thats no excuse. He flew over multiple times! He tried to leave half our group on the side of the mountain overnight with little to no supplies because of his poor planning. Steve and his wife left Trace to pick up the pieces with this outfit. Trace, who runs Willow Air, is a top notch guide and pilot. Steve claims 100% success rates, however what he doesn't tell you is that 100% means 1 person in camp that week got an animal, not everyone. He counts 1 animal down as success for the group, which is far from accurate when reporting statistics. 100% success means 100% of the individual hunters got their animal. Steve also claims how remote his camps are, however when we were dropped off he was picking up another group of hunters from the same lake / river as us. They had been hunting the same ground for 10 days prior to our arrival, and were not happy with their experience either. I highly recommend Willow Air and Trace, but couldn't steer people away from Alaska Guide Service and Steve fast enough. Our group has hunted Alaska many times and not a single person would recommend Steve and his operation. His prices are thru the roof for what you get. People wait and save their whole lives to go to Alaska on their dream hunt, and this scam of an outfit will surely let you down. Steve wasn't even our pilot, he hires out the flying to other and sits at the motel and only cares about getting that check from you. He has little to no involvement in making sure your hunt runs smoothly. He can get some good reviews from his friends to boost his online stats, but the outcome won't change. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!

Steve selling business to Trace, appears to not be much continuing cooperation between them. WillowAir or Alaska Guide & Outfitting Service, LLC, does not matter-same operation. Weather does dictate everything on this hunt so plan on adjustments. Do not use MSR or ceramic filters, worthless on the Innoko River. Went on the DIY Moose Hunt in 2022. Steve would not allow his metal boats and bigger motors to be touched by any of the hunters. Pontoon Boats (tiny) provided by Trace would not fit all gear & barely two guys, and motors (3.5 hp-max speed was trolling) provided did not allow you to hunt the area they directed you to hunt. 1 mile on river=1 1/2 hours in boat, one way. 2 miles=3 hours, one way, could not even go 3-5 miles away as not enough gas to carry. Boats limited areas to hunt-Very disappointed in this hunt/operation. One group even had bear bite into boat when parked on bank & need to await a few days for replacement. Save your time & money & go with another outfit. Alaska was otherwise amazing and country was something to see.

2019 was my second trip, my hunting partner ‘s third with Steve & Peggy. You will not be pampered. I had motor issues this trip. The weather allowed Willow to fly out a replacement motor within a couple of hours. Weather dictates everything. This is extreme remote hunting! The Innoko National Wildlife Refuge is awesome.