The following review reflects only my personal observations and opinions from my recent trip with Silver Bow Outfitters. I want to provide an honest account to help others make informed decisions. Overall Impression bottom line: this was the hunt from hell--a complete waste of hard-earned money. The only positive aspect of the experience was the food, which consisted of great meals. Accommodations and Facilities were just OK, not great. * Showers had less than 90 seconds of hot water, making it nearly impossible to clean up after long days in the field. * The bunks provided were constructed from simple plywood and 2x4's, lacking comfort. Guide Service and Professionalism can make or break a hunting experience and this destroyed any positive experience. * On arrival, we were told we would leave camp before daybreak; despite being ready, the guide didn't arrive until about an hour after daybreak. * We came with rifles zeroed for 200 yards. Len Howells, the outfitter, insisted we confirm zero at 100 yards, and when we were a couple of inches high, he demanded we re-zero. His behavior was condescending, implying we didn't know what we were doing, which set a negative tone for the remainder of the hunt. * I have never experienced such a lack of customer service, zero communication skills, or poor treatment from a guide. Misleading Claims on the website. * The Silver Bow Outfitters website claimed, "an area of over 380,000 acres on which they are the only licensed outfitter." In reality, every day we encountered other hunters. The guide complained about these being unwelcome hunters from Kalispell, Montana. We learned the area was not exclusive but was, in fact, a public hunting area. * The website also claimed the guides were experienced, knew the area well, and were excellent callers. However, on day one, the guide said the elk weren't "talking" but still spent five days calling with no response. There was one other hunter in camp during our stay, and they reported a similar experience. * On the final day of the hunt we past several creek bottom areas with more than ample forage. After hunting hours in very recently timbered areas, we simply observed that hunting may be more positive in better forage areas. The guide then stated that deer do not eat grass. Lack of Preparation and Effort * After day #2 with no elk sightings closer than 1,000+ yards and after casual conversation about possible elk locations, the guide admitted he had not scouted in over two months and had never shot an elk himself. * We were promised horseback-accessible spike camps but only saw three older, swayback horses at base camp. * Each day consisted of driving around in an SUV, stopping every 5-10 minutes to glass and spot. We would leave the SUV and hike once a day to a spot the guide deemed "good" for elk, sit for a couple of hours and listen while the guide smoked cigarettes, The guide claimed he heard elk--though neither of us heard anything. Any questioning was met with defensiveness. * On the final day, the guide told us to simply roll down the SUV window and shoot if we saw deer or elk--this is not how we hunt and was inappropriate. Lost Hunting Time and Unmet Expectations * Every day around 1 or 2 PM, the guide insisted we return to base camp, costing us 1 to 2 hours of hunting each day--about 30% of our valuable and expensive time. * We made it clear from day one that we wanted to hunt only elk, as we live in prime whitetail areas and could harvest deer any day. Despite this, we spent most of our time hunting for deer and bear (the guide had a bear tag). Conclusion This review is solely my opinion and based on my personal observations. In my view, this was a wasted hunt, and I will never contract with Silver Bow Outfitters again. I would not give this group a single star rating. read more

SCAM! Whatever you do don't waste your money! We planned this trip for two years and are extremely disappointed. We were under the assumption that we would be hunting on private land when really it's public. We glassed for 5 days and never trekked once with the owner Len Howell. Told we were going to take horses out to get into the harder areas....that never happened. Had to go back to camp everyday at noon so Len could check on his wife and tend to the ranch. Unorganized and dirty and definitely a hoarding issue. Zach his son over slept for the other group going out as well. Definitely some unstableness in this family. So, to sum things up.... You will be hunting on public land cause he only owns 30 acres. You will not take horses out. The only guide that was worth talking about is Larry. He did a phenomenal job with our other two in our group. They actually hunted!!! Extremely disappointed in myself for not checking his reviews a long time ago! Cause all the stories are true. They will take your money and promise you an adventure of a lifetime. And last, but not least they put in the contract about tipping them. There is no way that they were going to get a tip from us because the whole trip sucked! The pics in comments are the main house we had to stay in with seven cats running around and got yelled at for letting them out. Which we did not do. The bunk house is extremely tight and housed ten people to try and eat meals and relax. There was no room at all. One of our days of glassing... cause that's all we did, we were up on the pole line and Len starts screaming his sons name cause he saw him down there glassing as well instead of being back at ranch to shoot in new clients. Ummm... hello!!! Where is in hunting 101 that you should be screaming to someone while your hunting!!!???? SMH ‍ *PHOTOS IN COMMENTS* read more

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I would not recommend this outfitter. My husband and his friend traveled across country a few years back for their elk hunt. nothing was as promised by the owner at the sportsman show where they booked their hunt. They ended up leaving 3 days early and these guys are very serious about their hunting, so you know it had to be terrible. The guide they were assigned was so unprofessional. read more

Just had a week experiencing the outback wilderness with Len and his team. We went on the 4 day steep mountain horse trail, camping up by the lakes in Cabinet mountains. We fished for trout, hiked up to the lakes and cooked & slept around a fire Back on the ranch Bonnie & Wanda cooked and cleaned up a storm, while Len taught us all about living in the mountains. There is a shooting and archery range. ( I had a go ) It was very cool I like the fact they sculpture a adventure to suit your needs, requirements and limitations The only thing I didn't have time for was hunting which is their main business, but I'll be back for that next year Thanks to Len , Wanda, Joe & Zak for making this experience easy and a bucket list Adventure The 5 star rating is because Len fully customised my experience to suit me. Happy days. read more

Owner was very disorganized had no idea we were coming even though my father in law had called and left a number of voice mails. Never returned any of the phone calls. A few other groups showed up to that he had "not scheduled". He had to find a couple of locals in town to help guide. Our guide was good. We got 2 mule deer but no elk. But that's part of hunting. Probably wouldn't use the outfitter again. read more

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I signed a contract for hunting for the last week of the season I was called and told to arrive for the 1st week of the season The website stated hunting on private ranch land from a spike camp and hunting with horses None of these took place The guide requested access to the horse's 2 times and it was denied. I would rate this as a very very poor operation and not recommended be used at all read more

Such an amazing day. We really wanted to ride horses while we were in Montana. We found this gem of a place. We enjoyed meeting everyone. If you are in Libby you should check this place out. Knowledgeable guide, sweet horses, beautiful trails. Can't wait to go back for another ride and Flyfishing. read more

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My daugher and I had a very nice 2 hour ride with Len and Leo. Len was extremely knowledgeable about everything "wilderness" and shared this info along our ride. He gave detailed instructions on the regular to keep us safe and "on top" of our horses. Our ride was spectacular with two river crossings and views that were endless. Everyone at the ranch was super friendly and helpful. The rates are extremely reasonable and we felt we totally got what we came for. Thank you Silverbow Outfitters! read more

We recently hired this company to take us both horse back riding and fishing. The company charges about $250/person/day. The accommodations were really mediocre. What they call huts are really repurposed tool sheds with no windows or ventilation. The main "lodge" was really filthy. In terms of the food, expect greasy and low quality items for every meal. Last but not least, the owner of this operation, Len, has no customer service background whatsoever. He consistently argues with both clients and employees. I highly recommend staying away from this service provider. read more