31 October 2007
What Is North American Hunting Club (NAHC)?
Posted by Darrell under: Rantings Of An Outdoorsman .
I received this letter in my mail. It was stuffed full of what might be referred to as useless junk, such as address labels, a plastic card wallet, and a North American Hunting Club Offical Member decal. According to the letter I had been nominated to become a member of NAHC. Lucky me!
The letter began “Dear fellow hunter”, yeap that’s me alright. Why would I want them to use my name, when they know I’m a hunter? Then the magic words “Would you mind very much if I sent you a free rifle or bow to try the next time you hunt?”. Would I mind? Heck no I won’t mind. Send me that stuff!
The letter states later that “The privilege of testing hunting products on your hunting grounds — and keeping them free — is just one of the many benefits of joining the North American Hunting Club.” The letter also states “you’re exactly the kind of person our Club is always looking for”, which started me to thinking. What “exactly” are the qualities that the club is looking for? The only 3 that I could come up with are 1) alive (I’m breathing) and 2) creditworthy (I have a credit card) and 3) gullible (maybe they heard that I’ll believe any tale told to me).
Anyway, before rushing my nomination acknowledgement back to the Club I decided to find out a little more about them, so I googled them. I will readily admit that the Club must have some good SEO people because almost all of the results on the first page were from the club’s own websites. I did, however, stumble onto a couple forum post where the club is talked about. I won’t repeat what was written on the forums because I don’t know if it is true or not.
However, I will say that after reading people’s comments that I can honestly say that I won’t be rushing my nomination back anytime soon. I’m sure this is better for them and me, since if if someone sent me an unsolicited book in the mail and then demanded that I either pay for the book or pay to send it back to them, I’d raise bloody hell. I don’t know for certain if this Club actually does this (as some in the forums stated), however I do know that I won’t be finding out first hand.
As much as I want a free rifle or bow to try out and write my opinions on, I’m going to have to pass this time.
Here are the links to the forums that I found:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=22626
http://forums.basspro.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=003554
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071018120450AA4XPBN
If anyone has any personal experience with the Club, please feel free to let me know - either good or bad. Thanks.
37 Comments so far...
Kristine Shreve Says:
31 October 2007 at 8:47 am.
We did use the club to do a field test for the Gunslinger. We got a lot of good information from the test. So I do know that they do have members test product.
Arthur Says:
31 October 2007 at 9:31 am.
Hmmm..I honestly have never heard of them before, but I would have been just as skeptical as you. If it sounds to good to be true it normally is.
Looks like Kristine had some positive results though. Maybe worth checking into again!
Darrell Says:
31 October 2007 at 10:41 am.
Kristine, thanks for sharing your positive experience. I’d love to have anyone else with experience with the Club to weigh in. Maybe I should ‘accept my nomination’ and start paying my dues afterall? I do love free stuff!
Anyone ever been a member? Have a story to tell?
Matt Says:
1 November 2007 at 5:51 pm.
Thanks for posting this Darrell. I’ve been “nominated” for membership a few times and have often wondered wht the club is all about. Like you, I didn’t respond, but I did keep the really cool truck decal they sent me (hint hint Kristine.)
deerPhD Says:
2 November 2007 at 3:11 am.
I’m with Matt and you…been nominated but always too skeptical to join.
Thanks for your sharing your positive experience, Kristine.
Kristine Shreve Says:
2 November 2007 at 11:59 am.
I know, Matt, I know. Truck decals are definitely on the list for when we start offering stuff with our logo. They’re going to have to wait until the rename the product contest is over though, and we select a winner. So it will probably be the end of November or early December before they are available.
Kenton Says:
30 November 2007 at 1:24 pm.
I have been in the NAHC for a while now. If you are joining just for the field test, then I wouldn’t join because not everyone gets the greatest thing to test. One time I got this knife that was so dull I couldn’t even cut with it. I joined because the magazine has some great articles and it is 8 issues for 12.00 a year and if they give me a good item to field test, then that is great too.
micheal Says:
19 July 2008 at 5:13 pm.
this club isnt so great just as kenton said the items my not always be good condition whats there to test out of a item that sent to you in bad condition is that it remains as a bad item the truth is to they dont send that much stuff i joined to recive rifles for testing the truth these items are used iam pretty shure that its a used rifles the knives are used there even a little rust on the products i recived i bet yoou that all of are bucks one dollar month going to them is benefiting them more than us so i defenitly dont recomend joining for free testing of products because they are really not for testing there just a come on so that they could keep getting there bucks i canceled my memebereship at just an year and half i could see that they are not serious about performance of any thing on any product but getting how many dollars they can get from us give them the boot iam sure know any ways that there no more worth than the bottom of my boots and the truth is there magazine is lacking the real up to date in hungting sports theres a lot better magazines out there good day .
Greg Brownlee Says:
5 August 2008 at 10:05 am.
Yep - I got a letter from the NAHC…I had seen their magazine “North American Hunter” before so I joined, since it included a magazine subscription. After they got my money, I started receiving their mags, and also started getting “books”. Those books were like condensed articles about different game animals. I bought the first one they sent, then they started sending more. I figured out that they were just mainly hauking this stuff, and I wasn’t going to get any cool items to field test. So I told them to stop sending me their stuff. You made the right choice to ignore their mailings…
TAC Says:
15 August 2008 at 6:13 pm.
I wanted to know how long it will take them to start sending me magizines and my free trial stuff that i paid for, including a hunting knife set and a cook book. I got a letter of nomination and sent them 36 dollars for a 3 year membership and so far I have recieved not a damn thing. Not even a magizine to read. I recieved a nasty little letter about sending my dues for the memebership and I am thinking that they just wanted some damn money.Its been about 3 months since I’ve sent my dues and still I’ve heard nothing. To North American Hunting Club ———> KISS MY ASS and send me the shit I payed for Please!
Doug Bass Says:
18 August 2008 at 2:31 pm.
I hope most of you guys that are bitching about this club and debating on wheather or not to join are already members of the N.R.A. It is a club worth joining. You get your choice of three different magizines and the gift you get is maybe the right to own a gun to hunt with. Sixty million people own guns and only three million support the National rifle Asscoation. Without the N.R.A. we would be hunting with rocks and spears again.
Robert Nykamp Says:
24 August 2008 at 5:09 pm.
I have belonged to the NAHC since the 80’s. Thier mag. has went from good to 80% advertisement. They sent me a backpack for 30 days use, Had NAHC all over it. They wanted $105.00 for it; same thing a Wally world for $39.00 without logo’s.
Not only that you will be asked (nominated) to the garden, street rod,cooking, how to convert your home, and things they haven’t even thought of yet. It started out right, but now you have money hogs. It’s a sad state of affairs, and with poor management they will be history. Save your money!
Ed Says:
17 April 2009 at 12:06 pm.
Its now April, 2009, and now I see this join us letter has been going around for a while.
I read it, and was very skepticle. True, if nothing else, a 8 issue mag for $12 isn’t bad, and a chance to review/use/keep some stuff is always good. But, if its like most things, you’d have to pay us to use and keep it. As in, free, give-it-away stuff is usually the crap, not the cream of the crop.
Sounds good, even too good to be true. a big THANKS to the others writing in. I think I’ll save my time and money. I’ve got kids, I don’t need more near usless stuff around the house.
Oh, and Darrell, i like the part in the letter that states “Why YOu? Well, it’s no secret among your friends and family that you are a dedicated hunter. As someone who is devoted to the sport, your’re exactly the kind of person our Club is always looking for.”
Umm, I don’t know what they are talking about. I’ve never hunted a day in my life. Never even gone on hunting trips (other than “hunt” for cans to recyle). And it was until 2 months ago I got a membership on my military base for a Rod & Gun Club membership, and last month I bought my first firearm ever! (a pistol, and a 22LR rifle. not a hunting rifle.)
And I just love it when they don’t use my name. Usually a tip-off that its a fake or scam.
Daniel Says:
21 July 2009 at 1:57 pm.
I just got their invitation and thanks for this useful article. I threw everything away except for the deer sticker.
Tom Hare Says:
27 January 2010 at 2:26 pm.
Well, I can say N.A.H.C. is a rip off and merely using car salesman tactics to sell their product. I received my nomination package and sent in for my FRE stuff, what junk! After receiving, I promptly returned everything back to them and demanded I be disenrolled as a member. This was last year and recently I received a collections notice stating I must pay in full my membership dues and I’d receive my additional FREE junk. Well I know that if I’m solicited to enroll in a club I can cancel at anytime. Their collections notice went to the burn barrel. Don’t sign up for this club and have them continually hound you with their propanganda.
Ron Adam Says:
29 January 2010 at 10:29 am.
I got a solicitation in the mail about June 2008. I responded by sending back the card.
I got a box of junky things and window stickers. It wasn’t long I got a bill for some rediculious amount. I sent the stuff back and proceeded to cancel the membership.
I kept getting bills from them so I would call again to cancel. The bills finally stopped after several phone calls.
This week on 01-27-2010, I get a notice for the Retrival Masters Creditors Bureau
demanding payment of $357.00 for bills unpaid. I am in the process of dealing with that now. It has been over a year, something like 16 months, and they are coming back with this.
Somebody needs to check these guys out. The stuff they send is junk.
Roger -OHIO Says:
18 February 2010 at 4:53 pm.
Got the solicitation the other day, do your research on the web, like the old saying goes ” If it sounds to good to be true, it’s usually not…”
Paul Says:
16 July 2010 at 7:40 pm.
This company is a joke, stay away!
TOTAL RIP OFF! I paid $24 for two years so I would get the free knives and cook book. NO KNIVES
Darrell Dixon Says:
11 August 2010 at 10:12 am.
I am a life time member! I gept getting books and dvd and specials like coats and jackets and they wanted me to keep them and pay a redicules price and if I didn’t want them I had to pay tosend them back, they sent me so many that it was costing me a fortune. So I keep the books and dvds I paid for the first couple books and dvd just too start a collection. I endedc up having to file bancruptcy because of the rediculus prices. I am still a life member but I no longer get any material from the except my monthly magazine. In my opinion don’t waste your money because they will get you in a trap that will cost you money!!!
Darrell….
Keith Says:
20 August 2010 at 1:20 pm.
I was suckered in for the magazone - it was so- so. I told them I didn’t want any of their “products” to test, so they started sending some flakey coins that they had someone make and claiming there were “collector” grade - then they sent a bill for like $10.00 - I told them anything sent unsolictied is considered free (I threw the junk coin away- I could make a better one in my garage), and told them to cancel my membership and never clutter my mailbox again - Its not a club, its just a front for rip off.
martin Says:
5 October 2010 at 11:40 am.
Maybe everyone expects too much for such a small amount of money. While the magazine is not a top-notch source of info, it does contain topics of general interest and it stirs up the blood as a new hunting season approaches. Most of us cannot go on the trips that the staff enjoys, but I don’t hold that against them. I have been a member since July, 2005, and I have never received anything to test, only solicitations for buying products that have little or no value to me………
Roger Case Says:
13 December 2010 at 9:17 pm.
I also paid and pain and the acted like I never paid them even my Indian buddy on the reservation said the same thing! Where’s my lifetime membership or my Leather Jacket!
I even Faxed them Receipts and the acted like I wasn’t paying! What a Rip!
Roger Case Says:
13 December 2010 at 9:17 pm.
I also paid and paid and the acted like I never paid them even my Indian buddy on the reservation said the same thing! Where’s my lifetime membership or my Leather Jacket!
I even Faxed them Receipts and the acted like I wasn’t paying! What a Rip!
Roger Case Says:
13 December 2010 at 9:18 pm.
I also paid and paid and they acted like I never paid them even my Indian buddy on the reservation said the same thing! Where’s my lifetime membership or my Leather Jacket!
I even Faxed them Receipts and the acted like I wasn’t paying! What a Rip!
Clint Hines Says:
14 January 2011 at 7:15 pm.
Joined NAHC as an annual member in 2008, this was my second time joining the club, I new from my previous experience that I would never receive anything to test but joined for the magazine. This membership has been a little different than the first, they send me something different every month, a coin, a hard back book……. and when you throw it on the counter and forget to send it back in 10 days or less you will be billed a hefty sum. All of this was not the worst to come, in 2010 I started receiving calls from collection stating that I owed almost $400.00 for a lifetime membership that I never received, I emailed NAHC and received a standard apology letter on 11-5-2010 and was told it would be cleared up. It is now January 14,2011 and I just received a collections call from SKO Brenner American out of Farmingdale NY at 8:00 PM nonetheless, when I read the email to them I was informed that it had not been cleared up and I needed to mail a copy of the email, I questioned why I needed to clear the mess up and that they should call there own client (NAHC) and resolve their own mistakes and fraudulent charges. It seems NAHC has a contract with this collection agency and within the contract it states that the collection agency can not make contact with NAHC, so be prepared to clear up any mishaps yourself when dealing with NAHC.
Taelor S. Says:
6 March 2011 at 3:03 pm.
I just received their package in the mail, & was suspicious right away. Now that i’ve read these comments I’m now reassured. If u want good products, go buy them yourself. That’s what I’ve been doing since I first started hunting. & that’s what true Americans do, not looking for handouts. We earn everything we have. Anything sent to me in the future is going in the shredder.
Also I was skeptical about their seal w/ the red background. Usual red seals like that symbolize socialism/communism. Why couldn’t they choose red, white & blue?
Dave Says:
16 April 2011 at 5:15 pm.
8 mags a year?
As of 2008 when I joined, it was a quarterly mag, and crap compared to field & Stream or any of the ones you get at a news stand.
Never got any test stuff. From the website, thats normal, and some members have been up to 20 years without test stuff
Never got my “free” membership kit
Didnt get half the stuff they tried to charge me for.
The day I said F* it and sent back garbage DVDs that just rehashed what the books they’d already sent me covered, everything stopped coming. Havent received jacksh*t from them in a year.
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JiffyRick Says:
13 July 2011 at 7:27 pm.
Just got my first packet this week. Reminds me a lot of Columbia House or BMG back in the day. I called there 8 hundred number on the note pad they sent me. Your membership fee is 12 a year but the books / cds can cost up to 28 every 28 days. You can opt for 60 days but still doesn’t seem worth it even if I get the rifle or new bow.
Joe Says:
5 October 2011 at 12:40 pm.
I’ve been a life member since 2005. I wasn”\t getting my magazine,so I contacted the club,and they told me I was dead. This has happened regulaly for approximately the
past three years. I contacted them today Oct 5,2011 and found out I am still dead.
Five different conversations with five different agents wasn’t enough to bring me back to life. To be continued!!!
Gary Says:
9 December 2011 at 5:05 pm.
I became a Charter Member in 1978. A few years later I became a Life Member. In April 97, I asked to not be sent unsolicited inferior products. In turn, they took me off the magazine mailing list. I haven’t recieved any of the benefits I paid for since Apr 97 and the “Company” states they haven’t any obligation to honor the agreement.
The NAHC originally was a group of hunters devoted to encouraging interaction and sharing the outdoor experience. Paul and Steve Burke had a great idea and the Club grew tremendously. Later, the Club was sold to the “North American Hunting Group” who cared little for the membership and used the good reputation of the Club to hide behind as they pawned inferior trinkets for rediculous money. In no way can NAHC be construed as a Club, it is a money making business with bad practices that cares little for the membership and is driven by the dollar. They remind me of the “Card Services” telemarketers that call during dinner to lower your interest rates. Complete scam.
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