Bowsite.com

Pros: Guide took me to a "honey hole" where there were bull elk. Got my first fair chase 6x6 archery bull elk.

Camp cook was doing the best he could with what he had to work with.

Cons: Guide treated me, the client, as if I was an idiot. I was told several times he was the guide and had 33 years hunting experience and he would dictate how the hunt would be conducted. I have been hunting elk for 30 years so I know a little about hunting this wonderful species. I was told several times how much it cost to fix his truck. I was told over and over how much his clients tip him. I was going to cow call and bugle once and was told he would do it not for me to do any calling. Since I was paying for this hunt if I wanted to use a duck call it should have been my perogative. Total turn off. I was never asked what my thoughts were about conducting a stalk, bugling, etc.

I spent two days sitting on a water hole, by myself, in 90's degree temps waiting for elk to come to drink which elk don't do during the middle of the day. But this is where the "guide " put me. The second day at the water hole after sitting there for hours and seeing only birds and insects I walked to the "honey hole" a short half mile away. There I called in and harvasted my own bull. Then walked a mile and a half out to the road where the guide would pick me up. When I said I got a bull he said "I knew the water hole was a good place". He was not happy when he found out I had walked to the "honey hole" by myself and called in the bull without his help. We gutted and took the bull back to camp where others were surprised I called in my own bull. The guide took many photos with his phone but I have not seen a one.

One of the cardinal rules about guide and client is never leave someone alone in an unfamiliar place with no emergency communication. It was a mile and a half from the pick up point to the water hole. I could have fallen, had heat stroke, heart attack, etc. and it would have been hours or days before I was found. Not a good practice. After all I was paying for 1 on 1 guide service.

Tent laterns didn't work much of the time. Outfitters stoves didn't work all the times, no tent heater, the outhouse was a "bowl" only. No cover so if it was raining you would be "just chitting in the rain, what a glorious feeling". Sounds like a good song. Luckily no rain. No camp fire extinguisher. Didn't see a medical kit. Guides putting large amounts of wood on the campfire which was under or near pine trees. If one of the pines would have caught fire the camp could have gone up in smoke.

Deboning the elk was a "butcher" job. Meat processors said much of the meat was cut wrong so it ended up "stew meat". I was partly responsible because with RA I have problems with using a skinning/boning knife.

Overall this was my most expensive hunt but the least maintained. Only plus was I got my bull.

Was the outfitter notified of problems? - NO