Most of the consistent posters on this section hunt on their own. I have been on 2 guided hunts in Idaho, going for a third time in 2007. So far 1 for 2 with archery.

You need to decide a bunch of things before getting serious about looking up outfitters:

- what will you be happy shooting? Cows ok? spikes? bull only? what size?
- how much money will you be willing/able to spend? there's lots on top of the outfitter cost, which will run around $3-$4K for a 7 day hunt, then up from there. You have to also cover: licenses (several hundred), transportation to the outfitter (airline? Another few hundred), get the meat home (airlines? another chunk).
- are you willing to wait for a draw state such as WY where you might not draw for a couple of years?

the outfit I went with is Shattuck Creek Outfitters, its run by a father/son team and are GREAT people. They hunt northern ID (areas 8,10 mostly) have outfitter license for thousands of acres, private, public and leased. For gun season they open up a second camp that you hunt out of camp on horses, archery is only from the base lodge. I last went in 2004, out of 8 elk hunters, 2 of us shot bulls, one miss, one hit/lost, so we should have been 4 for 8, 50% for archery is VERY high without going to the BIG dollar outfits. All 8 hunters had elk in bow range, some passed on cows, one guy had a MONSTER at 15 yards and it freaked him out enough that he couldn't shoot they are intimidating critters. They do ALOT of treestand hunting, but the guides are more than happy to run around calling with you.

--Bob