Hi DD, Where in Alberta were you hunting?In the NW Alberta [Grand Praire region ]there was close to an 80% die off RE: accumulated 9' snow fall and spring tick infestations.Got this from a warden while looking for a bull moose this fall.We saw 4 moose in a week of hunting[no bulls]compared to the year before seeing 20. Fields that had over 100 deer in them at dusk had 1 or 2. Completely wiped out.The elk were not effected and my son shot a 3pt meat bull at 400 yards with his 25-06.Not making excuses for the outfitter but this is how weather and nature can effect hunting.I went on a 14 day guided hunt in the Yukon in 94 and I was teamed up with a "guide" who was also from Alberta and had never set foot in the Yukon before and we were sent into an area the outfitter had never hunted before.I found all this sh-t out later.My guide was scared of bears and was later fired when he wouldn't let a German hunter shoot a big boar!I live and hunt in Alberta but have witnessed first hand both good and bad outfitters in action.............Sorry things went badly but chalk it up to experiance...........Harold