As others have stated, sometimes it just isn't easy to hunt a different state or province all on your own. An outfitted hunt makes things a whole lot easier. Is the cost worth it? That is only something YOU can decide. It depends on how badly you want the animal. One should never think an outfitted hunt will guarantee you game, because it won't. Finding a good, reputable outfitter is not exactly easy either. Lots of rip-off artists in this field to say the least. I haven't been on an outfitted hunt for a good many years now, and honestly have NO desire to go again at the unreal prices they charge these days. Their prices have been going up way faster than any inflation rate I have seen for anything else! I wonder if the outfitting business is suffering as of late with the economy not being too good? I just can't see too many people shelling out that kind of money when the time are not that great.