Outfitters have different levels of helping people out in the business. You have your beginner elk hunters that want to learn the basics and then start out on their own after one or two trips. Then you have the rich clientele that can afford 7,500.00 to 10,000.00 dollar elk hunts. Most guys that talk on this site regularly are experienced hunters and have no need for outfitters. So I see your points of not needed and DIY. But it takes a well rounded hunter just to pop into elk country get into the elk and have a successful hunt on a DYI hunt. Most times you get lucky when that happens. Outfitters that hunt on public land and kill elk get lucky too. Even though the know where the elk are you have to compete with early scouters that go in and move them around before season starts. Sure scouting for the hunters in new country is wise but you sure do mess up someone else s first morning tactics. After that happens the men that live in that country will know where the elk went for the next sanctuary until they are busted again. The benefits to using an outfitter is he will know all of these places and not have to sit and wonder where the elk went.

I would be very worried booking an elk hunt and spending my hard earned money to have a hunt go bad. It's a shame it happens.