I don't usually get involved in the "anti-outfitter" threads but I'll make an exception here. I outfit on public land and we kill bulls every year whether or not somebody is in there. We pack into camp on horseback in a roadless area, effectively eliminating 99% of the competition from the general public. I have had issues with the general public at the trailhead when I ask them to move their vehicles out of our way so we can get our stock trailers etc in. They do not realize we have the northern half of the trailhead leased from the USFS. I put up signs that the USFS sends me but the general public just tears them down.
We go out of our way to spend money locally and we enjoy an excellent reputation in our local community. We treat everybody with respect and on more than one occassion I have donated a mule to help a local pull his elk out.
Last year a 13 year old girl and her dad came into our area and killed a 376" bull during archery. Can you imagine how I felt! Well, I will tell you. This Friday, Two Bear Outfitters will be donating a check to cover the balance of her taxidermist bill to have that bull mounted. Her family is very poor and she has an ear problem that cost her about 95% of her hearing! They threw a spagetti dinner as a benefit to try and get her the bull mounted, but they came up well short, we are covering the remaining balance and I am proud of that little girl and her family. It will be in the local newspaper and when they run the story I will post a link to it on this site.
We work very hard with being good stewards of the land, and representatives for the hunting community. I let bowhunters hunt my river bottom lease for free and have helped local businesses for years. Some people seem to forget the outfitters are sportsman too. I do not own an outfitting biz for the money, because frankly, there isn't any. I own it because I enjoy the fellowship of other hunters, the beauty of the mountains, and the pursuit of wild and wonderful critters. It is a lifestyle choice more than a job.