Alsatian

I'm not taking sides here, but some people may have missed the point that this hunt was supposed to be on private property, not high mountain public land. Hunts on private property -- ranch-type hunts -- typically cost a lot more than high mountain hunts on public property. Ranch hunts are expensive and often have some sort of deluxe accommodations and food that are part of the deal. I know about this from reading about it; I've never been on such a hunt. My style of hunting -- both by preference and by wallet capacity -- is do-it-yourself hunting on public land, high on the mountain first season.

They guy also said that his father and at least one of the other guys on the hunt were cancer survivors and weren't up for hiking around in the high mountains.

Again, I'm not taking sides. It does seem to me that one ought to not trust strangers when large amounts of money are in play, as it was in this case.

Also, as far as I know, a first season outfitted/guided hunt in Colorado first rifle season is liable to run you about $4500. You pack in on horses, stay in a wall tent high on the mountain, and hunt on public land. That is only $2500 less than the $7000 price the guy is talking about for his ranch hunt. Again, while that is too rich for my pocketbook, the price of $7000 per head for a ranch hunt does not set off any alarm bells in my head.