I'm sure there's been plenty of bamboozle's from guides and clients. I'm pretty sure there's been a lot of instances where there wasn't ample time to get a good look at the animal before the shot took place. I'm pretty sure most people are over eager to drop the hammer on a animal when they are paying for out of state licenses and outfitter fee's if using one.
But in reality if you can judge a elk in the field by 10" of score you are truly gifted. Just 1" +/- of tine length on all points on a 6x6 bull elk is 10" right there. 1/2" +/- of antler mass is another 5". So your 325 bull just went to either a 310 bull or 340 bull right there. So lets take this to the next step. The elk is at 400 yards rough country and don't have a spotting scope or time to use one. Lets say your guide calls this bull a 350 and it has a 2" +/- tine length and we'll keep the 1/2" mass difference. Your bull either maybe a 335 or a 375 bull in a instance. I've done this for 25 years and thank god I don't get a lot of trophy hunters come through my outfit because of being in a OTC unit. I would not trade all the private land and trophy managed areas for one client that has truly appreciated taking a bull elk the real nuts and bolts hunting situations of "real hunting" not controlled situations.
Score away, judge away but don't be disappointed when you pull the trigger because that is "only your choice" to do so. Thank god I always think the animal is smaller than what it is. I don't have ground shrinkage problem most do. The animal is usually on the bigger side and that tickles me.
I love the outfitter slams here and there. I know there's scam artists and bad hunts, but what about bad clients/bad hunters. Buddy I could write so many books on that it would make you sick. But every year I bank on faith that anyone new that books has and positive attitude and can function in the heat of the moment.
All I hear is I got 18 points for a certain unit and it has to be a 400 class animal. Compilation of all the odds and numbers of massive bulls that get killed each year, you might as well start buying lotto tickets. It's all BS