I still have a big question mark on this whole deal about paying the guide. Unless you don't go through an outfitter and go straight to a guide, which would be very uncommon, you're not paying anyone the fee other than the main outfitter that the guy works for. I have no idea what a guide makes, but I imagine it varies a lot depending on their age/experience, knowledge, etc. The poor guys are up well before the hunters to get horses ready, etc. and then have to take care of everything when the day is done. That would mean they might only get 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night and I really don't know how they can do that day after day. Just on my short hunt getting up at 3 to 4 AM when all I had to do was get dressed and grab some breakfast was rough. When we got up the guide usually was already putting the saddled horses in the trailer and raring to get going to the trail head. I guarantee when you break it down into an hourly wage they are probably not making what a burger flipper at MacDs does!