Well, we've tried to be generous, but some just ruin it for the others to follow....

It's been an interesting journey over time....

We've taken folks from this forum.
We've taken first time hunters and a kid (rewarding for about 10 minutes).
We've taken folks who have never slept on the ground before.
We've taken folks who seemingly don't know the meaning of hard, strenuous work (as a pre-condition).
We've taken folks who've never hunted elk before, arrive and think they'll tell us how things will be done.
We've taken the "short cut" artists (show up late, grab elk, and leave early).
We've taken folks that don't know the difference between "entertainment" and "adventure".

One has to go thru too many "duds" to find the "good ones". Most these folks we'eve dealt with thru the years need to go back to deer hunting in the local patch or maybe varmit hunting or maybe just bench rest target shooting --- something fits in a Sunday afternoon and allows the car and home to be close by.

Well, thru the course of time the "cream does rise to the top" and after meeting with my senior elk camp members and discussing what we like, what we don't like, and what would be more worthwhile, we've "closed ranks" and decided to chart a new direction....

We are going to a smaller group of hardened, capable, work loving, horse wise, saavy elk hunters. Some young, some old, some rural, some urban, some non-resident. As for the rest of them, well, "good bye and happy trails to ya all". There will be 4 to 6 of us and we will entertain ONE outsider every other year or so, even if our numbers drop to 2 or 3 or 4 in any given year.

If I was an outfitter, then I would charge every cent they charge and MORE!
We are soooo looking forward to next year!

Just venting I guess [>:][>:].... any of you went thru anything like this? [:'(][:'(]

EKM