Hunter_59

I have a question for all of you that book guided hunts. I booked a wilderness pack hunt in Wyoming in September. I was disappointed in the actions of my guide and wonder what is appropriate for future hunts.

After locating some bulls he decided to try an ambush for the evening hunt. He tells me that he may not answer their bugles to keep from giving away our position. I'm fine with that strategy and actually hunt that way myself. The problem started at about 2:00 when the first bull bugled. The guide answered him immediately, therefore giving away our postion, with an unfavorable wind direction. After telling me he wouldn't answer the bugles, he answers the first bull! The wind is blowing across the meadow, the bull circles to the downwind postion and winds us before offering a shot at 200 yards. He never stepped out of the trees! This same scenario played out again a few hours later with the same result.

Now after many years of hunting whitetails, I know how important wind direction is in planning your stalk or shot. This guide didn't seem to take into account the wind direction at all.This guide is no rookie either, he guides brown bear hunters in Alaska as well as other elk hunters.

My question to you all is, on my next hunt, should I give any input to the guide on mythoughts on hunt strategy? This was my first, but not last, elk hunt. I did not score on an elk but had a terrific hunt experience. I don't want to come across, to any future guide, asbeing aprick orun-gratefulhunter but I believe in the same situation I would've done things differently and had a better chance at scoring ononeof those bulls.Next time, do Igive any input and howdo I go about it? Thanks!

hoghunter22-250

although the guide may know a lot he can always learn a little mors give yoyr input

bigbulls

I don't use any guides but it is YOUR hunt that YOU are paying for. He is there to serve you. If you do not like a particular situation or set up then suggest something else and let him know your opinion. If he values you as a customer he will at least take your suggestions into consideration.

Like I said I have never used a guide but should I ever book a guide one of my first question is if the guide expects me to just follow him around and shoot an animal or is he going to allow ME to do the hunting and be there to make reccomendations about what to do and let me succede or fail on mostly my own accord.

setter77

Like previously mentioned, you are entitled to speak your opinion as you are a paying customer. I would recomend not getting into a dispute as it could make for a long hunt. He is supposed to be the expert and get you on the quality of animal you seek, but doesn't mean he is always right. Use good judgement and next time explain what happened to you to the outfitter and if he is good he will pair you with a guide that suits your needs.

Elkcrazy8

he made his choice, now you can make yours and book with another. Always play the wind with elk. First time shame on him, if you go with him again and this happens, shame on you.

Bob H in NH

Like it was said, this is YOUR hunt, however you are paying him for his knowledge and expertise. That said, I have been on two guided elk hunts and have learned tons on both, will be going again and will do alot of my own calling etc.

When you are on the hunt and you disagree or don't understand why something is done like it is, you have two choices: shut up and do it, or ask and learn.

In your case it may have been that something happened to change the plan and the guide didn't explain it. There are two ways to deal with something you don't agree with:

- accuse them of something
- ask nicely.

Its all in how its worded, are you thinking they are making mistakes, or just asking to learn on your behalf. Word it correctly without attitude and there should be no issue. If you don't like his answer, he should switch to doing it your way, after all its your hunt, if you don't follow his advice, that's your call nothis. If it turns out there's an issue, bring it to the outfitter immediately. You spend alot of time with your guide, no sense spending it with someone who doesn't hunt like you or that you don't get along with

coloradoprohunter

give him input because it's you that paid for it and he's getting paid. because of that you need to do whatever YOU think best, not the guide

Hunter_59

Thanks for all the responses guys! This makes it easier to deal with next time. Being my first guided elk hunt and guided hunt, I just felt uncomfortable giving my input. Since I never hunted elk before, I thought maybe their sense of smell was not as acute as the whitetail. I sure learned an expensive lesson.
What really bugs me is that this was in the Thorofare, a trophy area, that I'm not sure I can get back to again. The second bull that came in was growling! Now, like I said, I've never hunted elk before, but you could tell, this guy was "big"! I sure would've liked to have gotten a shot at him. In my opinion, I think it would've been smarter to have me set up for the shot and the guide move off about 100-200 yards and call, possibly opening up a shot at the bulls moving across the open meadow heading towards him. This is a grizzly area so maybe he didn't feel comfortable leaving me on my own. Next time I will, courteously, give my opinion if my thinking differs from his. Thanks for all the input!

game4lunch

I'm a resident of Wyoming. I've guided for outfitters for many years. When the outfitter hooks you up with your guide, his first job should be to ask you questions. What are you shooting? . . . How do you hunt back home? . . . How do you like to hunt? . . .Ever Elk hunted before? . . .
Things that will tell the guide who he is hunting with (Not working for. You're paying the outfitter to hunt with a local expert).
It's common courtesy. Keep the communications flowing. That is at the basis of any successful and enjoyable hunt. Once this is done, guide and hunter know more about each other. Sometimes you get a guy who is out here for Elk, just bought a .338 Sako, and has only shot shotguns back home!
That requires a different approach than a Safari Club guy who just got back from Africa.
Bottom line, if it doesn't feel good, go to the outfitter and tell him/her, if they are reputab;e at all, they will hook you up with somebody more in tune with your wishes and habits.
Reputable outfitters are not hard to find, just hard to sometimes identify. Word of mouth is top-most. And go to local outdoor shows and meet the people you are choosing to take you hunting for that 380 class bull.
Good luck, and don't give up.

royaltine

You can second guess this guides decison all day long. There are probably 100 ways to approach this bull and 99 of them would not have worked. The wind should always be first priority. You know whatthey say in Real Estate, its location, location, and location! Well inelk hunting, its wind, wind, and wind! You can foolthier eyes and you can fool theirears but you can't fool their nose! People need to realizehow hard it is to kill a bull on fair chase terms on public land. NoWestern state has a kill % over 25%. That means thatonly 25 hunters out of 100 will kill an elk. 20 of those that do kill are killing cows, spikes and raghorns. That means 5 hunters out of every 100 will kill a mature bull. This inlcudes locals! The average elk hunter kills and elk once every 7 years!! They are not easy to hunt. I am a guide andhave been for 12 years.I am sure this guidewas doing the best he could, assuming he is a true professional.