Then I would say you have the makings of a good trade. Most of my swaps have been public land hunts in Colorado, but have been three times to Montana (2 bull elk and 1 moose!). Haven't been since the wolf invasion though.

There are quite a few hunting sites that list a swap forum including this one. Post up what you have and some pictures of the bucks and I bet you would get some interest.

Ramhunter71, well thought post. Turk, you don't need to justify to anybody why you went on a guided hunt. It sounds like to me your outfitter wasn't an archery elk outfitter. It is an important consideration when booking a hunt. He may be a great rifle elk outfitter, and has the references and reviews to back it up, but archery elk is a different animal. His unwillingness to move in on a bull makes me wonder about his elk archery savvy. Distance is the paramount to getting a bull in bow range. At 200 yards one could sit and bugle back and forth all day long with bull, that won't put him in range. Additionally, your guide wasn't in camo, which also makes me wonder about his archery hunting skill set in general. Like others have said, it is a matter of research and vetting your perspective outfitters. BTW, there are plenty of good, honest, hardworking outfitters around, I personally know many of them.

Exactly Twobear. Everyone can build their own house too, but doesn't mean everyone has to do it. I think it is funny that people argue whether or not you are really a hunter for things like if you use a stick bow vs. compound vs crossbow. And if you admit you use a rifle with that crowd, forget it! There is room for all. Do what you enjoy and don't worry about what others think. Turk, I am going to PM you another website you should check out too for info on hunting and outfitters out west.

Also, if you find an outfitter that you are seriously thinking about using, go on several hunting websites under their big game or elk forums and ask if anyone knows about them. Can usually get some good feedback that way. But I really think you should explore the swap hunts. The 2 elk and moose I killed in Montana were all taken on public land with the help of a swap friend.

Yes, lots of good, honest, reputable outfitters out there who want you to be successful. But, it's like finding a good woman, you have to sift through a lot and kiss a few frogs before you get the right one. My experience is you have to talk to someone you know who has hunted with a specific outfitter and get an honest report, a lot of time "references" are friends of the outfitter who are more interested in seeing the outfitter fill spots in camp, and not looking out for your best interest.

To answer the OP's question, yes, there are some honest outfitters out there. You've been given some excellent advice in this topic by members from the hunting side and also from the outfitter side. We have a classified section for outfitter hunts for sale and also a sub-forum with outfitter reviews if you're interested. The review sub-forum is still a bit slim but the outfitter hunts for sale has a lot of hunts that you could check out further and also see if other members have hunted with that particular outfitter.

If you're still interested in an outfitted hunt, start a separate topic asking for any recommendations. You will get more responses, however, if you list that you want to bow hunt for elk and what state(s) you would like to hunt. A lot of members are strictly DIY but there are also quite a few who do guided hunts and could probably point you in the right direction. Good luck and let us know how it works out.