Hine sight, should have done a little more research on the guide, he was recommended by word of mouth saying if you want to kill a bug one go with him. While he had a reputation of killing elk and big elk, which we saw evidence of his, the evidence to back up those claims of others he guided was very limited. With no year to year client production evidence, all done after the fact as I did not set up the hunt therefore I cannot say shoulda woulda coulda. I just tagged along as I "heard" nothing but good things…
We were in a OCT unit in Colorado I do not want to say too much as to what exact unit or guide. I did have events to leave for right after the hunt not very far away which I did find hundreds of cows and bulls screaming their heads off. If I wasn't on husband duty at that point I think I could have slipped off and gotten it done. The trip didn't cost an arm and a leg individually but as a collective one of us should have killed one period for that amount of money. Which would have settled a lot better instead of a goose egg and not even seeing one.
We knew this was backpacking trip when we signed up and no horses or mules could have gotten to where we went to hunted. So we would have had to pack out all the meat, which at least was where the real physical challenge gets and a challenge accepted at that. I wanted to test myself and have the struggle. Why I had trained for months to get into meat packing shape.
After reading everyone's replies I believe that there's clear evidence you could kill an elk the way we tried. Now the success rate of doing so I would say is low not to mention just being limited to 6 days. I will say after 3 days of no success other methods should have been used areas left to find new prospects or some other tactic. Which I would say was completely on the guide as we don't know the terrain or areas, that's essentially the reason we paid to know local knowledge. In turkey hunting knowing the terrain is 85% the reason for success. But to sit in one spot and put the pressure on the area like we did and expect a different outcome some would say that's insanity. I know better as a hunter it doesn't work like that. I feel like the hunters mentioned above being out in a meadow to be hung out to dry. Wind swirling constantly asking the guide are we not just messing everything up as I'm sure every elk in 500 yards knew we were there. Did I mention we camped right next to an active wallow? Once again asking aren't we too close? As I was repeatedly told it won't bother them too much, they migrate and new elk are constantly coming and won't know none the wiser about us.
He was a very nice guy none the less and took care of us for the most part. Will I use him again, probably not, will I be back again, yes.
We were in a OCT unit in Colorado I do not want to say too much as to what exact unit or guide. I did have events to leave for right after the hunt not very far away which I did find hundreds of cows and bulls screaming their heads off. If I wasn't on husband duty at that point I think I could have slipped off and gotten it done. The trip didn't cost an arm and a leg individually but as a collective one of us should have killed one period for that amount of money. Which would have settled a lot better instead of a goose egg and not even seeing one.
We knew this was backpacking trip when we signed up and no horses or mules could have gotten to where we went to hunted. So we would have had to pack out all the meat, which at least was where the real physical challenge gets and a challenge accepted at that. I wanted to test myself and have the struggle. Why I had trained for months to get into meat packing shape.
After reading everyone's replies I believe that there's clear evidence you could kill an elk the way we tried. Now the success rate of doing so I would say is low not to mention just being limited to 6 days. I will say after 3 days of no success other methods should have been used areas left to find new prospects or some other tactic. Which I would say was completely on the guide as we don't know the terrain or areas, that's essentially the reason we paid to know local knowledge. In turkey hunting knowing the terrain is 85% the reason for success. But to sit in one spot and put the pressure on the area like we did and expect a different outcome some would say that's insanity. I know better as a hunter it doesn't work like that. I feel like the hunters mentioned above being out in a meadow to be hung out to dry. Wind swirling constantly asking the guide are we not just messing everything up as I'm sure every elk in 500 yards knew we were there. Did I mention we camped right next to an active wallow? Once again asking aren't we too close? As I was repeatedly told it won't bother them too much, they migrate and new elk are constantly coming and won't know none the wiser about us.
He was a very nice guy none the less and took care of us for the most part. Will I use him again, probably not, will I be back again, yes.
