Was leaving the hunt worth it?

[tntrker]

Sorry, I thought the tent needed work. Really just posted that in jest. I’d be pissed too. Reminds me of when my wife and I went on our honeymoon 29 years ago to a bed and breakfast in Leadville. It said they served a continental breakfast. I dreamed all night of trying different foods from all the continents. Imagine my surprise at toast and boxed cereal. First thing I thought of when you said ranch dinner

Shawn

Oh, yea there was a tent but we couldn’t do anything to it, no material, rope, nothing. Just the 2 stove boxes sitting in there on the dirt…

 

[tntrker]

Serious question.

You've mentioned several times that others are able to diy. I'm curious why you feel like it's not an option for you. I'm not trying to raz you, but I'm legitimately curious.

This kind of drama goes away when you diy, although arguably other drama at times replaces it! But at least it's not costing 9 grand.

Edit- I see you kind of answered that question in your response to @ChrisAU .

In 2015 I decided if I was going to ever hunt elk, I’d better start. So I googled everything I could and even read Cam Hanes book about backcountry hunting and how to start. I was all gunhoe about it until I read the parts about bumping in grizzly and mountain lions in the dark. I can’t come out there enough to justify having all the stuff to do it. On my ride out and back, I see set ups of diy’ers and admire their opportunities and guts to do it. Even thinking now, knowing where that place is, would/could I get back there on foot? Yes but could I get all the gear and animal out before spoiling? Doubtful. I couldn’t sleep thinking every noise was a grizzly ready for his burrito. But with a guide I don’t worry about that part of it, don’t know why….I WANT TOO SOOO BAD but then again I live in SC and the points issue just makes it all limited and I’m old…

 

[Fatcamp]

Exactly, but there was nothing there to cook…

You mean to tell me three adults rode horses hours into the back country with absolutely no food? Nothing? That is such a massive fail I don't even know how to respond.

The "cook" had no food? You didn't take any emergency supplies for yourself? The "guide" actually only brought three packs of Ramen and some cold McDonalds food?

Ridiculous situation. Hope you get your money back.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

WTF?!?
First world problems right here....

Meme form please...

 

[woods89]

In 2015 I decided if I was going to ever hunt elk, I’d better start. So I googled everything I could and even read Cam Hanes book about backcountry hunting and how to start. I was all gunhoe about it until I read the parts about bumping in grizzly and mountain lions in the dark. I can’t come out there enough to justify having all the stuff to do it. On my ride out and back, I see set ups of diy’ers and admire their opportunities and guts to do it. Even thinking now, knowing where that place is, would/could I get back there on foot? Yes but could I get all the gear and animal out before spoiling? Doubtful. I couldn’t sleep thinking every noise was a grizzly ready for his burrito. But with a guide I don’t worry about that part of it, don’t know why….

Thanks for explaining. Hope your hunt in 2024 that you mentioned makes up for this one!

 

[tntrker]

You mean to tell me three adults rode horses hours into the back country with absolutely no food? Nothing? That is such a massive fail I don't even know how to respond.

The "cook" had no food? You didn't take any emergency supplies for yourself? The "guide" actually only brought three packs of Ramen and some cold McDonalds food?

Ridiculous situation. Hope you get your money back.

The owner sent me and the “guide” in to hunt saying the camp was almost up and he would be behind us to finish the camp and have supper waiting on us. He wanted me hunting asap. So when we got back after dark and it all was still dark, no nothing, we had no ideal what was happening. He wasn’t answering any sat phone text so we didn’t know nothing. I had emergency first aid stuff, bow tools, butt wipes etc but no food other than two protein bars which I shared one with the guide walking out to hunt. Sooo that’s why I was up set when he showed up at 11pm and acted like he was the savior with “food”…

 

[Fatcamp]

The owner sent me and the “guide” in to hunt saying the camp was almost up and he would be behind us to finish the camp and have supper waiting on us. He wanted me hunting asap. So when we got back after dark and it all was still dark, no nothing, we had no ideal what was happening. He wasn’t answering any sat phone text so we didn’t know nothing. I had emergency first aid stuff, now tools, butt wipes etc but no food other than two protein bars which I shared one with the guide walking out to hunt. Sooo that’s why I was up set when he showed up at 11pm and acted like he was the savior with “food”…

Honestly, sounds like meth to me. I have relatives that used to pull shit like that all the time and think they were making sense. Haven't seen them in years.

Somebody on here with horses will be along shortly.

 

[Fatcamp]

OP, you can DIY. It comes with some built in suck but it's well worth it.

 

[tntrker]

Why are you adverse to DIY btw? Sounds like you could?

Thanks for explaining. Hope your hunt in 2024 that you mentioned makes up for this one!

It will no matter what cause I’ll be with my son. Something we have always wanted to do. We were supposed to be on a rifle hunt together but he got out of the Army and went into the Nation Guard and is at school now so his points got wasted, and I went with this outfit with a bow..AND I know the WY outfitter just takes time building the points..

 

[BAKPAKR]

I am still having a tough time getting past, “and even having to put ear plugs in because I kept laying there listening to them.”

 

[Nickofthewoods]

 

[Nickofthewoods]

 

[Nickofthewoods]

 

[Muley Buck]

Customer service in America boarded a ship and sailed away long ago. It is very, very few and far between I've been presented with exemplary customer service in any type of business transaction. Super shitty and that truly does suck for you, but I would NEVER pay for a guided hunt. I had to figure out at one point in time that the more people involved with my hunting makes for a very poor experience.

 

[Elkbelch]

I knew nothing about elk hunting and in 1994 I decided I was going to do it. Went on a diy hunt to a crappy unit in Co. spent $3k on a credit card that year mostly at Cabelas. That was probably close to your $10k in today’s money. Headed out West and got an OTC tag. $250-350 if I remember right. Deer were $150. Saw a few elk that year and missed a giant mule deer I thought was 400 but closer to 200 yards. Didn’t have a range finder back then. I was hooked and six years later I got 5x5 bull with a muzzleloader. Lots of years empty handed but learned a little more about that crappy unit every year. Only got 7 elk and a mule deer in all those years. Archery, muzzleloader and rifle I’ve hunted all. Going back this year with my daughter for first rifle, first time since 2012. It will be a blast and if we come back empty handed that’s fine. I know how to do that

Shawn

 

[Ucsdryder]

Can we all just take a step back and appreciate what the rok gods have given us this year? When one epic thread finally dies, like clockwork another one pops up and delivers us hours of entertainment and memes!!!!

 

[tntrker]

To the guys saying they would have hung in there..

The guy paid $10k!

A $10k guided hunt is an "experience" which usually consists of gourmet meals and lodging. Not setting up your own tent and eating ramen and day old egg mcmuffins.. ****, eating a fresh egg mcmuffin straight from the drive thru would have been enough to wreck me for the week.

If he simply wanted to have someone show him where to sit at a wallow he probably could have done that in Colorado for a third of the price.

Some of you guys are just being contrarian for the sake of being something..

To the guys saying they would have hung in there..

The guy paid $10k!

A $10k guided hunt is an "experience" which usually consists of gourmet meals and lodging. Not setting up your own tent and eating ramen and day old egg mcmuffins.. ****, eating a fresh egg mcmuffin straight from the drive thru would have been enough to wreck me for the week.

If he simply wanted to have someone show him where to sit at a wallow he probably could have done that in Colorado for a third of the price.

Some of you guys are just being contrarian for the sake of being something..

I actually stopped the “guide” halfway to where the wallow was. The wind was blowing from our backs and I finally pointed that out and said, are we not just blowing everything out in front of us? He asked what I thought we should do and he showed me where we were on his gohunt app. I suggested we top the ridge to our right, come up to the wallow from the right side so nothing could wind us. We got to the meadow and it was empty but the wallow was still hidden about 30yrds. He acted bummed about it and I said “there a bull back there putting his perfume on. We scoped out the area and I called a few cow calls(it’s all I can do and not consistent but I did good then). Immediately that bull sounded back. We were giddy as shit, haha. He told me this was my hunt and to lead with it so I did and we had fun. He did suggest a change in the plan we made for the next day that made sense so we complemented each other….

 

[MattB]

As was said above, you've been a very good sport in fielding responses here. The internet can be.....unforgiving.

 

[tntrker]

Can we all just take a step back and appreciate what the rok gods have given us this year? When one epic thread finally dies, like clockwork another one pops up and delivers us hours of entertainment and memes!!!!

No applause please, just noodles..

 

[go_deep]

Meme form please...

I'm in bear camp, but when I get home this thread is getting dynamited!