Thoughts on hiring an outfitter?

J

joshinreno

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I finally drew a bull tag (rifle) that I have been waiting a very long time for. With the draw odds going the way they are, this could very well be the only Nevada bull tag I ever draw.

I'm not worried about the logistics. We have plenty of manpower and machinery. While I'm familiar with the units the tag is in, and my group has taken more than a few cows out of it, I've never bull hunted.

So I'm considering hiring an outfitter. Mostly to put me onto some quality bulls. With my schedule, work demands and not living anywhere near my hunting area, I will have very limited time and opportunity to scout.

Am I over thinking this? I can find elk. That's never been a problem. But can I find a trophy quality bull in a limited amount of time with that may be a once in a lifetime tag?

I don't need the outfitter to provide meals, transportation, lodging, etc. Just someone who can find me some bulls and show me how it's done along the way.

Or should I try to do it myself?
 
I'd say the best outfitters are booked within a couple of days if not within hours from when results are posted. If you're seriously considering going guided you better start making some calls immediately and hope they can fit you in. If you need advice on outfitters post up what unit you drew and I'm sure you'll get some recommendations. BTW, congrats on drawing the tag. I'm sitting on 23 elk points now and not sure I'll ever draw.🥺
 
If you’re looking for a giant bull and that’s the most important “use” of the tag for you then I’d hire some help. I’ve been in your shoes a few times and I’ve gone either direction and usually come out learning something either way. I’ve met some great friends by hiring outfitters and I’ve had some of my most rewarding hunts figuring something out DIY. There’s a LOT of pressure on a tag like that. Having an outfitter gives you another set of shoulders for that pressure if that’s what you want. I had a NV dream tag for elk last year and hired an outfitter for 7 days. Hunted 27 days total and ended up eating the tag. Some days I look back on it with pride that I hit it that hard and stuck to my goal (never succeeded but stuck to it) and other days I feel like I got kicked in the gut for not filling it. If I had hired another outfitter or had more help, maybe I woulda found “the one” but I’ll never know.
 
If you hire a guide dont feel bad or peer pressure for doing so.
Sometimes its like paying for an education.
With that said you can do it with some Hunting friends if you got them.
 
How many days does the hunt last? How many days can you hunt? How many days can you scout immediately before the hunt opens? These are some important factors that I would take into consideration especially if you want to get a trophy class bull. Not an issue if you can walk away satisfied with whatever you find (or don’t find).
 
I am leary of many guide services, but there are some really good ones. I’d say the best ones are likely booked to get gills already for this fall. If you have people, equipment, and time you don’t need a guide. Get there early. Cover a lot of ground. And, chances are you’ll hit gold in Nevada. It does depend a little on the unit and how much press you are fighting from other hunters. Then again, I just like the challenge of the full hunting experience with friends and family more than getting the biggest critters.
 
Unit helps, 11-15, 22, 121, shouldn’t have any issue locating trophy quality. Took me a little longer to find in the northern units.
 
joshinreno said:
I finally drew a bull tag (rifle) that I have been waiting a very long time for. With the draw odds going the way they are, this could very well be the only Nevada bull tag I ever draw.

I'm not worried about the logistics. We have plenty of manpower and machinery. While I'm familiar with the units the tag is in, and my group has taken more than a few cows out of it, I've never bull hunted.

So I'm considering hiring an outfitter. Mostly to put me onto some quality bulls. With my schedule, work demands and not living anywhere near my hunting area, I will have very limited time and opportunity to scout.

Am I over thinking this? I can find elk. That's never been a problem. But can I find a trophy quality bull in a limited amount of time with that may be a once in a lifetime tag?

I don't need the outfitter to provide meals, transportation, lodging, etc. Just someone who can find me some bulls and show me how it's done along the way.

Or should I try to do it myself?
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I’ve been a DIY hunter all of my life. However I had made up my mind that when I drew my Nevada Elk tag I would hire some help. I had killed several bulls previously, but nothing great. I knew if I wanted to get a really big Bull My best chances were with the guides. I was friends with Chuck Marques and his brothers with Bull Ridge guide service so when I drew my 111 tag it was a no-brainer for me. Not an easy hunt. We hunted 10 days really hard but we finally killed a 381 bull. I have done lots of hunting and seen a lot of beautiful scenery over the years but for this hunt my goal was to get a really exceptional bull elk. It all worked out for me and I have no regrets. Do what is best for you.
If you want to increase your odds to kill a big one, you should go guided. No shame in that.
I just hope for your sake it’s not too late to get booked at this time. Good luck to you.
 
sweinrich said:
Agree 100% with 6chuckar. Have a good time.
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I have hunted on my own a ton, I’ve guided a lot of people, and I’ve hunted with Outfitters as well. I have had plenty of fun in every one of those scenarios, and I have several great friends that are guides that I’ve hunted with in the past.

There’s no doubt that a great outfitter that has years of experience in an area, will stack the deck for you to be in productive area the entire time. Depends on what you want at the end of it. Best of luck.
 
ThunderBall said:
If you hire a guide, you aren't hunting. They are, and you just pull the trigger. Not much difference between a guided hunt and a high fence hunt. Some people are ok with this. There's nothing wrong with it but I'd rather do the hunting.
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Congratulations on the least informed comment on the internet for today…. You’re the winner
 
If you can’t scout and have limited time I would hire an outfitter. A good chance to make some new friends. Sure don’t want to waste those precious NV points for sure. Post the unit and I’ll try and give you some outfitter advice
 
How old are you and how many days can you be in the unit?

You have killed cows in the unit before and have at least one real friend to help, unpaid.

This doesn’t sound like the kind of situation that requires a guide.

Unless you really want to spend $8K to improve your odds (somewhat) at harvesting a 380+ bull.
 
If I knew the unit as you say you do I’d feel pretty good about it. As stated above that’s half the battle. I can’t say I’m against guided hunts, I just can’t see myself spending that kind of money for something I can do but I work for the feds and they don’t pay enough to afford it.
 
I had no idea this was such a polarizing topic. Thank you everyone for your responses as they've given me much to think about.

To answer some questions that were asked:

I'm in my early 40s. I will have 3 days to scout right before the season opens. I plan to hunt the entire (realtively short) season if needed. The units are 076-081. So far, it's me and 4 family members going. 3 of us are pretty experienced and 2 are very new.

If I missed a question, feel free to ask and I'll answer it.
 
joshinreno said:
I had no idea this was such a polarizing topic. Thank you everyone for your responses as they've given me much to think about.

To answer some questions that were asked:

I'm in my early 40s. I will have 3 days to scout right before the season opens. I plan to hunt the entire (realtively short) season if needed. The units are 076-081. So far, it's me and 4 family members going. 3 of us are pretty experienced and 2 are very new.

If I missed a question, feel free to ask and I'll answer it.
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Wow. You’re all set to have a great time.

I can’t imagine ruining this by hiring a guide.
 
Being a guide for 20+ years I have a lot of experience for guiding hunters. Yes we have had some that aren't capable of doing anything but pulling the trigger. That is the exception not the norm.
If you haven't walked in a guide/outfitters shoes you probably should keep your opinions to yourself.
Just sayin...
 
Wapitiwilly said:
Being a guide for 20+ years I have a lot of experience for guiding hunters. Yes we have had some that aren't capable of doing anything but pulling the trigger. That is the exception not the norm.
If you haven't walked in a guide/outfitters shoes you probably should keep your opinions to yourself.
Just sayin...
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The guy asked for opinions on whether or not to hire a guide. I shared my opinion. That’s what these forums are for. Just sayin…
 
Yes, age does play a part as well as many other factors. I’m sure that’s what El Gringo was getting at with his
(least informed) comment.
 
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I feel a little sorry for guys that reach out on forums like this for advice like this… There’s so many variables to consider, and it’s really a personal choice. Every ego comes out… everyone’s personal views on what hunting is supposed to be, or what’s important.

Some guys inherently think that if you hire a guide, then you must not have the ABILITY to get it done on your own (EGO). This is nonsense…. Some of the most capable killers out there hire outfitters on hunts they draw, because if you’re really experienced, you know the value of local knowledge and you know the value of the tag that you’ve drawn.

@joshinreno, you won’t get very many Nevada Elk tags in a lifetime, and you won’t draw many Elk tags anywhere in the west with the trophy potential. Best of luck to you, I hope it’s the Elk hunt of a lifetime.
 
I don’t understand all the guide hate. I’ve been guiding for 30 years in az ,, and when I finally draw my archery pauns or Nevada 231 I’m going to hire a guide for the very first time. Doesn’t mean I don’t know how to hunt because I hired one. There’s been so many times when I was guiding others that the client glassed up the critter and not me. We would have never harvested the animal without the client glassing it up for me in the spot I took them. At least 50 percent of the time the client is actually a really good hunter themselves.

Another thing I don’t understand is a lot of people that crap on guides ask several of their friends to come help on the hunt they drew. Aren’t these “helpful” friends functioning as guides since they are helping the tag holder. Whats the diff between having friends and family come up and drive around looking for critters for someone to shoot and hiring a guide.
It seems like the same thing to me. It’s tiring hearing all the stuff about clients just being shooters. If you ever had a friend come up and hunt with you and pick up a pair of binos to glass for you then by some people on heres def you were guided. I’ve had some friends come help me in the past that have never glassed before and they were the ones that glassed a big buck. In that case I was guided by the worst hunter of all time. Was I just a trigger puller being guided by an idiot to hunting in that case.
Everyone who doesn’t hire a guide but yet pumps and pimps everyone they know for their best spots, didn’t they go guided some also. Because they didn’t find the spot themselves but instead pimped it.
I’m sure the “ real ballers “ on here that are always chiming in about being guided never had a friend or army of them come help them on a hunt, and when they pulled the trigger that they beat their chests on the side of the mountain that they did it themselves. Lol.
Most of the self proclaimed “ ballers” on here aren’t “ ballers”. They had help with spots from other that they pimped from others (partially guided) or had friends come help on the hunt(guided).
Maybe thunderball is actually a super rare true OG or baller but I highly doubt that he didn’t pimp someone on where to hunt or where to look and I’m sure he never had a friend come on his hunt and help. Lol
 
Now that I think about it. I’ve always been a dyi hunter. I’ve never hired a guide yet. Almost all the time I go by myself for an average of 10 days on a hunt and many times up to 25. While I was hunting by myself I still had lots of intel from others for my hunts. Intel I didn’t find myself.
On other hunts I had a friend with me on the long roll.
If I’m being honest even though I’ve never hired a guide , I’ve been at minimum partially guided on at least 50’percent of my hunts.
One example. I drew archery 13 b in az in 2009. I went up 12 days early to scout and hunted the whole 21 days of the hunt. I camped by myself for 33 days. But,,,, I had lots of intel from others to help me. I ran my own 27 cams but I still had lots of intel from others for my decision making.

Did I actually do the hunt myself?? The answer is no. It wasn’t a true dyi hunt even though I camped by myself and didn’t hire a guide. Here’s why. I actually did have help with the intel such as good areas , last seasons bucks seen , and places they move to if pressured. I actually was partially guided even though I camped by myself for 33 days and hunted by myself.
A true dyi hunt means you didn’t ask a single person for a spot , you didn’t take any advice from another hunter who had the tag last year , you didn’t have a single friend come up and help or scout.
Hey thunderball do you fit the above description of dyi. You had no help of any kind scouting , with info about the unit , and not a single friend come up with you. If so then you’re the rare Og/baller and have a right to your opinion “ of people being guided”. I hope you fit the “ real” honest def of what dyi actually means. Before you attack others.
 
Doesn’t “ doing it yourself “ , mean you did it yourself? Am I missing something in the simple words of the statement “doing it yourself”.
If you had help of any kind, then You didn’t truly do it yourself.

Help includes spots from others, info from others , friends coming and glassing with you to help you. Help is help , just because you didn’t pay for it does that mean it’s not help.
I guess I’m just old school on what the definition of being helped is. I guess if you pay for the help it’s not diy. But if you receive help for free , it’s not really help and diy.
I’d love to say I’m a diy guy , but what percentage of that statement is actually really true. Ive never hired a guide one time and camped by myself many times for weeks on end,, But did I truly do it by myself??
If I had help or assistance of any kind with info or friends helping me on the hunt,,, then by definition I did it myself with help from others which isn’t by definition doing it myself. I didn’t do it all on my own.
In the case of hiring a guide , I received help just the same. It just wasn’t a friend who helped me and I had to pay for it.
A lot of the diy guys banging their drums seem to have forgotten what the definition of help is in their attempt to be better than someone else who hired a guide.
If you had “ no help” then you actually did it diy by the definition. If you had help in any form then you did it some percentage less than a 100 percent diy.
Let’s be honest about it for once.
It would be extremely easy for me to say I’m 100 percent diy. I’ve never hired a guide and hunt by myself about 75 percent of the time. But in many cases if I’m being honest I’m not doing it a 100 percent diy.
Maybe Diablo is having a hard time defining the words “ did it by myself”.
I’m not having a hard time with that however. Just being honest.
 
Wow. Just wow. To OP, I have always been a DIY hunter and have been fairly successful similar to you. If you seem to always find animals, and usually get one on the ground, my opinion is to put yourself to the real test and get after it! You know what you’re doing and you know the country. Unless your guide contract includes private property or some other perk, I’d bet money you may second guess your choice, especially if you aren’t seeing anything spectacular..you have the crew, you have the know how. It’s not always about the size of the antlers. But if that is all you care about is inches of bone then maybe the guide route would serve you well.
 
couesmagnet said:
Now that I think about it. I’ve always been a dyi hunter. I’ve never hired a guide yet. Almost all the time I go by myself for an average of 10 days on a hunt and many times up to 25. While I was hunting by myself I still had lots of intel from others for my hunts. Intel I didn’t find myself.
On other hunts I had a friend with me on the long roll.
If I’m being honest even though I’ve never hired a guide , I’ve been at minimum partially guided on at least 50’percent of my hunts.
One example. I drew archery 13 b in az in 2009. I went up 12 days early to scout and hunted the whole 21 days of the hunt. I camped by myself for 33 days. But,,,, I had lots of intel from others to help me. I ran my own 27 cams but I still had lots of intel from others for my decision making.

Did I actually do the hunt myself?? The answer is no. It wasn’t a true dyi hunt even though I camped by myself and didn’t hire a guide. Here’s why. I actually did have help with the intel such as good areas , last seasons bucks seen , and places they move to if pressured. I actually was partially guided even though I camped by myself for 33 days and hunted by myself.
A true dyi hunt means you didn’t ask a single person for a spot , you didn’t take any advice from another hunter who had the tag last year , you didn’t have a single friend come up and help or scout.
Hey thunderball do you fit the above description of dyi. You had no help of any kind scouting , with info about the unit , and not a single friend come up with you. If so then you’re the rare Og/baller and have a right to your opinion “ of people being guided”. I hope you fit the “ real” honest def of what dyi actually means. Before you attack others.
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The OP asked whether or not to hire a guide, NOT whether or not to go full on DIY. Big difference. I attacked no one. I just stated my opinion which is what he was asking for.
 
IMG_6402.jpeg
 
ThunderBall said:
The OP asked whether or not to hire a guide, NOT whether or not to go full on DIY. Big difference. I attacked no one. I just stated my opinion which is what he was asking for.
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I’ve been hunting big game for over 55 years. And all those years I’ve only hired a Guide on three hunts. I can tell you that on those three hunts I did hunt my ass off. My Guide wasn’t the only one doing the hunting.
You said if a person hires a Guide they aren’t doing the hunting the Guide is. And you also said there’s not much difference between a Guided Hunt and a high fence hunt.
I have to agree that those comments make you sound uninformed.
 
joshinreno said:
I had no idea this was such a polarizing topic. Thank you everyone for your responses as they've given me much to think about.

To answer some questions that were asked:

I'm in my early 40s. I will have 3 days to scout right before the season opens. I plan to hunt the entire (realtively short) season if needed. The units are 076-081. So far, it's me and 4 family members going. 3 of us are pretty experienced and 2 are very new.

If I missed a question, feel free to ask and I'll answer it.
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It’s your tag & your hunt. I can tell you from personal experience. To date I have been on 3 elk hunts. Last year I drew a tag that was in my opinion my best opportunity for my lifetime to harvest a great bull. I went the DIY route with help on the hunt from 3 friends / family. A ton of help from folks right here on MM from PM’s, texts, phone calls etc… I only made it to my hunt area for one scouting trip. Regardless, I went in confident that it was going to be a hunt of a lifetime. I didn’t kill a giant bull, but I took one that I’m really proud of & I had a hell of a hunt that I will remember for the rest of my days.
You’ve spent time in the unit & you have the help of friends & family. I say go DIY.
Regardless what you choose, good luck & congratulations on drawing a tag.
 
At 59 years old, knowing I’d never draw it again, and if had the support for the hunt and the time you have I wouldn’t hire an outfitter. If I had less time and less support I’d consider hiring someone.

I drew archery 111-115, 221-223 in the early 2000’s (probably 2001), did DIY with a good friend, shot my first 6x6 (a smallish one), after years and 100+ days hunting other states, waited the 10 years before being able to apply again and I’m still waiting for my second tag. I’ve been applying for resident archery elk since the tags existed and have drawn exactly one bull tag.

Given that I’m retired and time and money aren’t an issue, when and if I draw another tag, the decision to hire an outfitter will be based on the support group that’s available and my ability to pack out a bull. For now both are still good but as one gets older health declines regardless of best attempts to stop it and many friends and relatives you’ve hunted with your entire life either die or stop hunting due to health or declining interest.
 
I have in the past been against using a guide, but some places you need to ask your self, what do you want, any good bull or top end, do you think if you are the best hunter, you can compete with a top guide with all his knowledge, network , family and friend running around a 1000 square miles all of there life's. If you do kill the best bull you wont even know his name. Some think your not much of a hunter using a guide, I guess they wont be hunting sheep of the world or Africa, Alaska, Wyoming. The chance that you would start in the right place is going to be more likely luck. I would never not do all my work for the hunt even if I went guided, you still need to ready with or without your guide. The best position to be in is any animal will do, that may be the most fun.
 
Fascinating responses...it is almost like we are all different people with different circumstances and experiences. :oops:

I say do whatever makes you happy and will give you the experience YOU are looking for.

When I drew my Utah LE elk tag in 2020 after waiting 21 years, I seriously considered hiring a guide. I talked to one specific outfitter and was very close to pulling the trigger to line things up. I wanted to make the most of my experience and kill a big bull. I got some great intel from some friends that knew the unit well and once I started scouting in late May/Early June I felt I could figure things out on my own because I had the time to scout. That approach worked well for me and I killed a bull I was beyond happy with on opening morning.

If you don't have the time or live close to the unit to scout, there is no shame in seeking some help from a professional for a near "once in a lifetime" tag. There are varying degrees there as well - a scouting package, guide only (you provide camp and food, etc.), or fully outfitted.

Lots of different ways to skin the cat and who cares what everyone else tells you that you should do. It is your tag and your experience - make the most of it!
 
As some said earlier, depends on how big of a bull you need to kill to be satisfied, keep in mind hiring a pro doesn't guarantee a 350". I'm of the mindset that a trophy is more than just rack size, although I do want to kill a big bull with the right tag. Part of the fun is the anxiousness, the prep, the worry, bouncing plans around with your guys, and then getting it done with your crew made up of family and friends is that much sweeter!!!
 
couesmagnet said:
Doesn’t “ doing it yourself “ , mean you did it yourself? Am I missing something in the simple words of the statement “doing it yourself”.
If you had help of any kind, then You didn’t truly do it yourself.

Help includes spots from others, info from others , friends coming and glassing with you to help you. Help is help , just because you didn’t pay for it does that mean it’s not help.
I guess I’m just old school on what the definition of being helped is. I guess if you pay for the help it’s not diy. But if you receive help for free , it’s not really help and diy.
I’d love to say I’m a diy guy , but what percentage of that statement is actually really true. Ive never hired a guide one time and camped by myself many times for weeks on end,, But did I truly do it by myself??
If I had help or assistance of any kind with info or friends helping me on the hunt,,, then by definition I did it myself with help from others which isn’t by definition doing it myself. I didn’t do it all on my own.
In the case of hiring a guide , I received help just the same. It just wasn’t a friend who helped me and I had to pay for it.
A lot of the diy guys banging their drums seem to have forgotten what the definition of help is in their attempt to be better than someone else who hired a guide.
If you had “ no help” then you actually did it diy by the definition. If you had help in any form then you did it some percentage less than a 100 percent diy.
Let’s be honest about it for once.
It would be extremely easy for me to say I’m 100 percent diy. I’ve never hired a guide and hunt by myself about 75 percent of the time. But in many cases if I’m being honest I’m not doing it a 100 percent diy.
Maybe Diablo is having a hard time defining the words “ did it by myself”.
I’m not having a hard time with that however. Just being honest.
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You make me feel like the most skilled hunter in the world as I actually had 1 DIY hunt by your definition and was successful, 8 hours from home. Wasn't a big 'lope, but it was 100% all me.

Sad thing is, I am a very novice hunter learning the ropes still.

At my age, I will not hire a guide but I won't say in the future I won't. Never know what life will bring.
 
A few years ago I drew a coveted elk tag in NM never been to the unit so I contacted a guide and hired him. He showed up with horses and all the gear. We set camp and around 5 am we rode out. That guy taught me more about archery elk hunting than I knew existed. He knew the country, he knew the horses and he knew where elk were and could call them in. Passed on a 5x5 first day because he said we could do better. I missed a nice 6x6 the next day at 40 yards but we got back into them that evening but no shots.

Two days later he called in a good 6 point and I killed this one at 27 yards. Great hunt, great guide that was as tough as they come. With him I didn’t need to spend days trying to figure out the unit and elk. We were into bulls from the start.If I ever draw another tag in a unit I know nothing about I’m doing the same thing. Made for a great hunt, we both called bulls, it was action packed mainly because he lived in the unit and knew where to go.
 
yotebuster17 said:
If you’re looking for a giant bull and that’s the most important “use” of the tag for you then I’d hire some help. I’ve been in your shoes a few times and I’ve gone either direction and usually come out learning something either way. I’ve met some great friends by hiring outfitters and I’ve had some of my most rewarding hunts figuring something out DIY. There’s a LOT of pressure on a tag like that. Having an outfitter gives you another set of shoulders for that pressure if that’s what you want. I had a NV dream tag for elk last year and hired an outfitter for 7 days. Hunted 27 days total and ended up eating the tag. Some days I look back on it with pride that I hit it that hard and stuck to my goal (never succeeded but stuck to it) and other days I feel like I got kicked in the gut for not filling it. If I had hired another outfitter or had more help, maybe I woulda found “the one” but I’ll never know.
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Just curious the types of elk you passed on?
 
Wiszard said:
Just curious the types of elk you passed on?
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Didn’t pass on anything over 380 but passed some 370 bulls. I may have been underjudging them slightly, those bulls have big bodies and big frames. If I had to do it all over again I’d hit that first 10 days of archery as hard as I could and plan to be done before after that no matter what.
 
yotebuster17 said:
Didn’t pass on anything over 380 but passed some 370 bulls. I may have been underjudging them slightly, those bulls have big bodies and big frames. If I had to do it all over again I’d hit that first 10 days of archery as hard as I could and plan to be done before after that no matter what.
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How do you pass on a 370 but wouldn’t pass on a 380 “ I wouldn’t pass on a good bull , that’s just me
 
NM high country said:
A few years ago I drew a coveted elk tag in NM never been to the unit so I contacted a guide and hired him. He showed up with horses and all the gear. We set camp and around 5 am we rode out. That guy taught me more about archery elk hunting than I knew existed. He knew the country, he knew the horses and he knew where elk were and could call them in. Passed on a 5x5 first day because he said we could do better. I missed a nice 6x6 the next day at 40 yards but we got back into them that evening but no shots.

Two days later he called in a good 6 point and I killed this one at 27 yards. Great hunt, great guide that was as tough as they come. With him I didn’t need to spend days trying to figure out the unit and elk. We were into bulls from the start.If I ever draw another tag in a unit I know nothing about I’m doing the same thing. Made for a great hunt, we both called bulls, it was action packed mainly because he lived in the unit and knew where to go.
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You made the right choice as it is hard to draw good tags any more , I drew the 16B elk Gila tag and hired a guide , he called a bull in and I shot that bull at 5 yards , it was a 300 bull but was happy to harvest a first archery bull .
 
A couple years back I picked up a good muzzle bull tag on the FCFS. Like you, figuring this would be my one and only bull hunt in NV I waffled back and forth between hiring an outfitter or not. Having never gone outfitted before, being in good shape and feeling like I could do it justice on my own I opted for the DIY route. I hunted 9 days, lots of miles, piled with snow, zero other elk hunters, chased some big bulls but ultimately never was able to catch up with one of them. It was an amazing, memorable hunt and I ended up tagging a meat bull 6 point. I would be lying if I didn't say I do think back from time-to-time and wonder how the hunt would have changed had I hired an outfitter. I certain have no regrets but it makes a guy curious.
 
Wiszard said:
No one you were with didn't say, "that's a 374 bull all day!"? LOL.....I couldn't pass a big bull like that. I prob will never kill a huge bull because I wouldn't be able to pass the 350 bulls. :)
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I was probably being conservative. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a million tags out there where I couldn’t pass up a 340-350 bull, but this was probably the one and only that I could. I was looking for that next level of bull, one of those that when you see them they don’t even look right. I saw two of them in 27 days in there. Didn’t kill either of them.
 
Blindnonresident said:
After seeing 400" bulls it's hard to "settle" for a "smaller" bull.

I decided to settle for an average 6 point after chasing other bulls and letting it walk by me at 20 yards before it came back.
Looked dinky when I shot it.
362"
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If a 362" bull looks dinky to you, I am not sure what to tell you 🤷‍♂️

In no universe is a 362" bull a dink - even if you are seeing 400" bulls. That is pure hyperbole and BS.
 
Just My Two cents. I was always 100% a DIY guy. I did all my scouting everything. Then last year I decided I was going to dump 14pp on a unit and go after an elk of a lifetime. I also decided that my time was worth hiring a guide. Though ik how to elk hunt, that guide will just make me more easily focus just on the animal. Thank God I was able to bring my brother because that made it that much more special, but guides are 100% worth it in my mind.
 
If I was looking at 400 inch bulls that would spoil me also. A 360 bull would look small compared to that.
If I even saw one 400 inch bull that I could hunt in my unit i would never shoot a 360 bull. I don’t mind going home empty handed, never have , so I would absolutely gamble on tag soup to stick the 400.
2 years ago I had the worst elk tag in the state by far that you can draw. I saw a 390 type bull barely inside my unit the day before opening day. Knowing there was a small chance he would be there another day I passed a 365 bull repeatedly waiting for a bull that most likely wouldn’t show back up. Ended up turning a veteran(marines) onto the 365 bull instead of shooting it myself. I never had another chance or saw a bull bigger than 300 the last week of the hunt.
To kill giants you have to gamble big time these days. It all depends on how many really big bulls you’ve killed. If you have not killed several then it sounds dumb to pass a 360. If you’ve killed several then it sounds like the right thing to do. It’s all in the eye of the beholder and that beholders previous kills or not. It’s easy to pass a 360 bull if you’re a gambler, it sounds impossible to pass a 360 bull if you’re not a gambler. It’s just the eye of the beholder.
 
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couesmagnet said:
If I was looking at 400 inch bulls that would spoil me also. A 360 bull would look small compared to that.
If I even saw one 400 inch bull that I could hunt in my unit i would never shoot a 360 bull. I don’t mind going home empty handed, never have , so I would absolutely gamble on tag soup to stick the 400.
2 years ago I had the worst elk tag in the state by far that you can draw. I saw a 390 type bull barely inside my unit the day before opening day. Knowing there was a small chance he would be there another day I passed a 365 bull repeatedly waiting for a bull that most likely wouldn’t show back up. Ended up turning a veteran onto the 365 bull instead of shooting it myself. I never had another chance at a bull bigger than 300 the last week of the hunt.
To kill giants you have to gamble big time these days. It all depends on how many really big bulls you’ve killed. If you have not killed several then it sounds dumb to pass a 360. If you’ve killed several then it sounds like the right thing to do. It’s all in the eye of the beholder and that beholders previous kills or not. It’s easy to pass a 360 bull if you’re a gambler, it sounds impossible to pass a 360 bull if you’re not a gambler. It’s just the eye of the beholder.
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The "inches" guys always crack me up. Obviously a 400" bull is bigger than a 360" bull, but to MOST hunters, they see a true 360" bull and think it is a 400" bull.

Think about it - a 360" symmetrical 6 point bull would only need to add 3" to each tine (G1-G5) on both sides, 1" to each main beam, and 1" to each mass measurement on both sides to be a 400" bull. Very few are going to be able to decipher those differences with a bull on the hoof, in the trees, on the move, etc.

I do agree each hunter can do what they want and pass or shoot the bull they will be happiest with (eye of the beholder), but to disparage or push aside a 360" bull is really a disservice to the bull and to most hunters realistic expectations in pretty much any unit in the world. A 350"+ bull is HUGE no matter how you slice it and I would guess very few hunters have actually killed a TRUE 350"+ bull.
 
Well said elkhunterutah.
I also agree that most people that see a 380 to 400 actually saw a 360 bull. Especially when it’s moving through trees.
The main reason why I like to gamble is it keeps me in the field longer, even if I eat tag soup there’s a huge benefit to that.

It also depends on what state you grew up hunting elk in. I was tremendously lucky to have grown up in az. Just messing around in good elk units over 30 years has put me within spitting distance many times of 360 bulls and much bigger. If you grew up in Colorado looking at 300 inch bulls most of the time then a 360 is a bull you would drive over your grandma for. Just kidding.
It just depends on past experience and fortunately or unfortunately what state you grew up in looking at bulls.
There’s nothing better to me than gambling all the way to the end on a fantasy bull, even if the bull doesn’t exist or it’s a one percent chance. When the one percent pays off , well that’s what dreams are made of in the field for me. As I get older I really don’t want to take an animals life unless I’m going to be ecstatic with the harvest. Anything less than ecstatic I’d rather have the animal live another day to either get bigger or fulfill another hunters dream,, eye of the beholder.
 
Shooting a 360" bull in an area where you've seen a 400" bull is like hoping to take the really pretty girl home from the bar but end up with scoring with her friend, the 250 pounder with a fun personality.
 
Wiszard said:
Shooting a 360" bull in an area where you've seen a 400" bull is like hoping to take the really pretty girl home from the bar but end up with scoring with her friend, the 250 pounder with a fun personality.
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nope-try again. I like you, but that analogy is WAY off :ROFLMAO:

Read my post above about the true difference between a 360 and a 400" bull. A 360" bull would be like a hot "9" girl and a 400" bull is off the charts 10+ super model girl.
 

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