Wow this was like reading a bad novel! I don't know anyone involved, but I have been guiding in BC/Yukon for 30 plus years now so will give some advice from my perspective. First off cheaper is rarely better. The OP paid $9000 for an elk hunt...Elk hunts with some of the top outfitters in BC cost 12-14k now. References.....forget them, its a colossal waste of your time....period. Bad outfitters "cook" their references.
The best advice I can give is to look at two things. #1 How long has the outfitter been in business. The longer the better. This might not always be fair as there are some real good outfitters that haven't been in business that long, but its a good practice to consider how long they have been operating in the area. A big problem in Canada now is the prices hunting areas go for. Guys are paying huge dollars for areas nowdays. So much in fact that from a financial standpoint it doesn't make a lot of sense, so what happens is they cut corners, or overhunt their area, or both just to make payments. A good example of this problem is an area for sale right now for 7-million. How in the world could someone pay that and then expect to make money?? 7-mil would bring in more interest than could ever be made outfitting.
#2 And in my opinion the most important is find out how long the guides have been working for the outfitter. Talk to the guides!! As the original poster found out, good guides make or break a hunt. In almost every case you will spend the majority of your time with the guide NOT the outfitter. In my entire career in both BC and Yukon I have worked for 3 different outfitters. Ive been with my current outfitter for 25 years now. Outfitters that have guides who come back year in and year out are doing things right.
Resident pressure is now just a fact of life for anyone booking a hunt in BC. Even in northern BC you will find few places where you can go and not see other hunters. The Yukon is still wild, in 25 years I have never seen another hunter.
I also have to question your decision to take a mountain hunt with a bad ankle. Why not postpone it until you can hike?? Ive had my share of hunters that can't walk and it really cuts their odds of success, but Ive never met one yet that would own it....its always the guides fault. Not saying that is what happened here but the OP was obviously not in shape for this type of hunt and was handicapped right from the start. If your willing to try again for elk I would give Scoop Lake Outfitters a call....first class outfit with great guides and lots of elk.
