The terms, 'Cost', and 'Value', often get attached to hunts and their comparisons. It's not an apples to apples comparison, it's not even apples to oranges- it's apples to airplanes.
By that I mean- within broad limits, a hunt, whether it's for elk in the Rockies, or plains game in Africa, or anything else anywhere else in the world, is a very subjective experience. It's not even about how much it cost, or how many trophies end up on the wall, but it is often measured in terms of the experience.
Now- if your measure of success, given that you have shelled out a fair amount of money for your hunt, is absolutely a head or ten on the wall, then you have valued the success of the experience in those terms. If, however, you enjoyed the hunt, the trip, the side excursions to sightsee, or take in the local culture, or share the experience with a spouse or family, then the hunt or trip takes on a different meaning, and the memories and shared experience become of prime importance.
I've had my share of guided, unsuccessful hunts, mostly for elk. They were unsuccessful because I chose not to shoot small bulls, not because of lack of opportunity. If I were to value those hunts in terms of dollars spent vs. meat in the freezer, or horns on the wall, those elk became some very high-priced game, cost-wise.
Some years ago, I went on an Alaskan Brown Bear hunt, in the Aleutian Island chain of SW Alaska. After 9 days, we found a 10+ foot brownie, which I was fortunate enough to take. Upon arriving home, one of my friends, upon seeing the pictures and finally the mounted bear, decided he had to have one for himself. Over the next few years, he went on two long, and unsuccessful, bear hunts, both with reputable outfitters. Completely disillusioned with the experience, he basically gave up on hunting altogether. Obviously, his cost-per-inch of bear hide was infinite!
