It was the mid-1980s and months earlier I thought I had done all my homework. I wanted my first Colorado guided archery elk hunt to be like the ones I read about in hunting magazines.

I had reviewed all the ads in the bowhunting magazines. I had sent for the outfittters' information and read and re-read the material they sent. I compared prices and made up my mind to pay a higher than average price thinking this would ensure a better hunt. Most of the five-day, fully guided hunts were then costing between $1,000 and $1,250. A few were $1,500. I went for the $1,500 — after all, I wanted to make sure I had a good hunt and got an elk.

When I selected the Colorado outfitter, I called his references. The responses seemed good and no one had anything bad to say.

In late August, I drove from Sacramento to Los Angeles to pick up my hunting partner, John Lucadam. With all our gear loaded in my Ford Bronco we headed out for the 14-hour drive to Colorado. All the way there we practiced with our elk calls and talked about the big Rocky Mountain elk we hoped to take home.

As I sat in that treestand I was thinking that maybe I had made a mistake in choosing an outfitter. We had spent top dollar for this hunt and I was in a treestand within easy sight of our camp tents, and a mere 75 yards from a fence line — the other side of which was private property we couldn't hunt.

When we first arrived we put our gear into a tent with another fellow bowhunter who had been in camp for awhile. When we were introduced we were pleasantly surprised to find out his name was Tink — yes, the creator of the famed Tink's 69 Buck Lure. A short conversation with Tink, however, made us start to think about the outfitter selection. A few days later Tink's hunt ended without him filling a tag.

As the morning and evening hunts passed without any of us sighting game, we started to get somewhat discouraged. During that time the outfitter had also gone back into town and we were left with a couple of guides that just kept putting us in the same stands.

With just two days left for our hunt the outfitter returned and took John and me to a different property. After jumping some cows and a bull we thought we were finally going to start getting what we paid for — a real guided elk hunt. Unfortunatly, those two remaining days on this new piece of property did not give us enough time to even get a shot.

It was a long trip home, with us complaining about the hunt most of the way.

Lots of hunters book hunts every year with outfitters. But how do you decide which outfitter and avoid having a hunt like my 1980s Colorado hunt?

While thinking about this article, I decided to go at it from a different angle. I decided to ask an outfitter I know how he would choose an outfitter...

I interviewed Ron Lara from Western Wildlife Adventures. Lara's outfitting business is the largest in Nevada. While Lara doesn't promise record book animals for his clients, last year one of Lara's hunters took the largest elk ever taken in Nevada. It scored 418 B & C. Clients of his also took bulls that were 390 and 395. In 2001, a client of his even took the largest typical 4x4 mule deer taken in Utah in 27 years.

Lara first told us that if an outfitter really talks up how great the hunt will be, that is his first warning sign. Promises of high-end game on a continuous basis is next to impossible for any outfitter to produce.

"Everyone wants a 30-inch buck," according to Lara. "I try and set their expections at the lower end of the average bucks we take." Be cautious if the outfitter is promising the moon.

When you are checking the references, Lara says, "Include calls to the unsuccessful hunters." Some of these could be hunters who just didn't see the buck they wanted but had a great hunt. "After all, it's the total experience that often makes the best hunting memories." But you want to find out just why the hunter was unsuccessful.

Lara's least favorite customer is the guy who wants the biggest buck on the mountain. "It takes the enjoyment out of the hunt and just adds constant pressure," Lara said.

If four guys all want 200+ bucks, Lara tells them my outfit is not what you are looking for. But Lara does produce. Last year seven of his 30 Nevada hunters took 28-inch or better bucks. He also has a 50-60% success rate in the draw for his clients while the general draw is 10-12%.

Lara also told us to be cautious of outfitters who have openings for four to 10 people a month before the hunt. If they're not a new outfitter, it could be a sign of a lack of return clients.

Finally, Lara told us that just because you book a guided hunt doesn't mean you are going to take the best animal. There's no guarantee. Remember, you are booking a hunt, not a kill.

Have more questions for Lara or interested in booking a hunt with him? Check out his web site at www.wildlifeadv.com