If you had the choise to hunt a good piece of property for a fee and you could go with a guide (no extra charge) or hunt on your own. Which would you choose?
Lets say the season is two weeks and thats how much time you have.
I like to do things on my own, but if I only had 4 days... I'd use the guide.
There are very good reasons to do things either way.
I better throw this in. You don't know anything about the area. You will be supplied a map.
Lets make it a hooved critter so you don't need back up.
Good Luck on your hunt!
sidewinder

If I had some good intel I would go and do it by myself. 2 weeks can would be a big help. On a 4 day big game hunt the guide would be nice 4days isn't very long to learn a big piece of land scape.

A lot would depend on the terrin axcessibility ect. Hunting farm and ranch county the is runable with trucks and four wheelers 4 days could be enough for a do it alone hunt. Getting off the beaten path by foot or horses a guide would be very helpfull. Still the first day or two would be spent getting the feeling of the area that would only leave a day or two to hunt. If there is lots of game you could do ok.

Being able to cover ground and look for game is very important if you can not cover lots of ground because of terrin or means transportation. You better have some one who knows the area.

Lets add some other guidelines. In this hunt you will be able to get your truck within a mile or less of your animal when it down. This area will be 50,000 acres. We'll make it mule deer. I've tackled some big jobs by myself, but big amimals are definately something that many of us would need help with.
We'll keep it realistic. Never mind the 4 day thing. I just used it as a example of why I chose 2 weeks for this hunt. I think many would choose the guide if they had a short time frame. We'll also say this property has some real potential for trophy quality animals.
sidewinder

With 2 weeks, I'd like the do it yourselfer. And I have made 4 trips of over a mile out of a canyon to get a mule deer to the truck. Elk are another story. I learnt early on not to hunt on the far side of the mountain from some sort of fire trail or other access.

Depends on what game we are talking about here.

For a deer, antelope or elk, I'd hunt on my own. However, when I drew a Colorado Mountain Goat tag, I hired a guide even though I grew up in the state. Reasons for hiring the guide were:
#1) I'd never been in the area I drew the tag for and was stationed out of the state at the time. That makes it a little hard to scout.
#2) I'd never hunted goats before and wanted an experts advise on a good one.
#3) It took me 22 years to finally pull the tag, and given the few numbers of tags issued, it basically made it a once in a lifetime hunt.
This paid off when I took a very good billy that was 6 years old. He just missed the Boone and Crockett book.

Also, some things you basically need a guide for. If you want a cougar, you just about have to go with someone that has a pack of lion dogs. If you want to hunt some states or countries, you are obligated by law to hire a guide.

Mac