Middlehoof, a couple of years ago, I met a guy at my favorite watering hole. He is a roofing contractor (and a great guy I might add)but during the fall if things got slow, he would take a large livestock trailer full of 350 class bulls out west to some outfitter's to be let loose on one end of a private ranch to be shot at the other end by the hunters(not knowing what was going on). The reason this was mention to me was, he and I were talking about my 2004 Elk hunt in NM with a outfitter, and that I wanted my great nephew Dane Robert, to see some live elk. Other than going to Lone Elk Park in Missouri, we live in IL, (so we can't go out the backyard to see them like alot of member here). He responsed with, the next time I'll call you on my way out west and if you are around with Dane I'll stop by to show you guys. But, he never called. When I started to question what outfitter,('s) ranch, state, etc, he kinda clammed up. Don't know if this is true, but man! could you imagine spending all that money on a western elk hunt to find out you shot a pen raised elk from IL. Just thought I'd share.
Joe E Sikora