Moose tags are hard to come by and/or quite expensive. I think in Colorado it can take 15-20 years to get drawn and it is a once in a lifetime chance. Not sure about other states, but elk would be a more realistic and less expensive option.
I can't say much about states other than Colorado and I have no experience with guides.
you might get lucky on public ground, many outfitters now days that provide hunts on OTC public land are providing a back country pack in camping trip that include rifles, hunters Orange, some campfire tales and little more.
You can do that a lot cheaper on your own and probably still have just as good a chance to kill something. I've done 2 DIY hunts. I was unsuccessful both times, but I know 2 different sets of 3 brothers who drive from GA to CO every fall and they almost always have at least one of the 3 connect on an elk. This is on public land, unguided, with OTC tags.
The last time I hunted there was 2018. There were 9 groups of hunters staying in the cabins where I stayed, and 4 elk were taken that week.
One of my wife's brothers has taken several elk and mule deer in Colorado and has never used a guide. He buys a preference point every year. In the past he'd go about every 3rd or 4th year with 3-4 points. You used to be able to get into a decent area with 3 points. That may no longer be true.
He hasn't hunted there in about a dozen years and has about a dozen points saved up. Both of his kids are now grown, and he plans to go back in another 2-3 years and with 14-15 points should be able to get drawn for a good area.
At age 60 it may not be worth trying to buy points. But for younger guys who think they might go in the future you should start buying them now.
If you can afford 5 figures to get on private land that would be the best odds for killing something. If not, a DIY hunt is something to consider. It would be best if you could go along with a group that has done this in the past. That is what I did the 1st time. The 2nd time it was just me and my wife who didn't hunt.
