Deer drop camp?

[Dansk]

I went last year with Early Winters Outfitters.  Great people- they put safety first and have good stock.  I would recommend them as a packer.  I would say $700 each is worth it if you want a great camping trip with great scenery.

However I would not recommend the high hunt if your goal is to harvest a decent animal (or any animal for that matter).  We saw very few deer over 7 days (two 2pts, 4-6 does, and very little tracks or sign.)  We hiked our butts off- 2000 vertical feet up each day, up and down the valley and ridges.  I even went into the thickest timber one afternoon- not much sign there either.  Only heard 2 volleys of shots the whole week.  One person took a deer from a bowl up top- I found the casings and kill- must have been hikers because they only took the head and best cuts of meat...

The biggest disappointment for me was the number of people.  I was shocked to see so many hunters who packed in 5-10 miles with rifles and 60# packs.  The packer spread his clients out, but it was hard to find a bowl or saddle that didn't have people already camped or hunting it.  It made our options very limited, and was a big downer when you hike for an hour in the dark, only to see others busting up the same hill, out in the open.  Reminded me a little of opening day modern.

If you do go, I strongly advise asking the packer to put you in as far back as possible- at one of the more remote camps.  Ours didn't give us a choice, and didn't tell us where we would be camped until the day we arrived, so getting familiar with topos months before didn't happen.

Fun time, good packer, awesome scenery, nice camping, few deer, too many people.... so it was worth it for me as a one time deal to see the Paysayten, and to ride horses in the backcountry (never done that!)... but I'm not going to do it again... I am looking into drop camps in ID, OR, or MT.... for about the same price.

I will post some pics in a minute..

[Dansk]

Paysayten, 2007 High Hunt.

[Dansk]

Beasts of burden & camp..

[Skyvalhunter]

Nice pics Dan thanks for posting them. It seems that with the high hunts being in the wilderness areas only and all the hunters out there it has a tendency to make those areas more crowded. That is unless you access the wilderness on another way besides a trail. I suppose if you were to go where you went during the regular season there would be less people as they are spread out all over the state then. I have only seen a few real nice bucks taken during the high hunt. Most big boys are in the regular season or special permit time. Just my 2 cents

[muleracks]

That "black bear" has a grizzly head & hump.   At least it isn't wearing a collar.  I would plead self-defense.

[mossback91]

I was thinking the same thing when I first saw it. Im not sure but it has some small round ears on a big ol head and a hump from the looks of the picture. The only thing is the claws aren't as long as I have seen on grizz but still longer than black bear. Was close to canada. Maybe it twas a grizz.

[mossback91]

I just wasnt sure how to say it myself when I first saw it, but I also showed it to my dad and he thought the same thign and then I also showed it to another friend of mine and he also though the same thing.

[cohoho]

A quick look at the picture above and you'd think that it was a griz, but look at the nose, sloped like a roman and the claws are shorter, thicker and look fat, versus long knife looking instruments, colored phased blackie....  The muzzle is rounded/sloped like a black bear.......The hump is a bit out of place, but close to the head, might also be how they got it laying, the black bear tends to look like the hump is closer to the head than the Griz or browine. The first two pictures below are Blackies, color phased, the appearance of a hump is there too, just not as pornounced as in a griz.... The last two are griz, notice hump appears back farther, well atleast the second one has similar color.. and the squared off muzzle of the Griz/Brownie....

[boneaddict]

Its just a damn nice blackbear.  Not a grizz, but you had better have taken a close look before pulling the trigger.


Its a good question to ask......

Claws aren't shaped right or nearly long enough, but you can't see them when out in the field.
The hump is probably how he is posed.
Mostly his head isn't shaped right, basically as coho has already pointed out.  If standing, you'd be able to tell by the front end as well.  This bear would make an awesome full mount.

[WDFW-SUX]

Just looks like a big color phase bear to me..................but It would be a good one for the bear identification thing they make you do.

[Head-shot]

In regards to the black bear with the hump, it is possible for it to be a hybrid? I've seen wolf/coyote crosses, whitetail/muley could a blackie and a grizz do the same? Not typical but maybe possible?

[Skyvalhunter]

I would doubt it as everything I have ever heard grizzlies will kill any black bear any where in their area. They don't co exist very well from what I am told.

[Idabooner]

Defiantly a nice color phase black, defiantly not a grizzly, I have a grizzly head/rug hanging on the wall to compare it with. The head is shaped different, the ears are very small on the griz. and the bear in the picture defiantly does not have griz. claws. Grizzly claws are long and flat looking, they remind me of a woman with fake extended finger nails.  Wish I had a camera, I could send a picture.

A good claw picture of black bear
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,476.0.html

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,1546.0.html

Some grizzly pictures to compare the head, ears and claws.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,2413.0.html

I think the hump you guys think you are seeing is the way he lays up on that rock, remember the next bear you shoot don't take his picture laying on a rock.

[JBR]

Hey guys I was away from the post for a bit, but just noticed a PM from Sky about the grizz vs. black bear debate going on.  I just caught up with all the comments and want to assure you of a couple things regarding bear pic that initiated the comments/questions.

First off, It's DEFINATELY a black bear - NOT a grizzly.  The guy that shot it was born/raised in Alaska hunting and fishing there most of his life.  He is quite versed in the differences between a grizz and a blackie.  That being said, looking at JUST that photo, I can see how the questions came up. 

For clarification, the bear is posed on a large rock that gave the "hump" appearance.  Good point Boneaddict on where/how you pose your bear shots.  The camera was placed slightly lower than and very close to the face, and my buddy sat way back.  The photography "trick" is one I've seen done many times and truly distorts the REAL size and dimensions of the animal (which is why many people, such as my buddy do it).   If you saw this bear in person, it was a small bear, very pretty color, but small, even for a black bear. 

The claws were not even close to being the size of a grizzly's claws, and the head, ears, body shape and size, all (IN PERSON) were CLEARLY, 100% black bear.  It just goes to show you how deceiving and distorting it can be based on how you pose the bear (i.e. under a large rock) and on camera positioning. 

I responded to Sky via PM and then noticed all the comments on the forum, so I wanted to take the opportunity to clarify to everyone.   I certainly don't want anyone to have the impression that me or my hunting partner were careless, ignorant or otherwise unethical.   I take no offense to the question, as I feel it was asked in a fair way and was a genuine question.  I hope this clarifies any questions about it.   

[DeKuma]

I admit, I did a double take on the photo at first.  But it was definitely a color phase black, if you are used to looking at them.