Early winters outfitting

[BigBucks]

I know its late for a post on general deer season,  I had to put out there that we had the best time hunting with these guys and I will deffinately be doing it again.  Everything was as advertised they supplied the tent, lantern, fuel, wood stove,  axe and shovel.  The rest was up to us to bring in i.e. food, fart sack, cook ware, water purifing, you know everything you need to survive.

So we got packed into our location which I will leave as up in the mountains.  We were so far back in there were no sounds of anything but mother nature, deer were everywhere but the bucks wouldn't show themselves the night before the hunt.  Opening morning hit and we were up and out of camp at first light, long story short for day 1 was 1 big buck seen no shots fired.  Day 2 pissing rain all day long seen 1 spike in the morning then I got a small 3 point about 2 hours before dark was able to gut him out and get him cooling and get the head back to camp just before dark.  Day 3 we hiked up to my buck dressed and quartered then packed back to camp, no deer killed.  Day 4 wind was blowing and beetle killed trees were falling all around us, My dad managed to kill a decent 3x1 a mile or so from camp, so back to camp for pack boards and up to the deer.  We got the deer cleaned up and on our backs headed back to camp. 

So here is where it gets interesting, just as we are about to head down hill to camp my other budy asked if I would pack his quarter out so he could hunt the evening on top of the hill,  of course I say yes and now I have 3 quarters of the deer on my back and he is gone.  About 30 mins goes by and me and my father are only 1/2 mile from camp when a shot goes off, so I drop my pack and head up the hill to see if he needed help sure enough he has the biggest buck of his life lying on the ground.  We clean, cape, and hang all the meat in the trees for the night and get the head back to camp along with the rest of my dads meat.  Amazingly at the spot where he killed the buck we were high enough to get enough service to get a hold of early winters and get a ride out the next day as we were all taged out and ready to get the meat into a cooler it was not to cold the first 3 days.

By and far the best and most rewarding hunt we have ever been on and the outfitter was just as advertised and we will be doing this hunt again I can't recommend him enough.

[BigBucks]

I forgot to add that I am a terrible story teller on the computer!

[pjb3]

Never heard of them, out of Mazama?

[BigBucks]

they are right on HWY 20 as you come out of the mountains on the right side of the road.

[fillthefreezer]

nice work! big country up that way. had you hunted the area before?

[h20hunter]

Never to late for a write up...

I really like the "as he lays" pic......the good one that is.

[bullcrazy]

Sounds like an amazing hunt!

[BigBucks]

nice work! big country up that way. had you hunted the area before?

Nope never hunted the area before, they made sure to take us to a place that there is no way in hell someone would walk into on top of it.

[duckmen1]

That's awesome. The price seems very good. Did you talk with the outfitter about past client success on deer. Also did you see any bear on that trip.
Congrats on a good hunt

[doyourtime89]

sounds like a great hunt...thanks for the story and pic's   

[JackOfAllTrades]

Nope never hunted the area before, they made sure to take us to a place that there is no way in hell someone would walk into on top of it.

Funny... I see Early Winters mules/horses/riders/clients all the time in the back country. -And I walk in.
 
Glad you had a good hunt with them.  I think a drop camp is the way to go for a lot of people.
 
-Steve

[boneaddict]

Aaron has been at this awhile.  Glad you had a great hunt and enjoyed my ole stompin gorunds.   Thanks for the write up and pics.  Never too late

[BOWHUNTER45]

Nice ... Can not beat that ... 3 tags - 3 tags filled 

[Bluesdude]

Bigbuck, sounds like you had a great hunt!  I have been wanting to book with Aaron Burkhart with Early Winters for many years.  How was the quality of his supplied gear?  I have a new 12x14 wall tent and stove, I wonder if he does a strictly drop camp without his gear for a lower price?  Maybe I will go see him at the Puyallup Sportsmans Show Jan 23-27

[BigBucks]

We didn't see a bear per say but we did have one try and get into our tent on Sunday night, I guess the sound of a glock getting racked was enough to get him to leave.  there was bear sign all over the place and coyotes were none to scares either. 

Their gear was in great shape we had a brand new tent supplied for us it was a 14x16 and it was its first use.  Arron packs out cougar and bear this last year for no extra charge.  honesly you can't beat the price for the experience that you get, you will have to work for your animals and pack them to your camp but being up in the woods with no electronics to bug you was awesome.

[browney5er]

Sounds like a great trip, I've been wanting to do that for years. Do you know what kind of success the other drop camps had or were you guys out of there before them?

[BigBucks]

When we came out they were saying the other camps were doing real well also but we were the first camp to limit out.  I am sure here soon they will have their sight updated with the sucsess.  They did say that it verys year to year but they also say that the ones that do well actually get out and hunt and don't just wander around camp.

[MLBowhunting]

very nice trip glad you had a great time 

[wsucowboy]

Looks like a great hunt 

[buck man]

I check daily for new stories! Glad you posted . Thanks for breaking up the boredom. Congrats.

[ANDERWAGON]

Congrats on the hunt.

We used them twice I think it was 1996&8. We went 3 for five both times. Probably could have went 5 for 5 but we started out a bit picky on each hunt. Great area but there were some walkers that stuck to the trail and a few other people day hunting via horseback. There was an ole boy named Jim that was packing for Aaron Lee at that point. He did a hell of a job, every other day he would come up and pack our meat out to cold storage.

Funny story they had to brother mules that were extremely competitive. Jim said watch this, he loaded one up and the other danced around and snorted until he got loaded. Once the second on was loaded the first one sat down like a dog and wouldn't get up until he loaded a top pac.

[kramman]

Sounds great this is defenitely on my bucket list

[BigBucks]

Sounds great this is defenitely on my bucket list

I tell you what if you go into this hunt only expecting what is put in your package and you bring the rest you will have the best time ever hunting.  My dad is 62 and he had always wanted to go on that kind of a hunt and he and my buddy as well said that is the best hunt that they have ever been on.  You work your ass off for the deer and when the day is done you know you have earned it.