Jackson Hole Outfitters
ARCHERY ELK AND DEER: Typically lots of action, hard to get within
40 yards.
Jim Windham, Lakeworth, Fl (561)685-9487 Jim had elk and deer
licenses. Saw 7 average sized bulls. Passed up a
spike at 11 yards on the first morning. Jim saw 6 trophy bulls
and almost got a shot at 4 of them but the wind shifted at the
critical moment. He had a four point bull facing him at 20 yards,
then it bugled right at him and "almost blew my hat off!" Jim
missed a 5 point bull at 42 yards. Misjudged the range and shot
over it. One canyon had 15 bulls bugling at the same time.
Jim saw a heavy 30 inch buck, a big 32" buck, and in a driving
rain and hail storm stalked within 15 yards of a 28" buck
that would have scored about 185. The wind shifted and the buck
blew out of there. Fickle wind! The story of Jim's hunt.
MULE DEER: We have absolutely some of the best trophy mule deer
hunting anywhere. Between my guides and myself
we saw at least 9 different bucks that would have gone over
30 inches, including a 35 inch non-typical and a whopper 33
inch typical that would have scored about 215 B&C. The hunters
had their chances, but this is the first time in several years
we haven't put a 30 incher on the ground. Some days we saw a
good number of deer, other days they were hard to find.
The big ones are there and we hunt them hard. Rainy weather
was a definite hindrance on some of the hunts. Larry Stadler,
Yakima, Wa (509)966-1702 Only hunted three days, but spent two
of those days helping find Randy's buck. Saw some
bucks but didn't find the one he wanted.
Randy Sadler, Yakima, Wa (509)452-3054 Randy shot a big heavy
high 28 inch buck at 150 yards. It took us two days
to find it. A really great trophy buck. Randy can't wait until
next year!!
David Sufka, St. Cloud, Mn (320)253-5075 Saw a number of bucks,
including several heavy and high ones. Watched a
big 28 to 30 inch non-typical walk 30 yards behind Bill's stand
across the canyon, but couldn't get Bill's attention. Saw a
whopper buck but couldn't get off his horse quick enough to
kill him. Those big bucks don't stand around gawking at
hunters. David is coming back next year to get that buck.
Bill Pederson, E. Grand Forks, Mn (218)773-6272 Saw several
bucks, some pretty good, but not the whopper he was
after. He's booked back for next year.
Mark Lindquist, Greys River, Washington (360)465-2281 Passed
on a good 26 inch buck and a high 27 incher. Saw 23
bucks. Kept looking for the whopper. On one drive Warren and
Chris made for him they pushed so many past him that
Mark said, "It was raining bucks!" Killed an average buck by
mistake in the last hour of his hunt.
Craig McBride, Dublin, Ca (510)833-2773 Saw quite a few bucks
including a couple of real wall hangers. Missed three
shots at bucks that the guides pushed out to him. Booked for
next year.
Hershel Blaylock, Ranier, Or (503)556-2538 Hershel saw over
20 bucks including three big trophy class. He passed on
several good bucks, one of which may have been a real trophy,
but Hershel passed it because "It looked too big going
away."
Mike Gillock, BelleVernon, Pa (412)929-8688, and Gary Hayden
(412)929-9028 Gary didn't draw a permit, but he
brought Mike to "sort of keep track of him". On the first morning
of his hunt, Mike saw 9 bucks, we were stalking them,
and a heavy 26 incher walked out of some trees and volunteered
his life so that Mike could have a trophy on the wall. Mike
made a great 50 yard shot. They sort of loafed around camp for
a few days and guided the guide, Aaron, to help him get
his buck. They made some drives and pushed out numerous bucks
including a big 28 incher, a 26, and a couple of 24s.
Aaron passed on them, so the hunters got to experience driving
a good buck without any shots being fired.
John Grow, Eagle Point, Or (541)826-4507 John saw 32 bucks.
Passed up some average 24 and 25 inchers. Shot at a big
30 inch buck at 300 yards. "Some of the best deer country I
have ever seen!"
Brad Scherer, Wellington, Fla (561)966-5878 Saw a few average
bucks and one huge trophy buck. Passed on a 26 inch
heavy high buck with a couple of cheater points because he was
too tired to make a stalk on it.
Jim Windham, Lakeworth, Fla (561)798-2708 Jim came back with
a rifle after trying his hand at archery. He told us at
lunch on the fourth day that "he would shoot the next buck he
saw." Two hours later he had a buck in his scope at 75
yards, but couldn't tell how big it was (incurable trophy hunter),
so he waited for it to run. When it ran he didn't get a shot at
the 35 inch non-typical. Chris and I (Jonesy) were making a
drive and that buck ran between us, going 35 yards from me.
It wasn't heavy and wasn't high, but was really wide and had
several cheater points on both sides of that 35 inch rack.
Jim Bauder, Riverton, Wy (307)856-2834 On his first day Jim
and I spotted 13 bucks, one of which was a real trophy 30
incher. After a two hour stalk across "Good Gosh Almighty Canyon",
we got within 40 yards of his bed and that fickle wind
busted him out. We found them again and Jim missed four shots
from 416 yards, one standing and the rest moving, and
moving pretty darn fast, too. "Ive seen more good bucks in one
day guided than I saw in 8 years hunting on my own." On
the second day Chris helped Jim kill a heavy horned trophy buck.
It's antlers hung up in a scrub pine "or it would still be
rolling".
Bruce Jackson, Tacoma, Wa (253)279-8677 Monster bucks bear a
charmed life. Bruce, Bob, and Warren saw a
whopper typical buck, 33 inch spread, high racks, deep forks,
big eyeguards, ..everything! This buck would score about
220 B&C! Weather was fogged in. Bruce got a 60 yard shot
at this buck in the fog, and by sheer bad luck a 3 inch
diameter jackpine jumped out and bit his bullet. That knotty
pine! On the last day of deer season Bruce and I hunted a
mountain in the direction the buck escaped toward and we spotted
that buck from 600 yards. What a buck!!! We made a
long stalk and came into the stand of timber he was in. We had
a 40 mile per hour wind in our faces, but we bumped into a
doe and she rushed off to tattle on us. Once again his charmed
life was spared. Next year, same time same place.....next
year.....next year....
Bob Yerbury, Tacoma, Wa (253)535-5955 Bob saw the whopper typical,
then while trying to stalk him on Maniac
Mountain (ya gotta be crazy to hunt there!), Bob killed a real
trophy 27 inch buck. Heavy beams, good forks. The buck is
much bigger than his 27 inch spread would indicate.
Darrin Kerr, Driggs, Id (208)354-8683 Saw several bucks but
didn't see the big one.
Wade Harmon, Afton, Wy (307)886-5616 Wade shot a 25 inch buck
that rolled down into a hell-hole and it was hell
getting him out of there. I sent Greer and Wade down to get
him while Shadow and I went to get Greer's buck. The buck
came to rest on an incredibly steep slope, a difficult butchering
job. Then I brought Sheik across a dangerously steep slope
to help get Wade's buck the rest of the way to the top.We were
so glad to get on safe ground again.
Greer Jones, Driggs, Id (208)354-8592 Greer shot at a big 26
inch buck at 606 yards, but killed a 22 incher by mistake
(the bucks had changed positions while we were setting up a
rest). My laser rangefinder said 606 on the six bucks that
stopped on an open slope, Greer said he practiced from 600 yards
at the range at home and said he could hit it. By golly,
he was right. "A trophy buck is not just a big rack. This incredible
scenery, the fantastic shot, the harrowing climb down to
him, the dangerous climb out of that canyon.... This is truly
a hunt to remember!"
Blaine Matthews, Mesa, Az (602)396-9386 After a hard week of
hunting Blaine killed a superb buck, the best one of the
season, in "You-Gotta-Be-Kidding-Canyon". Best dang shot ever,
as the bullet cut the windpipe and the artery in the neck,
the buck ran across cliffs and shale rock down out of the canyon
and died within 300 yards of a major horse trail, or we'd
still be packin' him out. A really heavy high 27 inch buck with
three cheaters on the right and two on the left.
DROP CAMP HUNTERS:
Kent Jackson (805)-392-8781 and Mark Smith, Bakersfield, Ca;
They killed one average buck and one good 27 inch
buck in rugged timberline country. I don't often do drop camps,
but if I have time and help available I will place you in the
tops of the mountains in good buck country. My drop camp sites
are where I would like to hunt, but it is too far from my
camp to hunt effectively.
MOOSE HUNTER:
Ron and Mary Oman, Redwood Valley, Ca (707)485-0627 Ron killed
a Boone and Crockett moose on the second day
of his hunt. Big palms, front forks. A really great Shiras Moose.
RIFLE ELK: Normally a good hunt with a lot of bulls killed.
This year a short hunt, 100% success, but no big bulls. The
bulls are there, I just had mostly meat hunters.
Peter Jensen, Nampa, Id (208)466-2194 Had a tough hunt, saw
only cows and spikes. He killed a cow on the morning of
the fourth day in the toughest canyon one should ever kill meat
in.
Paul Bayne, Thayne, Wy (307)883-4574 Paul killed a six point
bull his first year with us and thinks it should be that easy all
the time. This year he killed a spike on the second day of the
hunt.
Unguided Resident Meat Hunters: Jerry and Wade Harmon, (307)886-5616,
Rigo Chaparro (307)886-5296, and Dirk
Izatt, Freedom, Wy (307)883-4028 Wade missed a 5 pointer and
Jerry killed a spike on the first day. Rigo, Dirk, and
Wade all killed cow elk on the second day.
IDAHO HUNT:
Old man weather did a number on our Idaho fly-in wilderness
hunt. In spite of adverse conditions we killed a five point bull,
a spike, and several hunters passed up bulls or had chances
at them. This is a horseback hunt into the River of No Return
Wilderness hunt. Contact Jonesy for prices and details.
Return to Success Reports page
|
Return to: Jackson Hole Outfitters Home Page Hunting: Main Page Newsletters Success Reports Camp Price List Pictures Q&A Articles Summer: Trail Rides |