Outfitter Review - Dolores River Outfitters

Outfitter Information

Outfitter Name: Dolores River Outfitters

Outfitter / Contact: DJ Winters

Location: Colorado, USA

Hunt Information

Animals Hunted: Elk & Mule Deer

Game Quality: Elk - average, Deer-Excellent

Game Quantity: Elk - average, Deer above average

Accomodations: Average

Camp Condition: Excellent

Food Quality: Excellent

Guide Experience: Excellent

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Review Information

Hunter: Jack Cannon

Phone:

Email:

Would Recommend: YES

Overall Impression: above average

Weather was our biggest problem. This late in October you would expect temps to stay in the 60's or lower. Instead, we had highs in the 80's most days. The deer were moving only at first and last light. Elk were usually bedded down before legal shooting light. Thus making it difficult to find them. The guides never gave up. The only sign of frustration was the guide that was forced to be with one of our party that had bought a new magnum rifle just before the hunt and was scared to death of the recoil. After 6 days of this idiot shooting and missing at some 7 different mule deer bucks, ranging from 24" - one that was over 30". the Guide had had enough and swapped out with another guide. The guide's climbed trees to look for game, hiked up and down the hills and busted brush. They even put on drives when we realized we weren't going to find game by sitting and glassing. When I spotted a herd of elk bedding down one morning some two miles from me, I told the guides that had come back to camp for a quickie lunch. All of them wanted to join in on the afternoon's hunt for the elk. We ended up making a 3 mile, round-a-bout hike to get on the elk only to have the elk get up and head off before we could get set. Two bulls were seen but the closest we could get to them was 500 yards and they stayed in the brush so we really couldn't tell just how good they were. DJ Winters was constantly there, checking up on us and making sure we had everything we needed. The camp cook served excellent meals. She even opened her house to us so that we could drive down and take showers, something that the heat had made a requirement as we were getting so we couldn't stand the smell of one another!:)All in all, this was a trip I'd repeat. I look forward to going out with DJ again in 2003.

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