Outfitter Review - Ashlenz Outfitters

Outfitter Information

Outfitter Name: Ashlenz Outfitters

Outfitter / Contact: Kevin Ayo

Location: Illinois, USA

Hunt Information

Animals Hunted: Whitetail deer

Game Quality: Excellent

Game Quantity: Very Good

Accomodations: Adequate

Camp Condition: Good

Food Quality: Very Good

Guide Experience: Very Good

Other Personal Experience: N/A

Review Information

Hunter: Ray Gaubert

Phone:

Email:

Would Recommend: Yes

Overall Impression: Very Good Quality

This year I bow hunted the second and third week of November then gun hunted both of the shotgun season. During the bow hunt I had a 170 class buck within fifty yards and on another hunt I had three different 140 class bucks within 50 yards. I passed on several 130 class deer during the two week hunt; all within bow range. The first shotgun season I seen several good deer just not quite big enough. I ended my hunt the first day of the second season when I took a 140 inch eight pointer, not what I go to Illinois for but I rushed the shot in some pretty thick stuff. I've been hunting Illinois the same amount of time each year for at least ten years, the pass four years with Ashlenz. These guys know what it takes to get close to a mature deer, hunting the wind. In the four years I've hunted with them I've had close encounters with three 170 class bucks and several 140 to 150 inch class bucks. I've killed 164 inch twelve pointer and the 140 inch eight pointer I killed this year. Their stands are high, thirty feet plus, when need be but I am able to climb and hunt ever stand I've been brought to and I am not comfortable at heights either. I never once been put on a stand that the wind was wrong for and if it changed during the hunt, I was given other stand option to move to. They will not hunt a stand if the wind is wrong for it which prevents blowing the big boys out the area.The camp was adequate with comfortable beds and room to store your equipment. There was a sulfur odor to the water used for showering but they supplied plenty bottled water, gator aid and soft drinks. The food was actually very good, fried fish, roasted chicken and usually three or four side items. I personally don't care if the camp or food is not the best as long as the effort is put into the hunting. I bow hunted with Hadley Creek the five or six year pry to hunting with Ashlenz. I started hunting with them the first year they started guiding and watch them turn it into a numbers game. The camp was nice with good food, but the hunting fell apart. In six years of hunting two weeks every year I never seen anything near the 150s and only killed one nine pointer scoring 141 inches. I was put on stands with the wind wrong or well warned trails leading to them to many times . Several times the guides could not even find the stand and other times I was put on stands twelve foot high in the wide open with no chance of ever drawing back even if I did get a shot opportunity. Any serious hunter knows you got to hunt the wind first and second you got to be concealed to be able to make the shot. Like I said earlier, I've hunted with Ashlenz for four years now and I will continue to return as long as they keep providing quality hunts.

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