Well, here is my sheep hutn in a nutshell...
My buddy Steve and I didn't have much time, (work stuff) so we took a calculated risk. Neither of us had been to this area before, but we heard some good stuff, so we put all our eggs in one basket, and off we went, drove up north around Ft Nelson.
Flew in, unpacked and had a well deserved rest.
Hiked like crazy for a day and a half. Crossed a few rivers, Had to detour a grizzly kill when we saw eagles and ravens fly out about 200 yards away (not spooked by us) so we made the wise decision to detour.
Climbed 7/8th's up a big mountain, often using hands and knees to crawl up the almost vertical slope, then dug out a couple of beds on the side of it, and laid to rest for the night, after a couple of MH meals.
Woke up well rested, scarfed down some MH omelettes and headed the rest of the way up, getting there early on opening day.
We had a short rainstorm, so covered up for a bit, then trudged up along the ridge.
Steve was in front and slithered up behind some buckbrush that hid him for a basin with a little cliff behind it, and he motioned for me to get down, so I did, dropped my pack and slithered forward with rifle and LRF in hand.
4 rams -2 smaller, 2 legal, 1 pretty decent. Big enough for me, the novice sheep hunter, anyway....We were about 800 yards away.
Steve was checking them out with the spotter, planning for a stalk, when over the cliff, something popped up..then another, and another.
3 hunters (looked to be a guide, wrangler and client)
They had probably glassed them from the other side of the mountain, and headed up behind them. The sheep were in between us, but they were closer, although it didn't look like they could see the larger ram from where they were.
We checked it out and figured we could put a stalk on them, but since the other guys were closer to the rams, we elected to pull out.
We glassed another couple of rams on an adjacent mountain, one a really nice one, but it would take us a day to get down and back around, and at least one more day to get to the base and part way up this long, steep mountian, and another day to stalk them, if they stayed put. We didn't have the time, so we used our sat phone (it worked!!) and called for a pick up the next day.
Bummer, but it was a good trip, anyway. Saw about 50 elk, lots of grizz sign, half a dozen moose, goats, a dozen caribou and found that a black bear had followed our tracks right to where we headed up the mountain. Sneaky thing...
Got a good workout, and found the MR pack was awesome (very comfy with 50 lbs on my back crawling up the mountain, no discomfort whatsover from the pack)
REALLY liked the Kifaru gun bearer system until the part that attaches to your shoulder strap ripped off when it got a good impact, then it started to annoy me. I made a feild repair and it worked okay, but not perfect.
I had lost the nozzle from my camelback water pouch recently and tried to pick one up en route, but couldn't find one, so I bought a "North of 49" or something Camelback copy form BACKCOUNTRY sports in FSJ, but the thing leaked like hell...so I left it at camp. (PS BACKCOUNTRY has moved to a new store and it's pretty awesome-great service, too)
Picked up a new SITKA shirt to wear (apparently as good as UNDERARMOUR but not stinky) Well, it's smells a bit, but maybe not so bad as most poly pro. Certainly not stink free, if you are exerting yourself...I'm thinking I need to try some more merino wool stuff. The shirt worked well, I liek the zipper that can open up when you are hot, and it dried out reasonably quick.
MH meals remain pretty good.
MSR stove still works fine.
Siltarp is still the quickest, smallest, lightest shelter you can find...
Homemade power bars with fast and slow acting protein, carbs and sugars were a real boon, once again. Like eating a ham sandwhich, an apple and a candy bar. I should market these things!
Used a new North Face Flight Series tent, a single wall tent. It was nice and light, but even with both doors and top ventilation flaps open there was condensation in the AM. Not a big deal as we weren't in really nasty weather, anyway, but something to note. I still keep coming back to tarps as it is what I used as I grew up, but I was happy to have the bug netting, as the bugs were BAD.
Custom Van Gorkum boots worked well, but I still got a blister on my left heel. Interestingly, I got a blister on my right heel during a previous hike up a steep mountain a week ago..both times wearing a thin inner sock and a heavier outer sock. For the trip down the mountain and back out (12 hours) I used only a heavy sock and no liner, and, while the blisters didn't heal, I didn't create new ones, either. Previous shorter hikes using only one sock had not given me blisters, so I'm wondering about the 2 sock system, which I have used for years. BTW, I was aware of the blisters, but they never really hurt that much. Was more aware of some stiffness in my legs after the descent. There was none after the first day of uphill travel, which of course demonstrates that descent of steep terrain is often very taxing on the muscles.
So, no ram. Can't complain too hard, as we accomplished most of what we set out to do- Hike like hell, cross rivers, see game, climb mountains, find good rams and have a damn good time...
Pics to follow
My buddy Steve and I didn't have much time, (work stuff) so we took a calculated risk. Neither of us had been to this area before, but we heard some good stuff, so we put all our eggs in one basket, and off we went, drove up north around Ft Nelson.
Flew in, unpacked and had a well deserved rest.
Hiked like crazy for a day and a half. Crossed a few rivers, Had to detour a grizzly kill when we saw eagles and ravens fly out about 200 yards away (not spooked by us) so we made the wise decision to detour.
Climbed 7/8th's up a big mountain, often using hands and knees to crawl up the almost vertical slope, then dug out a couple of beds on the side of it, and laid to rest for the night, after a couple of MH meals.
Woke up well rested, scarfed down some MH omelettes and headed the rest of the way up, getting there early on opening day.
We had a short rainstorm, so covered up for a bit, then trudged up along the ridge.
Steve was in front and slithered up behind some buckbrush that hid him for a basin with a little cliff behind it, and he motioned for me to get down, so I did, dropped my pack and slithered forward with rifle and LRF in hand.
4 rams -2 smaller, 2 legal, 1 pretty decent. Big enough for me, the novice sheep hunter, anyway....We were about 800 yards away.
Steve was checking them out with the spotter, planning for a stalk, when over the cliff, something popped up..then another, and another.
3 hunters (looked to be a guide, wrangler and client)
They had probably glassed them from the other side of the mountain, and headed up behind them. The sheep were in between us, but they were closer, although it didn't look like they could see the larger ram from where they were.
We checked it out and figured we could put a stalk on them, but since the other guys were closer to the rams, we elected to pull out.
We glassed another couple of rams on an adjacent mountain, one a really nice one, but it would take us a day to get down and back around, and at least one more day to get to the base and part way up this long, steep mountian, and another day to stalk them, if they stayed put. We didn't have the time, so we used our sat phone (it worked!!) and called for a pick up the next day.
Bummer, but it was a good trip, anyway. Saw about 50 elk, lots of grizz sign, half a dozen moose, goats, a dozen caribou and found that a black bear had followed our tracks right to where we headed up the mountain. Sneaky thing...
Got a good workout, and found the MR pack was awesome (very comfy with 50 lbs on my back crawling up the mountain, no discomfort whatsover from the pack)
REALLY liked the Kifaru gun bearer system until the part that attaches to your shoulder strap ripped off when it got a good impact, then it started to annoy me. I made a feild repair and it worked okay, but not perfect.
I had lost the nozzle from my camelback water pouch recently and tried to pick one up en route, but couldn't find one, so I bought a "North of 49" or something Camelback copy form BACKCOUNTRY sports in FSJ, but the thing leaked like hell...so I left it at camp. (PS BACKCOUNTRY has moved to a new store and it's pretty awesome-great service, too)
Picked up a new SITKA shirt to wear (apparently as good as UNDERARMOUR but not stinky) Well, it's smells a bit, but maybe not so bad as most poly pro. Certainly not stink free, if you are exerting yourself...I'm thinking I need to try some more merino wool stuff. The shirt worked well, I liek the zipper that can open up when you are hot, and it dried out reasonably quick.
MH meals remain pretty good.
MSR stove still works fine.
Siltarp is still the quickest, smallest, lightest shelter you can find...
Homemade power bars with fast and slow acting protein, carbs and sugars were a real boon, once again. Like eating a ham sandwhich, an apple and a candy bar. I should market these things!
Used a new North Face Flight Series tent, a single wall tent. It was nice and light, but even with both doors and top ventilation flaps open there was condensation in the AM. Not a big deal as we weren't in really nasty weather, anyway, but something to note. I still keep coming back to tarps as it is what I used as I grew up, but I was happy to have the bug netting, as the bugs were BAD.
Custom Van Gorkum boots worked well, but I still got a blister on my left heel. Interestingly, I got a blister on my right heel during a previous hike up a steep mountain a week ago..both times wearing a thin inner sock and a heavier outer sock. For the trip down the mountain and back out (12 hours) I used only a heavy sock and no liner, and, while the blisters didn't heal, I didn't create new ones, either. Previous shorter hikes using only one sock had not given me blisters, so I'm wondering about the 2 sock system, which I have used for years. BTW, I was aware of the blisters, but they never really hurt that much. Was more aware of some stiffness in my legs after the descent. There was none after the first day of uphill travel, which of course demonstrates that descent of steep terrain is often very taxing on the muscles.
So, no ram. Can't complain too hard, as we accomplished most of what we set out to do- Hike like hell, cross rivers, see game, climb mountains, find good rams and have a damn good time...
Pics to follow
...
