Sheep Hunting - Need Advice

tmackay

tmackay

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Good day All,

I am heading to the Northern Rockies this year for a fly in hunt in search of the thin-horn sheep, or stone sheep as most call them. I am hoping to tap into the collective here and get some decent advice. I have read all the gear posts here, and I agree with most of what I read on the subject of lightweight hunting. I know my fitness level requirements and have that dialed in. I have hunted all sorts of ungulates, never a goat or ram. What should I be considering before the hunt, how should I plan my route into the mountains, where should I camp and what should I know about being in the mountians to be more successful?

Info: early September hunt, fly in to Fern Lake northern BC.

Appreciate any info, advice or general ridicule lol
 
Buy good glass and use it. Sit and glass for hours. Stone sheep can be really hard to spot, especially when bedded.

Educate yourself on horn curl regulations and aging.

Wear the best boots you can afford.
 
My favorite hunt...
Get that ruck sac on your back and load it up..
Work in your boots and harden your feet, try to figure out If your boots cause any hot spots. .. mold skin , and dry sox and underrated..
Practice shooting in windy conditions.
And have fun
 
Going on an 8 day sheep hunt this year also and will be watching this thread for advice. Hope these questions help the OPer as well.
Have most of my gear decided on and have been hiking with my pack, have worked up to 35lbs and 5 km every second day or so. Plan is to work pack load up to 45lbs.
We will be setting up a base camp that is accessible by side by side then doing a couple of 2 or 3 day overnight trips and staying on the mountain.
With 2 of us each with a 35lb pack plus gun we will be able to carry 65lbs of gear. Have watched lots of utube videos on what to pack, some seem excessive while others seem to travel with next to nothing.
For the experienced guys, what do you carry in your pack and how much does it weigh?
What weather have you experienced in early Sept?
 
Have had everything from hot and sunny to snowing heavily from August first to mid September.

All my gear is pretty set, the big variable continues to be food. It tends to be bulky and heavy. If I do it right I carry 1.25-1.5 pounds per day. The longest I personally have stayed in the mountains has been 16 nights with 16 lbs of food. My pack will be in the mid 50’s without rifle and binoculars. I’ve shaved it down over the years from 65. Better gear without sacrificing comfort.
 
What weather have you experienced in early Sept?

All, you name it. :redface: Never know what you'll find in the mountains and better be prepared.

Grizz
 
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/spatsizi/

Check the drainage to your immediate left as the sun comes up ;)

Also if your in this area keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary as it may pertain to this guy http://http://www.missinginspatsizi.com/

Seriously though about locations, not knowing the region you are in check the Provincial Parks for information on viewing areas as lots of these areas also allow hunting during approved seasons.

Good glass, good boots and gear go without saying and ultra lite .

Dont forget your camera .

Good Hunting and Enjoy the PT up until the hunt.

Rob
 
tmackay said:
Good day All,

I am heading to the Northern Rockies this year for a fly in hunt in search of the thin-horn sheep, or stone sheep as most call them. I am hoping to tap into the collective here and get some decent advice. I have read all the gear posts here, and I agree with most of what I read on the subject of lightweight hunting. I know my fitness level requirements and have that dialed in. I have hunted all sorts of ungulates, never a goat or ram. What should I be considering before the hunt, how should I plan my route into the mountains, where should I camp and what should I know about being in the mountians to be more successful?

Info: early September hunt, fly in to Fern Lake northern BC.

Appreciate any info, advice or general ridicule lol
Click to expand...

I would shoot buckbrushoutdoors a private message and ask him nicely for advice.
 
Never gone after goats or sheep, but I've hunted in the lower parts of the rockies. I've got this advice:

1) Glass: Get good glass and practice actually systematically covering the areas you are glassing. There are various methods that work. 10 power binos and a tripod with adaptor are a potent combo when you don't want to bust out the big glass. For judging sheep you'd be well-served to get a GREAT spotting scope. For long sits have a bag that you can weigh down the tripod with rocks for stability.

2) Fitness: once a solid base level is achieved, you are probably better served by rucking really really heavy once a week rather than lighter more often. There's a good podcast to that effect with The Hunt Backcountry Podcast. That's based on results from fit, military-aged men. YMMV.

3) Shooting: practice shooting in the wind, in adverse conditions, to the ranges you'd expect, from improvised shooting positions.

4) Discomfort: practice being uncomfortable on your weekend practice runs. My (serious athlete) buddy did a 10 day mountain goat hunt and lost 30 lbs. Another friend spent 10 days on the mountain trying for goats with a long bow and spent almost all of it in his tent because of weather. Mental prep will go a long way towards motivation and endurance.

5) Gear: less is more. Exo Mountain Gear has resources on their website, including a whole slew of "what's in my pack" from experienced hunters. Check it out. Don't ignore advice from backpackers who have their own innovations, ie some of the lightweight backpackers don't use stoves anymore they just "cold soak" their Mountain House for 6-8 hours. Ew, but light weight!

good luck, I'm totally jealous!
 
For sleeping gear I have a -17C mummy bag and a R1.5 sleeping pad so should be good down to -3C to-5C inside a 2 man tent. Cold at night for me means very little sleep and dragging my arse all day.
Seen a few videos where guys take Tylenol night time before they go to bed to help they sleep with the aches from the day. Is this a thing?
What bag rating do guys normally take for the first of Sept, what do you wear in you bag a night?
 
If anyone also has good tips regarding where to set up camp (and more importantly where not to) and what topographic features I should focus my efforts on...

Again thank you all for the great advise on gear, fitness and ID.
 
300wmxcr2 said:
For sleeping gear I have a -17C mummy bag and a R1.5 sleeping pad so should be good down to -3C to-5C inside a 2 man tent. Cold at night for me means very little sleep and dragging my arse all day.
Seen a few videos where guys take Tylenol night time before they go to bed to help they sleep with the aches from the day. Is this a thing?
What bag rating do guys normally take for the first of Sept, what do you wear in you bag a night?
Click to expand...

I use a -18 bag, 2” R15 pad, wear my thermals if it’s cold but not if it’s warm. Mostly do take Tylenol before bed and always keep a water bottle beside me.
 
tmackay said:
If anyone also has good tips regarding where to set up camp (and more importantly where not to) and what topographic features I should focus my efforts on...

Again thank you all for the great advise on gear, fitness and ID.
Click to expand...


Don’t camp in the saddle at the top of a pass. It’s tempting due to the flatness but in a storm the wind can destroy your tent and blow stuff away forever.
 
tmackay said:
If anyone also has good tips regarding where to set up camp (and more importantly where not to) and what topographic features I should focus my efforts on...

Again thank you all for the great advise on gear, fitness and ID.
Click to expand...

I'm not a sheep hunter but for that kind of hunt when your travelling is critical , I would spend lot of hours on Google earth scanning the area !!!! Ant put note on a map !
 
I haven't sheep hunted (not a resident of any of those provinces), but have spent a lot of time in sheep country backpacking, etc. Two pieces of wisdom that have worked for me.

1) Get fit. This can't be overemphasized. Mountain travel blows most people out of the water the first time they venture in. You need to be comfortable carrying heavy loads over varying terrain for long distances/time. There are many different ways to achieve this fitness - but all of them demand you devote time and energy to achieve them. Don't skimp on your fitness preparation or you will be guaranteed to be miserable.

2) A shelter where you can be warm and dry in any conditions. This means a top quality tent (e.g. Hilleberg Soulo is my choice) that can stand up to pretty much anything and keep you warm/dry/safe. It also means having a great sleeping bag that can be relied on to keep you warm. Everyone sleeps differently. For me, my -7 down bag works down to around zero or slightly below (depending on my sleep attire). Other people would be perfectly comfortable in a 0 degree bag or may need a much warmer bag (-12 or below) in order to sleep well. It's critical to have a place where you can be warm and dry. A great tent and sleeping bag setup give you that.
 
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