This fall: who,what,when, and where? Don't worry about the "why" because I already know why.
I would like to hear from some sheep hunters on what they are going to be up to this fall. Back pack'n, horse, fly in/backpack? Guns(bows) and equipment? Anyone using pack dogs?

Daryl

You are a year ahead of me.

NWT, 2004, fly-in, back-pack, pack dogs.

I'm at the stage of working out more, building a lightweight gear list, reading what I can find on the subject, wondering whether I'm too old for this shit.

Kensco
Sir you are only too old when you are dead.
Jeff

Kensco,
Which outfit? Artic Red?
What rifle and pack are you going to use?

Daryl

Yukoner
Kensco is going with Stan Stevens next year, I am
booked with Stan the year after.Have you hunted
Dalls in the NWT?What kind of weather in the
begining of Sept.My hunt starts Aug 31st and is
12 days long.We fly in and spike out with pack
dogs.I have my pre 64 270 cal with 6x leupold.
I have been looking at new sleeping bags to lighten the weight.The down ones are very light.
And a goretex shell should keep it dry.That will
save a few pounds.I got the new small leica spotter.I had the 77 but sold it to again cut down
on weight.The new scope and tripod weighs less than the old bogen tripod I had on the old scope.
I have a slik tripod but I'm not in love with it.
What do you use for a light weight tripod?
I'm trying to get my pack below 35 lbs,should be
able to.I have been trimming as I learn.I have
mt50 rainware which is alot lighter than my goretex/wool stuff.I just need a new set of Miendel's I wore my Denali's out.I have the old
Alaskan pack frame,well used but servicable.
All we need are a pair of 42" twister rams.
Jeff

Like JeffP said, I'm with Stan in 2004. I'll be hunting with a 300 WSM and 150 gr factory load. I'm going to be in the States in June and hope to get hold of the new Federal round. I've been shooting the Winchester Supreme Ballistic Silvertip previously, and may stay with it.

I've been staring at a Cabela's Alaskan II pack for a while, but haven't made up my mind. I want to get back to Dallas and see what I can find.

I've pretty well decided on a 4 lb. XPG goose down bag. Like Jeff, I'll be watching the weather this year. I'm hunting the last two weeks of July. (While I'm tracking Yellowknife weather, I'm curious whether that really gives me good correlation to the MacKenzies northwest of there.)

I'm not going to carry a spotting scope. I'll have a 6 x 18 Leupold on the gun, and expect the guide to have a spotting scope.

I'm going to travel light, or hire JeffP to come along to carry all my crap. (I hate letting him know that I'm going to kill that 42" ram the year before he gets there. He may have to settle for 41 1/2".)

JeffP, Kensco,
The NWT is the best place to go for white sheep.
The weather is ussually not to bad in early sept. At night the temp. will most likely drop below freezing and get quite warm during the day.
I have not hunted in the NWT for sheep but I have hunted right on the boarder. I have friends that guide sheep hunters in the NWT. They work for Artic Red River. These guys are fanatical sheep hunters by the way.
Down sleeping bags are the way to go. I don't bother with a gortex shell. My down bag is made of a water proof fabric.(dry loft) Nothing wrong with a gortex shell, I just never had the need for one. My bag is good to -20. It weighs, I think, just under 3lbs.
I take a downfilled bomber style coat with a hood in my pack. No matter what the weather is like, you are always hot when back pack'n. I pull it out of my pack if we stop for a while when it is cooler out. It is light weight and warm. A wool shirt, a nylon shirt and duofold underwear are the only other things I take or wear for upper body. The wool shirt is used as a jacket.
It is up to you, but I would pass on the Alaskan Pack from Cabellas. Got a new one and got rid of it. I like the Super Toiga made by Kelty. The internal frame packs are good for sheep hunters as well. I carry a plastic garbage bag or two in a pocket for putting meat in. There is a big difference in comfort and carrying between one of these and an Alaskan pack.
The slik tripod is cheap, light and will do you fine. The problem with better quality tripods is that they are heavier. The Leupold tripod is damn good but heavy.
I used to carry a nice custom knife till one time after I killed a ram high on a mountain and when I went to butcher it, I realized I left it stuck in the butter, back at camp. So I used a small paring knife. I was suprised at how easy it went. Now I use it all the time. I get the good quality paring knife from the buthcer supply. It has a thin blade with a molded plastic handle. About 5" O.A.length. one will weigh less than a loaded 270 round.

Well, I gotta go,be back tomorrow. If you are looking for any tips on gear etc. I would be happy to make somemore sujestions.

Daryl

I may never hunt dalls or stone but I will be hunting bighorns in my home province of alberta this fall.We will pack into basecamp by horseback and backpack from there.

Yukoner
How much meat do you get boned off a ram?
I also put a heavy plastic bag in my pack,keeps
the pack and everything else bloodless.
What yardage is your avg shot?I'm good to 300.
For clothes I will layer, silk long johns,light
wool pants and chamois shirt,wool jacket and
mt50 rainware in pack.Can wear the rainware while
other clothes dry if need be.Leica 62 spotter
straight 40x eyepiece,slik tripod,extra socks,
a few power/+ candy bars,10 rounds of ammo,8x42
binos,small flash lite,camera/film,handi wipes,
t paper,water container,sun glasses.
Thats my list so far.What do you take that you
feel someone has to have with them?
Jeff
Any gear suggestions?
Also give me a chance I'll pick your brain clean before I leave.

I'll be off to Alaska this year for Dall sheep in the Chugash mtns. Backpack all the way as this is a walk in area only - no motorized vehicles allowed and no planes flying overhead. This is my first sheep hunt, so I'm trying to learn all I can. I'll be hunting around the 20th of August with Guy George and Chris Gregg.

Right now, I'm just trying to get ready physically. Running, biking, working out and backpacking, although there are no real mountains here in Georgia to prepare me for those in AK. I don't really have a weight target for my pack so I'll just try to use common sense as to what I take and try to keep from overpacking. Have you guys that have done this before found it necessary to carry an extra pair of trousers? Mine are the fleece type that should dry quickly and I'll have extra long underwear. I think I could always just wear my rain pants until my fleece dries.

Rifle will be a Rem 700 in 6.5x55 loaded with 140gr Partitions. Leica binocs and the guide gets to lug around the spotting scope so mine stays at home. My B&L is too old and heavy anyway.

Brian

HI,

Gentlemen, I have never sheep hunt so correct me as I may be wrong on the topic. I hear alot of talk of equipment and which caliber. I would think maybe more important would be getting in shape. I has watch some movies on sheep hunting and it looks like a person would have to work out a great deal.I would love to some day to hunt sheep, but I can speak for myself I would have to drop a few, well alot, of pounds. I weightlift alot, but the cardio would kill me.This is just from what I have seen. Thanks,Kev

Kev: You're dead on with that observation. Bear in Fairbanks

[ 04-25-2003, 22:03: Message edited by: Bear in Fairbanks ]

JeffP, I was looking at those silk long johns the other day. Have you used them in the past with good results?

Hunting the Wrangells this year. Buddy and I are flying in.

Stubblejumper,
That's great, I would love to get the oppertunity to hunt big horns one day.

JeffP,
Depends on how many tmes you shoot them.
Rams can vary in body size. On average, I would say about 125lbs. with the cape and horns. Don't leave the liver behind. IT IS EXCELLENT! I not usually big on liver.
Average shot. Normally under 300yds.

I wear wool/polypropolene underwear made by Duofold(Cabella's) I wear lightweight nylon or similar material hikers(yuppie) pants over top. They dry quickly. What is best about them is there is little friction on your legs from climbing. I would rather carry more weight than have the friction. Makes a big difference to me.
I take a woolrich buffalo shirt as a jacket and a down bomber. I find this combo to be lighter than most jackets or coats and it is more flexible and far warmer. A toque(block heater) is a good Idea.
I take a small diamond sharpening stone made by DMT. It is about 3" long. Also Petzle has a micro headlamp out now that will last all fall on a watch battery. Sheep guides swear by them. You can wear it around your neck like a necklace. It is so light you will forget it is there. I would highly recomend one. It weighs less than the batteries in most small flashlights.
I take a pair of Nike water shoes. They are great for crossing cold streams and wearing around camp. I only take one pair of extra socks and gotch(shorts). Plenty of streams to wash that sort of thing and I tie them on my pack to dry if I am on the move. I also take about 10-15 feet of parachute cord to tie stuff on.
Leather ropers gloves are nice.They fit tighter and are oiled. They are great for climbing in the rocks and are sufficent to keep your hands warm when hiking, even in cold weather. That is all I use for gloves.

Daryl

This may be a little off target, but is there any difficulty in getting a trophy shipped back to the States? Does the outfitter normally handle that if asked? My plan would be to ship it to Denver for taxidermy while I return to Dallas / Venezuela.

I'm not going to be able to do anything with the meat probably. After mad cow, CWD, and 9/11, I'm a little leery of trying to fly meat from Canada to the U.S., then on to Venezuela.

If I go for it in a small way, what is the best cut of sheep, backstrap like deer and elk?

Sheep ribs roasted over an open campfire are incredible!!! The backstrap is very good, but so is the rest. I'm not sure if it is the difficulty of the hunt that makes it taste so good, but I prefer it over all other.

There's been a lot of talk about 40+" rams, who knows, you may get lucky and find one. But a full curl Dall Sheep, whether it's 37" or 49" is a true trophy like no other. 40" is the magic number, but are very few and far between. Don't be upset if you don't kill a 40, a full curl ram is a magnificent animal no matter what the tape says. Those 40" rams don't exist everywhere, not even in Alaska. You have to really hunt your a$$ off in prime places to find one that will approach the 40" mark. Most of those places are now in the National Parks where hunting is illegal. The Chugach Range might offer the best opportunity in Alaska for one on a general scale, even then they are few and far between. There are some monsters in the Wrangells, but nearly impossible to get to and usually right next to the park boundary. Same for the Alaska Range.

Killing a mature, representative ram for the area in which it lives is no easy task. Don't tape 'em before they are on the ground.

All you guys talking about sheep got my appetite going!! Takes my mind of those bears that I can't find

If the knees hold out I'll try to put in some days for Alberta bighorn. Nothing fancy, like getting in on horseback. Just drive as far as the car will take me, walk in, camp a few days, and walk out. This'll be my first time, and people in the know tell me to take a partner. Well, my NFA-member neighbour doesn't hunt, and the hunter down the road is more of a bird shooter. So we'll see, I'll start with the getting in shape thing first. In this morning's downpour I found out that my boots are no longer waterproof, and a spotting scope and a decent sleeping bag still need to be purchased.

Judging by my success on bears I'll probably won't have to pack out heavy....

Frans

Yukoner,

Brooks Range. Our hunters took three rams over 40" last season, however, I would agree with Yukon Jack in that this is very rare. Any legal, mature ram is a true trophy. I also feel there is no comparison when it comes to sheep meat.........it's, by far, the best. Best of hunting to you all and I hope Kensco gets that 42"er.

Joe

My search for a 42"er exists only in my dreams.

My goal is 40", and by day three, or four, I will be happy with a full-curl, unbroomed ram. By day nine, if he's legal, he's in trouble. I just want the opportunity to scope a good number of rams before commiting to one. I'm never disappointed once I pull the trigger.

I know some people think a heavy, broomed set of horns are the ideal trophy. Personally, I love the look of those flared tips.

That Chugach hunt is NOT easy to draw! Many residents have tried for years and no dice. Good luck to you.

You all make me green with envy.I had my first taste of Sheep Hunting this past january in the Chinati Mts. of West Texas hunting Aoudad Rams.It was alot like what I've read hunting Desert Bighorns is like.Took a decent ram and got hooked on this sheep hunting.Nothing quite like it.
I hope to hunt Dalls or Bighorns some day!!!
To all of you who are going a big GOOD LUCK!!!!!! Kill a Biggin and have a good time!

[ 04-26-2003, 19:19: Message edited by: rws2 ]

I will be Hunting Bighorns this season Like every other season for the past 7 years in southern Alberta. Specifically WMU's 406 & 408. Approach will vary, sometimes it is strictly hike in, but on the longer trips I use the mountain bike to make my approach to base camp. Will also do a little hunting from horseback. I will be Hunting with a Ruger M77 Mark II that I rebarreled to 7mm-08, shooting 150gr Scirocco's. I will be using the Cabela's Alaska III pack which I have used for several seasons. This is an excellent pack for carrying large loads.
For glass I will be taking A Zeiss 30x60 spotter, Pentax 10X42 binoculars (Garbage) and a bushnell 800 yardage pro.
looks like this will be a very good season, I can hardly wait for the snow to melt to go scouting.

Thomas,
I am not familiar with those specific zones. How is the sheep hunting there? Are they open zones or permit? It does sound like you know where you want to be on opening day.
You mention that you like the Alaskan pack. Possibily you are of a larger build? I did not like the Alaskan Pack. I have a medium build and it did suit me.

Daryl

yukoner,
I am of decidedly average size. 5,11" 180#. As I see it though the size of the wearer makes no difference as the pack is completely adjustable. I just set the pack up with what felt best and started carrying sand bags to see how it felt. With this pack, I can easily carry 50# and it feels about half as heavy as my old pack.
I have some pretty good ideas about where I want to be during sheep season. That does not mean that the sheep will be there at the same time. The two WMU's that I mentioned are south and west of Calgary.

Will be hunting southwestern Alberta with an over the counter bighorn tag this coming fall.Taking horses back in to the base of the mountains and heading up above 6000 ft. to camp/hunt a spot not easily accessable by horseback.Will be bivy hunting up there for 5-7 days, able to hunt several pockets of water and great grazing areas.Gear will be; badlands 2800 pack,msr pocket rocket stove,dehydrated food of variety + snacks,(coffee!)down sleeping bag in the -10degree range with bivy and thermarest pad,tarp,308 remington woodmaster,msr water filter,headlamp,spotting scope,rainsuit,and last but not least a takedown pack frame to haul my badlands 2800 and 180 + Bighorn Ram out!!! Did I forget anything guys I have never done this before? Good luck to all and happy sheep hunting......

I had planned for my first dall sheep hunt this year in the Talkeetnas, but I went and committed myself to 3 weeks of work during the sheep season so that put the kai-bosh on that.

I'm thinking I'll try to set it up again for next year.

Still building pts in the Rocky Mtn states and CA is a longshot for sheep, but CA just started a preference point program for big game, so I'm guaranteed to draw the tag within the next 250 years.

May have to go for free-ranging aoudad in West-Texas for my first sheep, unless I get lucky.

Don Martin
www.EndlessSafari.com

What would you consider a must-read book for a novice sheep hunter (or should I say, wannabe sheep hunter). I notice now that I'm going out to find black bear on my own, that one could spend weeks scouting different areas, finding the right spots, a little up-front reading might cut that time in half

I'm from The Netherlands , I used to live 5,5 meter below sea level, so to say that I'm at home in the mountains is somewhat of an overstatement. I'm full of good intentions though Any literature suggestions?

E.g. some info on how to read a map looking for that famous combination of grazing possibilities and escape routes would be great, tips on where to set-up camp, or where not, etc.

Or maybe I should volunteer to carry somebody's pack this year, and learn before heading out?

Frans

Frans-The most important thing a successfull sheep hunter need to do is find out where legal rams are living.This is probably 80% of being successfull and is by far your most difficult chore.The rest is being in shape having the right equipment and learning the sheeps behavior so you are able to get into shooting position on a legal ram.

I've dedicated the '04 hunting season for dall sheep hunting. Going to be too busy with work this year and will hopefully be goat hunting this year if I draw the permit I want.

Frans,

Go back to the main index and scroll down to the "Books Of Interest" thread. There is a topic on Sheep Hunting. I personally liked the Tony Russ book a purchased. It was very detailed, and had some excellent tips for the new sheep hunter.

Finding the game is 10/10ths of hunting, if you never find the sheep, you will never kill a sheep. That is not to say that you can't have an absolutely outstanding trip if you don't kill something. There are plenty of good rams in Alberta, they are smart, and difficult to find.
Here, with the exception of one or two areas, the minimum size is 4/5ths curl. Personally I find it dissapointing when people shoot squeekers that are just a 16th legal. Granted it is legal, but why would you shoot something just passable after putting so much effort into it?

Thomas,

If the trip can be outstanding with or without the kill (which obviously is the case), does it matter whether you kill a "passable" ram or a whopper? Why is "wrong" to kill a barely legal ram, after spending a hard week on the mountain?

I talked to a German hunter/writer about this topic a few years ago. He describes how he passes up mediocre ibexes (is that the plural of ibex? Proper latin would be ibeces or something??)) and also chamois on another hunt, and I questioned him about that. He agreed that it was easier to do this after you have already killed a score of lesser animals (which he had).

I can imagine after having spent a couple of day or a week camping out, working hard, and getting a chance that I'd come home one happy hunter, with a ram just over the legal minumum. Then next year I can hold out for that whopper.

My smallest stag trophy is the one I worked the hardest for. The fact that it was barely a mature animal doesn't make the trophy anything less to me, nor does it make the trip any less worthwhile. I worked hard for it, I found one stag on that trip and I took it.

I envy people with the determination to hold out for that big one. But usually they have had their fill of hunting opportunities and killed plenty of lesser trophies of the animal they were pursuing.

I think you said you haven't (in case of rams), so I admire your determination!

Frans

Frans,
In my last post I believe I came across quite elitist, this was far from my intention. I am not necessarily a trophy hunter, as you mentioned, some of my best hunts ended up with only a very small animal, or my case no animal at all. I do have determination to kill a nice sheep one day, maybe not book, but a respectable one. What frustrates me, is that many hunters shoot these little rams, there will be none to grow up to be large rams. There are also several instances each year in Alberta where hunters... I mean poachers shoot a ram that they believe is just legal, upon actually examining the dead sheep and finding out that it is short, they abandon what otherwise given a few more years could have been a great animal.I find it difficult to condone any activity that would lead to the waste of such a fine animal. What I am trying to express in a very long winded way is that unless you can be absolutely sure that your target meets the 4/5ths curl requirement, you should not be shooting, and to ensure this you should not be shooting rams that might just be long enough.

Personally myself and those I hunt sheep with would rather take an old broomed ram that is barely legal than a younger ram that has more horn length.Some of the older broomed rams even score well in spite of being shorter due to brooming.Some of the older broomed rams never will be legal reguardless of how long they live.