I leave in a week and a half. A few things are on my mind. Can anyone help with these questions ?

1- Is the weather in Norman Wells more or less the same as in the mountains ? Particularly temperature.

2- Are the current temperatures normal? It seems a bit warm to me.

3- At what temperature do the mosquitoes disappear? In the next 10 days, I see a range of 45-78. Is that cool enough to mark them go away.

4- How is the gun range in Norman Wells?

Thanks !

Hi Larry,
Yukon has been cool, but NWT has been warm which has caused several fires. Not sure of the fire situation at present. Mosquitos decrease with the first frost, but the blackflys come on strong. You will be in the mountains and the ever present wind will be your savior. The temperature can change very quickly that close to the arctic.
Good luck

Did you say you come through Whitehorse?
Jim

It's been a warm summer in the NWT for sure although when I killed my ram there in early August 2010 we had several days in the high 80s. Expect everything from high 80s to low 30s. They had a pretty major snowfall in the Mackenzies on July 30 this year so you just never know what you'll get.

It takes some hard frosts to kill mosquitoes. As pointed out though, blackflies will thrive on warm days even after hard frosts. I doubt the bugs will be too bad in the mountains. I've hunted the Mackenzies several times and bugs were rarely much of a concern.

There's a gun range in Norman Wells?

Larry,

I just got back Aug 6 from Norman Wells and hunted with RamHead. The weather varied a lot from day to day. We had 80deg some days and 25degrees and snow too. Weather in Norman Wells is only the same as the mountain weather 50% of the time. Outfitters usually check weather at YK border and Norman Wells and take a guess on the in between!!

There were very few mosquitoes. I never even bothered with the bug spray, but they say it can depend on the exact location you are hunting. Near the lakes will be worse, no doubt.

I used a 20degree rated sleeping bag, but i would rather have the 0 degree bag for later hunt.

There is a gun range in Norman Wells. It is pretty good. There are metal gongs out to 400yrd and wood benches and sand bags/rests on site. It is up by the landfill dump.

quote:

Originally posted by jhaney:
Hi Larry,
Yukon has been cool, but NWT has been warm which has caused several fires. Not sure of the fire situation at present. Mosquitos decrease with the first frost, but the blackflys come on strong. You will be in the mountains and the ever present wind will be your savior. The temperature can change very quickly that close to the arctic.
Good luck

Did you say you come through Whitehorse?
Jim

Jim:

We are flying through Yellow Knife.

Just chatted with a couple buddies in different parts of the MacKenzies right now and the weather has been pretty bad all week....lots of rain and fog but it sounds like it cleared up yesterday.

We leave for a Dall hunt in the Yukon on Monday....hopefully the weather stays nice!

Good luck brother!

Thanks...good luck to you as well!

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I leave in a week and a half. A few things are on my mind. Can anyone help with these questions ?

1- Is the weather in Norman Wells more or less the same as in the mountains ? Particularly temperature.

2- Are the current temperatures normal? It seems a bit warm to me.

3- At what temperature do the mosquitoes disappear? In the next 10 days, I see a range of 45-78. Is that cool enough to mark them go away.

4- How is the gun range in Norman Wells?

Thanks !

Larry,

it was really warm in NWT as Jim wrote.

mosquitoes should be killed by the first frost but there is a but if you can frost then rain and warm temperatures then a cycle of lovely beasts can be there.
last we experienced that with two frosty nights then rain, plus the blackflies.

we didnt see any caribous or sheep but fishing was great ...

I have another question . If I have the weight of everything including guns, ammo, pack, etc just under 45 pounds, is that good enough? Hell, I would have a hard time cutting it down much more.

Larry, 45 pounds should be good, but to be sure check with outfitter regarding flying the bush plane. ( Beaver, SuperCub, heli ) Normally they accept 50-60 pounds with a rifle and the rest in a soft duffel.

AS one of the guys says; bring a good sleeping bag. You will probably have frost in the night. Being tired after a long days hike for many days you need more warmth when sleeping than you normally do.

What kind of rifle/caliber are you bringing ?


Morten

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I have another question . If I have the weight of everything including guns, ammo, pack, etc just under 45 pounds, is that good enough? Hell, I would have a hard time cutting it down much more.

that is a very good especially if you didnt cut on sleeping bag.

i have always with me a bellay jacket weight nothing but can be a life saver. insulated with primaloft maybe not too late to find one if prefer the hooded version.

other thsn that wish you the best.

have a safe and fun adventure

Phil

quote:

Originally posted by The Norwegian:
Larry, 45 pounds should be good, but to be sure check with outfitter regarding flying the bush plane. ( Beaver, SuperCub, heli ) Normally they accept 50-60 pounds with a rifle and the rest in a soft duffel.

AS one of the guys says; bring a good sleeping bag. You will probably have frost in the night. Being tired after a long days hike for many days you need more warmth when sleeping than you normally do.

What kind of rifle/caliber are you bringing ?


Morten

Morten:

I have a Rifles, Inc 300 Win Mag. Weighs 4.5 pounds without the scope.

quote:

Originally posted by medved:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I have another question . If I have the weight of everything including guns, ammo, pack, etc just under 45 pounds, is that good enough? Hell, I would have a hard time cutting it down much more.

that is a very good especially if you didnt cut on sleeping bag.

i have always with me a bellay jacket weight nothing but can be a life saver. insulated with primaloft maybe not too late to find one if prefer the hooded version.

other thsn that wish you the best.

have a safe and fun adventure

Phil

I have the new latest greatest sleeping bag. I forget the material.It weighs 2.5 pounds. I also have a liner for it. It worked fantastic in Alaska last year even when the temperature plummeted.

I have 2 jackets of the type you are talking about. They are super light. Very warm. Made by Montbell.

Rifle and equipment top notch - then it is just to find the rams Larry. I am sure you and your guide will do.

Wish you a enjoyable, safe and successful hunt - mountain hunts are one of the best. Wish I could join...

Morten

Thanks Morten. I hope the shoulder is better.

More questions:

1- Would you take parachute cord? If so, how much?

2- An extra Sitka shirt & pants minus the knee pads weigh 3.5 pounds. I am sorely tempted to leave them. What do you think?

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Thanks Morten. I hope the shoulder is better.

More questions:

1- Would you take parachute cord? If so, how much?

2- An extra Sitka shirt & pants minus the knee pads weigh 3.5 pounds. I am sorely tempted to leave them. What do you think?

1- yes it can help. how long is yours?
2- your comfort zone going too light sometines is too much but up to you dont know those gears so cant comment but i always have a spare ...

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Thanks Morten. I hope the shoulder is better.

More questions:

1- Would you take parachute cord? If so, how much?

2- An extra Sitka shirt & pants minus the knee pads weigh 3.5 pounds. I am sorely tempted to leave them. What do you think?

I always take 50 feet

Having an extra pair of pants and shirt is a good idea if you get wet. I'd look at something lighter for a back up. I'm right around a pound with my back up set.

I have 30 feet of parachute cord.

I am starting to obsess over the weight. Most of my gear is super lite. For example, the outfitter recommends a sleeping bag weighing no more than 5 pounds. Mine weighs 2 pounds 8 ounces.

I have gone over the list the outfitter provided. In all cases I have taken no more than they have recommended. I have often taken substitutes that weight less than what they recommended. I can see a few things that I could remove but they are ounces not pounds.

I could leave my sat phone. There isn't a chance on hell that I will. I could take half the ammunition recommended. That doesn't sound like a good idea. I could leave my backup light. That saves all of 3 ounces. I could leave the sleeping bag liner. That would probably save 5 ounces. When the temperature plummeted in Alaska last year, I would have been extremely cold without it. I have a bag of miscellaneous stuff. Some of the things, I definitely need. For example, compact towel ( balls up to half the size of my fist) and a 1 ounce bottle of concentrated soap. There are other things in the that I might not need. For example, a half dozen zip ties,2 clothes pins, extra set of buckles for the pack (yea I know but if you ever had one break you would understand) and an extra set of boot laces. I think if I got rid of all of the questionable items, I MIGHT drop 6 ounces. I have a pair of crocs to wear around the camp and perhaps to wade deep water. Those are about a pound. Would you take them?

I am going to try and post a picture of my gear minus my rifle, pack and sleeping bag. What do you all think?

Your gear pile looks good. If you are at 45 with your gun you are just right. Especially since you are probably going in with a helicopter. You won't need to pack that gear with you every day, or ever. Maybe I am getting old but I like the little extra comfort over minimal weight. If the 2 pounds extra makes you more comfortable on the mountain take it. I leave for Cadomin Mine area in 2 weeks and I am doing the same thing you are. I am going in with horses so a couple comfort items will be in my pack. Good luck on your hunt, I hope you kill a big heavy long ram.

Be sure and take a light weight pair of Gortex gaiters, I just got back from a great NWT hunt two weeks ago and I left my gaiters at camp to cut weight and they were sorely missed. Crocs are a must, I never leave home without them. The bugs were so-so but make sure you take something like "Afterbite" to relieve the sting. Your doctor can also write you a script for a small tube of Lidocaine cream and you can get it in non-percription strength over the counter. For repellant, a lot of guys are taking the battery powered clip ons and they seem to work well and the guide will make you turn it off while around sheep. A small bottle of Deet is helpful but if I have it on me and I zip up my sleeping bag at night, the smell is very bothersome while trying to sleep.You can take the two boxes ammo to base camp but once you make sure that your rifle is okay, 10 or 12 rounds while hunting should be plenty.Give a couple of extra rounds to your guide so they can hand them to you if you need them.
The back up pair of pants and shirt is nice but you should be able to find something that weighs less then 3.5 lbs, take another set for wearing around base camp. Merino undershorts dry out a lot faster then cotton when you wash them and hang them, same for socks. I just wear smart wool liners and never have a problem with blisters or wet feet. A merino wool light weight beanie will keep a lot of heat in when sleeping and you hardly know you have it on.
Top grade rain gear is a must, you were it pretty much all the time in the NWT, and since your hands are wet most of the time, don't take gloves that have a membrane liner, you can not get them back on once they are wet. A merino wool liner and then a single layer waterproof outer glove is a much better system. Two trekking poles are a must, they don't weigh much and can be lifesavers, literally. It stays light longer there then here so one flashlight or headlamp is all that is generally needed.
Norman Wells is 240 ft above sea level, you will be hunting at 3,000-6,000 above sea level so it will be cooler then the temps they are showing for Norman Wells on the internet weather guides.
60 pounds is normal weight for the air planes, I have been on seven fall/stone sheep hunts and have never had a pilot weigh anything or complain. They might roll their eyes a little but generally you are okay with 60 pounds and your rifle.
Good luck and hope this helps a little.

Tony:

That was helpful. Thanks.

Based upon what you are saying, it should be a lot cooler in the mountains.

I am hopeful the bugs are largely gone by the time I get there. I should be in the mountains the middle of week after next.

I have the gaiters as well as the other items you mentioned.

Thanks again!

Larry,

you are ready ...

Larry, I use 550 parachute cord...it's likely half the diameter of what you have there. Not that it's a big deal but it will take up half the room and it makes a great emergency shoelace, tent rope, etc.

Off tomorrow if the weather improves .

Good luck and straight shooting Larry.

Hope things are going well Larry. We just got back to Whitehorse with a toad of a ram. I will get a report put together soon. Can't wait to see yours!

Congratsz!

I had a bit of drama yesterday largely caused by my own stupidity. I had my gun guys chsnge the scope on my rifle to one with a ballistic turret . When I went to check the zero , it was about an inch higher than I wanted . I then realized I had exactly zero idea of how to lower it. Thankfully, I was able contact my gun guys via my cell phone.

I had never given this matter the slightest thought.

Sincerely hope you are having one hell of a hunt. Kill a big one and stay safe!

quote:

Originally posted by sheephunterab:
Hope things are going well Larry. We just got back to Whitehorse with a toad of a ram. I will get a report put together soon. Can't wait to see yours!

Trying to be patient.... Make with the hunting report already!!!!

Still stuck in Whitehorse without a way to upload photos but should be home tomorrow and will get to it then....well after a bit of bighorn scouting.....lol

An 11 year old ram makes the grand slam for me. Details to follow.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
An 11 year old ram makes the grand slam for me. Details to follow.

cool.

i was thinking of you as this long week end we were in the Yukon side of the Mcenzie but no luck as the sheep seen were not full curl or 8 years old but we love the froze nights no bugs around ....

cant wait to read your report and feedback.

Phil

Congrats Larry!

quote:

Originally posted by medved:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
An 11 year old ram makes the grand slam for me. Details to follow.

cool.

i was thinking of you as this long week end we were in the Yukon side of the Mcenzie but no luck as the sheep seen were not full curl or 8 years old but we love the froze nights no bugs around ....

cant wait to read your report and feedback.

Phil

Good for you Phil, looking forward to frost and no bugs. Have fun!

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
An 11 year old ram makes the grand slam for me. Details to follow.

Sounds like you nailed a nice old ram Larry. Congrats!