I am about 60 days away from leaving for a sheep hunt with ARR. I have virtually all of my equipment from my 2 sheep hunts last year.

I have been exercising hard. Generally I am going the following:

1- 2 days of yoga per week.
2- 3 days of weightlifting per week. I am going heavy with the legs. I have had to back off the upper body a bit due to shoulder surgery. It is getting better and stronger.
3- 6 days a week of varied cardio. Generally, I am doing 1.5 hours carrying a 60 pound pack up and down the small hills on the golf course on Tuesdays and Fridays. 2 days a week on machines in the gym for 1 hour. Generally, I do the Stair Master or the treadmill at 30 degrees. I go HARD. I run about 5-6 miles 1 day per week. On Sundays, I go out for 3 hours wearing my boots. I walk 1/4 mile about 3-3.5 MPH then do the next 3/4 as hard as I can go. Generally,I am doing each mile in about 14:30 . I also walk through the grass and sand, never on the side walk.

For a few months, I have been sleeping using the Hypoxico machine. I am supposedly sleeping at 9,000 feet.

I hope all of this prepares me. At 58 and being from the flat lands, all sheep hunts are a challenge.

I have a few questions as follows:

1- Should I bring my GPS?

2-Should I bring bug spray given that I will be there late August/early September?

3- I would like to bring some meat back. Given all of the travel, is this too much of a problem? Will the meat spoil?

4- I am extremely concerned about my cape going bad. Is there a taxidermist in Norman Wells who can dry the capes and ship them?

5-Should I bring 1 water bottle or 2?

Any other recommendations or advice will be appreciated.

Thanks!

Larry,

pretty sure the outfitter will answer some of your questions.

1- yes
2- yes and a bug net (you ll thank me).
3- dont know about the travel time if the weather go with you maybe if not the meat then will be better to ge given out ...
4- taxidermist in norman wells ... what about your outfitter?
5- 2 will be the mini but each his own.


i think 3 hours for your shoes is maybe not enough, for the cardio a football stadium with steps will be better ...

will you sleep all time that high ..?

what about shooting?

all the best.

Phil

Thanks Phil.

With my workload, it is hard to find the time to drive to a stadium. I am pretty confident with the conditioning training. Some of the things I am doing are pretty hard.Actually, extremely hard. I just did a couple of pretty serious hikes at altitude while carrying a 50 pound pack and was absolutely fine.

I have walked hundreds of miles in my boots. I am doing a minimum of 6 hours of walking in them every week right now.

I have not been able to practice shooting much of late. My schedule SUCKS this time of year. I am still pretty confident. I have shot a lot in my life. Several weeks ago, I shot a Barrett 50 cal 40 times at 1,000 yards. I hit the target every time. I am going hog hunting next week and to New Zealand the week after that to hunt. I will get in some practice.

The outfitter is already in the mountains. I have not been able to reach him.

Thanks!

Hey Larry....

I wouldn't bother with GPS...pretty hard to get lost in the mountains and that's the guide's worry anyhow. It's additional weight you'll never use.

I doubt you'll experience much for bugs but a small bottle wouldn't hurt. I never saw a mosquito on my August Mackenzie Mountain hunt.

Bringing meat back is possible...take a cooler with you.

I wouldn't worry about your cape...they will salt it well in camp and dry it. Considering how many they handle a year I wouldn't worry.

I'd take one water bottle and something like an MSR water bladder. There is lots of water in those mountains but if you end staying on top for the day, an extra litre of two is welcome.

Make sure you have a good sleeping pad, a headlamp, don't take too much clothing but enough layers to handle anything from freezing to scorching hot, take camp shoes that can be worn crossing streams, some parachute cord is always handy...Just go have fun...Tavis runs a first-class operation and you and your trophy will be well looked after.

Larry I did a Norman wells hunt a couple years back but with a different but highly respected outfitter. My only hick up was being returned to Norman wells with full sets of moose/caribou antlers and capes and this outfitter basically dropped you at motel and it was up to you to pack antlers cape etc for return trip. They wanted nothing to do with that part of the hunt. They had done all the paper work in camp however. It was a great trip in any event. Enjoy your time in the beautiful McKenzie Mtns and look forward to your report.

Holy smoke
Looks like you are really prepared for that hunt!!
I am trying to carry the GPS always. Not much weight and you never know where you end up... However it is fairly easy to find your way when you have mountains to navigate.

Hope you take a nice ram. You deserve it!

Thanks all.

Perhaps I should have been more clear about the GPS. I am not the least bit worried about getting lost. However the GPS could be used for the following:

1- Knowing the distance form point A to point B, thus enabling us to estimate the time it might take to get to point B.

2- It can also be used to mark things that we might have a hard time finding upon our return.

Hi Larry

I hunted the Mckenzie Mtns out of Norman Wells but with a different outfitter,
but I believe all the info will be the same,

As for the GPS, its a good idea as well as a Sat Phone, you will be on your own with one guide and if something happens in the Mountains you will need to be able to communicate with the outside world as well as to give then co ords to where you are,

Your Guide will do an ok job with skinning your capes but the salting and cape preservation is not the best, you are left to take all your skins and antlers with you at the end of the safari,

Make sure you have large plastic bags to transport the skins back to Norman Wells,

Take a pair of crocks with for around camp< your feet will be thankful,

As for a water bottle, take one and a 1l Bladder, there is so much water in those mountains you will always be able to bend down and drink from the run off, but if you are caught on top, its normally over an hour down on loose rocks before you get to water,

took me over half an hour once to fill my bottle just from a small dripping rock

Have fun its a great hunt,

JK

Perhaps I'm old school but I guess the only use I could see for a GPS in the mountains is if your guide died, you lost your map, the batteries died in his GPS and you had to call for an evac. If it will give you piece of mind by all means carry it but to me it is just useless weight and I suspect your guide will have one anyhow. Backpack trips become a game of ounces and the more ounces you can leave at home the further you can hike.

As far as the meat, I brought most of it home from the Brooks Range and boy, I was damn glad I did.
Don't know the situation up there at ARR, but I sure would look into it.

Good luck Larry.

These bags have made a huge difference in handling all my meat from hunts. Outfitters have been impressed. Very lightweight, dry quickly, and the meat gets a skin inside the bag unlike heavy cotton/canvas bags that don't dry out.

Link to bags

http://outdoors-international....door-gear/game-bags/

About your cape. You shouldn't have any problems with your cape as any reputable outfitter will no doubt skin, trim and salt the s... out of your cape. It is then fine for days.
If your worried, ask before you depart on your journey. I'm sure it'll all be fine.
Take lots of pics and have fun.

one thing about the cape - wash it out well with water or the blood will stain it - and - enjoy yourself, you are going to one of the worlds most beautiful places, and one of the most fragile.