Me and my father hunted with Jim & Adrienne Fink (Blackstone Outfitters) back in 2013. Due to bad luck and bad weather, we came home empty handed. We just recently returned from a return trip, and we more than made up for it.

Jim operates in the Olgilvie Mountains in one of the most northern concessions in the Yukon. Lots of moose, lots of sheep, along with caribou (mountain, and on certain years the Porcupine Herd), and grizzly bears.

We hunted September 14th-23rd. I took my HS Precision .300WSM (168 gr TTSX), and my dad had his new Fierce in .300 WM (180 gr TTSX).

Guided by Jim & Adrienne's son, Warren, and apprentice guide Dusten, we headed on the Peel River via jetboat. The rut seemed slow to come on. Lots of tracks but nothing responding, and not many scrapes or rubs. Worked our way down river until finally on day 6 we enter a pristine meadow. Gave a couple cow calls and a very nice bull comes out about 150 yards away and comes right in. Two shots later he drops and the 16 days on the river are all worth it.



Bull was just shy of 60" wide (59.5") and had a drop tine and lots of character. An old bull to boot.











With a few days left on the hunt, and two sheep tags in our pockets, we decided to go look for some rams. We rode and hiked the first day, and ended up spotting two good looking rams on the first day (hunt day 8). Made a plan to put the sneak on them and of course they were nowhere to be found by the time we got there, about 3 hours later. We figured they couldn't have gone far, and we'll try again in the morning. As soon as we left camp, we saw two dots on the same mountain as the previous day. Only they had moved around and now were on the opposite face. We rode the horses down into a draw and out of sight. The rams were only about 600-700 yards away, but any direct approach and we would be out in the open. My dad had been doing fine and hiking the hills like a champ, but with this being the last full day to get it done, and one hell of a hike backtracking up and around to stay out of view, we decided it was best for me to go for it. about 2.5 hours later, me and Tyler (guide) were belly crawling up the mountain to get in position. Ram was obviously good length wise, but he wanted to make sure he was 8 years or older (Blackstone policy). So for the next 30 mins we kept moving slowly to get a good angle to count rings. Finally Tyler gave me the green light, I crawled up to a small rise, and let him have it at about 150 yards.







This hunt was pretty special. I turned 38 the day before I shot this ram. It also happened to be the 1 year anniversary of taking my dad to Stanford to have emergency surgery (Neck fusion, due to a fracture on the c1/c2). He also then had a stem cell transplant in February. Needless to say, a lot of things have happened within the last year. I'm sure his surgeon would shit a brick if he knew what we were doing. Oh well, this is what we live for! Proud of him for staying in the gym, and keeping himself in shape for the trip. I truly believe that having these type of things to look forward to can drastically improve ones health. Mental and physical.

Happy Birthday to me! Back at basecamp. Hot shower. Hot food. and Carrot CAKE!



Thanks to Jim & Adrienne Fink for running a great operation. I would highly recommend them for Moose and/or sheep. He has a lot of sheep, and lots of areas that have not been hunted. Sheep range from pure white Dalls, to some really dark Fannins. I saw photos of some rams that were as dark as any Stone sheep I've seen. You can also see the black/grey is pretty apparent in my ram as well. I didn't bother measuring or scoring him. I just know he was at least 9 years old. Widest ram they killed all year. He also had a very nice thick coat.

Of course here is a video of the hunt as well. Hope you like it!

https://vimeo.com/185258297

Thankyou for another great report. Good to see you that you didn't give up after the initial disappointment of your first hunt. I am pleased for your success which you surely deserved. It reminds me a lot of my two BC hunts where my dream trophy, a big Mountain Goat, remains unfulfilled. I return next year to try again. Your report ramps up the anticipation of that hunt even more !
Good luck to you and Dad on your hunts to come.

seems you were there in summer ... no snow.

well done and perseverance or tenacity always pays back.

September 14-23

There was a little snow here and there. not much

Congratulations on a great hunt for you and your dad!! Nothing beats hunting with the family.

Great Report! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We just got back from there having gone with Midnight Sun Outfitters.

PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THESE GUYS. ABSOLUTELY THE WORST EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD. DO NOT, DO NOT BOOK WITH MIDNIGHT SUN!!!

Jim

thanks guys!


Sorry to hear that it didn't go well with Midnight Sun. We talked to a couple guys heading out with them when we got to Vancouver. Probably the hunt before yours.

Side note... From what I understand these Fannin sheep count as a stone (which some people may disagree with). Jim charges about half of what the BC stone hunts are going for. Just FYI for those that might be interested. Success rate is very high. I think the only hunter (maybe 2 this year) that didn't get a ram this year was because they gave up. LOTS OF SHEEP in his area. Can't speak highly enough of the operation.

quote:

Originally posted by JFWRC:
Great Report! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We just got back from there having gone with Midnight Sun Outfitters.

PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THESE GUYS. ABSOLUTELY THE WORST EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD. DO NOT, DO NOT BOOK WITH MIDNIGHT SUN!!!

Jim

why not putting an hunting report on it?

quote:

Originally posted by bobby7321:
Side note... From what I understand these Fannin sheep count as a stone (which some people may disagree with). Jim charges about half of what the BC stone hunts are going for. Just FYI for those that might be interested. Success rate is very high. I think the only hunter (maybe 2 this year) that didn't get a ram this year was because they gave up. LOTS OF SHEEP in his area. Can't speak highly enough of the operation.

he is one of the few that do not make money on stone where is it not one .... a fannin is a dall ....

http://www.huntingreport.com/h..._details.cfm?id=1663

http://www.env.gov.yk.ca/anima...at/mammals/sheep.php

Great Idea Medved! I will.

Ok well if you want a stone colored dall then, he's your guy!

quote:

Originally posted by bobby7321:
Ok well if you want a stone colored dall then, he's your guy!

i like your attitude.

I also have hunted with Blackstone. Reports are all accurate. Took a 41 1/2", 10 yr old ram with him a few years back. Great outfit and he may be in DSC in January.

great hunt e trophies.

Great trophies and super adventure with your dad - congratulations to both of you! Perseverance through all the difficult times really paid off.

OK. You win the "trip of a lifetime" award. So happy for you and your father. I have been lucky enough to hunt with my dad and know the joy in your heart after an adventure like that. Thank you for sharing. Great video. Wish you hunted with me!

Ski+3
Kalispell, MT

Congratulations, that is a BEAUTIFUL Dall, Fannin, Stone. I took a Dall, Fannin, Stone a few years back with the Reynolds, had a dark saddle, black legs, black tail. He is part of my Grand Slam, have the plaque on the wall and my card in my wallet. Have to be careful these days saying the phrase Grand Slam, they will want to sue you. You have a beautiful sheep, let them call it what they want. When you look at it on the wall you will be thinking about the hunt.

Great report and excellent video... almost makes you feel like you are there. And nice to see you hunting with your dad! You both will remember these experiences together for as long as you draw a breath...

Well done.

Those are some fine trophies!!!

Great hunt, congratulations. Nice getting to go on a hunt like that with your father, cherish those moments.

Awesome brings back memories of my moose and Dall hunt. Thanks for sharing only a handful of people ever get to experience that kind of beauty !

What a great report and video. Congratulations to you, Dad and the outfitters. jc