Outfitter: John Peterson, Bristol Bay Outfitters

Guide: Jason Fawcett

Alaska, Brooks Range.

Dates: August 10-19

Species hunted Dall Sheep, Barren Ground Griz. Barren ground Caribou.

Species Killed, Dall Sheep.

My hunting pursuits started mostly in North America, it wasn't till 2000 I ventured to Africa. I had a goal of completeing the African 29 by my 50th b-day, I'll turn 50 in April.

Many, many of my peers have asked me why not pursue the sheep whilst still young and in good physical shape. It got me thinkin' and booked dall with Mark Young.

I was flown via bush plane to the beginning of the float where I met Jason my guide for the trip. The river was flowing at epic levels due to four days of rain. The normal point at which Jason pulls the raft and packs in is normally about a four hour float, we did it in 1.5. In any case we sorted gear and preparred for the walk into spike camp.



I had been training with my pack full of fertilizer for about 3 months, my training weight was about 60#. I had what we figured 85-90 on the way in. The only hard part besides the distance was walking on river rock in hip waders with all that weight. As some of the forum may know I am an avid cyclist, I have been riding and racing for 20 years and feel pretty fit, it was a 6.5 hour grind and it was all I wanted.

we got to Jasons desired spike location around 7 PM. we set up camp and went to glass, we immediately found rams (legal rams) on several mountains around camp. It was 10PM, we decided to go to bed and rest up, as we could shoot at 12:01 the next day.

We woke to rain at around 1:00 AM. we couldn't even glass except for an hour here or there for two days. We had a feel for where there was a legal ram and decided on day three to try and do a stalk regardless the weather. In a gap in the rain we actually got out, glassed the ram we had in mind and made a stalk.

To make a long boring story short we got above him and hammered him at 62 yards. He was in a real real bad place. he slid and rolled about 50 yards into a tree which arrested his descent to the bottom. Pictures were out of the question where he laid. We made our way down to the ram and just decided to give him a push.
He stopped on a small flat spot where we snapped a couple of poor quality pictures.

Our plan was to get him to the bottom and clean him up for proper photos but the rain continued and my camera was screwed when we got to the bottom. There were two distinct times I was in fear for my life, sliding out of control down this scree building speed, and seeing a verticle coming and no way to stop, Jason even went crashing by me once.





The ram was everything I had dreamed. Jason had the cape off mostly by himself in an hour or so (fullmount) we walked back to camp, now in the sunshine (?). We were able to dry some stuff, eat sheep and generally have some fun for the first time since we packed in.



We were a bit worried that the rain had the drainage we walked into so high we couldn't even walk out so we hunted bear and caribou for four days. We never saw a legal mature bear in the drainage. We did watch a real toad caribou for about two hours, but he would have been two days to get killed and back to camp so I passed.

We eventually walked back out to the main river (Kongukut)and were a little surprised to see out raft still where we left it, we figured the thing was in the arctic ocean and John Pete was going to have to airdrop us a new one.

The walk out was punishing, physically one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was about 115 and Jason was at LEAST 140 he's not large but he's a tough one. We got into the raft and hunted down river for the three remaining days, fished some, the high water made the normally awesome fishing not so awesome but we still ate char every day


All in all good fun, just the weather made it difficult, I live in Arizona and love Africa, rain doesn't enter into the equation much. Jason was awesome, highly motivated good company, loves high dangerous places

Sheep shape? yep, Shale shape? nope. Do again? yep.



Steve

Congrats on a beautiful ram! Sounds like you earned him.

So what's next a Stone or a Bighorn?

I'm thinkin Stone and goat together maybe, get all this mountain and cliff nonsense out of my system.

Nice report, Steve..
It was certainly a great phone call from you on the sat phone while still on the mountain very shortly after your ram hit the dirt.

Congrats on the great ram!

steve

great report, but honestly at 62 yards you should have brought your 500NE instead

congratulations on a great sheep, i envy you that trip a lot.

best

peter

Nice Steve.

quote:

Originally posted by Nganga:
....get all this mountain and cliff nonsense out of my system.

Advice. Never visit Asian mountains. Then you'll never get it out..

Congrats! Beautiful ram!

Steve,
Great report,and beautiful ram
Congratulations!

Nice ram, great story--Congrats!

Steve,

A very hearty congratulations on your hunt. You may have just done the hardest, most rewarding hunt in North America.

From another brother who has hunted both continents, I love wild africa - but the mountains are a sickness. I am addicted to them. My buddies and I were considering where to go next - and the siren call of the north grabbed me. Now they have you. Excellent!

Go get that stone, and let me know if you want a recommendation for those other two.

quote:

You may have just done the hardest, most rewarding hunt in North America.

Jack,
I think your right, I'm sure some may think I sound soft, I assure you this was a tough hunt. Think about doing a 10 day spike in those mountains with only whats on your back, add in horrid weather. Only those who have done one of these can understand the emotional highs and lows of mountain hunting.

Funny thing was, the easiest part of the hunt was the long grinder climbs up slopes. My body handled it well, And since I've been back on my bike it has made me able to push a gear more than usual, thus riding faster.

I now see why guys get addicted.....

To add to my report.

Gear failure: Browing waterproof boots. My ass.

Cannon camera: Dried out eventually

Under Armor waterproof gloves: were only waterproof if you filled them up inside, none got out.

Used .300 win mag w/ 180 gr. Nosler Accubond,
Damage was UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Steve

The glove comment is hysterical.

Larry,
I didn't think so at the time
Steve

He's a beauty! Congrats Steve...

Well done. Thx for sharing.

Well done Steve,
It is also my dream to do a Dall sheep hunt some time, but not enough courage for it due to the physical demand.
Really admire most sheep hunters.

Thank you for the very nice report and photos.

Roberto

Outstanding

Great sheep Steve!!!

Brett

Nice sheep and sounds like quite an adventure !

So how are you doing on the African 29-there yet or still some to go.

Also are you going for the NA Grand Slam of sheep ?

I finished the African 29 in 2008. I guess I really wasn't specific on that huh?

The sheep slam, I guess. I will look for a stone in Reno or wait till the deals next year. The Stone and the Goat, I think I need to do whilst still racing. The Rocky and the Desert.......patience I guess. I can hunt them both here in Arizona.

Steve

Congratulations on your sheep, sounds like a good hunt. Funding a sheep hunt - painful. Being in sheep shape - priceless.

WOW! A HUNTER!

where's the feeder at?

Nice pix and great report. Ram ain't too bad either.

Very impressive report and hunt Steve. Lesser men would have been weeping on that mountain. It sounds like the conditions couldn't have been much worse. Congratulations on a beautiful and hard earned ram.

Great trip. I once got a Dall wearing my hip boots. Don't ask why he was wearing them.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Herald:
He's a beauty! Congrats Steve...

Amen. Congrats!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:
Great trip. I once got a Dall wearing my hip boots. Don't ask why he was wearing them.

Steve,
John Peterson told me "back in the old days" he guided many sheep from the river and were shot in hip boots. Now they rarely see legal rams from the river.
Steve

Excellent report "young man". Beauty of a dall and great pics; what not to appreciate in this life. Climb while ya can man.

Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience with us.

Nganga,

Beautiful sheep, great job! When you're ready for the Stone and mtn. goat, give the Collingwood brothers a good look: http://www.collingwoodbros.com/_/Home.html I've hunted with them on several ocassions (41.5" Stone and 9.5" billy) and they are topnotch, run a quality ethical operation in a great area. They will be in Reno. (But be ready for sticker shock as Stone sheep prices have gone through the roof in recent years)

By the way there is no cure for "sheep fever" other than old age!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
W.

Well done!

Congrats on your sheep. These hunts are far tougher than most African hunts.

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
Congrats on your sheep. These hunts are far tougher than most African hunts.

Funny, I got into a debate with a PH about this. Have done several sheep hunts and know what they entail.
His claim was elephant hunting was much more physical. Let's just say we agreed to disagree.

Very nice ram. Gonna make a beauty of a trophy.

At age 61, I can still do elephant hunts of 21 days, if necessary. After a few heart caths and knee surgeries, a sheep hunt would kill me, or leave me crippled. Do one's mountain hunting while one's heart and knees are good!
25 years ago, I took one of my sons and two nephews to British Columbia to hunt. On a long horseback ride across a mountain pass to another valley during a snowstorm, we found that the goretex gloves of that day worked backwards--- they let water in, but not out!