I just got back from a fantastic hunt in Alaska's Brooks Range.

My guide, Dan Ondersma,


Looking Down at our tent. It's the red dot to the left of my boots and across the river. Way, Way down ther !!!!


I turned the camera around and took another picture looking up.


On the fourth day we made one hellacious climb and I made a 215yd shot with my Mod.70 30-06.












The finest meal I've ever had.


My daughter put this video together.

Ram Down

Sweet!

Dog Man

very nice Ram congratulations!

Congrats on a fine ram and a great mountain hunting experience.

Best of Hunting,
Mark Hampton

Truly awesome and something you should be proud of for the rest of your life!! Congratulations!

Congrats on a fine sheep. looked like a fun hunt.

I've been waiting for a Sheep Post... Congrat's and Thanks....
AK

Awesome photos and country.

Well done.


.

Nice Video, congratulations on a nice trophy and I'm sure a rewarding experience.

Thumbs up!
That did look like one steep climb to your ram.

Nice ram, congratulations, great photos, thanks for sharing them with us.

Very nice.. I miss the Brooks Range...

Dog Man, that is an awesome post! Congratulations on an excellent ram and hunt, and many many thanks for sharing it and your pictures with us here so we can vicariously enjoy it with you. The Brooks Range really is a special place that every hunter owes to himself to visit at least once.
Well done!
Bob

Dog Man , Dan is a good friend of mine and it looks like you guys killed a nice ram a had a great time!! I seem to have grown out of sheep guiding and it's nice to know that fellows like Dan are there to take up my slack.

Thanks for that Dog Man, we were in Alaska 12 months ago next month - brings back great mrmories

Thanks for that Dog Man, we were in Alaska 12 months ago next month - brings back great memories

DM,

Fantastic! How about more details of your hunt?

See any other game? Which outfitter? Cost? Length of hunt? Your load? Your equipment? Dan's equipment? Jump off point?

Thanks,

Alan

Aug. 10-17 2011
Outfitter - Glacier Mountain Outfitters
Mod. 70 30-06 Stainless/Synthetic Featherweight, Leupold 3.5X10.
I used my long time favorite hand load for deer sized game.
165gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip and IMR 4350.

I was dropped off by Supercub at base camp (1 two man Tent) and was met by 25 yr old Dan Ondersma. 6' 3" and 190lbs. I thought to myself, so that's what a sheep guide looks like. Well after 6 days with Dan in those mountains, I can assure you, that is exactly what he is. Confident, capable, friendly and always a great attitude during the highs and lows of a mountain hunt.

I had started training for this hunt 4 months before. My training consisted of climbing two different hills that were within a few miles of my home.
One was an 800 foot altitude gain, that I would climb in 28 minutes without stopping and the other was 600 feet that would take me 14 minutes, also without stopping. I did all the climbing with my pack loaded with most of the stuff I planned on carrying on the hunt, it weighed 42lbs. I wore the Sitka Mountain pants, 90 degree coat, Cabelas Alaskan boots and wore my Swarovski binnoculars and carried my gun on all the climbs. I did one of the climbs at least 3 times per week and as much as 3 times in a day.
It worked, I was in sheep shape. I believe a guy could go to the gym everyday and be in fantastic shape and still fail on a sheep hunt. I wanted to train as closely as I could to what I expected to be doing on the hunt. My legs, feet, arms, back, neck, lungs, everything was conditioned for what I eventually needed to do.

Ok, now for where I miscalculated. I found out I should have been taking extreme rock climbing classes, purchased the best mountaineering safety helmet, rock hammers, climbing ropes that money could buy. I have never been so terrified in my life.
Heights had nothing to do with it. I jumped into Devil's Pool at the top edge of Victoria Falls, loved it, didn't bother me a bit.
In that part of the Brooks Range, when you saw a ram and decide to make an approach/climb, it got steep, treacherous and dangerous everytime.

After the first climb, I mentioned to Dan my concerns and he replied, "Yes, I understand, sheep hunting is not for the faint of heart". That made me feel a lot better, not!!

It was sheep county. I did see 4 caribou passing quickly through and one marmot. After I got there, I didn't expect to see anything else. You couldn't have scratched together enough wood for a campfire if you searched for a week. It definately was beautiful sheep country and that was what I was after.

Video Clip

Ram Down

congratulations on taking a nice Brook's range ram.

Enjoying the fabulous sheep steaks is a HUGE part of my whole hunt. It took some planning to get it home in good shape, but oh brother is it worth it. I would put mountain sheep up against any wild game out there.

Congratulations on your sheep!!!

Brett

CONGRATS!

Congrat's I agree they are goooooood eating. Enjoy

Beautiful ram. The steaks look yummy.

Nice report and great photos. Congrats on a nice ram!

Nice ram in some real knarly looking country.

Sounds like you put the time in to get in sheep-shape.

Congrats, you earned it!

Chris

Enjoyed your post,thanks for sharing your hunt with us!!

Nice, thanks for posting.

Congratulations on a great ram and hunt of a lifetime!

O

Nice ram! Well done...