2022 AK guided sheep hunt write up

[outlook8]

Just got notice he was ready to be picked up at taxidermist.

Very nice, I got the same mount, just turned the other way.

Who did the work, Ben?

 

[Bowfinatic]

Looks great

 

[schmalzy]

Very nice, I got the same mount, just turned the other way.

Who did the work, Ben?

Thank you. Double Nickel Taxidermy in New Braunfels, TX.


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[CHL]

Looks great man! Congrats.

 

[schmalzy]

Looks great man! Congrats.

Thank you!


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[Rowsdower]

Nice ram and write up of your hunt. The preparation for a sheep hunt has always been a huge part of the experience. The satisfaction of having that preparation result in harvesting a ram feels so good, though I’ve learned A LOT on my unsuccessful sheep hunts. Congratulations!

 

[WILDMULEY]

Awesome story! Congrats!

 

[schmalzy]

Appreciate it gents.


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[dustyroads]

Great story! Thanks for sharing!

 

[AC Kantor]

Last summer I had a successful hunt with Alaska Dall Sheep Guides with Mont Mahoney in the Wrangells. It was an awesome time and everything I could have hoped for. Originally I had planned on posting this right after but then for some reason decided to sit on it.

I searched for every Dall hunt write up I could when booking and lived vicariously through them so figured I’d do the same. Kind of long but tried to keep it succinct and to the point.

8-2-22: Flew into Anchorage and stayed at the Lakefront Hotel by the Airport. Solid spot and highly recommend. They can store your luggage and gun cases and have a great walk-in freezer for storing meat.

8-3-22: Original plan was to catch a charter from Anchorage directly to another area that would serve as a base camp. Weather was iffy and flight canceled. 4 other hunters, 1 guide and I piled into a suburban and drove to Tok instead. Scenic drive and enjoyed bs’in with everyone. Got a burger at Fast Eddie’s and a room and hit the rack.

8-4-22: Flew out of Tok and into base camp. Enjoyed the flight and saw sheep for the first time. I live in Houston, so Alaska is about as opposite as you can get for geography, climate and lifestyle. It was unreal to see it all up close.

8-5-22: Hung out in base camp and walked down to creek and explored as best I could. Was anxious to get on the mountain but enjoyed the company and was nice to get a little more acclimated.

8-6-22: Met my guide, Dan, and we were off into the mountains. I hit the lottery with Dan. We spoke some before the hunt and were on the same page regarding gear, fitness and pace. Told him I was in it to win it and too dumb to quit. Hiked a few miles and set up camp on a gravel bar. Finally “in country” and couldn’t believe it was happening.

8-7-22: We slept in just a little bit and then kept working our way up the valley. Set up our main camp and started glassing various ridges and making a game plan for next few days.

8-8-22: Coincidentally my birthday. Did some solid hiking and found 2 rams, one of them that I would eventually shoot. We had thought there were more in the area and wanted to see what else was there. Nicknamed him “Deep Back Pocket”, as we liked him but he was going to be tough to get to. We were pretty sure he was full curl and 8 but not positive. Couldn’t get super close to him that day and heat waves off the rocks made it tough to be exact. A great day and only birthday I’ve spent chasing sheep.

8-9-22: Climbed a different ridge, walked a ways, and did not find the rams we thought we would find. Lots of ewes and lambs. Took in some breathtaking views and finally started to feel slightly more comfortable sidehilling. As stated previously, I’m from Houston and only place I could find to practice side hilling were detention ponds haha. Process of elimination put them on a different ridge system and we planned to hit hard in AM on the opener.


WARNING: this day is long.
8-10-22: Opening day, covered in snow. We slept in and let it quit snowing and then headed out. 2 mile or so walk to next area and then 1000 foot climb into a high valley of sorts. We thought rams would be there but no dice. Decided to go all in and climbed the back wall, another 1500 feet. Finally found them. One possibly legal ram that was about a mile away. We glassed for a while, Dan glassing one band and I the other. A few hours in, the ram from a few days earlier shows up. We get a better look and like him.

Getting late in the day, about 6pm and we decide to make the play. Wishing and hoping wasn’t going to get it done. We were still about 90% sure he was a shooter but had to close the distance. We get within 700 yards, but not quite enough. Move to 400, still not enough. Finally get to about 300 and able to get a better look. Heat waves still strong. Took another 2 hours to confirm he was legit. Dan did an excellent job going through each method and we eventually both agreed he definitively met one, and most likely would meet a few. Just as Dan gives me the green light, the ram steps behind a ledge and we can’t get a shot.

By this point I’ve prayed and accepted it may or not be my opportunity. It was the prettiest afternoon I can remember with a view that I can’t do justice with words. Somehow, all was well in my world at that moment. I could go on and on about the trials and events in my life that lead to me being fortunate enough to be there that afternoon, just to even have a chance at it, but it’s ultimately not important. I’m a regular mid 30s guy with an awesome, amazing wife and three young kids at home, and there I was chasing my dream.

We sat there freezing for a while and just when we got our jackets out and figured we missed our chance he stepped out. Took a few moments to get spotters/cameras set and angles and distances confirmed. He started feeding up a hill and I took my shot. 178 grain ELDX in a 30-06 Kimber Montana. Pretty steep shot, 50 degrees or so and about 300 yards LOS. Bullet hit exactly where it was supposed to behind his shoulder and dropped him. It was lights out. He tumbled 50 yards-ish down the rock chute. Bullet performed flawlessly. Almost looked like a lightning bolt nailed him. It was 9:35pm.

Dan was as excited and happy as I was. We were both so happy and so thankful to be there in the moment, pure joy. Betting on ourselves, pushing to the next ridge, and then the next and then the next, and having relentlessly positive attitudes killed that Ram. He was full curl and counted 8 rings, and actually better on the ground than in the scope. Troopers later confirmed using multiple methods the same in base camp.

Dan took a ton of pictures for me which I can’t thank him enough for. Seriously awesome. After that, Dan started caping and deboning and everything related to that. Finished up around 2 am. No chance we could get down in the dark and didn’t have our camp with us so we threw on all our layers and got a little sleep on the mountainside (And by little sleep I mean we just sat there cold and didn’t sleep haha).

8-11-22: Sun came up at 4 and we started loading the meat and horns up. We would have to pack everything out a different way then we came and drop it off, then circle back opposite way 5 miles to camp and grab it, and come back. No other way around it but a long day. Finally made it to an improvised strip we hoped to use. Long story but ultimately didn’t work for getting us out and we slept there.

8-12-22: 3 more miles to another strip and we were done. Got back to base camp and put on fresh clothes and hopped on another charter back to Tok. From there went Anchorage. Booked a room on the way and thought all was good; showed up at front desk and apparently the reservation never made it through on the site end. A few flights got cancelled and the whole city was booked up. After calling 10 separate hotels I found a room for 400 bucks. Wasn’t happy about it but hey, I had a badass ram and an adventure of a lifetime. What did I care about a room for a night being a little steep.

8-13-22: Got to explore Anchorage for the day. Being that we had walked 35+ miles in the preceding week I just decided to walk from the airport area to downtown. Stopped at Barney’s and got some hats and shirts for buddies, a few shops for souvenirs for wife and kids, and explored the city. Had a blast. Took a red eye at 8pm to Houston.

8-14-22: My wife picked me up at 6am and we went to breakfast. Without a doubt the MVP of the whole shebang. Supported and encouraged me to chase the dream of being a sheep hunter and was somewhat understanding when I explained that I HAVE to go back. Not sure how or when, but it’s going to happen.


I’ll say the cliche. Don’t wait. It was worth every penny. Make it happen. Be the husband and father you need to be, kick ass at work to make it happen financially, lose the weight, get your head right, don’t be a victim,etc. I’m hesitant to share it but feel like It might help for others; for me this was retiring from drinking.

I don’t know much if anything about sheep hunting but the few things that were pretty clear for me:

- Get in shape, ruck, test your gear and get your feet ready. I was extremely glad I did.
- A relentlessly positive attitude and commitment to stay in the game made it a lot more fun for everyone.
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and try to laugh when you can. Being happy or being miserable was most often just a personal choice.

Thanks for joining me for the ride!!!

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Great story! Well done!

 

[schmalzy]

Great story! Well done!

Appreciate it! Thankful to have an audience to share it with.


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