A decade in the mountains; one man’s sheep journey.

[Steve O]

I liked the Via packs, but I quit Starbucks when they went anti gun. I refuse to financially support those that do not support the 2nd amendment.

Dang it. I had no idea.

 

[wilkes]

Made me feel like I was on the journey... Great story telling! Thank you for sharing.

 

[paddlehead]

Thanks for the great story. I realize I have a ways to go as a hunter t be as effective a hunter as you are. I have been wanting to make AK my home since I spent 4 summers guiding wilderness float trips. I love AK. There is something magical about it.

 

[Matt W.]

Stid2677 / Steve, time to clean out your Inbox.. : )

 

[ericfamilee]

Steve, thanks for entertaining, educating, and inspiring me with your amazing post. I learned a lot, such as memorizing stains to differentiate rams - it never occurred to me to do that. Thanks!

 

[birdman1]

That was a great read! Well written and awesome photos. Thanks!!!!

 

[Stid2677]

Well I'm in the Nevada Dream tag raffle, bought 9 chances each for both Dessert and Bighorn Sheep, even If I don't draw the money is for a good cause. Now if I can figure out how the Wyoming raffle works, their website is hard to figure out. Anyone have a link to enter that raffle??

Good luck to all those dream seekers like me.

Steve

 

[Nick Muche]

Steve,

Here is the link they used last year, so I am sure it will be on here once they get it going again.

http://www.wyomingfnaws.org/raffles.html

 

[Ray]

http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/news-1001800.aspx

Nick, that link is for the sheep foundation tags they are given to auction or raffle off. My link here is for the state's new raffle system that covers several species. Similar to the NV Dream Tag raffle.

However, it looks like since it is new for 2014 you have to call them to find out how to "apply". I cannot find a link to something specific so it might be buried in their on-line purchase process which went fully electronic this year due to budget cuts. A call would be best: (307) 777-4600

 

[Stid2677]

Thanks guys,, I'm in for Alaska, Nevada and Wyoming. Now I get the have 3 passover parties this year.

Good luck to all!!

Steve

 

[Stid2677]

Never too soon to get ready for next year.

Time to twist up some "Sheep Seeking Missiles" for the 280AI. Should work nice with the new Swaro 4x12x50 BT 4W

 

[Ray]

Steve, bullets don't do you any good if you don't have any powder to go with them.... Sigh.....

I have just enough to keep me in rounds for confirming and hunting but serious practicing with the old 300 SAUM will be curtailed again unless a keg of H4350 falls in my lap this spring. I'll have to shoot the other rifles to keep my trigger finger greased up. The .338Mag is saying pick me, pick me already.

 

[Yellowknife]

Steve, bullets don't do you any good if you don't have any powder to go with them.... Sigh.....

You aren't kidding. I bought 3 lbs of my favorite Ramshot Hunter for my main rifle last year, and have been milking it out ever since. Down to my last 1/2 lb now.

For those (like Stid) in Fairbanks however, Frontier Outfitters just got a pretty good size shipment of IMR 4350 in this afternoon. I snagged a bottle just to tide me over. Have a little H4350 on the shelf too, so I'll keep the bullets flying even if they aren't propelled by my preferred powder.

Yk

 

[Stid2677]

You aren't kidding. I bought 3 lbs of my favorite Ramshot Hunter for my main rifle last year, and have been milking it out ever since. Down to my last 1/2 lb now.

For those (like Stid) in Fairbanks however, Frontier Outfitters just got a pretty good size shipment of IMR 4350 in this afternoon. I snagged a bottle just to tide me over. Have a little H4350 on the shelf too, so I'll keep the bullets flying even if they aren't propelled by my preferred powder.

Yk

Thanks for the heads up, picked up a couple pounds. 4350 works in about everything.

Steve

 

[Jdog]

absolutely superb Steve.

 

[arctic sapper]

Thanks for sharing these lessons Stid. A comment though about the river crossing methods. I carried light river shoes that people use when rafting. I would get to the stream and switch to those and put my boots on my pack. It took about ten minutes on each side of the crossing. The shoes only weighed 1lb 5 oz making the extra weight worth it to walk in dry boots.

 

[rodney.black]

havent had a chance to read it all yet but loved looking through the pictures

 

[Stid2677]

Thanks for sharing these lessons Stid. A comment though about the river crossing methods. I carried light river shoes that people use when rafting. I would get to the stream and switch to those and put my boots on my pack. It took about ten minutes on each side of the crossing. The shoes only weighed 1lb 5 oz making the extra weight worth it to walk in dry boots.

I have used your method as well, but the place I hunt a lot requires over 20 river crossing as the river cliffs out multiple times and about every 3 to 4 hundred yards. Just too many times to swap shoes.

I do like Vivobarefoot Men's Ultra Running Shoe for water crossings and camp shoes. They have speed laces and are half the weight of crocs.

 

[arctic sapper]

I have used your method as well, but the place I hunt a lot requires over 20 river crossing as the river cliffs out multiple times and about every 3 to 4 hundred yards. Just too many times to swap shoes.

I do like Vivobarefoot Men's Ultra Running Shoe for water crossings and camp shoes. They have speed laces and are half the weight of crocs.

I'll look into those shoes- they might be lighter than my method.

 

[Snyd]

My ankles can't handle stream crossings with a heavy pack with light, floppy type shoes with no support. Plastic boots and Glacier socks for me. Now my partner on the other hand wears Tiva sandals with over 100lb pack and handles it like nothin. I don't know how he does it.