AK Dall Sheep Gear and Prep

I'm excited for you bates. You have been working hard on this and I hope you have a great hunt.
I'm headed up on Monday and I can barely concentrate at work.
Basically telling people to do what ever they want I don't care haha!
 
As far as spotter go....I would NEVER go on a sheep or goat hunt without mine! I'd go as far as say...leave your giant binos at home and bring your spotter! The reason I say this is you may spot a ram of a lifetime through your spotter that your guide may miss! You'll be amazed at how quickly rams disappear in that country. The more eyes that are on the mountain spotting the better. You will be really missing out if you don't spend time watching and judging rams and other wildlife. That's the main reason I go hunting...not to just follow my guide around the mountain and wait for him to tell me which ram to shoot! As you can tell that's a touchy subject with me! You may be different than me but I would be battling with my guide to view and judge rams through the spotter if I didn't have one. If it were me I'd sell your small and super large binos and buy a 8 or 10 x 42's. Unless you hunt coues I wouldn't want to pack and use the jumbo binos for Western US hunting and the small binos hardly have any field of view and light gathering feature. It's tough to beat a great combo pair of 8 or 10 x 42's for spotting game and a spotting scope for spotting/judging game at long distance. I NEVER leave home without both!
 
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Jimss, I agree about bringing my own spotter, no doubt about it... I'd want to be apart of the hunt, not just the shooter.

That said, his guides won't be missing anything. They are all damn good!
 
thanks for the info.... i am still torn on optics

i am going to get in one more last quick hike tomorrow night then i will load up all my gear and check weights but i am really leaning towards taking the spotter. i really want to take part in the hunt, and digiscope some sheep.

i did up grade heads to have .5lb
 
Take the spotter. I too lamented this matter and prior to buying a spotter just knew I'd make use of it, for years I elected not to buy one because of weight and cost but always found myself in the field thinking it'd really be no big deal to carry one and wishing I had one in my pack. Weight be damned - you're strong and ready to kick complete and total ass. All that training and gear prep and wife credits used; do you really want to potentially be stuck under a tarp in some bad weather with nothing to do or contribute on your own hunt because the white ball of fur 1000 yards away can't be discerned with your 10x binos? You'll have a fuller experience being able to add eyes on mountains with a spotter instead of merely having the binos.
 
Thanks guys, i know i have over analyzed this but i tend to over think things.

i am going to stick to my original plan and run the 8x32 el and take my spotter

I have the phonescope adapter and want to get some footage of the rams, i did go and buy the outdoorsmans micro so i did shave .5lb off the set up and am super happy with that purchase.

2 years ago on my elk hunt i didn't take a spotter and swore then i wouldnt go west or north without either a spotter or big binos, i lugged it around in wyoming last year and was dang happy i had it on the times we used it to judge bucks and it most rode in the pack, but we spotted and analyzing the buck i ended up shooting at over 1200 yards the day before and came back in and killed him the next day, he was crystal clear in the swaro.

ive looked forward to this for a long while, i love love love glassing and watching animals and want to get the most out of this hunt

i cant wait getting real close now.
 
Good move Bates, as I said I took a 50mm spotter and wished I'd have taken a real spotter with. Since it sounds like you're in pretty good shape, but even if not, it's simple really. It's all mental, just put it in your head that you're packing your spotter because your hunt will be more enjoyable with it and that's that.

Have fun.
 
Yep....great move on bringing the spotter. I just finished my first sheep hunt of the season and there is nothing like watching the antics and majesty of Dall sheep. You will be happy to also have the video footage you can film, long after your hunt is over.

Here's to a great sheep hunt, I look forward to hearing how it goes!!!
 
I always have my spotter. My favorite aspect of being back country is watching animals be animals without them knowing I exist.

Hard to beat the scoping options.


300m is pretty darn clear behind the TG, and even better without atmospheric conditions.
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Gear List

Rifle Dall Sheep and Grizzly Hunt

Brooks Range Alaska

Aug 19-26


Gear

Stone Glacier 6900 Pack with Lid and Rain Cover

Exped synmat HL MW sleeping pad

Kuiu 15 degree bag

Tent - (outfitter provided, but i will take my Hilleberg Niak 1.5 up with me to basecamp and might carry)


Clothing

Kuiu Attack Pant
Kuiu Gaitors
Kuiu Chugach Pants
Kuiu merino zip off long underwear
Kuiu Superdown pants

Sitka Gear core shirt
Kuiu Peleton 200
Kuiu Peleton 240 Hoodie
Kuiu Super down ultra hooded puffy
Kuiu Yukon jacket

Darntough socks (3 pair)
exoffico boxers (2 pair)
1 extra kuiu merino zip t

beanie and neck gaiter
ball cap
glove liner
Kuiu glove either the guide or yukon depending on weather
Kuiu glassing mit

Personal kit

Contacts and glasses
wet wipes
tooth brush
floss
leukotape


2 small lighters
delmore inreach
dark energy charger
extra batteries for camera
sony rx100 camera
2 zebralight's with extra batteries
Treking poles

optics and gun

swaro el 8x32
leica rangefinder
swaro 20-60x80
tripod

custom 280 ackley rifle
march 3-24x42mm scope
extra bullets

Fozzils bowl and cup
spoon
game bags
water bladder
nalgene bottle
Thanks for sharing the list, Hope to get there,,,
 
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