Grisha
Lil-Rokslider
Had the opportunity to hunt the Chugach range last week - put down a heavy, 9 yo billy with nearly 10 inch horns at 350 yards (65 prc with Berger 140 vlds: shot behind shoulder dropped him dead in place). Thought I would share some pics and a few takeaways on equipment. Ben Stevenson was the outfitter and Marcel Powell the guide: cannot say enough positive things about these guys. Area has a ton of animals - we saw probably 30 goats while glassing first evening and 7 black bears including at least one big bruiser. These guys know their stuff and put the work in to make a hunter successful.
Landscapes rugged and just breathtaking.
And of course, the goat.
Gear I was happiest with was from Stone Glacier: gaiters, pants, pack, merino wool hoodie, puffy, sleeping bag, etc, all performed. Used 10" insulated Scarpas - opted for synthetic boots since I thought they might be better in soaking conditions compared to leather. Would have liked marginally more ankle support on fully loaded pack with meat, hide, etc, but overall performed great and would recommend for these wet conditions.
[edit: absolutely do not rely on breathable rain gear. Kryptek failed on day one after soaking, crawling, dragging my way toward goat. Rubberized gear an absolute must. If hunting out of a base camp, I would bring backup for this region as well. I wound up fairly hypothermic, had trouble using my digits, etc after the goat was down.]
I generally consider myself to be in good shape but the pack out was where I really got taught a lesson about how hard this kind of mountain hunt can be and what level of training is required. I had been doing off trail hiking in the mountains near our home, but, unfortunately I had covid over labor day and spent the rest of the month lounging around trying to recover. Not ideal, had to rely on the guide to get my share back successfully.
When I got home, I found rust all over my bipod - trying to sort that out but frustrating to see that. Disassembled rifle to dry it out, no major issues there.
Lastly, absolutely should have gotten a bear tag. They were thick as fleas.
Landscapes rugged and just breathtaking.
And of course, the goat.
Gear I was happiest with was from Stone Glacier: gaiters, pants, pack, merino wool hoodie, puffy, sleeping bag, etc, all performed. Used 10" insulated Scarpas - opted for synthetic boots since I thought they might be better in soaking conditions compared to leather. Would have liked marginally more ankle support on fully loaded pack with meat, hide, etc, but overall performed great and would recommend for these wet conditions.
[edit: absolutely do not rely on breathable rain gear. Kryptek failed on day one after soaking, crawling, dragging my way toward goat. Rubberized gear an absolute must. If hunting out of a base camp, I would bring backup for this region as well. I wound up fairly hypothermic, had trouble using my digits, etc after the goat was down.]
I generally consider myself to be in good shape but the pack out was where I really got taught a lesson about how hard this kind of mountain hunt can be and what level of training is required. I had been doing off trail hiking in the mountains near our home, but, unfortunately I had covid over labor day and spent the rest of the month lounging around trying to recover. Not ideal, had to rely on the guide to get my share back successfully.
When I got home, I found rust all over my bipod - trying to sort that out but frustrating to see that. Disassembled rifle to dry it out, no major issues there.
Lastly, absolutely should have gotten a bear tag. They were thick as fleas.
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