dall sheep 2020 advice

[Farmerlentz]

Hi guys i have been a lurker here for a while and figured it was time to jump in. I have my dream hunt for Dall sheep booked with max schwab in Alaska for 2020. Looking for advice on some gear you guys have used on your sheep hunts and advice on sheep hunting overall. I am a elk hunter and normally log 150 to 200 miles in the mountians each fall. One of my biggest gear questions is to take a tent or take my so lbo floorless what are your thoughts. Thank you Jordan

 

[Kimbersig]

your guide should give you a gear list and their recommendations based on their operation and area. I would go tent over floorless based on my experience and the weather during my dall hunt a few years ago.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Here is a link to a little bit of sheep wisdom:

forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/137992-A-decade-in-the-mountains-one-man’s-sheep-journey

 

[Farmerlentz]

Thanks I have talked to them quite a bit. They are still running tarps and bivys. Was wondering if a tent would be worth the weight though

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Thank you for the link I will check it out

 

[DoubleBroomedMountainRifles]

Max hunts the central eastern Alaska range. One of the most heavily commercial guided areas in the state of Alaska. About 50 air miles from my home. I’ve hunted it a few times but stopped due to the amount of guiding activity. Though currently has one of the highest amount of sheep success in the state.

What time of year are you hunting. To be honest you sound like you know what you are doing in the mtns with your elk hunting experience. Half of the guides in AK these outfitters employ should not even be guidomg sheep hunts with their lack of experience and so forth. Your Mtn experience I would be willing to bet will trump your guides. Many don’t even live in our state of Alaska.

Running tarps and bivy sacks I tend to wonder about his choices. That area can be brutal during anytime of the Sheep season.

For “one shelter” early/late season hunts my choice is a Hilli Akto and has been for about 4 years.

I spent 5weeks of the 6 week season with this choice. You won’t be disappointed.

There is no way I’d do a bivy/tarp as my only shelter. For one - two day bivy camps I use a Kifaru ParaTarp with a MonteBell sleeping bag liner BUT this set up is not my ONLY option in the backcountry. Ensure you insist on what YOU want for gear in the backcountry especially with your experience.

I’ve been personally hunting Dall’s in AK for 19 years and have guided a few hunters commercially. I know what works and what doesn’t for the vast majority of scenarios in the backcountry of Alaska.

 

[Farmerlentz]

Doublebroomedmountianrifles
Thank you for the response. I am going to be hunting the opener Aug 10 I think. I talked to a lot of guides but Ryan Augastine who now owns Max Schwab was the only one who seemed to be offering a true back pack hunt. I talked to over 40 references and they all had good things to say or whined about walking too much lol. I was looking for a adventure I wont forget and that seemed to be what he was offering no frills just hunting and hiking.

The Hilli Akto was on my radar would you recommend it over the hilli SOulo? Also do you have a recommend for creek crossing it seems like most of the stuff I hear guys talking about is discontinued. Any other Gear recommends for sheep hunting. I feel like for the lower 48 I am pretty dialed in but there is always room for improvement and Alska is its own animal. I spent the afternoon making a sell pile to try to upgrade to some swaro binos.

Pretty jealous of you hunting Dalls for 19 years. I was born in Ak but parents moved when i was 7. Grew up listeneing to my Grandpas Dall sheep adventures and have always wanted to go. He was going diy solo into the brooks before it was even cool. Biggest concern of going is that once wont be enough lol. Cant wait.

Any other advice is appreciated.

Were you on Tundra Talk by the way. Your name is familiar?

 

[Ridgerunner]

At least you are hunting the opener. Weather can be great or terrible. I hit it with good weather in 13 with Max, Ryan was my guide, it worked out pretty well for me but like any sheep hunt there are hiccups mine just weren’t expected and happened after the sheep was down. Had buddies hunt with them in 15 and there was quite a bit more pressure and the hunting was pretty tough because of it. Beautiful country and you are in for quite the experience.


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[Farmerlentz]

Any gear or advice you took away.
Did your buddies see or get sheep

 

[Nick Muche]

Tent for me. I bring a paratarp along on all backpack hunts but use it for gear and meat. Best of luck, hope they can get away from the crowds and hope you have a great hunt. Lots of time to dream about it and anticipate.

 

[duchntr]

I use an ultamid2 for my sheep hunts, works for me but not sure Id go out and tell everyone to go floorless. A floored tent would probably be worth the weight IMO

 

[Farmerlentz]

Thanks guys does anyone know the stone glacier tents faired this year. they were another option i was considering

 

[DoubleBroomedMountainRifles]

I own an Asolo and used it at base camp. Awesome tent but it was a little heavy especially for an early season hunt. Weather can be bad even early August but my experience it is not as cold as the later season tends to be.

I love Stone Glacier packs but one of my buddies had their tent fail on them on the opener this year under heavy winds. Too much lightweight materials can be too much of a good thing and have issues when it is real nasty out.

Creek crossings I use a set of Goretex type waist high wader. Not chest waders! They have stocking feet and I use as my “camp” shoes a pair of super lightweight high top Under Armor shoes. About 4 oz each shoe. Works great.

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BTW there is a decent priced Hilli Akto on RokSlide classified section.

 

[keller]

fwiw. I was in your position a couple years ago booking my first sheep hunt for 2018. I talked to a lot of max's references the concensus I got on the tent thing was all but 1 guy said take a tent but he hunted late season got in a big snow storm and stayed on a steep part of the mountain to protect themselves. I didnt end up going with max.1/2 the fun is collecting gear talking to references planning and dreaming about it.it will be here before you know it.and be over sooner than it came enjoy every minute of it take lots of pictures and videos.i took wiggys waders for crossing streams and never used them.one piece of gear I really liked was a sitka lw hoodie. it was cold and snowed a little opening day aug 10. feel free to pm me if you want.
good luck john

 

[cbeard64]

Don’t go floorless. I love my Hilleberg Akto.

Your experience will serve you well.

After a few sheep hunts, my best advice is to slow down and enjoy the entire experience as much as you can. Far too many get “tunnel vision” and focus only on killing a ram to the exclusion of everything else. You can hunt hard and take in the journey at the same time.

Good luck!

 

[idaho-shooter]

Backpack hunt, floorless Black Diamond Mega Lite. Weight is everything especially after day five.

Good luck. Sheep hunting is addicting.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I think that the whole floorless vs. traditional style tent opinions are just that, opinions. Personally I think it’s all in what you’re comfort level allows. When I first started mountain hunting (sheep and goats), I wouldn’t have dreamed of taking a floorless shelter, then about 6 years ago I took the plunge and did a late Oct. goat hunt on Kodiak with a Seek Outside LBO. My buddy on that trip was carrying a four season, two person, mountain hardware tent and I figured that if the LBO failed miserably, I could bunk up with him. We did end up getting some pretty bad weather, with two days of heavy winds and rain and really nothing to give us protection from the storm, while spiked at 4,000’. Needless to say, the LBO handled it great and totally cemented my confidence with floorless shelters. I have been on over a half a dozen goat and sheep hunts since, some solo, and have only used floorless shelters (most of which are cuben fiber), and only once did I have an issue. On one Kodiak hunt, 5” of rain fell over that many days. Over 3” of that fell over the course of about 12-16 hours and I had water running through my shelter. During that time there was either running or standing water everywhere, even having a bomber, traditional style tent wouldn’t have been enough to keep me from getting wet under those conditions.
I have continued, and will continue to use floorless shelters/tarps for all my mountain hunts, but I feel comfortable with them, along with the comfort of carrying a shelter that weighs ounces as opposed to pounds.


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[GardenHackle24]

I hunted with Max Schwab's outfit in 2016 which happened to be my first sheep hunt but not my first mountain hunt as i had hunted mountain goats in Alaska the year prior and had done multiple unguided backpack archery hunts for elk in Colorado. As most of us have done for these types of hunts, i conducted tons of research before making my selection. The guides that worked for Max were locals with tons of experience and as mentioned have now taken ownership of the operation. I hunted the 2nd week of the season with my guide and now good friend Tim Buechle with the actual hunt lasted only 2 days as i successfully harvested a 10.5 yr old double broomed ram after 10 hours of straight hiking to get into the top of sheep country. We did take 2 days to bring the sheep out as our packs were full since we only got to eat 2 meals of our weeks worth of rations. Since i only got to enjoy 2 nights out i don't have a big sample size to reflect but i used a Kuiu Mountain Star 2P tent which i had used previously on my mountain goat hunt, it was light and worked great. My guide did use a tarp and bivy and that worked well and i could see where it might be preferred if one needs to camp in the higher steeper country where there are limited areas to sleep (usually sleep beds). As far as dealing with water crossings i brought wiggys which i never used as we utilized an inflatable raft to cross the river to reach the area that we hunted. The guides were great and i stayed in camp for the remainder of the trip and we hiked, looked for shed antlers and i just helped with camp chores which added to making my trip more than a hunt but an experience. If you have any other questions feel free to message me. Unfortunately, being that i went in 2016 when the new rule changes took place i still have a few years before i can return to hunt sheep in Alaska.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

I ran a floorless and was just fine.

 

[MtGomer]

You should always think of worst case scenario. Wind gusting 60, 35 degrees and pouring rain setting up a floorless. Temperature drops to the teens overnight and it nukes snow for 40 hours and the wind never lets up.
I’d rather be in a Hilleberg reading a book than surviving under a tarp to save an extra couple pounds. You paid 20k+ to be there and it’s supposed to be fun.

 

[Snyd]

Hi guys i have been a lurker here for a while and figured it was time to jump in. I have my dream hunt for Dall sheep booked with max schwab in Alaska for 2020. Looking for advice on some gear you guys have used on your sheep hunts and advice on sheep hunting overall. I am a elk hunter and normally log 150 to 200 miles in the mountians each fall. One of my biggest gear questions is to take a tent or take my so lbo floorless what are your thoughts. Thank you Jordan

I agree with MtGomer. "I’d rather be in a Hilleberg reading a book than surviving under a tarp to save an extra couple pounds." Been there done that... both of em!

I've been in that country you are going to hunt several times but across "the river". Last hunt we got off the plane on Aug 8th and it was 75 degrees. Hiked in, got setup on top of a mtn mid day the 9th to do some glassing for miles around. Spotted a couple "maybe" rams. That night this happened...

We wanted to stick it out for the storm to pass and lift so we could continue to spot but the wind kicked up hard so we built a rock wall...

It got worse. We got off the mtn before we got blown off. I/we wish we'd had my Hilleberg Tarra 4 season expedition grade tent on that trip. I've packed it into the same area before.

I got to adding up weight one day for two of us. Black Diamond Megamid with pole, bivy sacks, visqueen ground sheets. Between the 2 of us it was pretty close to 5lbs. For another 3.5lbs ( a little over 1lb each) we could have packed the Tarra and had a bomber shelter. 4.5lbs each shared weight. No need for bivy sacks or grounds cloth and it's warm and dry no matter what. Each to his own but a bomber tent has it's place. On this hunt we dropped into a valley "blind", but as luck would have it, the next day we did find a ram down that valley up the other side. So, it all worked out but we dropped into that valley and pitched a wet tipi on the snow and threw in our wet ground cloths. It was a wet cold couple days.

On another trip this tent sat here exposed to some nasty weather and high wind for 5 days.

I love it!