Dall Sheep Referrals

[CO_jakrabt]

Just looking for some Dall referrals for 2019 season for 2 guys.
Thanks!

 

[adventure907]

Alaska Hunting Adventures - Hunting and outfitting for Dall Sheep in the Tok Management Area of Alaska for nearly four decades.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch.

Josh

 

[MtGomer]

Just looking for some Dall referrals for 2019 season for 2 guys.
Thanks!

If I could go on any dall sheep hunt and money wasn’t part of the equation, I’d do the 15 day backpack hunt at Arctic Red.

I hunted with Gana last year on a hunt that I won and wouldn’t hesitate to go back there either. 1st class outfit.

 

[VernAK]

^^^^^^^^^^^This!

Matt also hunts areas other than TMA.

 

[PA 5-0]

XtremeXpeditions if you're considering AK. Jeff and his crew are the best in the business. Call me for any details. Best of luck, Dan

 

[Kimbersig]

The guide I went with in 2016 does 2x1 hunts in the alaska range on his sole use concession area which means no other guides can’t hunt there. Wayne kubat with alaska remote guide service. Really good guy and a really good area.

 

[BuzzH]

Dan Montgomery. I hunted with Dan in 1995 for white sheep and it was everything a sheep hunt should be.

The 3 rams on the right were all shot within about 10 days when I went, the two furthest left were ones Dan picked up that died from old age.

The rams range from 174-162, left to right...mine is the middle ram 167 and change gross green...ended up scoring 164 and change officially. The "shortest" ram of the 5 was 39.5 on the long horn.

 

[Kimbersig]

hunting with Dan is a draw. he has a great area but drawing that tag is pretty dang tough.

 

[sheephunteralaska]

In Alaska unless you've drawn a limited drawing permit (Chugach/TMA/Delta CUA etc) except for a very limited FEW; stay away from outfitters that hunt AK state land. In Alaska there can be an UNLIMITED amount of commercial guides selling an UNLIMTED amount of sheep hunts on AK STATE land. It is absolutely one of the biggest downfalls our state limited sheep hunting resource contends with. Some of these are good outfits while just as many have a "vacumne cleaner" mentality and will shoot the area out and move onto their next area doing the same there.

This is the number one question I would ask a potential Alaskan Outfitter is: "do you hunt on AK State Land or on a Federally Concessioned permit on Federal land". On Federally Concessioned areas there is only one outfitter permitted to commericially use a particular area and only are allowed to sell a quota number of Dall Sheep hunts (harvests). It would take a lot of good references for me to even consider a state land hunt UNLESS you have drawn a limited drawing permit that are due each year in mid December. And there are a few of these good outfitters who hunt Alaska State land out there, but those numbers are very very limited. And honestly they may have the best intentions for their particular area but some other outfit comes in and pours a bunch of cheap Dall sheep hunts into a once good area and now the honest guy is left with a mess to clean up. While waiting years for the numbers to improve hoping some other outfit does not come in a do the same thing.

Most non resident hunters have not a clue what our commercial use laws in Alaska are. I know if I spent $15-$22K on a sheep hunt and there is half a dozen other outfitters selling garbage hunts in my area, I would be pissed at myself for not doing my homework and investigating. And don't depend on the outfitter telling you the true story of their particular hunt area. Ask for their actual federal concession permit number before giving any kind of a deposit or a lot of references for outfits on AK state land.

Some of the better Federally Concessioned areas are Alaska Outfitters Unlimited owned by Aaron Bloomquist who hunts out of the NE Brooks Range, Ultima Thule Outfitters owned by the Claues family out of the SE Wrangells and Aniakchak Guide Service owned by Joey Klutch Jr who also hunts the NE Brooks Range.

For an Alaskan State Land hunt.....Black River Hunting Camps owned by Jake Jefferson would be one of a very few outfits hunting Alaska state land I would consider for a Dall Sheep hunt that was not a drawing hunt.

One thing ALL these outfits have in common is they are owned and operated by ALASKAN RESIDENTS who live here full time and know their areas very well. I've personally hunted in all of these federally concessioned areas and the one state land area and they all hold great rams.

I know this was a lot of information and perhaps more then you were looking for on a "Dall Sheep Hunt Referral" but as a fellow sheep hunter, I thought you should know. When I ask for information on Canadian Stone Sheep Outfitters in the future, I hope I am given as much truthful information from guys that know as I possibly can. And me as the hunter, I can determine what is and what is not important.

 

[Nick Muche]

Jonah's Alaskan Outfitters would be a good choice as well, they consistently harvest rams each year and they do not overhunt their area.

 

[huskertooth1]

I would second Jonah’s Alaskan Outfitters. I had a great hunt with them last August.

 

[bates]

Another vote for Jonah Stewart

He has it dialed in

 

[Wapiti1]

As noted above, do your homework on the area the outfitter hunts and how the camps are run.

Not to be a downer, but the Canadian outfits will be booked out through 2020-2021 or further. The better Alaskan outfits will probably be as well.

I went with Jake Jefferson last year, he posts here as BRWNBR, and had a great hunt. He does very well on sheep every year, but is booked through 2020, I believe. Might PM him to see. I booked 2 years in advance to get a spot with him.

Canada has a higher success rate, and larger rams in general. Alaska has more opportunity with some areas that have very high success, but not all.

Jeremy

 

[polardds]

Another vote for Wayne Kubat at Alaska Remote Guide Service. Old school Alaska guide. Alaska Resident. Hunts in a Federal Concession too. So limited pressure.

 

[wind gypsy]

Not to be a downer, but the Canadian outfits will be booked out through 2020-2021 or further. The better Alaskan outfits will probably be as well.

Jeremy

^This. I wanted to book a hunt for 2018 last summer, everyone I talked to was booked. I ended up booking with Jonah Stewart for 2019. At this point in the game you probably are very limited for options with availability in 2019.

 

[Kimbersig]

Another vote for Wayne Kubat at Alaska Remote Guide Service. Old school Alaska guide. Alaska Resident. Hunts in a Federal Concession too. So limited pressure.

and he does have 2019 availability.

 

[BRWNBR]

Keep in mind a federal concession is not off limits to everyone else. Just other guides. Residents still can hunt these areas as hard as any other land open to Sheep hunting in Alaska that is a otc tag. If not seeing another person is a must on your list go to Canada. I see other hunters every handful of years. But to be honest, others in the area sometimes makes the Sheep hunting easier. Sheep get predictable when spooked and I have used that to my advantage a time over two over the last 20 years.

Another thing to consider, ask who your guide will be. Most names mentioned do not actually guide, they fly the planes. We all started as assistants without w clue at some point, check with your perspective outfitter on the experience of your Guide.

 

[Diddywahdiddy]

I really like the answer from sheephunteralaska...but another option and opinion-Save up your money and do the Canadian route, especially the Yukon and NWT. Some I've hunted with noted below-
Dickson Family is topnotch...couldn't find a nicer multi-generational outfitting family; Mervyn's Outfitting also topnotch; Dan Reynolds will be booked four years out...if you can get on his list, he's the best outfitter in Canada especially for the age of rams and size/age of moose. He also won this year's Short Take Off/Landing at the fly-in in Valdez...I believe he set a new world-record; Gana River and Harold Grinde is topnotch...best stock and gear is first rate...Harold is almost too honest for his own good-a compliment!; now that Griz Turner (from Wyoming's Lost Creek Outfitters many years...a great elk, mulie, and RMBS outfitter) has taken over Dave and Dallas Dutchik's concession and Redstone is now called "Raven's Throat"...the concession hadn't been hunted near as much as the limited draw areas in Alaska. There will be some OLD rams coming out of Raven's Throat next few years...Speaking of Alaska, the Ultima Thule area borders the Kluane First Nations area across the border in the Yukon...great family and superb area. Back to the Yukon, if you're in tip top shape, Chris McKinnon's Bonnet Plume area is also underhunted and has excellent genetics for mass. Jim Fink of Blackstone does a decent job, adjoins Reynolds, and punches 3x the sheep tags that Dan does on his side of the line...I've been in the office in Dawson City within an hour of their guides buying up the available licenses, leaving just two (exactly) for myself and another hunter for Dan/us in person, to purchase, otherwise we would have had to wait and lose hunting days...now they still do a very good job, but I've had very experienced sheep hunters (at least two who were sheep guides themselves here in the USA) hunt hard at Blackstone and not see any rams over 7-8 years old and no longer than 35"...not a blanket "no" but make sure you do research as to how many hunters come in every year, the average age/lengths of rams, etc...the information you can get from the AK and the Yukon biologists, either via internet or start an email inquiry.
I've hunted AK and the Canadian side. If you're working hard and want to make sure you've got the area/concession pretty much to yourself, you will pay more, but overall you're experience and the age/amount of rams...as long as you're in "Sheep Shape"...will be a much more memorable experience on the Canadian side. Of course if you get the limited draw tag in the Chugach or TMA...it may take half a lifetime as a non-resident to draw the trophy/limited areas.
No disrespect was meant to anyone and I apologize if I left out some of the others that I've not hunted with: the Lancasters are a fine family; South Nahanni I'm not familiar with, both have excellent reputations.
Just my two cents,
Diddywahdiddy

 

[jmharrington]

I have several outfitters I work with in Alaska and NWT for Dall Sheep. Give me a call and we can discuss details.
Mark Harrington
325-276-1414
[email protected]
fulltimehunts.com

 

[kscowboy01]

If I was bowhunting, I would go Canada. Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters has a solid reputation and I would speak with them. 2 hunters will be tough in Alaska. As most have said, Alaska can be a tough hunt, meaning you may struggle in some areas to find a legal ram. I would go to the Sheep Show with your friend and visit with various outfitters you've identified as possible options. You might be able to negotiate a 2x1 hunt with an outfitter (slight hunt cost reduction). It's very possible to tag 2 out of a band of rams, if there are two legal rams in the mix. Once the lead ram is taken, the others often are clueless as to what to do and stand around the dead ram, as they now have no leader. Perhaps you flip a coin and alternate days who will be the #1 shooter each day. Canada will also offer a better opportunity at additional game, like a Mountain Caribou.

This all being said, most big game hunting is better done with 1x1 guiding. Be prepared to get to your spike camp and then part ways from your friend for the remainder of the trip.