Doubling up in AK again--2014

[Jdog]

The casa--WITH HEAT!

 

[Jdog]

Another few miles the next day up farther into the drainage. Set up camp and get to glassing. Nothing significant but a great day nonetheless.

Brother buckin' some wood as we get camp set up.

 

[Jdog]

Following morning we get up to fog and light snow. We head out and begin glassing. Immediately my brother locates 2 rams about 2.5 miles away up in a basin bedded. They need a closer look so we head out. 2-3 hrs later we are roughly a half mile from them hidden in the willows but they have disappeared. We set up shop and wait them out. Around 1800 they come out from a crevice and are moving FAST...down into the flat to feed. We begin our sheep ninja stalking techniques across the mountainside while we are out of their view. It takes about 40 minutes and we are in place. They should pass by at ~100 yards. We sit and wait...and wait...and wait some more. Its now approaching 2000 so we make a move back to locate them. They are still out feeding up on the ledge above us. We get in place and my brother dumps an 8 yr old at 340 yards. His wingman runs up the mountain and over the top. Its getting dark so we head back to camp and will be back in the early am to take care of him.

Found this pair on the way to the rams...


Our original spot .5 mile from the rams...we sat and had lunch and waited a few hrs. It provided perfect cover and was a hole that we could basically be completely hidden.


While we waited them out...guess who showed up again...she was stunning

 

[Jdog]

We make back to camp late but good spirits...ram down! Next morning we get up and hump back up into the drainage and take care of my brothers ram. His second in 2 years. 8 yr old--we'll take it!

 

[Jdog]

 

[Jdog]

Straight grindin'...

 

[Jdog]

back to camp late...get up next morning a bit late to the sound of rain tapering off. I get out to stretch my legs and low and behold, up on the mountain above us is another decent ram. A quick review tells me he's 8 and broomed and I need to go kill him. I tell my bro, "I am gonna go kill him"...I grab my gear, bro stays back at camp and watches it go down. Ram is up feeding and its 10 am. I make it across the creek and am using all the willows to cover me below him. But then he decides to bed down and face my direction. So I set up shop in the willows below him for 2 hrs, have lunch, drop my guts and occasionally peak through the willows to ensure he's still there. After 2 hrs he's up and moving. I grab my gear and bolt up the creek drainage still using the willows to cover my movement. I climb out of the willows and scramble up the open terrain on the mountain side exposed. I move about 30 yards each time, stop glass but cannot locate him. Keep going...finally get to where he should be about 100 yards away and no sign of him. Dang...but I stay cool, he's up here, just gotta find him now. Lots of places to hide. After about 15 minutes, I see white moving through the bushes about 200 yards away. I am prone, dialed in and in sniper mode. He moves out, I range him at 236 and boom. Game over. I stand up, look down at camp and motion to my bro to come up. We go up to get him and here is what we find.

 

[Jdog]

couple more shots of him...

 

[Jdog]

Now I am a big dude at 6'8" 240 lbs but this dude had a tiny body compared to my brother's ram--"PeeWee".

 

[Jdog]

Spent the next day back at camp catching up on meat chores, etc. Followed by leaping frogging both rams and camp back to the pickup point over the next 3-4 days. More pics.



Meat cache (half of it)


Tools


Rams in da bushes


Deuces

 

[Jdog]

Bro


Finally made it back to muddy wet pick up point. But we always make time to celebrate...



Fresh sheep fajitas and good whiskey...he is addicted--to sheep hunting and he's rep'n his AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) lid

 

[Jdog]

on the grind...


your truly--just about done--love grindin' in the mountains with ridiculously heavy loads

 

[Jdog]

Just two brothers wanderin' around the AK sheep mountains...until next year fellaz.
Holla.

 

[Stid2677]

Mine's down!!!!


Glad you got time to share this great report. Hope to see you both again next year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

 

[danarnold]

I've never thought about killing sheep until reading your story! nice work fellas!

 

[Jdog]

Mine's down!!!!


Glad you got time to share this great report. Hope to see you both again next year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

that's funny stuff Mr Stidham--yes sir--until next year!

But I wanna chase Kodiak goats--take us!

 

[justin davis]

Damn badass! Great pics.

 

[Retterath]

wow what an experience. i hope i can go sheep hunting up there some day. awesome pics and story thanks for sharing

 

[tstowater]

Great pics and write-up as always. Looking forward to next year's edition. Congrats.

 

[Yellowknife]

Somehow you make that look too easy Jdog. Always makes me wonder "what am I doing wrong?".

Like the stories with lots of pictures. Excellent work.

Yk