As you know from last year, my brother and I left a legal ram on the mountain. It was his first sheep/mountain hunt and it was more of a learning experience for him vs an all out sheep hunt as I am used to. After leaving a legal ram on the mountain then getting weathered out for the next 4 days…our hunt ended on a bitter note for the both of us. As many mountain hunters can relate, the both of us then spent the entire off season reliving and replaying last year’s hunt. It’s a tough, long year but we both worked our butts of preparing, upgrading some gear and getting mentally prepared for that labor of love called sheep hunting.
Day 1 – Got dropped off at the strip mid afternoon and hiked about 4 miles and set up camp. Nothing exciting. Set up camp for the night, relaxed and soaked it all in. Shot from first nights camp. Two brothers in AK in the fall…it doesn’t get any better. Saw a couple sheep in the distance—rams. We would get closer tomorrow and give them a good look as one of them needed some attention.
Next morning we are up and at em’ early. Go a few more miles and set up a camp. Drop all unnecessary gear and take rifles and kill kits. Head up the river and eventually up the mountain. Two hours later we realize we have made an error and are one drainage too far from away--so we think. Sitting there contemplating our next move I look across the nearest drainage and shazaam…all three rams have just walked into our drainage and are within range. We lay down, don our face masks, grab our weapons, spotter and move up about 70 yards to a perfect vantage point. I put the spotter on the largest ram and immediately know he is legal. I look at my brother and tell him to “punish him”. We switch positions, my brother lays prone and watch the rams feed for 1.5 hrs. We do so due to a pretty strong cross wind and are hoping the feed a bit closer. Eventually it happens and my brother drops this 9 yr old at 218 yards. A sheep hunter is born.
Just as we get into position. Two ninja sheep hunters!
My brother about to play “sniper”. He ruined that rams day.
The shale the rams were feeding in for 1.5 hrs. They have dug this hole out of the mountain and could literally stick their entire bodies into it.
Day 1 – Got dropped off at the strip mid afternoon and hiked about 4 miles and set up camp. Nothing exciting. Set up camp for the night, relaxed and soaked it all in. Shot from first nights camp. Two brothers in AK in the fall…it doesn’t get any better. Saw a couple sheep in the distance—rams. We would get closer tomorrow and give them a good look as one of them needed some attention.
Next morning we are up and at em’ early. Go a few more miles and set up a camp. Drop all unnecessary gear and take rifles and kill kits. Head up the river and eventually up the mountain. Two hours later we realize we have made an error and are one drainage too far from away--so we think. Sitting there contemplating our next move I look across the nearest drainage and shazaam…all three rams have just walked into our drainage and are within range. We lay down, don our face masks, grab our weapons, spotter and move up about 70 yards to a perfect vantage point. I put the spotter on the largest ram and immediately know he is legal. I look at my brother and tell him to “punish him”. We switch positions, my brother lays prone and watch the rams feed for 1.5 hrs. We do so due to a pretty strong cross wind and are hoping the feed a bit closer. Eventually it happens and my brother drops this 9 yr old at 218 yards. A sheep hunter is born.
Just as we get into position. Two ninja sheep hunters!
My brother about to play “sniper”. He ruined that rams day.
The shale the rams were feeding in for 1.5 hrs. They have dug this hole out of the mountain and could literally stick their entire bodies into it.