Whatever it takes

[Jimbob]

The hunter takes a few pics for me and pulls out his tape, 35.5".

 

[Jimbob]

 

[Jimbob]

The hunter bids me fare well and leaves me to the task at hand. I start breaking down the sheep and the worst storm i ever experienced hits. I am forced to run for cover and the wind is so intense and the thunder is hurting my ears. I huddle in the rocks at the location of the shot. The storm passes and the weight of the situation hits. I am 24.8 kms from the trail head for some reason it only makes my smile grow.

I take care of the ram and load up and when i pick up the pack my smile fades. I am wiped from the day. It has been an emotional roller coaster and this pack feels like 100 lbs. I can't do it. I'm not sure how I am going to make it out. I start heading back to camp.

I get close to camp and stash the meat on the snow by a creek. Back at camp its dinner time. I text my wife and tell her it might take me a few days to get out, not sure how I can do it in one trip. Sleep.

 

[Jimbob]

The next morning I pack everything up and see how it feels after a full night of rest.

 

[Jimbob]

I think it is manageable.
Under the weight of the pack I understand the difficulty of this whole task and why it is not a common thing. I soak up a few minutes of just staring at the socked in slope that fed my ram a day earlier.

 

[Jimbob]

Now its all mental, get down this technical chute and after that is just putting one foot in front of the other.

 

[Jimbob]

I started at 6:00 am and by noon I was out of the steep stuff and had covered 10 km. I was sore and tired but felt good.

From 12-3:00 things got tuff. At 3:00 the body just couldn't do it. As much as I willed I could not walk for longer than 45 mins before I needed a break. My hips and lower back were rubbed raw and my legs burned.

Walk for 45 mins rest repeat. I carried 500 ml of water and drank at streams (unfiltered, I didn't care about getting sick after I was out) and refilled my bottle.

AT the end it was agony. I was 500 m from the hwy but hit the 45 min mark and could not do it. I just laid on the ground for 10 mins with the pack on.

Made it to the highway at 6:30 pm. Dropped the pack there and hiked 3 kms to get my jeep. Once the pack was off I was OK


Best of all, this was the best meat I have ever had.

So, what does it take to get a stone sheep?

Move across the country
Countless hours gleaning info online
Training your butt off
The right gear
An amazing understanding and encouraging wife
A Dad who taught you everything about hunting

and last but not least, a Rokslide community of season sheep hunters who shared stories that inspired and freely gave hard earned advice. I'm serious guys, I wouldn't have been able to do this without the info I gathered here. So, Thanks!

 

[hflier]

Awesome congrats. Good story. Amazing achievement.

Ron


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[Yellowknife]

Very well done! Had me hooked all the way.


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[Gunnersdad49]

Incredible storytelling! Congratulations on a hell of a Ram, and hell of a hunt.

This is why I come to Rokslide. These stories motivate me to work harder, try more, and take more chances on tag soup with the possibility of epic payoffs.

 

[kipper09]

Awesome story. Congrats on a hard earned trophy of a lifetime


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[*zap*]

Awesome!

 

[Rs3003]

Congratulations. Awesome story. I enjoyed every bit of it. Thank you.

 

[dakotaduner]

A sincere congratulations. Wow great storytelling.
Obviously a great understanding and supportive wife
Well done.

 

[Danomite]

Great story and great storytelling. I really enjoyed it. Congratulations on an awesome trophy and awesome experience.

 

[GarrettCrain]

Awesome story and congrats!

 

[Becca]

This was awesome! I've only taken one (Dall) sheep myself, and been along on trips where a few others were taken but there is just something special about hunting sheep, and your story nailed the essence of it. Thank you so much for taking us along, and congratulations on a great sheep!

 

[Yellowknife]

From 12-3:00 things got tuff. At 3:00 the body just couldn't do it. As much as I willed I could not walk for longer than 45 mins before I needed a break. My hips and lower back were rubbed raw and my legs burned.

Walk for 45 mins rest repeat. I carried 500 ml of water and drank at streams (unfiltered, I didn't care about getting sick after I was out) and refilled my bottle.

AT the end it was agony. I was 500 m from the hwy but hit the 45 min mark and could not do it. I just laid on the ground for 10 mins with the pack on.

For what it's worth...

I've packed two sheep out single handed, and been in that same spot. On the last one, I finally got moving so slow, it made sense to drop half the load and just ferry.

I worked out well, and in the future, I think I'll resort to ferrying loads much sooner, particularly if I have plenty of time left in the trip. Even if it's slightly more time consuming, it is so much easier on the body.

 

[Shackdaddy]

Amazing story and pics! Defiantly an accomplishment to be proud of.

 

[Bruce Culberson]

Way to go Jimbob! Not many guys get a ram on their first trip (unguided) and solo to boot!
Ram steaks are the best...

How old was your ram - 8? Or is that a 9 yr ring at the hair line?