I have been dreaming of hunting sheep one day but I am getting older and now I am thinking about hunting somthing else. It looks like Caribou Grizzly hunting would be easier and cheaper. Has anyone done both or tried to hunt sheep when he was a bit to old and had a hard time and wish he didn't?
Well, right now, I'm 65 and have been sheep hunting off & on since I arrived in the "Yuke" in 1967. Each time out, it is tougher than before but I keep chugging along. We didn't go this year due to the cost - even for we residents, it ain't cheap. I think we're going next year - gotta check with my pard on it however.
NOW!! IMHO, there's nothing like sheep hunting. Something about seeing a beautiful ram outlined by the blue sky while standing on a mountain top. BTDT. Kinda like a religious experience.
In short, my advice is to do it if you can afford it. It won't be getting any cheaper or easier in the future. Check out different guiding operations and, assuming you settle on a guide, make sure you let him know of any concerns you have. Age? Bad knees? etc. A good guide will allow for a client's short comings such as those. Also, the mountain range you hunt can be a determing factor. I went into the Wrangells once - back when I was a strapping youth. NEVER again or since. The Alaska Range is quite rugged as well. The Brooks Range is my personal preference for several reasons. The mountains are older than the AK. Range or Wrangells, therefore aren't quite as rugged - easier to traverse. The downside is that the sheep tend to be smaller and it's more costly to get there.
In closing, if you seriously want to do it and can afford it, you should go. (IF YOU DON'T GO, YOU'LL REGRET IT LATER IN LIFE WHEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT OR ARE TOO OLD. Caps intended to make my point.)
Good luck & enjoy.
Bear in Fairbanks
