Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Sheep hunt thread

In a shameless act of self-promotion and laziness, I am posting a link to my own thread in the AK forum. It is backpack hunting related, so I don't feel too bad doing it.

2013 Alaska Range Sheep Hunt

I love seeing that much area above timberline thanks for sharing

pretty awesome stuff

wow..way crazy terrain..........

Good write up.....thanks!

Awesome, Awesome stuff.

Thank you for taking the time to write.

If you don't mind asking...what kind of financial output (from a tags/guide and transport standpoint) does a hunt like that take for someone in the lower 48?

Transportation for us was right at $2k from Anchorage. That was it, outside of normal hunting costs (gear, food, etc). Tags are free.

Non residents are required to go with a guide, and I think those hunts would start in the $10K range, although I am not sure. I heard the other day that a guided sheep hunt averages $13-14K, but I've never asked.

$2k.....wow. I'd give BOTH of my nuts to hunt white rams for 2k every year.

How's the housing looking up there right now?

I'll rent you a camping spot with SL5 for $300/month. Bug netting is extra...

You can hunt the brooks on a walk-in for the cost of fuel (about $400 RT from Anchorage). I've done that twice, and it is a good trip. 800 miles in the truck one way can be tiring, but you're young.

There are also cheaper fly-in options, but many are drawing only.

They haven't locked the gate... yet.

Laughin'....

Thanks for the info. It's incredibly affordable for you guys. I'm afraid I've caught the AK bug badly. The Brooks walk-in would be amazing.

Scheming and planning starts now....

Well... yeah. We still bitch about it, but yes, it can be done pretty damn cheap with a little hard work and a decent pain tolerance. Oh, and a reliable vehicle wouldn't hurt.

Awesome write up man!!! That'll be worth reading again this Feb. when I find out I didn't draw a sheep tag and gotta go hunt OTC dalls again...oh the rough life we live as AK residents huh!! Well done relaying a great hunt!

WOW! Great write up, thanks for taking the time. I really enjoyed it.

Awesome hunt and story. Thanks for sharing. Those braided glacial stream crossings can get a tad spooky. I only crossed one sans boots. I took my socks off and put my boots back on afterwards. I think liners and Sealskin socks after the crossing with wet boots would be the ticket.

Stream crossing without hip boots: Put on your Kuiu Chugach rain pants. Tape the rain pant cuffs tightly with Scotch 3M electrical tape over your 10" high Meindl Perfekt Hunter boots. Move quickly and you don't get wet! Works for me, YMMV. I do it in BC so should work in Alaska. I wouldn't use the technique for wading a stream to fish though.

The Croc story cracked me up, I did the same thing in The Bob once. Except the stream was only knee high, and 38 degrees.

Now I pack a pair of Air Jesus sandals for such occasions.




I really want to do a sheep hunt before I hit 40.

Mr. cwh2,

Was that $2K transport each, or total for bofe of you?

Bob Robb has written about doing that, he says you've gotta move fast to keep it from seeping in. I keep duct tape wrapped on my poles for blister Tx. I need to try that. One possible problem I could see in AK, is some of those glacial melt streams, especially late on a warm day, can have a haulin' azz flow, and most of the rocks you have to cross on are at LEAST the size of softballs, some larger, cause everything else has washed downstream. This means you basically slowly sidestep, facing upstream, moving one foot and one pole at a time. It can take a bit of time. Also, I've noticed that there is really no rhyme or reason to where the holes can be. You'd best be prepared to swim, waist belt unbuckled, pack waterproofed to float.

Mr Bender, that would be $2K per person. That is an air taxi, plus extra freight, plus cub time. Cheap is a relative term, but put up against a guided hunt it looks pretty good.

Kurt, I've done that a couple of times with impertech. It works well when correctly applied, but would have been a wet boot affair here. I was pretty sure that I was going to see my buddy die in six mile creek once when we tried that tactic while chasing a bear. He also found a miraculous strength that allowed him to crawl onto a boulder, and we hunted another 4-5 hours before we had to head back.

TAK, duct tape is ideal to run over the zippers in the raingear, but electrical tape seems to seal better (stretch keeps pressure against the boot). Bungee cords also help, but a wrap of tape makes a big difference.

In anything less than about 1 foot deep, we normally just hot-foot it in the boots/gaiters. Much faster than messing around with the socks. Glacial water makes that risky, because you don't really have any idea how deep it is until you are in it.

Thank you, Mr. cwh2.

Pard and I were just laughing a few days ago about the time I walked on water at the River of Laughs. I'll have to tell you about it sometime. He's convinced i never touched the water.