Few words and a couple pics 'cause I know that's what you bastards like anyways. First year guiding, had a good old time for what that's worth and made a few real solid memories.

First ram of the year, second go around.









Same guy with a bear we sluiced on some berries.




Caribou, 620yds Montucky 300 WSM 155 Skinner


Late season ram, damn fun hunt





Tanner

Well done! I should have made less structured decisions when I was your age. Jealous as all get out.

Finished it off with a grizzly up high in sheepy stuff





that's about it. Now I'm trying to change my flight home to go find something else to kill

Awesome pics Tanner!! Looks like a heck of a lot of fun couple months there!! Thanks for sharing!!

Awesome and congratulations!

Great job (and pics)! Been looking forward to hearing how it went. Holler at me when get settled, would love to hear more.

Awesome job tanner!!! Congrats on a lifetime of memories!

That's livin' right there! Good work, it doesn't get much better than that.

Good stuff Tanner!



You and me both. I don't know about "less structured," just wish I knew then what I know now.

Sweet pics, was looking forward to seeing posts about your trip.

Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures, great looking country...what a good time in your life for such adventures, Ak sure does get in a guys blood.

Very nice bro!

Well done!

Great pics.

Thanks!

Got asked if I might do a quick gear run down and figured it's probably a good thing to do as I'm still learning myself on what works and what don't. Forgive me if I hop around a bit, few coffees into a flight layover already....grin

Pack: Kifaru AMR, Duplex Frame, Gunbearer, 1 Md, 1 Sm belt pouch, Guide Lid, Grab it. I was nervous I may not have enough room in this setup after using the Barney's last year, but it proved to be plenty of space (it's close to 10k cu the way I've got it setup). Badass pack from the bottom to top. No tears, no issues to speak of other than a small chest strap malfunction due to me pulling on it too hard under a heavy load. I can't think of a pack I'd use over this one.

Spotter: Nikon Fieldscope ED 20-60x60. Real good piece of glass for it's size/weight and price. Compared S/S with a non-HD Swaro 65 the glass was very similar with the larger FOV in the Swaro providing maybe a bit easier time on high power. I'll stick with my Nikon for a few more years I think.

Rifle: I carried a Kimber Montana 300 WSM all year, with a 3-9x40 Leupold/M1 elevation. I like to know I could kill something that wanted to check me out too close and I can't shoot a pistol worth a hoot. It's also nice in case a client's rig isn't getting the job done.

Binocs: I used Meopta Meostar 8x32 this year which is just the Euro HD as I understand. Very impressive binocs, I'll be sticking with this.

Clothes: Kinda' a hodge podge of stuff that I wear, but most of the year I wore First Lite Corrugate Guide pants, a Cabelas Polartech hoodie, and a Marmot fleece over that. No complaints really, pants could use beefier stitching in the crotch.
-First Lite Uncompahgre has been a really nice jacket to have the last 2 seasons; I pretty much put it on any time I glass for extended periods of time and sleep in it fairly often also.
-Westcombe Spectre LT shell. Great jacket
-Kuiu Chugach rain pants-Meh. Hate the pattern. Fair to middling rain protection.
-Darn Tough socks-the shizzznizzle.

Scarpa Triolet and Lowa Civettas split time with probably 50 out of 60 days being spent in the Triolet. They are a really, really good boot and I'll continue buying them as long as they make 'em. The Goretex in my pair actually worked the whole year which surprised the hell out of me as I usually have no problem [bleep]' Goretex.

OR Croc Gaiters- I can count on needing to replace gaiters at the end of every season I think. Oh well.

Tents:
Hilleberg Nallo 3. Decent setup, very tight with 3 guys (especially with Starsky's feet ripping holes in the end your tent). For 2 guys it's perfect. Slight condensation issues but that may just be a part of life up there.

Hilleberg Tarp UL-10. Invaluable in a million situations. I love having that thing around.

I'm still running a Mountain Hardwear UltraLamina 15 and like it plenty. I'm a cold sleeper with a real low resting heart rate and it's been plenty warm for me. I run a NeoAir pad under it though mine sprung a slow leak sometime around midseason.

Havalon knives for most of the year though I think I've outgrown that. Damn near too sharp for a lot of stuff and will be switching to quality knives for all game care.

I think that's about all I can come up with. Not an expert by any means, just my experiences.

Tanner

Awesome

Tanner,
When you go to sleep, imagine this ram that was taken from where you
guide five years ago. The hunter, who is my cousin, has taken four rams above 174 BC and has never entered a single one.

Good lord......

Nice pics Tanner, be sure to make it a habit to come up here! I was out on a deer hunt myself today but a wolf popped out. Target of opportunity :-)

I need one of those First Lites puffy jackets. And glad to see the smaller binos worked. Easy place to cut a pound out and still get good performance. Great pics by the way too.

Wow. Any idea how old that one was?

hide looks 30 years old. LOL

Tanner, if you can locate the leak in your neoair pad, it can be patched with a little swatch of stuff-sack nylon and seam grip. I have a repair that's going on 4 years old and doing fine.

I'm gonna' need to dunk that sucker in the tub to find it but it may be doable. Thanks for the heads up there. Was thinking Tenacious Tape might work too.

Kaboku, I just ruined my shorts. That mount does look to be a fair bit older than 5 years old, however.

Tanner

Jerry (Vek) on here, has seen Doug's Sheep and can tell you that his big sheep in his garagemajhal is nuts. It is next to a big wood stove.

To be clear, I was asking about the ram's age when he was killed.

47X42 by 13.75 and 12.5 years old.

Smokepole-It was taken in the unit that you were hunting.

Awesome ram, thanks.

And then there are the four above his TV...good Lord.

Nice work, Tanner.

Thanks for the photos and the gear summary.

Nice post, story and pics. Really enjoyed reading about your hunts up there.

Can we get a review on the camo wife beater?

Yeah, let's have a review on the wife beater and those primo goggles your hunters are all wearing too.

Nice pics Tanner. You're as beautiful as ever.




Travis

It's an "A-shirt" not that name you called it...

Thanks for posting Tanner.
I've missed you.

Nice break down Tanner!!

Surprised you went with the 300 wsm over your 308 Kimber to save some weight

Westcomb jackets are legit!! Love mine still man.

Did you find the grab it handy? I find after ordering a couple over the years I never really used it for anything the straps on the outside of the pack couldn't do for me so I sold them.

Thanks for the gear list breakdown man! Again congrats on another awesome season

The tank top is a revolutionary piece of gear. Doesn't keep you warm, doesn't keep you dry, doesn't really do anything except look absolutely awesome. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Luke, I agree on the WC jackets... Mine has been awesome!

I use the Grab-It way more than I thought I would. I'd say my spotting scope is tucked away in it about 90% of the time in order to have fast access to it in case a critter needs to be examined real quick. Also, I stick my Wiggy's Waders in their stuff sack on top of the spotter and cinch the whole deal up most times. It stays really slick to the pack which is nice. I kind of like it even if there's no gear in it to help cinch the pack up even tighter if it's compressed for a shorter hunt, too.

looks like you guys had a great season too, congrats!

Tanner

Tanner

Thanks for sharing your story and pictures. Looks like you had a good time.
Thanks again.

Tanner,

Great pictures, write-up, and gear run-down. There's so much new gear out there it's good to hear the no-schitt about what works, and what doesn't.

Living the dream brother! Keep at it!

Oh, just curious, what mountain range/area you working in? Don't need to be real specific, just curious. Thx.

thomas-
Is that sheep's left horn broomed? Hard to tell here.

WHOTHEFUCKISTANNER?

The guy in the camo wife beater,

Oh, that guy....

Just talking smack. I remembered this thread from long ago Need some Ideas here... about life

Nice to see a determined phuqqer every now and then. I still don't feel bad for kcufttubing him outta his Classics.


Well done

Funny what a few years and some time outdoors will do for somebody.

Tanner

Just looked this over NICE..

Not to mention the savage tan and wife beater. Epic.

Tanner, thanks for taking the time to post your hunts. Great stuff. Really appreciate the gear breakdown and good to read the Montucky Wizzum is your hunt companion.
Don't be a stranger.

Tanner,
Why did you switch from the Barneys to Kifaru?

Thanks for all the info on gear and fun reading!!!!

Lighter, more easily customizable, more comfortable for me with light and heavy loads, local CO company.... I don't think anybody in the world makes a better pack than Kifaru.

Tanner

Looks awesome, Tanner! Another successful year and an adventure under your belt!

Seems like every year my gear selection evolves a bit, with a couple of items I want to swap or upgrade.

Thanks Tanner

Excellent adventure!

Great pics Tanner. I'll have to look up a few items on your gear list as I need to upgrade a few things.