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GREAT story! I really appreciate your honest narrative. Combined with the photos, I can really get a sense for how you must have felt.

Even with the beautiful scenery and the romance of chasing sheep, I think this thread cured me of wanting to hunt Dall-------at least with Brett! I can only hope to be in the physical shape you're in someday.

Please tell me more about the Kifaru Slick bag. Could you get a sense of the comfort range, or was the weather cold enough that you were spot on with the bag rating? The clothes-drying feature sounds intriguing. That's a much bigger selling point than simply not absorbing water like down.

How well did the ID eVent windbreaker breath? Personally, I move a LOT of moisture when I'm hiking hard so I'm curious if eVent can "keep up."

Thanks again for the essay and photos. I really glad you made it back in one piece, and with a beautiful bear.

222Rem


Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
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The next morning after a nice all night rain, we burn trash, and pack up all of camp and head to a river strip where we are to be relocated. We have to cross some tough tundra, and if you've ever walked on tundra, you know what I mean. It took us about eight hours that morning:
[Linked Image]

When we get to the river, awaiting our ride, I'm so friggin' nasty, that I take a waist up shower.

[Linked Image]

Rides here......

[Linked Image]

New location, new hope....I would be along the tops of every thing in view for the next couple of days. We hike for another two hours from the strip until we put up our tent, with eagle-eye Brett glassing all the way (I could have left my binocs at home)

[Linked Image]

Just after setting up camp, we see our next grizzly in the valley, about 1000yds away.

[Linked Image]

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Before we go to sleep that night, Brett spots a band of rams that might have a shooter in it. We head up the next morning, but not until we establish the intentions of this sow and three cubs

[Linked Image]

This turns out to be the preferred location for the pack dog

[Linked Image]
This hike takes us up to the top, and a little over, where we have spotted a possible ram. When we get to the top we can't find them. We searched over ever rise and crest, only to let our scent bust them at about 450yds. We watched them for a long time, made a circuitious stalk in swirling winds and carefully got as close as we would get (600yds, 50mph wind.....beyond my frustrated sniping skills). Plus, as we were doing the assessment we were scented and they just eased out of the universe. We later learned that the outfitter had had hunters on this same band the last two hunts and that someone had shot at this band (we think) within the last week, ie they were spooky. Anyway, this was another 16 hour day, this time with snow, and 50mph sideways sleet. This is the next time I swear that I'll NEVER SHEEP HUNT AGAIN. I tell this to the guide and tell him that I'm THROUGH, he say's "come on, man, let's get goin'". That was all that was said about that, and quite frankly, I was serious. Later, I hoped that Brett forgot, or maybe I was hallucinating, but I started to criticize another hunter that we learned had bailed out, and Brett reminded me that "doc, you kinda wanted to quit too".....gulp!
[Linked Image]
This is my quitting face!

Later, at a lower elevation, the sun came out, it was surreal

[Linked Image]

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The next day was the 9th of my hunt. I was not out of hope, but the guide frustration was palpable. We iridium'd (Globalstar, once again confirmed on this trip, is SHeeeeat) for a last minute transfer to a possibly better site (6 hours from plane to trigger in Canada). We boost it out of there, with my feet on fire and Brett, just a'glassin'. He found one spot of interest that we went up for a look (all small rams) that added another two hours onto our trip to the airstrip (called "Two Puddles"). Frankly, I was beginning to think that this country had been shot-out and just wanted home. My previous sheep hunts and goat hunts for that matter had been half this hard.....I've never asked to quit, even jokingly. We got to Two Puddles along a river, rain and wind would have us pinned down there that night, and it was the next morning, the last of my hunt that the supercub would come in and land to take us to the "one day sure thing hunt". Brett was convinced and had me excited that there was a ram accessible by the air-strip, on the first day that the bow hunter had not been able to get on. I was up for anything, had no pride left and was ready to go. Brett was visibly shaken and despondent when he learned that we were going to a murderous one day spot on the Miner River, that this very week, another hunter had bailed from, BUT there was supposed to be a DANDY ram up there, eh!

We started out with a ewe, visible on a mineral lick.....maybe we'll see something.
[Linked Image]

Let's just say that this was a monster walk along a super rocky summit trail. It took us two hours and all of our water to get to the top, bugs were bad, and it was blazing hot, too. We walked about 12 hours and got back to the tent with this to show for it just before dark....

[Linked Image]

The mood was somber in the tent, but we were beat and just slept. I was so damn glad when Jim landed with the 170 the next morning about 9am. We landed at camp, I took a quick shower, and baby, it's a King Air outta there and back to Whitehorse.
[Linked Image]

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Don,
So was this just a bad year for sheep success, or issues with the outfitter?

Again, thank you for the report and photos.

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Great story and photos Don. Sorry you missed out on a ram. You toughed it out better than I would have. The bear looks great! Full mount or rug?

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You are a friggin stud! This is very inspirational, at a perfect time for me. Thanks.

I gather the the mammunt pants have been there before? How many trips can your boots make like this?

If you'd known grizzly was involved would you have brought a different rifle? What was your bullet choice? Tarp?

Again, thanks for getting the fire burning hotter!!! smile


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222 Rem,
I got the Zero degree Slick bag before the goat hunt in October last year in Alaska. It worked great then, and I was amazed at how you could get in fully dressed, WET and wake up dry. The same was true on this trip. I'd get in a dry bag with wet clothes and soon the interior was very moist and sweaty. In the morning, the interior was bone dry, and there were drops of moisture on the outside of the bag, and visible on the inside of the rainfly.

I'm sold on the eVent Thru Hiker from ID (The tarp is their Siltarp). It breathes like no other, and I've yet to have it soak through. I use different pants, because I like a full length zip to get on over boots (I used arcteryx).

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Huntr,
Blackstone has a really good reputation, I really don't know the answer. I did know that they haven't had a 40 incher in years, but this year I think someone connected on a 39". Brett says mostly they are broomed and he has yet to get over 36" in his 6 yrs there. I don't know if they are overhunting, if I just suck, if I'm just unlucky, I just don't know, maybe it was just not meant to be? I will say that I gave Brett the biggest tip I've ever left.
Don

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Shaq,
Thanks!
The boots held out very well with no failure. I think my feet issue was just from the miles I put on. With that said, I'm alway thinking about giving the guys from Lothrop a call.
If I had known Grizzly was on the menu, I would definitely have taken my Blaser in .300 Win Mag, no question.
I shoot the same projectile in both, though, so what's the difference at reasonable range? I use Federal 180gr TSX in both. Honestly, I was a little surprised at the pencil-hole exit wound, and I really would have liked to see the internal damage.
Don

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great story there. id say you guys deffinatly hunted hard, its tobad you didnt get a ram but thats sheep hunting. your bears is still a heal of a trophy. the finks have a very solid reputation among the yukon outfitters and guides. i theard they run a good show.

thanks for the pictures and for taking the time to share your story.

Byron

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Outstanding story and pics - Thanks for the write up!

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Outstanding story and pictures. That picture of you with your grizz and the valley in the background is fantastic. I must say looking at your feet and reading about everything you endured I certainly tip my hat to you. I've got a buddy that has guided for them in the past and they seem to run a good outfit.

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Originally Posted by 222Rem
GREAT story! I really appreciate your honest narrative. Combined with the photos, I can really get a sense for how you must have felt.


Boy, I'll say. Makes my feet hurt just reading about it, great write-up doc.



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Awesome Doc!!..All except for the feet pic's...looks like you could give pointer a run for his money with those flapping hunks of skin...lol...

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Doc,
Thanks for the write up. Your report makes all of us sheep hunters beam with pride.

Sorry you didn't score. It's tough knowing you put that time and effort into it. Personally, I've hunted 3 times and been successful twice. My only unsuccessful one had been without horses in AK. Canada is the ticket! Beautiful country and the people are great.

Outstanding job on the pics. You definitely have that talent down. The memory will fade (or why else why would we be dumb enough to sheep hunt again?) but those pics will be with you forever.

On the foot blisters, do you double sock? I saw you used tape. My method has been put on a silk sock and then a wool sock with plenty of talcum powder (Monkey Butt). My feet sweat profusely and I've never had a problem. The advantage of this is you only need a couple pair of wool socks with you. The silk socks are very small and light and dry quickly.

The thing I get a kick out of when I return home, are how many people don't recognize me. Loss of weight and new beard. Did your office mgr recognize you? LOL

Again, thanks for sharing your hunt.

Great score on the bear! What are your plans with it?

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Great write up and pictures as usual! You wouldn't trade that hunt for anything though, not after a while to recover. I know I wouldn't. I don't care for the hunts that end right away without some good labor involved. But thats me....

The TSX, griz are big and tough, big bones etc... I don't know that I'd expect a big exit hole, the petals are made to break off if they hit something hard without loosing the "core" of the bullet so that above all things you get 2 holes. Anyone that doesn't deal well with that may well need to think partition or bonded core to see some damage.
Still everything I've shot with a TSX has died for many years now.

Congrats. Heal up now for next year!

And dang you, probably cost me 2 more sleeping bags...


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Thanks guys, appreciate the comments! One more day to heal up, and then back to the office, actually I'm looking forward to it (which is the point of the vacation after all).

About the Slick Zero........the coldest morning of the hunt was one of those mornings when ice is just beginning to form at the edges of puddles, and on top of tarps, etc, but the nalgene in the vestibule remained liquid. That was one of those nights I went to bed wet, and woke up dry. I was chilly that night, but did sleep. I know that slick is a zero degree bag, but your sense of it, when you hold it, is "no way". It doesn't seem to have the loft. I really can't say that it was a good test, because I was fully dressed, even had a coat and a balaclava.

I really love down bags and have several, that are lofty and supercomfortable, I just worry about the moisture. One of my bags is the WM Kodiak GWS and I love the size.....plenty of room for me to twist and turn to keep my rotator cuffs as happy as possible. I think with that fabric, though, that maybe I should get my wet stuff off and go to bed dry; to minimize the moisture traveling through the down. I also have another down bag with just a water resistent fabric.....likely passes moisture better, but it still must go through the down.

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DocB, yeppers you are still da man! Wonderful bear and seems like the TSX did pretty much its thing as the bear didn't know what hit him, so it seems.

Sorry about your luck on the Dall but sounds like you got along much better than with the Little Napoleon guide you had in the NWT a couple of years back.

Great story, pics as we have all come to expect from you. Get those pretty footsies healed and be ready for the next outing! Where will it be?

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I'm going for that Booner Goat with a poster "Ropes", with whom I've hunted alot. He has a spot in the Misty Fjord of Alaska with a monster goat all picked out, right next to the fly-in lake, that I'm sure I'll take on a warm, sunny afternoon next September.

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