Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Stunt Sheep (Part 2)

I think some here have a problem with those of use who have a "penchant for candor" Calvin.

Let it be said that I spent nine days on Hinchinbrook Island many years ago with a blued/wood stocked rifle and it looked like dogschit when I got home. YMMV, and yes I know all about oil.

Great pix, story, ram and experience! Congrats.

oh jeez a pete, let's put away the Midol fellas, this is the Alaska forum not the Hunters Campfire.

the example I used of the guy I knew in blue jeans and flannel is sure enough true, my first ram I was with him, and technically I was far better prepared, but he was better prepared with sheep hunting experience and owning a Cub (big plus there!)

after we killed my sheep and got off the mountain, we flew across to the other side of the haul road and killed a few caribou.

he ended up borrowing an extra fleece jacket I had as he was soaked through in his. He also commented during the sheep hunt that he'd never eaten so good on a sheep hunt, I'd taken care of the groceries and had a good selection of MH and Alpine freeze dried goods along with the regular snacks.

my point is, I've hunted hard here, and I'm an admitted tackleberry, gearheaded freak and have the man cave and Connex to prove it!

hi tech makes hunting safer and more enjoyable for me, but it doesn't mean that guys that don't employ that technology can't get it done as well!

I've got pards that have a box of shells that they figure will last them the rest of their hunting life, yep every year they use one bullet and kill a moose.

while I have buckets of brass cause I just like to shoot and figure I like to up my odds on killing a critter humanely.

I've no doubt if I'd not have had the extra fleece jacket back in the truck Jerry would have just toughed it out in his soaked through down jacket.

but the way he hunted was no stunt, that dog can hunt.

he was 52 when I killed my ram with him, I didn't have to wait for him, blue jeans and flannel shirt nonwithstanding.

I think you meant to say "harvested".
<grins>

I"ve seen a number of Calvins comments, and i've never read them as smart azz at all, simply informative and I totally agree with him on most counts.

There are things we do everyday that we get away with that could or should cost us at some point.

Calvin pointing out that some of the items could cause an issue at some point, wtf is wrong with that?s

Jeans is an example actually for me... I flew into Aniak once for a bou hunt.... was no big rush etc... so I didn't change into gear yet and then all of a sudden a plane comes in and we have to scramble...... in jeans... all was well until I was making sure of foot placement on the float plane and walked into the tail.... fell, rolled back into a COLD lake... sopping wet....

But of course as the plane took off I"d dried off and had my wools on right quick.... Temps were only in the low 20s though so it wasn't such a big deal at the time.

Personally I appreciate folks pointing out potential errors. Though I'd prefer Calvin have called the issues out specifically.

While things like jeans and other unsuitable things can get you into serious trouble, the list of things FC posted as stunt material are the stuff that hundreds of people, many of them Alaskans, use every year quite successfully. That they worked for the OP is hardly a surprise. The surprising thing is that we've collectively almost become clones of the Cabelas models in our thinking about the gear we need to be very successful in our hunting endeavors. Really, the list of items can only be perceived as stunt stuff in the eyes of snobby gear heads. Hunting doesn't need to be about who can get it done with the bestest and mostest, though there is nothing wrong with doing it that way. I was once a disciple of that endeavor myself so I can't really criticize it. However, I also appreciate and understand another side to things, something I never thought I'd ever come around to when I was yet in my younger years. Hunting can be a lot of fun, successful even with only the stuff we could get in 1980. Why shouldn't it? Hunting was a lot of fun and eating everything that we brought home was quite a challenge even then.

But it would be false to assume that Alaska won't ever bite you in the butt if you hunt here long enough. And it'll happen in spite of the best of gear - though good gear can reduce the odds. But the weakest link is still the organism in the equation. Always has been; always will be.

damn nice sheep and hell of a hunt to boot though! I"m envious.

Jeff

darn, I opened this thread imaging I'd see Bighorns on unicycles or something.

I agree. I would also add a quote from Admiral Crowe, in testimony to Congress after the Desert One Debacle that led to the creation of SOCOM.

"Military amateurs get together and talk tactics. Military professionals get together and talk logistics."

The best way to get out of a [bleep] is to not be there in the first place.

FC-

Congrats!!! Beautiful ram!!!

+1 FC!!!

Just one question are you sure the cup and core bullet from your 7X57 hit the ram......I see no evidence

Great story - thank you for sharing!

PennDog

The 7x57 is so wonderful, it even knows when to refrain from mucking-up a beautiful cape!

In the 2 lower pictures, the ram is lying on the exit hole: 'twas just starboard of the brisket, and the entry came down through the left humurus.

I know, I know... a mono would have caped him, too...

FC

I don't understand the "Stunt sheep" title, I see nothing stuntish about it. Everything you've done has been done thousands of times before. In everything from blue jeans to cotton t's to flannel shirts and jean jackets, long before rangefinders were around and just about every rifle had a wood stock.

Hell, i've done it myself many times over the years but it's like anything else, we evolve over time and learn to use things that improve the experience and hopefully, the outcome too.

Very nice dall ram FC and good job cmg for staying after it.

WOW! Congrats on great sheep and hunt and pics. The pics are amazing and amazing country too. I now know I am too old and fat and po to sheep hunt. But by God it's great to dream about and see others accomplisments. (oh and 7mm mauser has kilt more game worldwide since 1891 than any other cal)

I saved $ for 5 years, lost 30#, and went when I was 48 years old. If you want to do it Silvertip, DO IT! Make it happen. There is nothing like being in the mountains, sheep hunting. Nothing...

Pizzed I did not go last year, was there, and left after my fishing trip and vacation at my cousins...had I ONLY brought rifles and stayed longer!

Hopefully I will go back, and hunt ALL AK has to offer. My dream....well, Africa might be nice as well!