Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Dall Sheep/Moose from the NWT

Well, I just returned from my Dall Sheep, Moose, Caribou combo hunt with Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters and Stan Stevens. We flew to Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories and then we took a Charter Float plane into the hunting area. His area is HUGE. 9,000 square miles. 150 miles by 60 miles. Big area.

I hunted with 2 great friends. We landed in camp and shortly after were shipped out to our area that same night. I would spend the next 11 days in a tent, coming in to sleep at camp on the 12th night. I was physically smoked. I felt like I prepared myself very well and was in good shape but I took a pounding. The other guys did not have near the physical challenge that I had. I guess the outfitter sized me up and decided to put me in a rough place. It also took me 4 days to get my sheep which was longer than anyone else. My guide was a 20 year old Mountain Goat and it was a challenge to keep up but I felt like I did a decent job. Packing the sheep and moose out to camp was exhausting. I packed the sheep (85lbs with gear) about 6-7 mostly downhill miles and then packed my moose 2.5 miles and climbed 1150ft over 3 different trips. My loads ranged from 60lbs or so to about 115lbs. Our Moose camp was on top of a hill for glassing purposes but I don't recommend that. It was a great adventure with great friends and in an amazing place. The scenery and remoteness was truly spectacular. I did not kill a Caribou and was pretty disappointed in that, didn't see many and they just weren't really there. The guys that killed one really only saw 1 shooter and they all shot pretty quickly. There were 6 guys in camp total. 4/6 killed all 3 species. My buddy did not kill a moose. He was pretty bummed about that. All that considered, it was still an awesome trip and I'm very glad that I had the opportunity to do something like that.

Sheep was 35", 10 yrs old and was a Fanin. Moose was only 61" but had gigantic paddles and great fronts. He scored 221 and change and 225 is B&C. It was the biggest in the group. His antlers were unbelievably heavy and massive. His paddle was 1.5" thick in some places. We all weighed horns for shipping and the next biggest rack weighed 45lbs, mine weighed 70. The next biggest moose was very nice as well and scored 210" or so but the difference in mass and weight was unreal.

Sheep was shot at 285 yds. I was lying down but b/c of the steep upward angle, I was not able to use a rest. Almost a freehanded shot due to the angle. First shot was quartering away and went in low behind the leg and exited just in front of off leg in the lower chest. He was wobbling after that and presented a "Texas heart shot". I hit him just to the right of center and it exited his front chest just left of center. He did not fall at that even though he was toast. I took a 3rd shot and missed. Both bullets exited.

Moose was shot at 150yds. First shot was hard quartering away and entered just behind the last rib on the left and exited at the base of the neck on the right side. He jumped up in the air and spun to face me. I took a quartering towards shot into the high shoulder and he dropped like a stone. Bullet did not exit and I did not recover.

Gear:
Savage 16 Weather Warrior coated in Black T (OD color), custom stock, trigger, etc.
Caliber: Lazzeroni 7.82 Patriot (.300 wsm)
Bullet: 168 gr TTSX at 3200 fps
Scope: Kahles Helia CL 3-9x42 with Multizero
KU 3700
Kifaru 0 degree Slick Bag
Thermarest Neo air Trekker Long
KUIU, Sitka clothes
Lowa Tibet Pro GTX and Kenetrek Hardscrabble boots
Leica Ultravid 10x42's
Swaro 65 ATS spotter
Slik EZ pro Tripod

Sheep Camp


Glassing the drain, killed the sheep at the end of this drain to the right below that last peak. Went in there on Day 2 and didn't find any but went back on day 4 and shot the Sheep.


Sheep




Had to get the obligatory backpack pic


Sponsor Shot


Moose
[img]http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss107/leebritt/NWT%20hunt/cc57425d.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss107/leebritt/NWT%20hunt/f0458a54.jpg[/img]

Little did I know how much pain I was to endure walking through thick Willows for the next 4.5 hrs. About 110 total lbs.
[img]http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss107/leebritt/NWT%20hunt/d493f74c.jpg[/img]

Mountain Lake Camp
[img]http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss107/leebritt/NWT%20hunt/027eb5b4.jpg[/img]

Thank you for a great report. I hope to go on a hunt like that someday.


ddj

Scenery and other pics.

Weather a little unpredictable


This guy showed up looking for a fight while we were cleaning mine. Nice bull.


Non shooter


Camp Mascot. He stayed around all week in Moose camp.


Sheep tenderloins


Bou


Another "non shooter"
[img]http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss107/leebritt/NWT%20hunt/203ce82c.jpg[/img]

We had lunch the 1st day on the L-shaped grass patch in the center of the screen. I was in for a challenge!
[img]http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss107/leebritt/NWT%20hunt/17c43cac.jpg[/img]

Way up there.
[img]http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss107/leebritt/NWT%20hunt/1634dfa3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss107/leebritt/NWT%20hunt/f379b9c7.jpg[/img]

Excellent story and awesome pics. Your Bullwinkle is a toad !!

Congratulations on a grand adventure.

Fabulous Ebby....congratulations!

Lee,

Awesome trip and story!

Thanks for the great write and pictures...what country! Oh, and congrats on some beautiful animals.

Congratulations on your adventure and a couple of great trophies! Looks like a GREAT hunt! Thanks for sharing your pictures and story.

Congrats on two excellent animals. Thanks for writing up your hunt for us to enjoy.

Fantastic Ebby! Thanks for the pics and story. I love logging on and seeing stuff like this.

Sums up my feelings too...thanks for going to the trouble of posting this all...very cool beans....

Congrats on a great adventure!! There's no place like the Territories....

Right on, I was waiting for your post hunt write up. A big congrats to you sounds like an epic hunt. Beautiful country, and great animals. Congrats. Any chance Gary was your guide? How did all of your gear work out for you?

Lee-

Challenging. Rewarding.
Congrats!! Thanks for sharing.

Obviously a great hunt in some fantastic game country. Good job on the animals--you obviously had the best guide, even if he did wring you out. That moose is something else!

Thanks for posting!

Thx 4 sharing! Totally awesome totally awesome!

Dober

Very, very impressive! Not only the trophies but the sheer willpower. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your hunt with us.

Wow!

Great pics!
Great write-up!
Great critters! (That moose!)

Jealous here!

Congrats all around!

Very, very nice. That 110-lb pack pic made my knees hurt. Beautiful scenes. Great animals.