Nailed it
 

100% spotting scope can save u miles but can still love & learn with out & possibly do what everyone dreams of ... good luck have fun

I went on my first week long backpack sheep hunt in 2017. We saw 10-12 rams over several days, none were legal tho. The three of us spent lots of time behind our spotters, field judging. Distances were mostly 700M- 1000M.

I think for me, on that hunt, and being inexperienced at field judging, the spotter and tripod were worth the weight in the pack. But maybe if I were more confident with judging rams I could have got away with binos on a tripod. But 1KM is a long way to freehand binos.

One other thought, a multi-day solo sheep hunt for an inexperienced mountain hunter is probably not a good idea. Loneliness, mental fortitude, physical stresses, crappy food, cold, and so on, all conspire to derail your plans. Maybe work up to a big trip with some weekend scouting backpacks in the better weather.

my 2 cents based on last years trip.

Thanks, this is a great tip as Ill be treating water on the go. Are there any good maps I should look at getting for backcountry hunting? I have the backroads map book, but dont feel its detailed enough for true backcountry hunting.

Definitely will be doing some solo overnight trips before going back into the bush for a week. The mental aspects of this hunt appeal to me, as I want to prove to myself I can do it. In saying that Im going to try and rent a SAT phone for the hunt so I can touch base and talk to the wife each night.

On a side note I used my priority points Ive been accumulating for a few years and put in for Non-Trophy sheep. Does anyone know if I can still pull a Ram tag along with the Non Trophy tag? I believe I can, having just skimmed through the fine print.

yes on double tags

you'll see when you go to purchase them also, all options not allowed will disappear

i'll have both tags again this year

Wanted to give another update on my Celestron Ultima spotter now that Ive had it a few days. Ive been using this thing every night for a few hours looking for deer off the back deck.

Im pretty damn impressed with this little thing for 200 bucks. It has good detail, and now that Im getting used to it Im having a better time getting things into focus.

The biggest draw backs I've found so far are that above 35x magnification the image can distort a bit, you lose eye relief and you get CA. Mirage is also a factor when viewing things over 1k away. Im not sure if other spotters would have the same issue or not. Under 35x this spotter is very, very good. I'm able to easily see the rack on a buck at 1200m from my house. I dont think anyone could go wrong with it, as long as they dont expect to much given it's price point. It's definitely better then no spotter.

In saying that there's a sign about 2 miles from my place. I can easily see the sign with my binos, with the spotter I can tell that there's words on the sign, but can't read them. I think that by upgrading to a better spotter or eye piece I might be able to read those words. So I plan on getting the Hyperion Zoom at some point and will let you guys know if it's worth the upgrade. If you can afford a better spotter right off the bat, I'd definitely go that way. I know Im very very impressed with my Vortex DB binoculars, and if their spotter is as good, I dont think you can go wrong with it at less then 600. If you can't afford that right now, buying this Ultima and planning to upgrade the eyepiece is a good plan. Many reviewers say changing the eye piece on this spotter brings it up a level comparable to spotters twice the price as the overall investment. Whether or not that's true I dont know.

One other thing Id like to mention is budget for a good tripod. I spent over 100 on mine and feel it was as cheap as I'd want to go. Even the slightest vibration can distort your image at higher magnification. I got a Manfratto from London Drugs on the suggestion of the owner of the Wildbird General Store in Edmonton. If your looking for optics definitely go see them as I felt they had the best set up for checking out bino's and spotters.

sounds like you definatly got your moneys worth! thats great your enjoying it, its hot and humid right now so that will affect any scope no mater the price.

your bang on with the tripod comment. cant stress this enough, its not right to have a 2500 doller swarovski on a 60 dollar cheap aluminum slik tripod from london drugs.

Yea, I can definitely see why people enjoy bird watching. I may have picked up a new hobby in the process of getting ready to sheep hunt. :)

I"m certainly no authority when it comes to sheep hunting. After 4 pages of gear realted chat though I can't believe no one has mentioned the importants of your boots.......non of the other stuff matters if your feet are done for in 4 hours. Maybe thats implyed.

It's like the spotting scope thing....let me tell u about the guy that knows a guy thats killed tons of sheep in gumboots, he sleeps in garbage bags, lives off dog food, drinks pine sap when he's up high and out of water, his spotting scope is made out of wood....

Like most hunting, it can be done but it's usually easier when you have good equipment. We all got to start somewhere with gear, unless you are independently wealthy, gearing up with the best of everything off of the get go is going to hurt. Make the best use of what you have or can afford and upgrade as you go along.

DE101, yes you have nailed it a good pair of boots and a good heart are the two most important requirements for sheep hunting, next to a good rifle.