Our 2016 northern sheep hunt

[Lr1000]

After last fall and my brother Dom still in persut of his first bighorn, I had the idea to greaten our odds and hit the northern country as well. It started out with google earth and Abraham lake, but after talking to people and a little more research we set our sights a little further north.

Somewhere this spring Dom ran into Jeff who was planning on the same hunt but had his hunting partner drop. Dom and I always like a little extra company and a spare set of eyes so we invited him to join us with the note that Dom gets first shot. Jeff being the beauty that he is was more then happy to agree to those terms.

Day 1. We arrived at the trail head the night before Aug 21, and all we heard on the radio was tornado and rain fall warnings. Not what you want when your goal is 40km to the first camp. When we awoke the rain started to lighten up and we hit the trail around 730. It was not long before the sky's opened up on us and we settled into a long day of hiking in rain gear. The trail hadn't been hit hard with horses yet so we knew we were one of the first to be getting back there. The further we went the less traffic the trail seen until there was only one pack string horse tracks made from a guy I knew and was a day ahead of us. We did not reach our target destination, however could see it about 9km down the valley. Burnt out from slipping in the mud all day we setup the tipi and stove and started to dry out our gear. What a difference maker that combo turned out to be on this hunt!
Day 2. The rain started to lighten up as we awoke and ended time we were done coffee. Packed up camp and started our way down the valley. Only ever really hunting sheep in the south it was a little overwhelming seeing that much sheep habitat and wondering where to even start looking or even passing these amazing hill side to reach our target destination. The trail was in rough shape and it took us until noon to reach yesterday's goal. Looking at the map over having some lunch and glassing, my brother dom figures we can take a sorter trail and cut over this mnt. Well as Jeff puts it, cuz he has a pic of this moment, that's the worst decision made that trip. I can't believe crazy horse guys use that trail! Finally 6hrs later we arrive in the valley we pls on hunting the next 6 days out of.
Day 3. The only clear night we had all trip we wake up eager to find sheep as tomorrow is "kill day"... Ya right. We decide we are going to pack up a few days worth of food and take a pass behind camp into the next valley and hunt it. We get up into the pass and spend the day. Although the sites were amazing and the habitat was perfect there were no sheep to be seen. It was a long way down to the valley floor where we had planned to head and with the weather turning foul again the thought of sleeping under a tarp seem less appealing. We head back down to camp to figure out plan B. With the vastness of the country and only seeing a few goats we were starting to feel a little overwhelmed. The trail the day before took a tole on Doms knees and he said he would have to sit out opening day of we planned to venture further.
Day 4. Opening day. We slept in a little but knowing we were the only ones back this far we weren't concerned none. As it is my favorite time to see sheep is 10-2 and 4-9. I was the first to wake up and crawl out of the tent for a ****. Mid pee I look to my left and see a bears head 20 yards away although that big square head was unmistakable we took one step and I thought to myself I have the wrong pistol in my hand for a grizz. I yell to the boys " boys we got a bear... It's a grizz!" Jeff asks if I want a gun which I quickly grab. That's when the bear notices me and like a good beat runs the other way. So now the hard decision of what to do. Jeff and I venture further and leave dom behind, knowing we will likely be gone the night with the bear hanging around or what I convinced them on and the responsible thing, load up camp hike 1/3rd the way back and hunt some promising area we seen on the way in. Not a easy decision but only being as strong as your weakest man we loaded up and headed back. Knowing others likely caught up and had that spot pegged. It was a longer but easier hike up the valley trail to our next camp. when we arrived we found a 8 pack of beer a friend of mine had left for us on our way in but didn't stop to grab and NO other hunters! This felt like a turning point in the trip.
Day 5. Once again we slept in a little and worked our way up some ridges behind camp to look into some basins and get some glassing in. It wasn't long till we started seeing sheep pop up here and there but by the looks of it everything was a ewe and lambs. It also never took long for the rain to start falling again. This being our first real hunting day we sucked it up and stayed on the mnt. Just before we headed back down the mnt we seen 8 sheep pop up where early there was only two. However with the inductions we had and being 9km away we could not tell anything other then it's a sheep. We headed back to camp with the spirits a little higher once again.
Day 6. We really sleep in. Don't leave camp till 1030. We work our way behind camp where we seen about 60 ewes and lambs the day before hoping there might be some Rams around and if not we are closer to the other group also to have a look. We get up on the ridge around 12. We seen the big group of sheep the whole way up but not Rams. Just as I was bringing out my spotter to glass across the valley Jeff yells from behind me "Rams boys"! We get the scopes on them and confirm 9 Rams and at least 4 legal with 2 looking very promising. We quickly decide lets go for it. It's 1230 and figure the Rams are bedded and it should lake us 4 hrs to get over there. We made good time decending that mnt however climbing the next one was a chore, steep and bushwaking the whole way. We finally break timberline and start working out way across the mnt with the wind in our face following them over to where we last see them tip over. As we are creeping along I spot a banana head just below us 170 yards. We stop and start picking things apart but can't see the big Rams. We are beside a small rock band and I decided I would peek over it. Just as I pop my head over, SHEEP 10 yards! I lay down and signal to the other two. Unfortunately they were all 30 ewes and lambs. Scratching our head wondering where the hell all the Rams went a storm blew in. We take shelter under a tarp against the rocks and wait it out. 45 mins later we now can't find any sheep. We decide to get high and ridge walk, looking in all the drainages. We find the ewes again in the far back basin but still No Rams! The weather turns again, this time 70mph winds and snow. We take shelter again by some cliffs and decided the Rams had to still be in the timber below the young Rams. We would give it one last look but if there are not there we are heading back to camp and hunt is over. The winds are so strong heading back they are trying to blow is off the ridge and we are getting pelted with snow. Start to see down to where we thought they must have been and again Jeff yells there's out Rams boys! They started feeding up the far side of the drainage. We ran down the mnt through the timber keeping out of site. We get to a rock slide and range 400. Jeff wants to get closer. We drop down another 80yards but the sheep are feeding up so we only gain 20yards. Well 380 is going to have to do. Jeff spotted so he gets first pick and Dom gets second. Jeff picks a large dark colored ram which seemed to be the lead ram which is good to take when your trying to get multiple sheep. Dom is have a hard time getting on one because they keep bunching up and intermingling. Finally they get setup first shots seem good we thought we seen doms crumple behind a tree and jeffs makes is up into the cliffs with the other sheep but clearly hit. Jeff takes one more shot and anchors him. I ask them. You guys mind if I go? With the green light I setup behind the Lr1000 Jeff the spotter. Just as he said top right I conermed it myself and dumped him. That's when Dom seen a ram heading the other way around the mnt the opposite way the other Rams went. He suddenly got a sick feeling he missed and that was his ram. We crawl our way up to the sheep find jeffs see mind 80 yards above and go look for the all important one. Just to find a rock we thought was Doms sheep. We scour for any trace of blood and nothing. We fallow where we last seen the ram tip over and nothing. At this point the sun is setting fast and we need to build a shelter on the side of this nasty steep mnt to settle in for a long night!

To be continued

[Tfng]

Great story so far!

[Lr1000]

Day 6. Day 5-6 are all one day really because there was no sleep. We stretched my tarp under the largest tree we could find and made a fire with all its under brush dead dry branches. That tree was very good to us that night. As the sun started to come up we could see we were fogged in with a layer of frost blanketing all the silver willows, making the steep hill side that much more treacherous. After replaying yesterday's events over all night we came to the conclusion Dom definitely missed but would spend a hr searching just incase we left some rock unturned. We made our way up to my ram since it was highest after taking field photos with nearly dead phones we got both sheep handled and started our sketchy decent down to the creek floor. With 100+ lb packs there were some pretty hair raising moments with a slip in the wrong place would surely be our demise. We get back to camp with about -100 in the energy level. Thankfully we saved a few of the beer that went good with fresh back straps to refuel our depleted energy levels.

Day 7. Jeff lined up for his wife and friend to ride in and haul our sorry asses out providing we dropped more then one sheep. So this day was a lazy day, filled with fleshing the cape, cleaning the meat and catching up on much needed rest. Jeffs wife steph arrived around dinner. Just in time for another round of fresh back straps and like any good wife she even brought beer, cookies and muffins!

Day 8. Awoke at 2 am to stoke the fire and heard a lot of commotion. Figured out that morning a grizz can into camp managed to snatch a bag of meat out of the tree before the horses scared him off. Loaded all the gear onto the horses and the girls rode out with us following behind with nothing but a gun and our backpacks, for 40km.

Our favorite saying this trip and Jeff believes he seen it on this site was "The Willmore takes work son"!

[Bigrackdreams1973]

Hard work paid off, good for you guys, better luck next time Dom.

[mk63]

Great Story! Thanks for Posting. Big Congrats

[smith88]

Pictures please!

[Tfng]

Thanks for posting Lr1000!

[saskwhitey]

Awesome story. Great work! Too Bad your bro missed, never heard of a triple header before.

[DJS]

Originally Posted by saskwhitey

Awesome story. Great work! Too Bad your bro missed, never heard of a triple header before.

Great story! Stories like this make it hard to wait for 410 in November!!

[Chet]

Beautiful!!!! Thanks so much for posting the story. Congratulations gents.

[Bigwoodsman]

Great Story. Thanks for sharing. Congratulations on the sheep.

BW

[Slicktricker]

Best sheep hunting story I've read on here thank you and congratulations on the Rams

[Lr1000]

[Lr1000]

[Lr1000]

[ksteed17]

Awesome job boys! When Dom told me the story this morning my heart literally hurt for him! Always next time, epic hunt.

[alpineguy]

Fantastic trip you guys. Congrats on your success and making all that hard work pay off.
That is a nice big strong paint (yellow)........you must have needed a stump if you tied off on top.

Once again........great job!!

[Lr1000]

Originally Posted by alpineguy

Fantastic trip you guys. Congrats on your success and making all that hard work pay off.
That is a nice big strong paint (yellow)........you must have needed a stump if you tied off on top.

Once again........great job!!

Haha. We did need a stump

[Lr1000]

[BackPackHunter]

Good job guys
Thanks for posting

[takeiteasybird]

Wow good work guys. Great story write up too!

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

[ABrocket]

fantastic job. thanks for sharing. congrats

[sage 13]

Congrats on a couple of great looking rams.

[hawken]

What an Adventure!!!
Your pain will soon be forgotten and you'll be itching to get back there.
Great Rams, Great Story, Congratulation!

[Acesneights]

Ahhh you guys deserved it. Great work and awesome story. Thanks for sharing with everyone LR1000. Time for a nap boys!!!

[SugarCreek]

Congrats guys....sorry Dom didn't tag out. When he does that ram will be something special!!!!

Looking at your pics makes me realize my artificial knee just wouldn't be up for a sheep hunt like you fellas do every year....at least there wasn't mountainsides of snow for you to hunt through this year.

Congrats once again!!!!!

Marco

[nube]

Awesome stuff guys. Congrats

[freeride]

Thanks for sharing!

[Deer Hunter]

Congrats! Great story

[depopulator]

Well that worked out pretty good !! Congrats