Kaitum
Well-known member
I'll keep this report fairly short and let the pictures tell the story. This year I drew a second season Tok sheep tag. This was my first sheep hunt of any kind. I can't say for certain at this point whether I've been bitten by the 'sheep bug' but it was a pretty cool experience. We got a bad break with the weather right from the start which limited our mobility. The area lost about 1/2 its ewes following the spring of 2013. Oddly enough, we saw a fair number of ewes and lambs but the big boys were scarce. Even with an unfilled tag, it was a great adventure. Just prior to that trip I spent 10 days in the Brooks Range with a couple friends float hunting for caribou. Two AK wilderness trips in the span of a month - vacation time well spent!
Here is what we awoke to the first morning of our hunt. 12" of wet heavy snow. Finding white sheep in white mountains.... As my friend said "We've just entered an extremely challenging game of Where's Waldo."
Sheep are hard to find in snow, caribou are not. This group of bulls kept us entertained for the first couple days. I saw some really large bulls early in the hunt. Unfortunately, they were long gone the last few days of the hunt when I was ready to refocus my efforts.
After a few days of sunshine and warmer temps, the snow retreated and we were hopeful our luck would change. But just as things looked promising weather-wise, the following two days brought fog and more snow.
We did spot two potential full curl rams on the 5th day of the hunt. We covered a lot of ground in a hurry and scrambled up the hill for a closer look. But they topped the ridge on their way to places unknown just as we came over the rise. It helps me sleep at night if I convince myself they were only 7/8ths curl. My finger tip shows the ridge they crossed.
We had hoped all the snow would push sheep down lower. And it did, the ewes and lambs. Here's a group that was nearly within rifle range from the river bottom. Oh to only find rams this low.....
What is hunting in winter conditions within having to deal with frozen boots? After a week of daily stream crossings our boots eventually got wet. It just so happens the day they got wet was followed by our coldest night of the trip. Cramming your feet into frozen boots isn't the most enjoyable aspect of a hunt. We scrounged enough firewood to melt the ice off our boots.
A few more scenery shots.
I still have a muzzleloader antlerless moose tag for the Anchorage area. I've thought about smacking a moose with my flintlock ever since moving to AK, time to make it happen.
Here is what we awoke to the first morning of our hunt. 12" of wet heavy snow. Finding white sheep in white mountains.... As my friend said "We've just entered an extremely challenging game of Where's Waldo."
Sheep are hard to find in snow, caribou are not. This group of bulls kept us entertained for the first couple days. I saw some really large bulls early in the hunt. Unfortunately, they were long gone the last few days of the hunt when I was ready to refocus my efforts.
After a few days of sunshine and warmer temps, the snow retreated and we were hopeful our luck would change. But just as things looked promising weather-wise, the following two days brought fog and more snow.
We did spot two potential full curl rams on the 5th day of the hunt. We covered a lot of ground in a hurry and scrambled up the hill for a closer look. But they topped the ridge on their way to places unknown just as we came over the rise. It helps me sleep at night if I convince myself they were only 7/8ths curl. My finger tip shows the ridge they crossed.
We had hoped all the snow would push sheep down lower. And it did, the ewes and lambs. Here's a group that was nearly within rifle range from the river bottom. Oh to only find rams this low.....
What is hunting in winter conditions within having to deal with frozen boots? After a week of daily stream crossings our boots eventually got wet. It just so happens the day they got wet was followed by our coldest night of the trip. Cramming your feet into frozen boots isn't the most enjoyable aspect of a hunt. We scrounged enough firewood to melt the ice off our boots.
A few more scenery shots.
I still have a muzzleloader antlerless moose tag for the Anchorage area. I've thought about smacking a moose with my flintlock ever since moving to AK, time to make it happen.
