A decade in the mountains; one man’s sheep journey.

[Snyd]

Like others have said, thanks for sharing Steve. I can relate in that I too got a late start sheep hunting. I'll be 54 this August and it will be my 10th year in the Sheep Mtns Good Lord willing! A man can learn a lot about himself (and his partner) in the Sheep Mtns. We are truly Blessed to have been able to chase Ovis Dalli the past 9-10 years. May you (and I ) be Blessed with many more years!

Perry

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Steve I know you been told this but seriously write a book or do a dvd or something. I have read lots of dall sheep books from some so called experts and the difference between you and them is you are real. You write from the heart and I get the sence you hunt that way. Ive shared pms with you on the other site at times, Ive read your tales. You sir are a great hunter. Everything you do you do 110 percent. I never read and complaining or blaming anyone like happens so often with hunting in Alaska. You dig in you over come and you simply learn from experience then you go one step forward and you share your ups and downs with all to see in an effort to help. You always step up and help those who need it and offer advice every cance you get. You keep on hitting those mountains and sharing those stories. I am going to save your journey for my son to read when he is old enough to see how a man can adapt and become a true hunter. I respect the hell out of you and if you get to a point and need some legs you call me and I will be your packer(or get a young buck for ya.. )

I agree! You've got the chops for writing. This is real meat and potatoes stuff, not the fluff pieces we're fed by the local magazine stands. I haven't read it all but what I have is good stuff.

 

[Scoot]

What a great thread! Thanks for sharing.

 

[realunlucky]

Wow epic is right thanks for sharing tips and sharing photos that will light a fire to get anyone the itch to get into the sheep mountains. Your pictures are awemazing and remind me of what a crappy job i do of documenting my own hunts. Thanks for putting this together

 

[luke moffat]

Awesome stuff Steve!!! Finally got all the way through it. Thanks for sharing it. It was a joy to read and I can only hope to have a flock like in your basement by the time I'm done running the mountains. And you sir are still FAR from done.....won't let you be done anytime soon either.

Having started hunting sheep in 2010 after growing up in Alaska I am a bit behind the curve compared to many born and raised Alaskans my age like Yellow knife that has been chasing them at a much younger age. I firmly believe you are never done learning regardless of experience in the field, but hanging out with guys like Stid can certainly shallow out the learning curve or avoid some of the hard knocks

 

[Yellowknife]

Having started hunting sheep in 2010 after growing up in Alaska I am a bit behind the curve compared to many born and raised Alaskans my age like Yellow knife that has been chasing them at a much younger age.

You give me far too much credit Luke. I started young, but there was a LONG gap in my sheep hunting career due to college and living in another country. At this point, you are well ahead of me in both sheep trips and animals packed off the mountain. I've got quite a ways to go before I get any good at this game.

With any luck, I'll catch Steve's score one of these days, but seriously doubt I'll be able to write about it like that. I am however inspired to make sure I take even more photos.

Yk

 

[dotman]

Steve, amazing write up once again. You need to think about writing a book, your words really make the reader feel like they are on the hunt. Great stuff!

 

[sdr]

That was one of the best things I have seen on a hunting forum. Great story and great photos. Where do I pre-order the book?

 

[nflesher]

I was hooked when I started reading this. You my friend are a hunter. I like the quote "If you don't think about quitting, your not hunting hard enough." Thanks for sharing.

 

[hunt&fish]

Great read. Amazing pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[fillthefreezer]

finally got time to read this whole thing, wow. what a story. you'd be quite a man to have around a fire...

 

[MTbowhunter36]

"When we awoke the next day, we had no way of knowing at the time, but we would spend the next 8 days at that lake."

Wow, this really puts your experience into perspective. In MT when you're 5 miles in, you typically will not see another soul. However, if something happens you're not so far in that you're at the mercy of a plane to transport you out!!

The write up was great, and to compliment it with the pictures was outstanding. Thanks.

 

[CentennialELK]

Very well said and great pictures! A student of the wilderness! Thank you for sharing!

 

[provoflyfisher]

Thanks for taking me on the Journey, it was a pleasure!

 

[Stid2677]

Sheep hunters spend an incredible amount of time gathering gear, researching an area, training for months, shooting, but give taxidermy very little thought. The day you get back is NOT the time to find a taxidermist. I have seen and heard of more taxidermy horror stories than I can count, happens every year. Little to no regulation required to be a taxidermist, and many folks think they want to be a taxidermist, get some training and set up shop, take in a bunch of work, only to realize that it is not what they thought it would be. Lost or stolen trophies, destroyed capes or horrible work, I have seen it all.

Any good taxidermist will take 18 months to 2 years to get your sheep back. I would be very cautious of those that promise a quick turn around. The GOOD ones get lots of work and quality takes time. Very few hunters ever part with a sheep head, so ask yourself, “do I want to look at a ugly, poorly done mount for the rest of my life”?? If you get that “bargain” back and it looks the Joker from Batman, or the horns are set at the wrong angle was it really a bargain? There are many great taxidermists here in Alaska, so do your research and find one before your hunt, look at their work and check references.


Good taxidermy starts at the kill site and continues all the way to the final product. Don’t count on being able to take your sheep head in the cape to a taxidermist. Things happen and it may not make it before the hair starts to slip. August temps can make keeping a cape safe a challenge. Blood Stains!! Sheep hair is hollow and the blood should be washed or rinsed out ASAP! When backpacking I usually carry a small container of biodegradable dish soap to wash out the blood in a creek or any running water. Learn how to remove the cape, from the skull. Don’t cut it too short; this is probably the most common mistake, better too much than not enough. Well behind the last rib for a shoulder is a safe cut. Don’t leave any hair and skin around the horns, all that hair is needed to make the mount look correct and cover the horns. When the cape is removed from around the horns there should be a line of dirty looking skin. A thick bladed knife or flat tip screwdriver works well for getting the skin from around the horns. Learn how to turn lips, nose, eyes and ears; don’t cut the eyelids off. Never leave it in a BLACK trash bag, black draw heat very quickly and can ruin a cape in a short time even on a cold day if left in the sun.

I always wear a pair of cut resistant gloves, scalpels and knives are sharp and an accident can happen in a blink of an eye. A remote mountain is not the place for a severe cut.

Remember that even if you just want a euro mount. The cape is worth good money, a shoulder cape goes for $600 to $900 maybe more and a full cape done right can fetch far more. Sheep capes are very hard to come by. Many ruin them up caping them wrong or with poor field care; some get chewed on, bullet damage or destroyed rolling down the mountain. It can be very difficult for the taxidermist to flesh a cape if it is salted before all the fat and flesh is removed. So I like to whenever possible take it to them unsalted. Sometimes this is not possible, a product called STOP ROT, extends the working time on green hide by slowing down or stopping bacteria growth and decomposition, this is a good way to extend the time a hide can be kept before salting. A lightweight salt substitute called TTC will lock in hair like salt but requires less and also weighs less than salt.

http://genestaxidermy.accountsupport.com/?page_id=580

http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/STRQ-P3916.aspx

Think about the pose that you like or the ones that will be best suited for the layout of your home. I think sheep are some of the most beautiful big games animals there are and I enjoy admiring them, they are also a tangible part of the hunt that when viewed will always invoke memories of the time spent in the mountains.

 

[Buster]

Great tips stid, invaluable info for everyone. I do know that there are a few top end taxidermists that will turn around their sheep very quickly, but simply because they do not want highly valuable sheep capes and horns in their shops any longer than they have to. My taxidermist also does all his tanning in house, so that also speeds up the process. Taxidermists that get repeat business, and have done over 100 sheep are a good place to start, as it shows repeat clientele.

 

[Stid2677]

Great tips stid, invaluable info for everyone. I do know that there are a few top end taxidermists that will turn around their sheep very quickly, but simply because they do not want highly valuable sheep capes and horns in their shops any longer than they have to. My taxidermist also does all his tanning in house, so that also speeds up the process. Taxidermists that get repeat business, and have done over 100 sheep are a good place to start, as it shows repeat clientele.

This is true,, the key being check them out as I said be CAUTIOUS. Recently we had a guy that had the two sheep he and a family member took to a shady guy, get stolen, sheep horns are very valuable, so the guy said. Long story short, he was able to recover them after many Craigslist ads and a reward offer. Got the horns, but lost both capes.

Just ask around, sheep folks know the good taxidermist. The shady guys tend to pray on the new hunters and it is sad because most often it is their first Ram.

 

[Huntr]

Steve, thanks for taking us along on some epic hunts! I dreamed my whole life of hunting Dall sheep, and even though I was successful last year, I would give anything to return and do it again!

 

[HD95]

Thanks for taking the time to type this for all of us to read...huge effort,both in your hunts and in relaying it here.

 

[InDeep]

Wow, what a story and amazing pics .