Sheep hunting alone?

[B_Reynolds_AK]

"Wait... That looks like a 4-5lb Hilleberg Soulo tent. Don't you know that's too heavy for 2 sheep hunters let alone one!! You need a $1000 piece ultra fiber cloth cut into a floorless tipi that only weighs 6oz in order to kill a 40" ram. "

Facts ^

 

[Mannsbuick]

What Brand, Make and model tent is that one in the pic?

Did you use a carbon fiber pole, aluminum pole or trekking pole? Also what brand and model name?

I have Hilleberg Soulo and Tarra, both 4 season bombproof tents, BUT HEAVY!!!

I like this set-up however a little Leary about high wind gusts 60-70 mph and snow load?

I also have a 4 man, 12 man and 16 man Kifaru tipi and really like the fact that you can stand up straight and run a box stove inside..I guess extreme comfort will always come with a cost $$$ as well as weight, but I am always searching for something lighter, stronger and warmer ugh!!!! Yeah I am a gear whore lol

 

[Snyd]

We longed for my Hilleberg Tarra on this hunt. I've been in those tipis a few times and don't care for em much. Cold, damp and windy. We survived but had to build a rock wall and eventually bug off the mountain. Other hunts in high wind hanging on to the tarp and pole on the inside keeping from getting blown away. I added up the weight of tarp, ground clothes and bivy sacks. For another couple lbs we could have had my 4 season Hilleberg bomber tent. Each to his own.

 

[oenanthe]

My 4th solo ram, back in 2016. Just waking up to a little fresh snow after a very windy night, so windy I was in the fetal position hanging on to my tent pole with both hands at times. Horns and meat where I could keep an eye on them; probably should've been further away considering I'd encountered a sow and cubs a mile away a few days previously. But I was too tired to do better when I pitched my (homemade silnylon) shelter in the dark.

Note the large rocks holding down the tent; B_Reynolds has apparently learned the same lesson.

 

[Mannsbuick]

My 4th solo ram, back in 2016. Just waking up to a little fresh snow after a very windy night, so windy I was in the fetal position hanging on to my tent pole with both hands at times. Horns and meat where I could keep an eye on them; probably should've been further away considering I'd encountered a sow and cubs a mile away a few days previously. But I was too tired to do better when I pitched my (homemade silnylon) shelter in the dark.

Note the large rocks holding down the tent; B_Reynolds has apparently learned the same lesson.

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[Mannsbuick]

WoW, I am so glad my son and I both have Hilleberg Tarra’s.like they say buy once cry once. See pic

 

[VernAK]

Yup....Gotta agree!

The Hilleberg Tarra is the tent for tough weather.

 

[swampthing]

I really enjoy solo time on the mountain. Not many others do though! Some people site "safety" for not hunting alone. Only you know if your the kind of guy can head out safely. If your a "klutz", probably best that you dont! As said, solo trips are very rewarding! I generally plan my trips solo and then see if any of my regular partners want to join in. If not, nothing changes. I have seen guys post about cancelling a trip because a partner has backed out. That never happens to me.

 

[bcnorth]

I also enjoy the solo hunts, i find the most challenging part is the mental game and sticking it out for 12 days when bad weather hits, lack of quarry or just missing the family. If do my part before i leave to complete important tasks and alot of quality time with family its easier. One un-nerving grizzly encounter changes things such as a grizzly charging into camp.
While hunting alone i take no chances.....most of the time. I wont hike up or down risky slopes, its not worth it.
My favorite and most memorable hunt was solo, it was my first elk hunt ever in a place i had never been. 50km quad ride into the mountains, getting stuck bad in mud, learning how to call by following elk and copying them, blowing a few encounters from glaring mistakes then it all came together right at the end.
I dont cancel trips because my partner cant make it, i go and be safe, bring an inreach.

 

[Choogiak]

I think everyone should go solo at least once. Cliche, but you do find out what you are made of. Something to be said for coming up against what you thought was your limit and going a little beyond. That said I find it more fun to share the experience with a friend and it adds a layer of safety for sure

 

[Alaska92]

How many sheep hunt alone? Got up here to Alaska and first thing the guys in my shop asked was do I hunt? I of course said yes and they gave the whole "O you'll fit in good" " we're all hunters in the shop" I start asking about sheep..and instantly got the "o that's too much work".
Basically come to find out if they can't drive their SxS's, set up their wall tents and have to carry meat more than 100 yards it's "too much work"..

So looks like I'm going solo. I'm only up here for a few years and have to take advantage of it while I can.

Yes. Solo sheep hunts here in Alaska are fairly common.

 

[Ecampbell25]

Lot to be said for this... I have a sxs and atv and rarely use them. They are a liability on a hunt most times, and a pain in the azz when you get them stuck. You also get to the same place as a dozen other people.

I used to hunt solo a lot, but don't much anymore. Its not as fun, and I'm as much into fun as I am filling tags. Finding good hunting friends of the same mindset are really not too hard, convincing them to go with you is the hard part. Don't expect others to send you invites to good spots, figure it out on your own, and make a plan. After that its much easier to get someone to go with you. For me, its pretty easy to figure out someone's hunting style in the first 10 min of a conversation.

Guys that swoon over rifles and shooting long range, are more into shooting than hunting 99% of the time, in my experience. Guys that wear matching camo to the gun range are another subset of hunters, that I probably won't be hunting with anytime soon. I'm sure that will hurt some feelers, but don't worry we won't hunt together, so it will be ok.

Haha so true!

 

[Ecampbell25]

I was planning on going solo just like I have been for the last 10 years of hunting out west.

It does help when you shoot an elk 6 miles from the truck and it takes you 2 days to pack the elk out…

Butttt….

The best part about hunting solo is you don’t have to wait for someone.

You don’t have to make a plan with someone.

You can go as far as your legs will take you and not have to worry if your friend can hack it.

I had a buddy fall apart on me on my Rocky Mountain big horn hunt… and it really put a damper on the trip…

 

[Bigborealaska]

I thouroughly enjoy solitude, however my hunting buddy is my brother and i'd feel a little lost without him. It is nice to have someone to talk to at camp and share the experience and the work with should you get an animal. I don't mind going solo though if its all I can do. Carry an Inreach, be smart and let people know where you'll be and how long you intend to hunt.

 

[buffybr]

I've done many of my Montana hunts alone with my Golden Retriever. In the late '70s through the '90s I had horses which were a great help in packing my camps into wilderness areas and a bigger help in packing my game animals out.

 

[chasewild]

When I first started sheep hunting, I often hunted alone. This was mostly because finding buddies that could get the time off work was a challenge, I refused to let that stop me from going hunting, and in turn, I feel like I gained some of my most valuable experiences learning I only had myself to rely on.

I really didn't know what I was doing and I never killed a ram solo in those early years, but I felt that the experience was invaluable to my growth as a sheep hunter. I always kept it a goal to one day kill a ram solo. Years later, after I had been guiding a while and was a much better sheep hunter, I drew a nice tag. I decided this would be the ram I finally hunted solo, and in my 40th year, I finally killed a ram solo, my first personal 40 inch ram to boot.

While I always enjoy hunting with a great partner, I also enjoy hunting by myself with the added challenge and experience it often provides.

Still on of the best sheep hunt pics I've seen.

 

[chasewild]

I've done many of my Montana hunts alone with my Golden Retriever. In the late '70s through the '90s I had horses which were a great help in packing my camps into wilderness areas and a bigger help in packing my game animals out.

Awesome pics.

 

[chasewild]

After 35 years, I love both.

I hunted with my dad mostly when I was younger. Then through my 20's I hunted solo, because I started hunting with a bow, and at that point, I didn't have any buddies that hunted with a bow. When I turned 32, I started hunting with a good friend and we started stacking animals and it was a new found joy to share it with someone.

Then I started hunting with my wife and it was wonderful to be with her in a new part of life, the high country, bugling elk, etc. We killed quite a few animals and we had some great pack outs.

Then we had a kid, and it was back to hunting solo for a bit. Killed a couple more animals, the packs were harder, but the success always felt big.

We moved to AK in 2021 and it was more solo stuff: kodiak brown bear in November was the highlight.

I did my first "real" sheep hunt last year and it just happened to line up with a buddy who wanted to tag along from the lower 48. It was a rare return to simpler time for both of us -- back when we were in college eating PBJ and chasing snow. He could outwalk me if it came down to it, but I kept the focus singular and the momentum going. The balance was optimal. Found sheep, got close, but not bow-close.

Another friend came up for another brown bear hunt in late september. It was another amazing hunt where we meshed well and we had some amazing experiences in close on huge bears. Missed shots b/c I couldn't hold it together, trying again, walking out dejected. All were great with someone.

But this year, everything is solo. And I'm more prepared than I would have been last year. SO the journey continues.