Dall sheep hunting Brooks Range

[nuclear worker]

I was on my first Sheep hunt last fall. In the Brooks range, amazing country. I agree the rifle is way to heavy. Sheep are not hard to kill. I went with a 6.5x284 fast and flat shooting. I used Crispi boots worked perfectly. Make sure you have good rain gear. It rained sleeted and snowed. Never really got cold, teens at night. When your climbing you will stay plenty warm. Have a good puffy jacket and pants in your pack to put on when you stop to glass after climbing. I think the most important thing is conditioning!! I was doing 14 miles with full pack and my boots 3 times a week. Also doing 200 flights of stairs with full gear every night after work. Also had permission from local gravel pit to go up and down the sides to prepare ankles for side hilling on the shale. Then had targets set up to practice shooting when I got to the top. Learn to get your breath under control. When you practice shooting don’t bother being at a bench!! Practice under real conditions which most likely will be prone on a bipod or off your pack extra. I even made a ramp out of plywood so I could get used to sitting on an angle and shooting down hill.

by the way I am 55 years old

 

[Wanabe]

Your doing the right things. Train,train and train some more. I like the gravel
Pit idea suggested earlier in the thread.
The 2 concerns I have are your boots and rifle weight.
Your boots are 8 years old now. Your feet are THE most important part of a sheep hunt. Everyone’s feet are different. What works for me might not work for you. I’m not familiar with the brand of boots you have now so it doesn’t give me an idea of your foot type.
Do you have anyplace to go to get fitted for boots?
I personally use Kennetreks. Have 2 pairs I rotate through a season. By rotating I mean one pair of soles wear out. I send them in to be resoled. So every guide season I have a fresh soled well broken in pair of boots.
I’ve been doing this for 10-12 years now. I have narrow feet and large ankles though. So there’s that comparison.
Your rifle weight is the next concern. If you can swing or afford a new setup I would seriously consider that. 10 lbs for a sheep rifle is heavy. The saying I’ve heard all my life of backpacking is “ ounces mean pounds. Pounds mean pain.”
There’s a lot of truth in that. 6.5 CM is plenty for sheep. Lyle will have his rifle for bears so you don’t need to worry about that aspect.
Your going to be talking with Lyle soon. Run these items by him. I know you’ve talked to him already about things.
I guide for Lyle and he is a close friend. Your doing what needs to be done for a successful sheep hunt. Lyle is a great guy to share a experience in the Brooks range with.

 

[OXN939]

Thanks for all the input and have heeded your advice.

I did buy a new syntheticsleeping bag rated at 10 degrees. I slept comfortable in my back yard with the Indiana temp around 24 degrees as a test. bag weight 4 lbs, 4 oz with stuff sack ( it was listed as 3 lb 12 oz on the website, oh well)

I removed the lower legs from my Vanguard and cut down the center pole in half. it is still a good height for glassing while sitting and weighs 1 lb, 12.7 oz with the integral panhead. This set up hold my vortex spotter well.

My trek poles weigh 1 lb 5.9 oz

My outfitter listed 20-40 rounds in his list. I would imagine that comes with us to where the supercub lands and where we have a basecamp. So I won't be taking 40 rounds to the spike camp.

I still plan to lose another 5-7 libs

thanks again.

Sounds like you've got all of the major issues addressed. I definitely agree with the call on the new rifle- if you can get 100-200 rounds downrange with it between now and August, you'll be just fine.

The item I'd add is related to physical conditioning- even excellent workout plans are only worthwhile if you can stay healthy. There's a thread in the physical fitness section about stretching and yoga, and I'd highly recommend trying that out. Lots of very scientific benefits, the most pertinent of which would be injury prevention, both while training and on the hunt. Also, make a concerted effort to drink a gallon of water a day. This is a staggering amount for most people, but if you do it consistently for a week, it's a virtual guarantee your recovery time and energy levels will improve. Good luck with everything!

 

[Indyal]

Thanks wannabe and oxn939,
For clarification, my Cabelas Meindl boots are 8 years old but have only been used if I went elk hunting in Colorado. So technically only worn about 16 weeks. I wear other boots to hunt in Indiana. The stitches are all tight and they seem to still be waterproof. I am hiking wooded hillsides in them without any hot spots. The soles still seem tight to the uppers.

I did trade some firearms and cash to get a Kimber Mountain Ascent 6.5 CM and leupold vari-x 6 scope. Total weight is 108 oz. That thing is so light I can hold it one handed at arms length like a dueling pistol( no , I won't shoot it that way). I have put 108 rounds through it so far. it is a sub MOA with a rest and now I am practicing off hand positions. An added bonus is 6.5 CM ammo weight half as much as 300wm.

I plan to pack my Vortex 85 mm spotter and a tripod. I removed the extensions on two of the legs to lighten the weight and figured I won't be standing to glass anyway. Lyle said he might spend a long time looking through his spotter to decide if the ram was a good one and having to share a spotter would hinder that. I feel a great part of the experience will be the looking even if it's bears, caribou, wolverine, eagles, naked through hikers, whatever.

I have been near sighted since childhood, had a retinal detachment in one eye, and cataract extraction in both eyes, so my vision is not as good as I would like and need all the optic help I can afford.
As an aside, I did an aoudad sheep hunt in NM a few years ago, the dang 23 yo kid was spotting rams and ewes a mile away without binoculars! Supposedly Chuck Yeager had that kind of vision. In WWII, his group of other pilots would say they saw dots ahead of them while he was identifying the types of planes.

 

[Wapiti1]

You can spend the better part of a day staring at one ram if he won't give you the right look, and getting closer isn't an option. Then you may take a different approach the next day to get closer or a better angle on him. Just to find out those horn tips are dead in between his eye and horn base. That's the game, and you just move on.

Jeremy

 

[Wanabe]

A couple more suggestions for you
If you have any place with staircases, multiple floors, that will let you train on that would help a lot. With your pack. 40 lbs in it. Also if you can find somewhere to take all your gear, in your pack, including your rifle how you plan on transporting it, and hike for a few hours this will give you a shakedown of your gear setup. Sheep hunting is 75%preparation and 25% action. Maybe 80/20!
Anyways you get my drift.
Another point get some of the Mountain House meals your going to be eating there. Try them out before you get there. Some guys can’t stand certain ones. It’s very important to know this ahead of time to make sure the hunter gets the calories they need to perform
Ask Lyle what’s his menu picks or you get a bunch and tell him your requests. How much fuel you have is paramount to your success.
Also some guys have adverse reactions to certain meals and the whole freeze dried thing throws the gut into squirts mode. Not fun at all!!!
Hope this helps some

 

[snowcamoman]

Indyal,
I'd also vote that you pick up another pair of boots before this trip and get them broken in. Boots that are older sometimes fail where you cannot see it. The adhesives used to hold the sole to the boot itself can simply fail and you will not know it by looking at the boot from the outside. A hunt partner had a like new looking pair of Lowa Sheep hunter boots do this. 8 days into the hunt and he could hardly side hill because the soles were basically slipping off the uppers. They still looked great, but the stability was shot on them. My preferred boots are the lighter weight, almost rigid sole boots made by Asolo, Scarpa, and La Sportiva. I used to use the heavy boots, but found that these new, lighter models do a superb job in the mountains.

 

[keller]

I wore the cabelas meindl perfect boots on my sheep hunt.i love those boots very comfortable. But with a full pack in the rocks I was wishing for something stiffer.i bought a pair of kennetrek boots and like the stiffness of them. They do have a higher arch. Boots are personal preference and everyone's feet are different as well.
Good luck john

 

[Indyal]

Well I just ordered a or of Crispi SF Briksdal boots based on lots of research on this forum and others.

 

[Jaweiss]

I started training with mtn tough fitness program. It might help with training. It is a very intense fitness program.

 

[Brittereiser]

Following along...please do a write up on the hunt and updates on the preparation. I’m excited for you. Best of luck.

 

[Indyal]

Update
Got gear dialed in. Weight of pack with all my gear and rifle will be about 47 lbs

got a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 6.5 CM. This reduced rifle weight by almost 3 lbs and ammo weight in half.

got a pair of Crispi SF boots $100 off From Midway and luckily they fit. Definitely less flex than my Cabelas meindl perfekt hunters and weigh 1!lb less

still dialing in my body . Doing lots of step ups with loaded pack. Core strengthening, leg strengthening and some upper body stuff. Have to modify some exercises from what I found on internet cause my soon to be 64 year old body has some limitations

does anyone go on a Mountain House diet before they go to condition their gut? I have eaten a few meals but not a steady diet of it.

 

[Wanabe]

Update
Got gear dialed in. Weight of pack with all my gear and rifle will be about 47 lbs

got a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 6.5 CM. This reduced rifle weight by almost 3 lbs and ammo weight in half.

got a pair of Crispi SF boots $100 off From Midway and luckily they fit. Definitely less flex than my Cabelas meindl perfekt hunters and weigh 1!lb less

still dialing in my body . Doing lots of step ups with loaded pack. Core strengthening, leg strengthening and some upper body stuff. Have to modify some exercises from what I found on internet cause my soon to be 64 year old body has some limitations

does anyone go on a Mountain House diet before they go to condition their gut? I have eaten a few meals but not a steady diet of it.

It’s not a steady diet I’m suggesting
Just try different ones. See it you like them. Each person has their own tastes. Also beneficial to see your bodies reaction to them BEFORE you are on the mountain
There are a few of the meals I can not stand and avoid them at all costs.
It just helps with the planning is all

 

[Ariettabob]

It’s not a steady diet I’m suggesting
Just try different ones. See it you like them. Each person has their own tastes. Also beneficial to see your bodies reaction to them BEFORE you are on the mountain
There are a few of the meals I can not stand and avoid them at all costs.
It just helps with the planning is all

I’ll jump into this great thread with my own experience. As much as I absolutely love real Italian food, if I eat the mountain house lasagna, spaghetti or fusilli I’ll be out of commission the next day and spend it in the “latrine”. I’d eat the stroganoff every day before touching any of them even once. Like mentioned above, check them out and/or ask what your choices are before it’s too late. Good luck!

 

[Indyal]

Well guys, I have eaten "gas staton sushi" and roller dogs from the gas and go marts so I think I have a pretty good stomach. Sometimes though, my stomach is ok but my colon has a separate opinion.

With that in mind I will certainly experiment over the next few weeks with some meal types and hopefully not offend my family.

 

[Wapiti1]

Update
Got gear dialed in. Weight of pack with all my gear and rifle will be about 47 lbs

got a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 6.5 CM. This reduced rifle weight by almost 3 lbs and ammo weight in half.

got a pair of Crispi SF boots $100 off From Midway and luckily they fit. Definitely less flex than my Cabelas meindl perfekt hunters and weigh 1!lb less

still dialing in my body . Doing lots of step ups with loaded pack. Core strengthening, leg strengthening and some upper body stuff. Have to modify some exercises from what I found on internet cause my soon to be 64 year old body has some limitations

does anyone go on a Mountain House diet before they go to condition their gut? I have eaten a few meals but not a steady diet of it.

Does that pack weight include food? If not, add 20lbs for food. Do not skimp on little treats and easy to munch snacks. It's just nice to pop in a few chocolate covered coffee beans (I love them) on occasion or a few lemon drops.

Great rifle choice even if you have to now wear flat brim hats due the chambering. It's that kind of sacrifice that will make you successful.

No, no one goes on an all Mountain House diet that isn't forced to by gunpoint or circumstance.

Jeremy

 

[wind gypsy]

I would bring some of your own food too. My staple on backpack hunts is Mountain Mush for breakfast, Backcountry bars (with choc chips added) for lunch and snacks, and mountain house for dinner. This is pretty easy on my gut and satisfies my sweet tooth. I felt like I was eating way better than my guide with this setup.

Ryan's Backcountry Mountain Mush - StHealthy Hunter

Breakfast is an essential part of starting any day, but especially a backcountry hunting or travel trip. Ryan's favorite food is an oatmeal concoction that he's labeled Mountain Mush. It's full of healthy carbs, fats, and protein, and has calories to fuel any long day of hiking.

huntharvesthealth.com

Sthealthy Backcountry Bars - StHealthy Hunter

For the last few years, we have been experimenting with making our own healthy snacks. Protein bars are good for quick energy, but they can be expensive and full of binders, sweeteners, and poor quality proteins. So we started making our own.

huntharvesthealth.com

 

[Jeremy11]

Good buddy of mine had the Cabelas Meindl a come apart after 3 days on a sheep hunt in the NWT. I recommend Kenetrek. You got plenty of time to break in some new boots.

Enjoy the planning and the excitement, it will be here before you know it!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Maybe a dud pair of boots. I've used Meindl's from Cabelas for several years guiding in NZ for Tahr, Chamois and Red stag and didn't have a problem with them. I still use Mendl for mountain hunts, especially where there is a lot of rock and shale.

 

[Jeremy11]

Really good point above. Hiking the cobblestone of a creek bed is really tough, be great to get your feet conditioned to it.
my guess is your trip will be near perfect, you even tested your sleeping bag! Great job.

That's where stiff shanked boots are a big plus too. Not just mountain sidling and climbing.
You've had a lot of great advice on here and I see you've used it. Have a fantastic and successful hunt!

 

[Blockcaver]

Your on the right track to have a great hunt! FYI I’ve shot a couple of rams while hunting in Cabelas Meindl Perfekt Hunter boots....Stone in BC on my 8th backpack trip for them followed up by my archery grand slam ram, Dall in the NWT the next year (2017). I was 64 when I killed the Dall.

As per books, Tony Russ’s books on hunting Dall sheep in Alaska are excellent. I packed one on more than one sheep hunt. Good luck!!!