# My 2017 Adventure Hunts



## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> IMO, If you want to hunt goats, are >40 and can afford an outfitter over a couple year period, then get a hunt booked and don't mess with the draws.
> 
> If you can't afford it or want to do a bunch of other hunts and are young, then you can play with the draws. But the only state you probably have a decent chance at is in CO.
> 
> If you are 4-5 years away from hunting them, spend the next year picking your outfitter and then book it. It will probably be 2-3 years out to book with a good outfitter, so that's built in. Then make payments as you go!
> 
> I'd look at the outfitter I hunted with or Kodiak. There are other good BC outfitters, but since Babine sells hunts in canadian currency, the exchange rate is heavily in our favor right now. That and their success rates are sky high. If you rifle hunt or can hike, you stand a great chance to kill a goat. From what I saw, I'd guarantee a rifle hunt with them if you are physically able to climb.


Thanks for the good info! I take advantage of the USD to CAN$$ as much as I can.
I am in my twenties but think I will just save for a hunt like yours. Will you hunt goats again? I think it would be a one timer for me, but I will probably get hooked!


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## Huntmaster143

steelyspeed said:


> Will you hunt goats again? I think it would be a one timer for me, but I will probably get hooked!


I will hunt goats again, but it will likely be after I kill a primary animal and then use my remaining days on a trophy fee basis.


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## Huntmaster143

WOW!!! If it wasn't before, this season just got real interesting!!

I just drew a WY Shiras Moose Tag!! I had less than 0.5% chance to draw!!

I can hunt from September 1 thru October 31st, but I have my BC hunt to contend with...so now I have to figure out the logistics and when it's feasible to hunt them around those dates.

WOW!!


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> WOW!!! If it wasn't before, this season just got real interesting!!
> 
> I just drew a WY Shiras Moose Tag!! I had less than 0.5% chance to draw!!
> 
> I can hunt from September 1 thru October 31st, but I have my BC hunt to contend with...so now I have to figure out the logistics and when it's feasible to hunt them around those dates.
> 
> WOW!!
> 
> 
> View attachment 255186


Can you record your negotiations with your wife in these hunts? Lol


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## Hunting18

I'm going to have you start applying for my tags... Maybe some of the luck will rubber off! Sure is going to be a good year!


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## steelyspeed

steelyspeed said:


> Can you record your negotiations with your wife in these hunts? Lol


And are you going to DIY or hire a guide? Depending on dates I would love to tag along and help pack that beast out.


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## obeRON

This must be a bull or any moose tag? A cow tag with a couple points isn't a hard tag to pull.


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## obeRON

You're in for an awesome fall!


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## Huntmaster143

steelyspeed said:


> Can you record your negotiations with your wife in these hunts? Lol


NO!


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## Huntmaster143

Hunting18 said:


> I'm going to have you start applying for my tags... Maybe some of the luck will rubber off! Sure is going to be a good year!



You can't draw if you don't apply!! It isn't cheap, but if you want to hunt the different species, it's the cheapest way.


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## Huntmaster143

steelyspeed said:


> And are you going to DIY or hire a guide? Depending on dates I would love to tag along and help pack that beast out.



I have no idea!! I have some research ahead of me. 

All I know is, YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIRAS TAG AWAY!


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## Huntmaster143

obeRON said:


> This must be a bull or any moose tag? A cow tag with a couple points isn't a hard tag to pull.



Antleted moose, in WY if you don't have max points, you drop into the random pool. I was 20 points behind max...


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## WMU05

That's awesome. When I was in WY in 2013, we ran into a local who had killed a shiras the day before. He had been applying for 20+ years and finally hit the lotto. 

You're a lucky SOB. ☺


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## Hunting18

Huntmaster143 said:


> You can't draw if you don't apply!! It isn't cheap, but if you want to hunt the different species, it's the cheapest way.


I am applying! I can't complain I have only been applying for a few years.


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## Huntmaster143

Can't lose focus...Going to get a workout in everyday I can over the next two weeks!


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## Nostromo

Go get 'em!


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## shanny28757

somebody has to draw, might as well be you.

simply amazing. you are gonna have one heck of a busy fall


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## Huntmaster143

Being 70 days out, I made a workout schedule to keep me focused and to hold myself accountable. 

It's a mix of different workout videos and backpack training. I've been workimg out sporadically over tge past few months, but I'm starting to pickup the pace. I'm going to try working out everyday for the next two weeks to increase my cardio, endurance and then keep going on the schedule right up to my departure.

I've followed this approach on my past few hunts with good results, so I'm expecting similar results this trip.


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> Being 70 days out, I made a workout schedule to keep me focused and to hold myself accountable.
> 
> It's a mix of different workout videos and backpack training. I've been workimg out sporadically over tge past few months, but I'm starting to pickup the pace. I'm going to try working out everyday for the next two weeks to increase my cardio, endurance and then keep going on the schedule right up to my departure.
> 
> I've followed this approach on my past few hunts with good results, so I'm expecting similar results this trip.


Insanity has always been my favorite especially the plyometric cardio circuit... dig deeper!!


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## Huntmaster143

steelyspeed said:


> Insanity has always been my favorite especially the plyometric cardio circuit... dig deeper!!


After doing just about all of the videos in those series, Insanity is still by far the best cardio workout. If I ever think I'm in good enough cardio shape, all I have to do is put in one of the Max Cardio videos from Insanity and it gives me an instant reality check...


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## Huntmaster143

Both of these showed up tonight!! Coincidence? I think not! Lol!


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## Huntmaster143

This stuff just keeps showing up in the mail! They even sent a t-shirt for my little man... Stalkers?!?! Addicted?? 












Also, come down with a wierd cold yesterday and felt like crap this am, but one look at this pic and I put in a solid 40 minutes with a 65# pack this am. Got to KEEP GETTING BETTER!!


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> This stuff just keeps showing up in the mail! They even sent a t-shirt for my little man... Stalkers?!?! Addicted??
> 
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> Also, come down with a wierd cold yesterday and felt like crap this am, but one look at this pic and I put in a solid 40 minutes with a 65# pack this am. Got to KEEP GETTING BETTER!!


Can you do an equipment breakdown for your sheep hunt? Pack, boots, layers, gun, other equipment etc?


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## Huntmaster143

steelyspeed said:


> Can you do an equipment breakdown for your sheep hunt? Pack, boots, layers, gun, other equipment etc?


Yeah, I am very close to finalizing my packing list and will post it up once I'm finished up. I'll also do a gear review after the hunt and go over what I used that worked and what I didn't use and maybe some changes for the next hunt. 

I had the luxury to bounce my list off two guys that have archery hunted sheep a bunch. One guy (Mark) is going on his 8th sheep hunt this year and the other guy (Bill) has killed two of the four with a bow and hunted stones twice last year, killing on his second hunt. Can't beat that experience to see if you are on the right track.


Here's how Mark opened his email in response to critiquing my initial packing list.

"At this juncture you can’t imagine the magnitude of the adventure you are going on! You will be one of less than 40 people this year (in the world) that harvest a Dall ram with a bow!! Last year, Bill was one of 6-7 (per Dustin) that harvested a Stone ram with a bow! The stark beauty of the McKenzie Mountain wilderness is indescribable!"

How's that for putting things in perspective... :SHOCKED::SHOCKED:


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> Yeah, I am very close to finalizing my packing list and will post it up once I'm finished up. I'll also do a gear review after the hunt and go over what I used that worked and what I didn't use and maybe some changes for the next hunt.
> 
> I had the luxury to bounce my list off two guys that have archery hunted sheep a bunch. One guy (Mark) is going on his 8th sheep hunt this year and the other guy (Bill) has killed two of the four with a bow and hunted stones twice last year, killing on his second hunt. Can't beat that experience to see if you are on the right track.
> 
> 
> Here's how Mark opened his email in response to critiquing my initial packing list.
> 
> "At this juncture you can’t imagine the magnitude of the adventure you are going on! You will be one of less than 40 people this year (in the world) that harvest a Dall ram with a bow!! Last year, Bill was one of 6-7 (per Dustin) that harvested a Stone ram with a bow! The stark beauty of the McKenzie Mountain wilderness is indescribable!"
> 
> How's that for putting things in perspective... :SHOCKED::SHOCKED:


No pressure!!


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## snortwheeze

Very cool !!


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## Huntmaster143

Tic Toc, the first trip of the year is approaching quickly! 











Here is my narrowed down gear list. There will likely be very few changes to this list outside of my notes already listed on the spreadsheet.












Been shooting the bow pretty regular and it's dialed in. I plan to do some extreme angle shooting to check my 3rd axis on my sight and finish building a dozen arrows I started a few weeks ago.

I've been in better shape at this point on previous hunts, but I feel like I'll be ready when I depart. My weight is about on my normal pace before a hunt, it's just that my cardio isn't as good right now.


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> Tic Toc, the first trip of the year is approaching quickly!
> 
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> 
> Here is my narrowed down gear list. There will likely be very few changes to this list outside of my notes already listed on the spreadsheet.
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> Been shooting the bow pretty regular and it's dialed in. I plan to do some extreme angle shooting to check my 3rd axis on my sight and finish building a dozen arrows I started a few weeks ago.
> 
> I've been in better shape at this point on previous hunts, but I feel like I'll be ready when I depart. My weight is about on my normal pace before a hunt, it's just that my cardio isn't as good right now.


Hey... don't forget passport! lol I do the same thing. Couple questions... do you have a two-bow case? What pack are you bringing? Will you check 3 or 4 bags?


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## Huntmaster143

steelyspeed said:


> Hey... don't forget passport! lol I do the same thing. Couple questions... do you have a two-bow case? What pack are you bringing? Will you check 3 or 4 bags?


I might've forgotten a license back home once... And I might've also forgotten to renew a passport once...

I have a two bow SKB hard case that I've used on planes in the past. It works pretty well. I'll pack the bows in it and then add some extra clothes around it for more protection.

I'm taking my Kifaru T-1 pack and frame as a carry on. It will have all of my electronics, optics and other misc. gear in it. Then I will pack all of my hunting clothes, boots, etc. into another bag for transport on the plane. I will check my bow case and one other bag and then have my pack as a carry on.

I will leave my hard case at the airport and only fly out to base camp with a soft case and my gear. I will then pair down that gear one more time for the final flight out to hunt. I haven't weighed it, but I'd expect to be around 40 lbs when I fly out to hunt.


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## shanny28757

why the note next to the kill kit that you can leave it behind?


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## Huntmaster143

shanny28757 said:


> why the note next to the kill kit that you can leave it behind?


Because it's a guided hunt and my guide should have everything to cape and handle the meat. 

No sense in both carrying it on a backpack hunt.


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## shanny28757

That's what I assumed but wasn't sure. 

I think I'd end up keeping a few items feom kill kit even guided. Stuff that would be considered emergency/safety like knife, paracord, zip ties, small piece of tyvek, etc.


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## 83mulligan

I have a soft bow case in original tree bark camo if you want to borrow instead of buy, lol!


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## Huntmaster143

83mulligan said:


> I have a soft bow case in original tree bark camo if you want to borrow instead of buy, lol!


Got to love the treebark camo!!


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## Huntmaster143

I'm now 24 days out from departure and life has been getting in the way of a regular workout routine the past month. With the 4th this weekend and a family camping trip the week after, it's not getting any better.

I've been doing my normal weighted pack hiking and video routine leading up to my hunts, but the frequency of the workouts is not up to par. I feel like my body is ready, but mentally I know I could be doing more to get in better shape and that my cardio has been better leading up to past hunts.

So, this am as I was choosing my workout (which I almost skipped), I decided to do Insanity Cardio Circuit to get a gauge of where my fitness is really at! I'm a firm believer in the insanity system and I can tell you, if you can keep up with the pace of one of the cardio videos from start to finish you'll own the mountains.

I'm happy to report that I kicked butt and felt great throughout! I pushed thru the beginning and could tell my cardio was actually better than I though. Made it thru 3/4 of the video without having to drop off the pace, which is really good, because even the people in the video drop off and take breaks. I'll let you know tomorrow how my legs liked it...but I think they will be fine because of the pack training I've been doing.

My Goal for the next three weeks - Keep moving and get a workout in when I can. Cardio is King in the mountains!


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## shanny28757

couldn't agree more. the high intensity interval training is by far the best thing you can do outside of actually hiking a mountain at elevation


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## 83mulligan

I've been going to a HIT crossfit/boxing gym workout. It's been great so far. Really pushes me. I just can't push myself like that at home, so I think it's going to help me from a cardio standpoint.


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## WMU05

Scott, do you buy trip insurance for your hunts? If so, who do you use?


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## Huntmaster143

WMU05 said:


> Scott, do you buy trip insurance for your hunts? If so, who do you use?


I never have purchased travel insurance for any of my hunts. My brother and I own our business, so I don't have the worry that my employer could cancel my vacation and since the business is well established and we have several long term key employees, it would take a major major work event to make me cancel my hunt last minute. The only thing that would really stop me from going would be a death of a very close family member or an injury/illness that wouldn't allow me to physically hunt. In the case of either of the later issues, I could try having the outfitter move the hunt to another year, have the booking agent sell the hunt at a discount or just elect to pass the hunt on to one of our employees that hunt. With the odds pretty low that I will have an issue, I've elected to just let it ride.

However, I do purchase a rescue policy from Global Rescue now that I'm doing more of the remote mountain hunts. This is a policy that covers you for a remote extraction if you are injured on a hunt deep in the bush. 

Back to the trip insurance, the booking agent that I booked my BC moose hunt with recommends Ripcord Travel Protection. Like I've said, I haven't used them, but if they are recommending them, I'd say they must be pretty decent. Based on the rate sheet they included in my booking package, it costs a 40 year old somewhere between $600 and $1,200 based on the amount of money insured on the trip.


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## WMU05

Good info here. I've never purchased it either, even though I'm in the insurance business. I've got a lot of vacation that I don't need permission to take, so illness or death have been my only concerns as well. However, given the costs associated with some of these outfitted hunts, I figured it was worth exploring. I'll check out Ripcord to see what kind of rates they're getting.


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## Huntmaster143

The camera guys were the first to fly out and then the chopper comes back to pick up the Eastman brothers.

Video Link

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/imdncac3b77qd99/20170728_090023.mp4?dl=0




















Video Link

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/h90iqlk7nbay826/20170728_090354.mp4?dl=0


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## Huntmaster143

After the Eastman clan gets out, Ben is next as he is going to the same place and guide that Frank Noska killed a beautiful mountain caribou bull the day before. Frank has quite the bowhunting resume and is a P&Y scorer, so in their downtime they green scored his bull at 390 gross and 380 net. Lee fly’s Ben out and then brings Frank and his bull back in the tag line.


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/bpifu3ytuqwkiyy/20170728_121330.mp4?dl=0


After Frank is back in, we reintroduce ourselves as we have met at a couple hunting shows in the past few years. Frank flew his Super Cub to camp from Alaska, so he now has to take his caribou back to Norman Wells to register him and pay his export fee before he can fly back to Alaska. After our chat, I finalize getting my gear ready as I’m last to fly out with our outfitter and my guide for the trip Glenda and her sidekick Twitcha a Burmese Mountain dog.


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## Huntmaster143

Since Glenda is pulling double duty, she is still collecting her gear and it turns out to be a good thing because just as we are ready to walk over to the chopper, she spots a band of rams high up on the mountain right from camp. We pull out the spotting scope and she quickly gets excited as she ID’s two shooters in the band and believes the one to be a B&C quality ram. After a fairly short discussion, we decide to give these rams a go for the day from foot because if we were to fly up top, we would have to wait 12 hours, but we can hunt them on foot right now.

So we head out from camp and hike up the drainage watching the bedded band of 5 rams probably 3 miles away. The hike isn’t too bad, the first mile is mostly open timber and then it changes to the rocky stream bottom. With all of the rain in the previous days, the stream is pouring off the mountain pretty heavy.


Once we break out of the timber, here’s our view of the mountain.


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## Huntmaster143

We can’t see the sheep anymore, but we think we know what ridge they are on. We are going to keep hiking up the drainage using the mountain for our cover and keep watching for the sheep bedded high on top.


Here’s a look back down the valley towards camp.












Shortly after, I spot a couple of the sheep up and feeding. We can’t see all of them and it’s not a good thing to be under the sheep, so we decide to work our way back down the drainage and get to a spot where we can watch the sheep and devise a plan.


Here’s where we settle in for a bit. We are down in the bottom, but the angle gives us a pretty decent view of where the sheep were.


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## Huntmaster143

And for the first time on this trip, I get to break out the scope. I have been carrying my scope because I wanted to participate in every aspect of the hunt. Since I had mine, Glenda left hers back at camp.












First ram in the scope looks pretty good, even if he is way up in the clouds. Click on the pics and you should be able to zoom in on them.


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## slabstar

Ok, it's been over an hour since last post.... c'mon with the rest already!Lol 
Great pics and story thus far huntmaster!
Hobnobbing and getting tanked with the Eastman bros!


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## Huntmaster143

We continue to watch the sheep for the next couple hours. Sometimes we could see them and other times they would move out of sight, but they weren’t traveling far, just milling around on the mountain side.


After a few hours, the three young ones appear in the same spot we spotted them from at camp. A bit later, the thin shooter comes out and then out walks the heavy boy. He is about the same length and shape as the thin ram, but he is much heavier and way darker horns.


Here’s a short video thru the scope.


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/dffl4ztgkcenls3/20170728_202020.mp4?dl=0


For a little perspective, the stick is pointing to the little saddle the sheep are moving around in.


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## Huntmaster143

We continue to watch the two shooter rams spar with each other while the others are sort of doing the same. This goes on for nearly an hour that we can see. I am trying to figure out a way straight up the mountain to them, but Glenda tempers my aggression and convinces me that it’s best we just be patient and wait for them to get in a better spot.


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/rt291w7kamwthhp/20170728_205048.mp4?dl=0


It is now nearing 9 pm and Glenda is craving her new Mt House Mac and Cheese, so we decide to heat up some water and eat dinner while we are watching the sheep. She suggests setting up camp right here after dinner and I figure we might as well just hike the 1 ¼ miles back to camp. She is fine with that, she is just big on giving clients the full back country experience of the hunt. After I told her I was good with sleeping in camp, she was much more apt to head back. So after dinner and approaching 10 pm, we hike back to camp to finish off the night.


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## Huntmaster143

slabstar said:


> Ok, it's been over an hour since last post.... c'mon with the rest already!Lol
> Great pics and story thus far huntmaster!
> Hobnobbing and getting tanked with the Eastman bros!


Wish I would've seen this before my last update!! I could've blocked you for a bit... :evil: :evilsmile :evilsmile


I'm posting, writing a couple days ahead and trying to pay for the hunt at the same time, so you have to cut me a little bit of slack!!


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## QDMAMAN

PURE AWESOMENESS!!!!


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## WMU05

Sheep!!!!


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## FREEPOP

WMU05 said:


> Sheep!!!!


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> Wish I would've seen this before my last update!! I could've blocked you for a bit... :evil: :evilsmile :evilsmile
> 
> 
> I'm posting, writing a couple days ahead and trying to pay for the hunt at the same time, so you have to cut me a little bit of slack!!


Huh?! Those Dall hunts don't pay for themselves ?!?!


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## Huntmaster143

*Day 6 Overall – Day 2 hunting*


With a good nights sleep, we wake at 6 am for a good camp breakfast. We glass for the sheep right from camp and Glenda spots them is pretty short order. They have moved a couple ridges closer to camp and are bedded on a ridge top. They are now bedded about where the red dot is on the below pic.












In short order, we begin the 1.25 mile hike to the base of the mountain where we are then going to determine if there is any available stalking opportunities. However, as we approach the mountain base, we notice the sheep are already up and moving. It is hard to get a read on their intentions, but it appears they are climbing higher on the face and circling towards us.


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## Huntmaster143

We look the mountain face over and notice that a fairly large cliff face wraps from high on the mountain top down to a cluster of spruce trees right above us. This looks like a perfect pinch and/or glassing point, so we begin climbing the rock face. After ~400 feet of vertical and climbing up thru a very steep chute, we arrive at the clump of trees. Upon our arrival at the pinch point, Glenda spots a sheep bedded about 1,000 yards away on a clump of grass on the ridge.


It’s one of the younger rams bedded.













One by one, they all move around the bedding knob but they all seem content where they are and not moving to far. The red dot is about 1,000 yards up hill thru the scope to where the sheep are bedded.


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## Huntmaster143

The sheep would rotate and take turns bedding on the knob, sometimes it was the little ones and other times it was one of the bigger ones. Here is a pic of the thin shooter bedded.












Around 10:30 am the action slows down and the sheep move behind the knob just out of sight, so we alternate naps and watching to pass the time until Noon or so. There is very little action from 10:30 on to 3 PM. We do get to watch Lee take the chopper to pick up a hunter that killed his ram yesterday.


During the down time, I took some pics of the mountain across the valley and the valley floor as the water way flows.


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## Huntmaster143

Here’s a picture of the spruce pocket that we were using for cover and glassing from.












And one that is looking straight up the valley.


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## Huntmaster143

Around 3 PM, we take another approach to get a visual on the sheep. We proceed to drop down to the valley floor and hike up the drainage for a mile or so trying to get a visual of the sheep. This doesn’t help any, so we assume that the sheep have headed over the top of the mountain. 


As we are hiking back down the drainage, we are discussing our options on this band of sheep. Both of us would really like to stay after them, but we are coming to the realization that the mountain they are on is not really conducive to bowhunting and we may be better off changing locations. I’m initially a bit anxious of the thought of leaving behind two shooter rams with one of them being a potential Booner. However, I follow along with Glenda’s idea since she has my best interest in mind and I sorta agree with her at this point. It is more fear of the unknown in the back of my head.


So we finish our hike back to camp where we reorganize our gear and get ready to fly out to a new spot later this evening. While we are getting our gear together, the camp staff is preparing caribou spaghetti for another solid meal before we fly out.


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## Huntmaster143

Around 7:30, just as we are loading up in the chopper, I spot the band of rams coming out the back of a cliff cut and mention it to Glenda one last time. She doesn’t hesitate and smiles. Let go find some more…


So I crawl in the chopper with my bow in hand.












Shortly after, we are off and flying.

Click for video

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/306v21brmz5jlu9/P7290045.MOV?dl=0


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## Huntmaster143

Here are a bunch of pics from our flight. The flight was almost worth the price of admission!!


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## Huntmaster143

*Day 7 Overall – Day 3 Hunting*


With a 7 am wakeup and comfortable temps, it is hard to beat looking out the tent at this view!












It’s now around 8 am and after an oatmeal breakfast, I snap a couple pics of camp before we head back over to refill water and then it will be past our 12 hours to start looking for sheep.


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## Huntmaster143

We begin the hike back to the waterfall to top off on water for the day and we make it about 2/3 of the way there and I spot sheep bedded right in the chute where the water runs down. We glass the sheep and can tell they are small rams, but we can’t see all of the chute. So, Glenda comes up with a plan where she is going to climb above the sheep to see the entire chute and I’m going to wait in an ambush location in case the sheep decide to feed around the bottom of the bowl.


I setup a little left of where this pic is taken and the sheep are bedded on the backside of the X. Glenda hikes up the face along the red line.












As Glenda is hiking, a little visitor walks by…


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## Huntmaster143

If you look close, you can see Glenda in this pic.


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## Huntmaster143

As Glenda crests the top of the hill, she confirms there are 3 small rams and one that has potential, but the sun has the chute filled with mirage and she can’t get a great view of him. Upon her return, we decide we are going to go around to the front of the mountain to try and get the spotting scope on the one with potential to see if we want to make a play on him or just move along and find a shooter.


Once we were on the front of the mountain, we were able to get them in the scope. Even at 500 yards and 60x, the mirage is making it difficult to get a good read on him. We can tell he is around full curl and has a big body, but just can’t pull an age off of him.






















The sheep are bedded inside the red circle if you look real close!












Another view of the bedded sheep from here.


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## Huntmaster143

After watching them for some time, I’m convinced that the one ram is a shooter. Glenda is about 50/50 on him, but she is caught up on trying to figure out how old he is and with the mirage, it’s tough to tell for sure right now. 


The band decides to get up and start feeding towards camp, so we make a mad dash around the front of this hill and get back to the ambush spot where we were this morning on the sheep trail. After about an hour, we finally catch a glimpse of one and they just rebedded up high in the same chute next to the cliffs. With the sheep content, bedded in an unapproachable spot and a thunderstorm coming thru, we push it the couple hundred yards back to our tents to wait out the rain.


Before we take complete shelter, Glenda comes up with a good idea!! She starts to setup her tarp to catch some rain water since we still haven’t been able to refill today. I grab some rocks while she sets it up and we have some willow smoke flavored water after the storm rolls thru.


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## Huntmaster143

After about an hour storm delay from 1:15 to 2:15, I open the tent to a loud crack of thunder as the storm has passed us by. The down time was a perfect time to catch up on my journal.












A quick check outside the tent revealed that the sheep were still bedded at the top of the chute right next to the cliffs.


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## Huntmaster143

Always nice to glass sheep right from the tent!


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## Huntmaster143

The next couple hours is filled with glassing the lone bedded sheep until another rain storm rolls thru which pushes us back to the confines of the tents. After the second rain storm it’s now 4:15pm and we take a stroll to the other side of the hill for a different angle to see if we can confirm if the other three sheep are bedded with the one we can see. We aren’t gone more than 5 minutes and the band is on their feet and starting to move. 


So we head down below camp to the same cluster of spruce next to the sheep trail we were at before and wait for some more movement. After about an hour, Glenda spots the band way up high and they all seem to be focused right on our position for some reason. We haven’t been moving, but they all keep watching in our direction. I crawl under the spruce tree and set up the spotting scope. The sheep are somewhere around 500 yards directly above us at this point.


I am passing time by playing with my phone and the scope trying to get some good pics as the big ram is crossing the rock mountain.


----------



## Huntmaster143

They continue crossing the rock face and then decide to bed on the perfect overlook right above us.





















































I glassed, photographed and napped for the next 3-4 hours while the sheep were bedded on the point. Around 8:30 pm, they decided to get up and feed around to the face of the mountain that we could see from camp. They were really high and feeding away from us, so we decided to head back to the tents. There were times when they could see us moving around camp, but they were so high, it didn’t really bother them. So, we prepared Mountain House Chili Mac for dinner while the sheep continued to feed high on the mountain side. As we finished dinner, the sheep had turned around and were now feeding back our way, but stayed high out of reach. As another hour or two passed, the sheep had now moved back into the rock chute they were bedded in early this morning. Since they were way to high and out of reach, we decided to call it a night around 11 pm hoping for something good in the morning.


----------



## Huntmaster143

*Day 8 Overall – Day 4 Hunting*


We both start moving around 6:45 am this morning. We both take a quick glass of the mountain and determine the sheep have moved out of our sight overnight. With that, we do a quick breakfast this morning with a plan to head for water and then some glassing points to see if we can relocate the band of rams.


We get everything ready to roll and head out of camp just before 8 am. As we approach the drainage, Glenda spots the band of four sheep bedded out on the point that we were going to use as a glassing point. I have marked a red circle where the sheep are bedded.


----------



## Huntmaster143

We can’t take a direct route to them as we are in their sight window, so we drop back a bit and talk about waiting it out to see where they are going to more. I’ve done enough watching from a distance and want to close the gap some before we wait them out. So, I suggest dropping back and reclimbing the backside of the mountain where Glenda did the day before to confirm there were four rams. At first Glenda wasn’t sure the angle would help much, but after a little coaxing, she agreed we’d give it a try. We start to pick up the pace and double back to begin the climb. We push ourselves to the top of the hill fairly quickly. 


But I have time to snap a pic back towards camp for perspective around 8:40 am


----------



## Huntmaster143

Once we hit the top, we can see that we are in the clear and devise a plan to cross the open shale slide and get to the top of the cliff for a better look. We follow the red line heading towards the sheep.













We make it over to the cliff by 9:15 am where we drop our packs, tell Twitcha to stay and then I knock an arrow. We should be close now!!


----------



## Huntmaster143

At 9:20, Glenda belly crawls up to the edge for a closer look.


----------



## Huntmaster143

She initially tells me the sheep are still bedded, so I just hold back so we don’t disturb them. Almost immediately she motions that the sheep are up and feeding. A couple minutes pass and she signals the sheep are at 77 yards. She has my second rangefinder and it is set on bow mode, so I know the rams are likely 110 yards or so, they are out of my comfort range right now. She is looking for a way to get closer. I’m not 100% sure where the sheep are over the cliff, so I’m little help in that department right now.

After taking another look, she scoots back to me and says let’s move around the corner a bit. So, we move laterally down the cliff face no more than 15 yards and for the first time, I can see the rams feeding just below us. My eyes instantly lock on the big ram feeding on a willow and there is NO DOUBT he is a shooter from here. She then scoots up to the edge and quickly ranges for me and whispers back 43 yards. Once again, I know it’s further than that, but in my mind, I’m thinking 60 yards, so we are within range now. I creep up to the edge of the cliff and get on her right side. We both whisper that he has brush covering his vitals. She then whispers 41 yards. She has me move to the left side for a different angle and says the arrow should clear it. I’m not comfortable with that yet, so I wait and adjust my sight to 41 yards. And wait… It’s only been a few seconds, but being within shooting distance is beyond real now!


----------



## Huntmaster143

Finally, the ram turns uphill to feed on another bush and he catches us at the top of the cliff!! He begins staring a hole right thru us and she is whispering that he has busted us. I have my bow pointed towards him and tension on the release, but I haven’t drawn yet. The wait is on again…


----------



## Huntmaster143

A few more moments go by and he turns to feed on the adjacent bush and is now standing broadside. She whispers 40 yards and I make a final pin adjustment before I settle my feet on the flat cliff edge. I draw horizontally, check my level, begin to bend down to the sheep and as I’m half way I mentally say “where is he?”, then he comes into the sight window, I settle the pin behind the shoulder and the shot goes off. It feels like an eternity before the arrow makes contact! He only takes a few steps after contact before he begins to get wobbly.


I have already knocked a second arrow by the time he lays down only 30 yards from the initial hit location. I am about to draw and shoot him again when Glenda tells me to go down to him for a follow up shot. I hesitate at first, but then circle around the cliff edge and scamper down the broken mountain face. As I’m sliding down the face, I come to the realization that I still have my second arrow knocked, so I place it back in my quiver. As I’m stopped, standing on the side of the steep slope and can’t see my ram, I look back up to Glenda for some assistance, but she is intently glassing down to my ram. I use where she is looking as a reference and start moving that way some trying not to be too noisy. Moments later, I see my ram come out from behind a hill not 40 yards away tumbling down the cliffy mountain slide! I watch him tumble down out of sight and then quickly look back up to Glenda. As I do this, she raises her hands in the air in celebration, which I respond the same!!


I can’t see where the ram has come to rest, but I now know that I have successfully taken an archery ram! Glenda then heads back to grab our packs, while I climb back up to the edge of the cliff to meet her. Once we meet back up, she congratulates me on my ram and then she sheepishly proceeds to tell me that this ram is also her first archery ram! So not only do I get to go down this slope to my first sheep kill, she gets to go for her first guided archery kill. 


Now for those who haven’t been around guides much, a true blue guide is as excited that you killed as if they were the hunter themselves. So, she is all geeked as am I.


----------



## Huntmaster143

Now for the shot scene pics.


The red dot is about where the sheep were feeding and the orange dot is about where I shot from. I was a bit more around the hidden corner which didn’t make the shot angle quite as steep, but this illustrates the scene pretty well. You can see the point the sheep were bedded on in the background.












This is about where I took the shot from. After looking at it closer, I believe that I was a few yards to the right of this. Either way, #1 is where I first saw the ram and when he went from #1 to #2 is when he looked up. #2 is where I shot him and #3 is where he bedded after the shot. I have him circled where he came to rest against a willow tree. I was on the right side of the finger ridge right of the #1 when I went down for a follow up shot.


----------



## Huntmaster143

It is about impossible to show how steep this stuff is in pictures, these were all taken from the top of the cliff where I shot the ram.


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## Huntmaster143

Here’s a Pano shot of them all put together.


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## Huntmaster143

So, after 15 minutes of congrats and celebratory conversations, we start to head down the mountain face to get to my ram. We make it a third of the way down to my ram and we realize that we are cliffed out. There is about a 20’ vertical cliff that rims the mountain that we can’t get down and couldn’t see from above. It also means that my ram rolled over that cliff!! :yikes: 


I can see the ram, but we are having a hard time trying to figure out how to get down to him without ropes.


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## Huntmaster143

As we approached the final basin crossing, we spotted seven ewe’s and lambs once again above the original water source we were camped near. Since we weren’t too worried about spooking them, we just continued along our path heading for camp. They only move a couple hundred yards back from us and watch us continue along. 


When we left the kill site, we set up a 7 PM pick up with the chopper since he was making other moves in the area. So we pushed our way back to camp by 6:50 and both were glad the 3.5 hour hike was completed. We dropped our packs on a little landing knob above camp and continued to breakdown camp.


----------



## Huntmaster143

Camp was broke down and ready for fly out by 7:15, but we were able to take a 45 minute rest because the chopper didn’t show until 8.


----------



## Huntmaster143

Once the chopper arrives, we quickly load up and take the flight back to base camp where we arrive by 8:35 pm. We took the meat to the cache for hanging and also put the cape and horns up away from the bears and dogs in camp. 












A final unloading of the packs and sorting gear took us to a base camp dinner tonight. After dinner, I was able to get a good shower and we finished off the night with a couple celebratory cocktails and finally called it a night around 12:30 AM.


----------



## Huntmaster143

*Day 9 Overall – Day 5 Hunting*


I wake up around 8 am as the chopper takes off for a run to the mountains today. We spend nearly all day taking care of the cape in and around camp. The fleshing process was truly a group effort as Glenda, Manly (Glenda’s Dad), Neoka (Guide in Training) and Glenda’s kids all helped work on the cape. I focused on cleaning the skull and deboning the feet. 












A little later in the day, Shawn and Ryan came in from hunting and they went to work on Shawn ram as he also kept a full body cape.


----------



## Huntmaster143

*Day 10 Overall – Day 6 Hunting*


With yesterday filled with cape prep and camp work, today we are going to give it a go for mountain caribou. We do a camp breakfast at 9 am, re-sort gear for caribou and then head out for caribou around 10:30. This time it will be Glenda’s husband Glen and I heading out from camp on four wheelers, traveling a few miles up the Canol road to then climb to the top of a small mountain to glass for caribou. We stop a couple times to climb, but fresh bear scat tells us to keep moving along the road to a new spot. The caribou have been using the road for travel just about as much as the grizzly bears have based on the amount of scat laying in the road.










After crossing many mud holes & a couple flowing streams, we reach our final stopping point just before the river. After a 30 minutes climb to the glassing point, we arrive right in the heat of the day around 12:30. The temp had to get up to 80-85* without hardly a cloud in the sky. With the warm weather, we aren’t really expecting to awful much, but it beats sitting around camp. For the first time on the trip, I put on some heavy DEET to keep the swarming mosquitos at bay.


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## Huntmaster143

Other than two sheep up way high, the caribou evaded us from this point.












With the temps so hot, we decide around 6:30 pm to call it a day and head back to camp. In the warm temps and the long daylight hours, it might prove useful for you to sleep during the day and hunt all night long.


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## Huntmaster143

Here’s a view from the river below looking up to the top of the mountain that we were glassing from.


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## Huntmaster143

Once back in camp, we await the return of Guy, Ike and camera crew returning with Ike’s mountain caribou. Guy killed his sheep a couple days before, so their clan has now completed their hunt. With the additional hunters back in camp, we all enjoyed a big camp dinner and sat at the table telling hunting stories until 12:30 AM.


Here’s a sunset pic from that night.


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## Huntmaster143

I was able to get a pic of the northern lights this night since it is now finally starting to get dark at night.


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## marcus619

What a great looking ram, CONGRATS!! Thank for sharing you story the final chapter was worth the wait...


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## retired dundo

Iam 70 years old and this is the best hunting story I ever read.


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## QDMAMAN

_*"Sheep hunting stories provide a glimpse of what it’s like, but they are just that, a glimpse. They are the author’s attempt to convey something that cannot fully be explained, just enough to draw our imaginations to the mountains and adventures that await."*_

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2017/8/2/so-you-want-to-hunt-sheep/

:coolgleam:coolgleam


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## Huntmaster143

retired dundo said:


> I am 70 years old and this is the best hunting story I ever read.


Thanks! I'll take that as a great compliment, but it is the website platform that allows me the use of pics, videos and interaction to allow the story to play out. I have an open offer to write a story for a couple of the archery magazines centered around this hunt, but I would really have to change my style to do that. They like stories around 2,000 words and my word file has 15,000 words, so It would really change the dynamic. By posting the story here, it also diminishes the possibility of a magazine buying it. I may take a stab at writing up a magazine story for publication, but that will have to wait until much later in the season.





QDMAMAN said:


> _*"Sheep hunting stories provide a glimpse of what it’s like, but they are just that, a glimpse. They are the author’s attempt to convey something that cannot fully be explained, just enough to draw our imaginations to the mountains and adventures that await."*_
> 
> https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2017/8/2/so-you-want-to-hunt-sheep/
> 
> :coolgleam:coolgleam



Tyler was just kicked out of the <11 club!! Lol!


----------



## Huntmaster143

*Day 11 Overall – Day 7 Hunting*

With it finally getting dark at night, you can certainly feel the difference in the morning temps! 36* at 7 am this morning! Glen and I head out of camp around 8 am on the ATV’s & head to the opposite end of the camp from yesterday. 












After a 20 minute ride, we cross a river and head up to glass for caribou.


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## Huntmaster143

Here’s Glen setup and glassing.


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## Huntmaster143

After three hours of glassing, we have found a few Ewe’s scattered out over the mountains, but no caribou yet.


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## Huntmaster143

It is cooler today and with a couple rain showers moving thru, we were expecting to see more caribou up on their feet a bit more. Finally, around 7:30 pm we spot our first bull! Unfortunately, he is a small bull not worth chasing, but at least it’s a caribou.


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## Huntmaster143

A bit later, we spot an ewe and lamb crossing the mountain ahead of us.












Then out roles a cow and calf caribou! Well that’s better, more action!


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## Huntmaster143

A couple more hours go by without a bull sighting and both Glen and I have about had enough of this area. It is a great glassing spot, but the caribou aren’t in this area either. 












So, we head back to camp for a late dinner and call it an evening.


----------



## Huntmaster143

*Day 12 Overall – Day 8 Hunting*


Another camp breakfast this morning, but this time Glenda is going to take me out. As we were heading out on my final hunting day, I jokingly asked if she gave Glen a long list of camp chores/honey do’s today while she headed out to hunt. She chuckled, with “No, I want to finish what we started!” Sounds good to me! 

So, we started out of camp this morning on foot heading up the drainage that our hunt started in back on day one.


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## Huntmaster143

So, now I'm down to one week before I head out on my second adventure!!











The only problem I have now is to finalize my plans for my third adventure in WY when I come back from BC. I know "first world problems", but I keep bouncing around in my mind trying to decide if I want to hire an outfitter that I've talked with that has horses and a camp for my WY hunt or if I want to just take my camp gear and go solo on the trip. If it was anything but a MOOSE, I wouldn't even hesitate, but moose are big critters and a second hand during the processing and pack out would be welcomed.

I do have some options, a couple buddies in Cody have mentioned that they may be available to tag along as well as another buddy in CO will go if he gets the time off, but neither are for the duration. I also have the option to give the outfitter a call if when I get a moose down and use his horses to get it out.

If I go solo, I'll have to keep the distances from the roads reasonable because a moose is to big to move to darn far. Either way, I have some time to make a final decision, but not much!


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## Huntmaster143

My brother and I are packed and ready to go! We fly out tomorrow afternoon and should make base camp on Friday as long as the weather cooperates. 

My brother's gear!











My gear!


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## snortwheeze

Huntmaster143 said:


> My brother and I are packed and ready to go! We fly out tomorrow afternoon and should make base camp on Friday as long as the weather cooperates.
> 
> My brother's gear!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My gear!


Man you sure know how to LIVE !!!! Do you video your hunts ? **** all the hunting ya do ya could have a show


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## marcus619

Huntmaster, which Kifaru bag is that in the pic? I'm considering purchasing one and would like to thoughts on whether the bag is worth the coin? Thanks


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## T Brown

Fantastic read. Good luck in BC!!


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## Huntmaster143

snortwheeze said:


> Man you sure know how to LIVE !!!! Do you video your hunts ? **** all the hunting ya do ya could have a show


Video adds a new dynamic to the hunts and I don't have any desire to video my hunts. It's really the time it takes to edit them on the end. If someone followed me around, videoed and then edited them I'd be up for it, but I have zero desire to do the TV thing. Some of the guys on TV are great when I've met a handful of them, but most of the TV stuff is garbage.


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## WMU05

Good luck on leg two HM!


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## Huntmaster143

marcus619 said:


> Huntmaster, which Kifaru bag is that in the pic? I'm considering purchasing one and would like to thoughts on whether the bag is worth the coin? Thanks


The bag I just posted is the Timberline 2 on the old bikini frame. I also have the Timberline 1 which is basically the same bag just a bit bigger. I'm bringing the T2 on this hunt because it's a horse back hunt and they can carry some of the gear.

On my sheep hunt, I took the T1 with the new hunter frame and it performed awesome and was the right size for that hunt. On my WY hunt, I will take the T2 on my bikini for day hunting and the hunter frame with the cargo panel for load out.

Are they worth the money? Yes, if you are going to be doing a bunch of these type hunts. If you are only going to do a couple, then I'd save the money and go the Badland's/Eberlestock route then. It really depends on your goals.


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## marcus619

Huntmaster143 said:


> The bag I just posted is the Timberline 2 on the old bikini frame. I also have the Timberline 1 which is basically the same bag just a bit bigger. I'm bringing the T2 on this hunt because it's a horse back hunt and they can carry some of the gear....
> 
> Thanks for the info. Good luck in BC..


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## hawgeye

Good luck Huntmaster, hope your as successful as the first hunt. Thanks for bringing us along.


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## Huntmaster143

Fly out to camp in a couple hours!


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## shanny28757

Good luck


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## 83mulligan

Good luck, Scott!


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## snortwheeze

Good luck. Looking forward to recap !


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## bounty hunter

Any updates?


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## QDMAMAN

bounty hunter said:


> Any updates?


He's just getting home!


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## bounty hunter

Thought he may have added another trip in and didn't tell anyone. lol


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## Huntmaster143

The travel is as long as the trip! 

I'll see how next week goes, but I'm going to guess that I'm not going to have enough time to post the story before my WY hunt.

I do have a few photos that I can share though.


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## Huntmaster143

I was told it's addicting and I didn't believe them until I got a phone call a week before we left...


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## QDMAMAN

Made the trip down to Huntmaster's last night to drop off his tent that he graciously let us use for our Idaho trip.
I also got to fondle his Dall sheep! Wow what a specimen!
We spent nearly an hour in his polebarn talking about he and his brother's BC moose hunt and I can tell you....it ain't what you're expecting, and I'll leave it at that! 
Poor guy has to spend the last 2 weeks of October living by himself like a homeless person in WY! :sad:
I feel bad for him and wish there was something I could do to help...but I'm out of PTO! :lol::lol::lol:


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## Huntmaster143

We aren’t there more than 10 minutes and Ron yells “Grab your bow! Go kill him!” I listen and I’m off trying to get an angle of pursuit that will cut him off before he makes the road. He’s probably 200 yards away and working his way down and around the side of the hill. I’m cruising down the road using the hillside and sage as cover while I am jogging to get to a point ahead of him. I grab my range finder and range him at 74 yards as he is closing the distance, so I head up into the sage and keep walking towards him.


The red line is where the bull is traveling and the blue line is my approximate path to intercept him.


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## Huntmaster143

As the bulls continues to work his way down the hill, I range him at 50 yards, I’ve already knocked an arrow and I’m waiting for him to come to a point where I can get a shot. Then he stops broadside as I come to full draw. I settle the pin and the shot goes off making contact, but not in the most desirable location as the bull makes a turn right as the shot goes off. I reload a second arrow as the bull turns to face me still around 50 yards away. I draw again, pick a spot and as I’m pulling thru, I hear Ron yell “Anywhere!!!”, the shot breaks and the arrow hits him perfect as he wheels and heads back and down the hill. As he is retreating, I range him at 90 yards and send another shot just under him as he was walking, so I continue to follow him thru the sage trying to get another arrow in him even though the second shot was clearly fatal. 


As he heads over the top of a small rise, I lose sight of him, but Ron has yelled that he is “Bleeding like crazy” as I’m giving chase, so I feel like the bull is dead on his feet. However, as I come up to the rise, I see the bull hurting bad, but still standing on his feet. 45 yards was the readout, so another shot goes off hitting him perfectly right behind the shoulder. Now the bull is heading down to the creek bottom still on his feet with two arrows cleanly thru the boiler room. I only have one arrow left, so I’m a bit cautious of taking another shot in case he does something weird. But I continue following the bull down to the willows and range him one more time at 45 yards while he is slowly moving around. I can’t take him still being on his feet, so I wait till he settles down quartering away and let my final arrow fly! It is another perfect quartering away shot that buries into the far side shoulder. Seconds later, the bull tips over and my pursuit of a Shiras moose has come to an end!


----------



## Huntmaster143

The entire time from seeing the bull until the final arrow couldn’t have been more than two minutes. It happened really fast to say the least! Here’s a pic of the shot locations and the bulls final resting spot.


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## Huntmaster143

After the bull is down, I walk back over to Ron for a round of high fives and hugs. Come to find out, while I was in the process, one of the guys that had given us a tip the day before pulled up the road and watched the entire thing go down with his 12 year old son sitting in the truck with him. They both were pretty geaked about being able to watch the hunt and kill. It’s crazy how fast things can change and come together when you least expect it.


After a few stories, we proceed down to the bull to begin our work.


----------



## Huntmaster143

Luckily, we had a few hands to reposition him for some better pics!


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## Huntmaster143

After the pics, we proceeded to the work part. With the temps pushing 65*, it worked out pretty good that he died right next to the creek and not into one of the big water holes. As we pulled a quarter off of him, I carried it over and dropped it right into this deep ice cold water which we left there until the temps started dropping towards the end of the day.


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## Huntmaster143

After all of the meat was in the creek, I wrapped up the cape and horns loaded them on my back and hiked the long 150 yards back to the quads…


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## Huntmaster143

Once loaded up, we proceed to head back to camp for a bite to eat and get the head capped out so it could cool down over night and then prepare the antlers for transport back home.











As the sun begins to set and the weather starts to cool down, we head back over to the kill site to bring the meat back to camp. It’s pretty crazy that we were able to pack out the entire moose in 25 minutes!!


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## Huntmaster143

On the drive back to camp, we did get to see a few more moose right off the road.


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## Huntmaster143

And it would be completely wrong if we didn’t have tenderloin, potatoes and onions for dinner!


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## Huntmaster143

I’ve seen many of these pics post on social media, but I’ve never made an attempt at one, but I like how this one came out!


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## WMU05

Freaking awesome!


----------



## bounty hunter

Good thing that you were in iron man shape. But if the mrs puts it all together you will be put to hard labor. Lol. Awesome  and now looking forward to the middle hunt story. 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


----------



## Hunting18

Huntmaster143 said:


> I’ve seen many of these pics post on social media, but I’ve never made an attempt at one, but I like how this one came out!



Thats is Awesome!


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## bounty hunter

Nice 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


----------



## hawgeye

Wow, that was badass! Incredible hunt! Thanks for sharing.


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## Huntmaster143

bounty hunter said:


> now looking forward to the middle hunt story.


I'm still working on that story, with two guys and 10 days each, it's like two hunts in one. Taking me a bit longer to get that one done, but I'll keep working on it. Also, I don't have my brothers pics yet. He has some pretty cool pics that I don't.

Thanks for the congrats on the moose. I drove two days to get there, hunted two days and made it home in two. Left on a Monday and was back deer hunting with my kids that Saturday... Fast and furious, but I'm super happy with the bull I killed.


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## HTC

That was really cool, thanks for taking the time and effort to share!


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## marcus619

Hunt master you do a great job capturing your adventures in your words and pic. Congrats on a great bull and for taking us along!


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## snortwheeze

Congrats on a great hunt and bull. What part of WY were you in ? Seen some elk out there but never a moose. Couple of buddy's got lost in the mountains for a while and they had a picture of a cow and her calf within feet of them !! 
Thnx for taking us along


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## Huntmaster143

Around 8:20, Tim and I hear a bull moose grunting up the valley. We scramble to grab our weapons, but we quickly realize that it’s the same bull from yesterday and he hasn’t grown any more points.











Since he’s fired up this morning, Monty decides to play with him a little bit and starts to grunting at him.  Little by little, he works his way in and I should’ve moved to a setup location for the fun of it, because he came within 40 yards of us and we never left my tent.


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## Huntmaster143

After the bull desides to leave, we finish making mountain house breakfast. Just as we finish, the bull works his way back thru camp and back up the mountain side.

It’s now around 9 am, so we start the process of packing camp and getting ready to ride thru a few other valleys to glass for more bulls.

It takes some where around an hour and a half to get camp packed up each time to move. So while the guides take care of the horses, we keep glassing once our gear is packed.


Here’s some pics of the load up process.


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## Huntmaster143

We head out of camp around 10:40 working our way up the drainage. We climb horseback up the drainage for 30 minutes or so when Monty motions that he smells something. He turns back to me and says there’s a bull close by and he can smell him. I get my bow at the ready and we continue to ride another 75 yards where we spot a bull no more than 75 yards away from us. Tim and I jump off the horses with our weapons at the ready while keeping an eye on Monty who is glassing the bull horseback. After a couple minutes, Monty motions that the bull is not legal, so we move at ease trying to get a better view of the bull. We watch the bull work his way down the mountain for the next 30 minutes. We can see that he was about a 40” bull, but just not quite old enough yet.


After the bull disappears, we remount and ride thru a bunch of moose country trying to find another one that’s legal. 

Here is some of the country that we ride thru looking for moose.


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## Huntmaster143

After covering ground for an hour and a half, we stop on a ridge to eat lunch and glass the valleys below.


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## Huntmaster143

While glassing, the fog rolls in and out of the valleys nonstop. In one opening, Monty spots 7 ewes and lambs across the valley high on the other side bedded. After confirming that there aren’t any rams with that bunch, we move a few hundred yards to get another view. It doesn’t take long at the new location to spot 5 rams and one of them is very close to legal. Unfortunately, they are way to far away to make a play and the country they are in is not very archery friendly.


So after burning some glass there, we move back to the other side again and see that Tim and Craig have moved down the mountain. We follow behind to see if they have seen anything from their new glassing point. They haven’t seen a thing, but after a half hour, our fourth black bear of the trip shows himself. Monty can only laugh because he says again that they never see any black bears… Not sure if I would’ve chased a black bear, but we did see a couple tanks…


Around 2:45, we load back up on the horses and start to make our trek back to base camp. The rides in are hard on the knees but the scenery is well worth it.


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## Huntmaster143

Just before our final creek crossing, we run into a cow elk that we decide to bugle at just for the fun of it. She comes a bit closer and isn’t sure what the horses are until we ride almost right up on top of her.

Almost back to base camp!












And once again, we ride back into camp right at dark again without any shooters seen. As much fun as the trip is, it would be really nice to see something legal to shoot right about now!

Since we got rained on the night before, we get all of our gear out and spread it around the cabin to dry out with the wood stove cranked up to high!


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## Huntmaster143

OK, that's it for today and I'll get it wrapped up tomorrow!


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## Huntmaster143

*Hunt Day 9*

We awake this morning to a very chilly and frosty sunrise. We make our trek over to the cook house for another 6:30 breakfast. Right after breakfast, we go back to the cabin to repack all of the gear that had dried out overnight. Since it appeared that we had some time before the horses were ready, I decided to shoot my bow because the horses have been a bit rough on it.

My first shot at 30 yards was a few inches high, but not to bad, so I head back to 40 yards. Another smooth shot and this one skips off the top of an 18-1 Reinhart target and sticks into the horse pasture fence. Heck, that had to be a foot high! So I decide to shoot at 20 a few times and adjust my sight until I am dead on at 20. Once I’m done with that, I go back to 40 and stick one in the bullseye at 40. A few more shots at 40 and I’m now comfortable again. 

It appears that my sight bar was pushed down some by all of the spruce trees the horses were dragging me thru. (In the future, I may use a different sight with no extendable sight bar or just bring the bar all the way in on future horseback trips)

Now that the bow is redialed, its back to getting the gear over to the horses. All of the gear is loaded and horses ready to depart by 9 am.

We are pretty layered up this morning for our departure. We once again follow along the river from camp and then make the big river crossing. This time we get a bit more excitement. While crossing this spot, it’s quite a bit deeper than the last time and I get a bit of water inside my boot, Craig’s pack horse turns around on him and goes back to shore because it’s to deep. Finally after settling him down, he makes the crossing safely.


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## Huntmaster143

After the river crossing, we hit what looks like a big grass meadow, but it is littered with water holes and is pure marsh ground. The horses didn’t like getting off the trail and sinking down to their knees that’s for sure.


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## Huntmaster143

We continue to ride for about 3 hours enjoying the scenery, creek crossings and dodging spruce branches until we reach moose country where we stop for a fire, lunch and to glass for a little while.


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## Huntmaster143

This fire was a welcome sight as the horses were doing all of the work and it was pretty cold riding along. We did take a few stops where we’d get off the horses and lead them. That was good for the knees and to warm up.












Not a bad view for lunch over the fire.


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## Huntmaster143

After lunch we head towards camp and after about 30 minutes of riding, Monty stops to glass a hill side. One quick look and I can see what appears to be a bull elk high on the hill side. I grab the binos and yup it’s a bull with a cow. Monty, then yells back that it’s a 6 point and he is legal.


Well at this point, he is 700 yards away and there is nothing I can do with him, so I just turn to look at Tim. Tim is undecided and torn. He knows this late in the hunt that if he shoots the bull, he is done moose hunting and that I may likely be as well. We are still all sitting on top of the horses in plain view of the elk and they just continue to watch us. 

Monty, says it’s about as good a bull as this country gets, so if Tim wants him, he better get a move on. I tell Tim to go kill the bull! That’s enough for Tim to hop off the horse and go with Craig to try closing the distance. Why they start their stalk, we grab their horses and tie them up. It’s sorta weird, the elk are just watching us in basically plain view and not taking off. They aren’t really sure what we are with the horses around.


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## Huntmaster143

Here’s a pic of the hill side where you can see the two elk up high.












And one thru the spotting scope while Tim and Craig are stalking in closer.


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## Huntmaster143

We can’t see where Tim is at, but we know they have to be getting pretty close, so we keep watching thru the scope and binos. Then the shot goes off and I see the bull react like he is hit well thru the scope. The bull doesn’t make it 10 yards and goes down. We come to find out that he made a 301 yard shot on the bull at their last bit of cover before the elk were ready to bust out.


We watch for Tim and Craig to come back for the horses, but we finally see them going to the bull. Craig lost one a week or so ago that went down the same way, so he didn’t want to risk it again. So, Monty and I round up the horses and begin the climb up the mountain to the bull.


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## Huntmaster143

Once at the bull, we proceed to the normal congratulations, hugging and then trophy photos.


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## Huntmaster143

While the guides and Tim work on the bull, I take photos and glass for moose as the view from here is pretty darn nice.


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## Huntmaster143

As they are half way thru the bull, I spot a bull moose about 700 yards below us. Almost right where we were at when we spotted the elk. I scramble for the binos and only catch a quick glimpse of the bull, but I see enough that I know he’s not legal and everyone goes back to processing Tim’s elk. In pretty short order, we have the bull quartered and hung in the trees. Since we are fairly close to camp, we figure that it’s easier on the horses to hang the meat here tonight and pick it up on our way out tomorrow.


With the bull broken down and comfortably away from the carcass, we remount on the horses and ride for 20-30 minutes tops to camp where we are going to be spending our final night in the bush. We arrive right at dark, but this is a pretty sweet setup for a remote camp.


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## Huntmaster143

No shortage of food in the adjacent meadow for the horses.












We hobble the horses and give them time to feed in the meadow while we are setting up camp and eating dinner, but we round them up before we go to bed so we don’t have to chase them for miles in the morning. It’s crazy how well the horses can move even when they are hobbled.


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## Huntmaster143

We are unable to find any water up high as the main stream has run dry, so we ration what we have to make dinner and draw straws for the mountain houses. I draw my favorite!












I did catch a fuzzy moon pic over the pasture before it was totally dark.












Tim and I have a couple final cocktails fire side celebrating his bull and talking about the entire hunt as a whole and some of the things we normally would do different. Tim is glad he killed his bull today, but he feels the pressure of tomorrow being the last day for a bull moose and knows the likely hood of both of us getting a bull. I’m much more easy going than him for the most part, just enjoying every moment of the hunt. No hunt goes down as you exactly planned, so I roll with the punches and just figure tomorrow will be the day we make something happen.


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## Huntmaster143

*Hunt Day 10*


We wake up to by far our coldest morning. It has to be down to 20* with the clear sky’s of last night. The meadows are frosted over and the boots are frozen. Tim is the first one up and he gets the fire going. I follow right behind and use the fire to thaw my boots. Once I can move around, I go back and grab all of my gear and get it packed up and ready to go. We are both scrambling around trying to get the camp ready to leave so we can go hunting on our last day. The guides don’t seem to have the same urgency. They are more worried about water for coffee this morning than they are about any last day heroics.

I happen to look at my phone to take a picture of camp and realize that it is already 9am and camp is nowhere ready to move. Being pissed at myself, I ask quickly if there is a spot that I can go glass for bulls and Monty points in a general direction. I grab my binos and head off in that direction.

Once I get to a good glassing point, I’m not there 5 minutes and I spot a bull elk moving in the bottom of the valley. I can’t get a look at how big he is as he quickly disappears into the timber. So I keep watching on that area while I scan the entire mountain side looking for something else moving around.

A few minutes later, I spot a couple black spots down below where Tim shot his bull last night. After watching them for a few, I see a cow moose moving thru the open. And then another dark spot appears. This one looks like a bull, but I can’t tell right now. Then a paddle appears from behind a tree. It appears to be much larger than the other bull we saw, but still can’t tell. Then he proceeds to chase the cow out in the open and I get a good look at him. He is definitely worth a second look and I don’t have my spotting scope.


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## Huntmaster143

I run back to camp, grab my scope and they can tell I’m on a mission. As I’m heading out I say I have a potential shooter bull below. After I leave, everyone else follows along to see if they can get eyes back on the bull. We spend another 10 minutes looking for the bull, but he doesn’t show himself. Monty and Craig head back to camp to finish packing things up while I stay and glass. 

About 10 minutes later, I respot the bull in the same general area. I get the scope on him and can immediately tell he is a shooter. He has four brows on one side, three on the other and more than enough points on both sides.

My view thru the scope. The bull is well within a half mile and appears to be moderately fire up as he is periodically raking bushes.


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## Huntmaster143

While I keep an eye on the bull, I have Tim run back to camp to grab Monty so he can see him and we can devise a plan to get down there and kill this bull. When Monty makes it back, he takes a look and agrees that the bull is definitely a shooter. We watch it for a bit, he says don’t worry, he’ll be right there and then leaves saying he is going to go get things ready to leave. I watch the bull for another 10-15 minutes and he never leaves the scope sight window. I figure that he should be down there for the next 15-20 minutes that it should take us to cover the distance separating us. So, expecting that they will have our horses ready when I get back to camp, I pack my stuff up and head for camp. 

Once back, they aren’t totally ready, but close. So, I lose my down layers and prepare everything for a quick ride down and then a stalk opportunity. We don’t leave for another 20 minutes, but it isn’t that far of a ride, so I’m just ready to give chase and chomping at the bit.

Here’s Tim waiting with me to get this party moving.


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## Huntmaster143

Once loaded, it only takes us a few minutes to ride down to the area and Monty takes the entire string of horses right down to where we spotted the bull and he begins to call from the horses. He calls several times with no response. After not having any response, he proceeds to take the entire pack string away and over to Tim’s bull so we can load it up. I’m a bit confused why we aren’t chasing a known shooter bull, but short of jumping off the horse and going myself, I’m not sure what to do, so I just go along with the flow.


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## Huntmaster143

We arrive at Tim’s bull around 10:45 and below is a picture sequence of the loading process and getting it ready to go back to camp by 11:45 am.


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## Huntmaster143

After everything is loaded and tied down, Monty proceeds to take his saddle horse, the two pack horses and heads back to base camp. Craig, Tim and I ride down to a good glassing spot in the general area where we saw the bull this morning.











We grab our lunch and wish we had some water to wash it down, but that will have to wait until later today since we don’t have any up here. It is now a little past Noon, but we proceed to cow call periodically and hope for a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th. 


Here’s our view while calling


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## Huntmaster143

After calling in this spot for an hour or so, Tim and I aren’t to keen on staying put, so we convince Craig to grab the horses, move to another glassing point and call some more. This produces the same luck as the last spot. As it approaches 3pm, we now have to load up and ride back towards camp. We arrive back in camp just before dark, but not without a bit of excitement as we all get a pretty good bath crossing the river. This time our horses were swimming and we were doing everything we could to keep our feet above water. Other than that excitement, the ride back is a somber one, but the views are always great.


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## Huntmaster143

It’s not the greatest sunset pic, but it does bring closure to another great adventure! Some trips are fast and furious, while some don’t go exactly as you bargained for, but at the end of the day, you have to enjoy the journey.


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## dpweurding

Awesome story and pictures. Thanks for taking the time. I am impressed at the peace you had with having to leave that bull moose on the last day. I'd have done something similar to what you considered, jumping off the horse and making a beeline!


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## WMU05

Great story again Scott. Thanks for taking the time to put it all up. But man, I gotta tell ya, I was getting the impatient shakes just sitting in my living room with all the camp and "commuting" time you were putting in.


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## hawgeye

Wow great story, what a hunt. That last day must have killed you not chasing the moose! Thanks for the great write up and incredible pics.


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## 4everWild

Those are amazing hunts on some beautiful animals . Thanks for sharing


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## Forest Meister

WMU05 said:


> Great story again Scott. Thanks for taking the time to put it all up. But man, I gotta tell ya, I was getting the impatient shakes just sitting in my living room with all the camp and "commuting" time you were putting in.


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## Huntmaster143

Some of the down time, camp time and commuting time is warranted and a part of the hunt, but not as much as we did. Some of this was my fault for loosing focus and picking up the sheep tag. I let my long term goals get in the way of what our original goals for the hunt were. 


With that said, I probably didn't push them enough based on what our deal was supposed to be. Keep in mind that this was not a 2 on 1 hunt, we were supposed to hunt apart during the day and then meet back up at camp each evening. Putting an archery guy and a rifle guy on a 2 on 1 hunt is down right dumb. If Tim was anyone other than my brother, I would have been furious about the last 5 days.


I will chat a bit with the outfitter this week in Reno. No real agenda, just air out a few of my concerns and then have a discussion from there.


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## hk_sl8

Spent the last two nights reading this entire thread. So thoroughly enjoyed "riding along with you" on these hunts, Scott. Thanks for all the effort you put in documenting and recounting the tales. The highs and lows of the season of a lifetime in some amazing locations. 

All the best in 2018.


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> Some of the down time, camp time and commuting time is warranted and a part of the hunt, but not as much as we did. Some of this was my fault for loosing focus and picking up the sheep tag. I let my long term goals get in the way of what our original goals for the hunt were.
> 
> 
> With that said, I probably didn't push them enough based on what our deal was supposed to be. Keep in mind that this was not a 2 on 1 hunt, we were supposed to hunt apart during the day and then meet back up at camp each evening. Putting an archery guy and a rifle guy on a 2 on 1 hunt is down right dumb. If Tim was anyone other than my brother, I would have been furious about the last 5 days.
> 
> 
> I will chat a bit with the outfitter this week in Reno. No real agenda, just air out a few of my concerns and then have a discussion from there.


Glad you were still able to enjoy the adventure with your brother!
Is the outfitter offering a discount if you come back?


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## Huntmaster143

steelyspeed said:


> Glad you were still able to enjoy the adventure with your brother!
> Is the outfitter offering a discount if you come back?


Yeah, we had a great time and it was cool to watch him shoot his elk thru the scope.

I'll chat with them some more this week at the Sheep Show in Reno. I fly out tomorrow afternoon to talk with outfitters for 2019...


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> Yeah, we had a great time and it was cool to watch him shoot his elk thru the scope.
> 
> I'll chat with them some more this week at the Sheep Show in Reno. I fly out tomorrow afternoon to talk with outfitters for 2019...


Can’t wait to hear how that goes! Exclusive stone sheep hunt in the future?!?!


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## Splitter

Once again thank you for taking the time to document and share your adventure. I’ll admit that I read the last several days with some building frustration about the lack of effort from your guides. Bravo for having such a generous outlook, I fear my attitude would have been far worse had I invested in such a trip encountered the same situation.


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## Huntmaster143

I've made it back home from the Sheep Show and have solidified a couple future hunts! Sorry, no stone hunt in ink, but I had a bunch of conversations in my two days there.

Also while there, KUIU released a video they did on hunting stone sheep. Just watched the entire thing and it is a great video! Not to mention they brought along a great hunting ambassador in Donald Trump Jr. who also makes a great shot!

It's 20+ minutes, but better than any hunting show you will watch on TV.


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## steelyspeed

Huntmaster143 said:


> I've made it back home from the Sheep Show and have solidified a couple future hunts! Sorry, no stone hunt in ink, but I had a bunch of conversations in my two days there.
> 
> Also while there, KUIU released a video they did on hunting stone sheep. Just watched the entire thing and it is a great video! Not to mention they brought along a great hunting ambassador in Donald Trump Jr. who also makes a great shot!
> 
> It's 20+ minutes, but better than any hunting show you will watch on TV.


Which hunts can we expect to hear about in the future ?!

It is so awesome to have our president’s son going on serious hunts like that!


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