2023 Delta Sheep Adventure

[ThunderNocked]

My friend Erik lives in Southeast Alaska and I live in the Interior in North Pole - he came with me on my Adventure for 11 days with my bow in 2020 which was my first sheep hunt down in the Chugach Mountain Range of Southern 'Mainland' Alaska. I had always thought it would be cool to get a sheep since seeing my first wild Big Horn's in the High Desert of Oregon back in 2000. It was in 2019 that some people asked why I didn't start hunting sheep in Alaska so I started the process. Erik and I hiked in 15+ miles and spent 11 days out and marched out in one day when we were unsuccessful with my compound. So this trip, getting drawn for Delta Management Area, he came with me again for our second attempt and my 3rd attempt at a Ram.
We started our journey with a weather delay day as the Transporter, Golden Eagle Outfitters, couldn't fly due to low ceiling. So after some naps and hanging around in the Community of Delta Junction we proceeded to get flown in, first day we saw about 15+ sheep. We couldn’t hunt until 3am so we sat and watched all the sheep and came up with a game plan.

I'm the one with the beard

Yes there was a Mid Afternoon Nap. Also that was the night that I discovered that though I had fantastic new Battery Banks, the fantastic new Ollin System for my phone/spotter, and even a small solar panel ... don't forget to bring an extra cable to charge your phone if it has all your information on it just incase the old one is broken!!!! It makes it hard to use your phone to look at sheep when you have to panic shut it off after the first day.

Next day we moved on and spotted a pair of sheep and spotter confirmed one was a ram that was worth a closer look - packed up and headed that direction. Tried to go above and around the horrible Alders and got turned back by a 30’ or taller cliff wall. Dove down into the Alders and made some progress.
Glassed up even more sheep but focused on the two.

 

[ThunderNocked]

The next day we got up and watched the sheep and continued to progress up valley towards them. As we were sitting under a tarp in the rain Erik saw a solo ram where we first spotted the two. After some inspection we decided he was the biggest and most likely sheep to be legal.

Finished pushing up the valley, crossed the glacial creek (boots completely failed - should have treated the leather again before leaving) and found a camping site. We watched that ram until dark.

In the morning we got up and made a move up the hill to see if I could confirm beyond doubt the sheep was legal. We climbed but couldn’t find the ram so we ended up backing out and

Erik spotted him about 200-300 yards farther down the cliff than we had been sitting around a corner. We proceeded through the brush and then snuck through some spruce and along the alders and willows up the rock slide.

Got to 290 yards creeping up the rocks using Alders as cover.

We got the spotter and phone on him (thanks Ollin Tech) and was able to do the stick test on him to confirm he was in fact legal.

 

[ThunderNocked]

My 280AI Double Broomed Mountain Rifle did its part and with two quick shots we watched him fall from his perch. What followed was a massive adrenaline rush and then a real crash on the 290 yard climb up the rocks. I thought I was pretty calm throughout but my buddy told me he thought I missed my first shot because my hands were shaking so bad. Climbing up to my ram was one of the longest things as I just continued to pray I hadn’t made a mistake.

Ram was beautiful and legal - definitely full curl and alot of character with his broomed right and cracked/splintering full curl left (though I didn’t feel 100% at ease until Fish and Game sealed him)!

We gutted and made it off the hill as night fell. The next day we processed him out and returned to camp.

The last two days it rained and we stayed in the tent and deposed meat and I attempted to cape out the head - I am hoping to do a shoulder mount but am afraid I may have screwed up the cape a bit too much- I’ll find out soon. But caped out the head and we deboned it all. The next day we marched 7 miles through the rolling foothills covered in steep gulleys, alders and Willow brush - my pack was about 95 pounds before it was saturated by the rain and Erik’s about 85 pounds. We marched to the airstrip as the next day as weather was supposed to be good but then turning bad the following day. Flew out with Golden Eagle Outfitter - if you are in the Delta area Jim at Golden Eagle was fantastic to work with and did a great job. First time in a Super Cub and it was a great ride.

Ram was sealed - beautiful 7 year old Ram - what a warrior. I’ll post more and better pictures of the horns and some videos because he was battling something and he is Broomed on his right and cracking his left side.

She isn't on here but still have to say thank you to my beautiful bride for putting up with this passionate Pursuit these last 4 years, and letting me disappear for days on end. And my friend Erik for sticking with me and helping me haul out the 50 pounds of meat, the cape and the emotional support to get it done!!!

Thank God for letting us get in and out and for helping us out when we needed. Love Alaska and love all the Wilderness we have seen and experienced!

I'm officially out of the <1 Club!!!

 

[CPAjeff]

Excellent story - congrats on the ram!

 

[Salmonchaser]

Excellent story and a perfect description of the Alders. Unless you’ve experienced it you never will understand how truly difficult those damn swaths of Alders are to negotiate.
Congratulations on your sheep, excellent report.

 

[SC Living Outdoors]

The amount of jealousy I am feeling is ridiculous and purely selfish, haha. What a beautiful ram. A BIG congratulations. You earned it! I'm sure your taxidermist will be able to mount him up for you even if you messed up. I wouldn't even worry about it. A good taxidermist can work wonders. Great story and congrats again @ThunderNocked !

 

[Bambistew]

Looks like a great adventure. Great ram, and glad you were finally able tag out!

 

[mdhunter61]

Man that's awesome! Congrats on a great hunt and a beautiful ram!

 

[andrew11]

Thats awesome!! Congrats on your ram.

 

[ThunderNocked]

Excellent story and a perfect description of the Alders. Unless you’ve experienced it you never will understand how truly difficult those damn swaths of Alders are to negotiate.
Congratulations on your sheep, excellent report.

ESPECIALLY WITH THE HORNS AND RIFLE STICKING OUT.
Just mind numbing.

 

[ThunderNocked]

Thanks everyone!

 

[fulldraw]

Congrats on a great ram and thanks for sharing your story. I am jealous !

 

[Valley1320]

Beautiful ram! Congrats!

 

[rtraverdavis]

So cool to see all of your hard work and learning these animals and the areas they live in come to fruition. Huge congratulations on a beautiful ram.

 

[Dave N]

Well done! I enjoyed following along with the adventure!

 

[littlebighorn]

It sounds like you experienced a typical, but amazing sheep adventure.
Perhaps now you know why people asked you why you hadn't started sheep hunting.
Well done!

 

[ThunderNocked]

thanks everyone.
it was a great time and I will definitely be going again. My buddy sadly told me that was his last sheep hunt but he wants to double on big moose and his wife wants to fill her freezer next year for their family.
So I'll be having to come up with a new game plan for sheep but will definitely not be done sheep hunting.

 

[BearFoot]

Awesome! Nice photos. Congrats on your ram.

 

[BradA]

Congratulations again! Super excited for you and it was awesome getting to know you and chat with you leading up to this hunt.

 

[MT_elk]

Congrats on a great hunt!