I returned last week after spending 15 days in the Frank Church chasing sheep. I had a buddy along for 7 days and spent the rest of my time alone. What an incredible area!
I saw hundreds of deer and elk with enough sheep thrown in to make it interesting.
On day 14, I had my chance. I finally found some rams that I felt were worth shooting. They were across the ridge from me (see picture above) about 200 yards from the top of the ridge. I had two choices in my approach, straight up, keeping a small finger ridge between us or go around the ridge and followed a trail up to the top of the ridge and hunt down. I choose the long way, partially because a nice gentlemen I met, Jerome, also had a sheep tag and I knew he was coming down the trail with his horses to help someone move their camp. Jerome and I had spoke before we both went into the wilderness and had met twice while hunting. I met-up with Jerome and we hightailed up the ridge arriving at the top at 5:30. We hunted the finger ridges until dark but couldn't find the sheep.
I went back to glass for the sheep on Day 15. I couldn't find them. I hit my mental and physical wall while glassing for the rams. I had pushed it hard for several days in a row and knew I needed a day or two off. The season only had four days left with rain forecasted for the last two days. At one point in my adventure I had spent 36 hours stuck in my tent due to rain. I decided to call the pilot and see if he could pick me up that afternoon. I'd leave if he could; otherwise, I'd rethink my plans in the morning. I flew out that evening at 6:00.
The sheep hunt was one of the greatest adventures of my life. I had a chance at a good ram but it didn't materialize. I can't wait to go again.
As a post script, I spoke with Jerome a few days ago. He went back up on the ridgeline on my Day 15 and didn't see any sheep. His son came up later and found a flock of ewes in the same general area and called Jerome over. They followed the flock over a small finger and found the rams. Jerome tried to call me on my radio but I had it turned off (I was about a 2 hour hike away, sitting on the airstrip). He killed the larger of the three rams at 200 yards, a 170 class ram. The other two rams did not move until Jereome was close to the dead ram. They then moved only about 200 yards and watched them butcher the big guy. Jerome went looking for me at my camp that evening to lead me to the other two rams but I had left.
I saw hundreds of deer and elk with enough sheep thrown in to make it interesting.
On day 14, I had my chance. I finally found some rams that I felt were worth shooting. They were across the ridge from me (see picture above) about 200 yards from the top of the ridge. I had two choices in my approach, straight up, keeping a small finger ridge between us or go around the ridge and followed a trail up to the top of the ridge and hunt down. I choose the long way, partially because a nice gentlemen I met, Jerome, also had a sheep tag and I knew he was coming down the trail with his horses to help someone move their camp. Jerome and I had spoke before we both went into the wilderness and had met twice while hunting. I met-up with Jerome and we hightailed up the ridge arriving at the top at 5:30. We hunted the finger ridges until dark but couldn't find the sheep.
I went back to glass for the sheep on Day 15. I couldn't find them. I hit my mental and physical wall while glassing for the rams. I had pushed it hard for several days in a row and knew I needed a day or two off. The season only had four days left with rain forecasted for the last two days. At one point in my adventure I had spent 36 hours stuck in my tent due to rain. I decided to call the pilot and see if he could pick me up that afternoon. I'd leave if he could; otherwise, I'd rethink my plans in the morning. I flew out that evening at 6:00.
The sheep hunt was one of the greatest adventures of my life. I had a chance at a good ram but it didn't materialize. I can't wait to go again.
As a post script, I spoke with Jerome a few days ago. He went back up on the ridgeline on my Day 15 and didn't see any sheep. His son came up later and found a flock of ewes in the same general area and called Jerome over. They followed the flock over a small finger and found the rams. Jerome tried to call me on my radio but I had it turned off (I was about a 2 hour hike away, sitting on the airstrip). He killed the larger of the three rams at 200 yards, a 170 class ram. The other two rams did not move until Jereome was close to the dead ram. They then moved only about 200 yards and watched them butcher the big guy. Jerome went looking for me at my camp that evening to lead me to the other two rams but I had left.
