This one time at sheep camp

[duckhunt]

Great hunt

 

[Bambistew]

I’m scheduled to hunt next year and am curious how was the winter of 13/14?

I actually just literally spoke to my guide and outfitter and they killed on day nine on a beautiful 8 year old ram but said exactly what you said and said he hopes that the winter this year is mild and easy to give the older and younger sheep a better chance.
did you see a lot of seven year old rams? Congratulations on your hunt and sticking it out to the bottom
If the ninth beautiful ram! Hope to be successful next year and would be thrilled with a ram like that.

Well, considering that most all lambs died and many of the yearlings in 12/13... last year we where hunting the yearlings... next year will likely suck as bad as this year in many places because there won't be many/any skipped over 8yos to hunt. And people will be looking high and low for what ever rams escaped last year and this. Next year, IMO will probably be the worst because pretty much all youll have to hunt are the 8yos that just became legal.. anf about half of them won't be FC.

How many rams did your outfitter kill last year? Success rates for guided hunts were down like 40% last year. So far this year the Anchorage F&G office has checked half of normal and less than last year at this time.

We didn't see many 7yo, maybe 2 or 3 at the most. It will take a few years to come out of this slump.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Always love your sheep hunt reports. Congratulations on another great year. Sounds like this one was especially well earned.

 

[BradA]

Well, considering that most all lambs died and many of the yearlings in 12/13... last year we where hunting the yearlings... next year will likely suck as bad as this year in many places because there won't be many/any skipped over 8yos to hunt. And people will be looking high and low for what ever rams escaped last year and this. Next year, IMO will probably be the worst because pretty much all youll have to hunt are the 8yos that just became legal.. anf about half of them won't be FC.

How many rams did your outfitter kill last year? Success rates for guided hunts were down like 40% last year. So far this year the Anchorage F&G office has checked half of normal and less than last year at this time.

We didn't see many 7yo, maybe 2 or 3 at the most. It will take a few years to come out of this slump.

My outfitter killed two out of two last year.

 

[BradA]

Well, considering that most all lambs died and many of the yearlings in 12/13... last year we where hunting the yearlings... next year will likely suck as bad as this year in many places because there won't be many/any skipped over 8yos to hunt. And people will be looking high and low for what ever rams escaped last year and this. Next year, IMO will probably be the worst because pretty much all youll have to hunt are the 8yos that just became legal.. anf about half of them won't be FC.

How many rams did your outfitter kill last year? Success rates for guided hunts were down like 40% last year. So far this year the Anchorage F&G office has checked half of normal and less than last year at this time.

We didn't see many 7yo, maybe 2 or 3 at the most. It will take a few years to come out of this slump.

Hmm non of this sounds like good news for me and worries me about my hunt and being successful! I guess all you can do is go hunt and hope and pray for the best.

 

[rmyoung1]

As always @Bambistew … good hearing from you, especially this time of year. Congrats on another cool ram!

 

[ashersdad]

Always enjoy reading and seeing pictures of your adventures. Your ram collection must be very impressive.

 

[BearFoot]

Beautiful country, great photos! Another one bites the dust

 

[CRAZYCARL]

Congrats, great ram

 

[Ben Lamb]

This is a poem of ice & granite with a side dish of envy.

5300 stars and an invite to compete on American Idol but you have to sing "All about that base." Non-negotiable.

 

[targetpanic]

Great looking ram and awesome country!

 

[npaden]

Interesting gash on that ram's nose.

You ever track the elevation gain/loss you end up with on one of these hunts or even just on a typical day?

Those mountains look pretty tall and the scree looks pretty loose.

Congratulations on another great ram.

 

[Talk2elk]

What an adventure, congratulations.

 

[COEngineer]

You look no worse for wear after 9 days. Clean-shaven, even?

 

[Bambistew]

@npaden don't really keep track anymore. I think we walked about 45-50 miles on this trip about the same as normal but checked out 5 drainage. Usult only hut 2-3. Plenty of vertical but most was pretty mild terrain. Glassing from a mile or two off.

Not sure about the gash. It went to the bone and he has a growth about 2 quarters high and diameter I'm guessing a rock fall to the face. It was mostly healed bit he's missing about 1" strip by 3" across his nose.

@ashersdad I told myself I'd be done at 12. Have a couple left before I reach that goal. I do want to take a good one from the Wrangells, and dream of pulling one out of the Kenai mountains. Well see if I can stop at twelve, but with two kids coming of age, and a wife that likes to hunt I won't have a shortage of sheep hunts to to attend even if I'm not pulling the trigger.

@COEngineer my sleeping bag could assure you I wasn't fresh. Haha. I wore the same cloths for 10 days minus a change of socks.

 

[geetar]

Nice job! @Bambistew I always look forward to your sheep hunt recap on here. How many does that make now?

 

[ashersdad]

You are living the dream! 12 rams is an incredible goal. You’re getting close, that’s awesome.

 

[Bambistew]

Nice job! @Bambistew I always look forward to your sheep hunt recap on here. How many does that make now?

<11 club.

Dropping off right two at the taxi this week. On the fence mounting the last one. Probably just euro it decide later.

 

[crock239]

Another epic adventure and hunt. Congrats... always enjoy your write ups.

 

[KayakMacGyver]

Amazing, as always. Thanks for sharing this adventure with the rest of us living vicariously through you. To hunt sheep every year is quite the dream. Congratulations on the success and here's to many more!