Sun, skeeters, smoke . . . and sheep!

[BCbillies]

I am still a little tuckered from our 2009 sheep hunt so I will keep this short and show a few photos. Just give me a couple more days and I should be good for a goat hunt! ;)

We put in our best effort to date in pursuit of Stones and for 12 days we roamed the mountains in unfamiliar territory and enjoyed all that nature had to offer . . . with no human sign encountered other than our own! Midway through the trip we took a couple of sheep deep, rested 2 days and faced a 3 day pack out. Pack weights varied between 117 lbs and 142 lbs.

A big thanks to my wife and 3 kids for all their support and to 6k, my hunting partner, for going the distance. I will let my partner post his sheep photo(s).

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2009_Sheep_Hunt_Photo_3.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15008&size=big&cat=recent&limit=recent)


http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2009_Sheep_Hunt_Photo_1.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15006&size=big&cat=recent&limit=recent)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/2009_Sheep_Hunt_Photo_2.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15007&limit=recent)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2009_Sheep_Hunt_Photos_6.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15012&size=big&cat=recent&limit=recent)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/2009_Sheep_Hunt_Photo_5.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15010&limit=recent)

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2009_Sheep_Hunt_Photo_7.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15011&size=big&cat=recent&limit=recent)

[guest]

Looks like you've both had a great hunt ... and congrats to you for your hard work and perseverance .
Sounds like a nasty pack out, ....but every meal must have been SOME tasty with 2 fresh Rams !!

Thanks for sharing.....

Way to GO !
CT

[Deaddog]

Awesome hunt guys, a double header to boot, great pics, congrats,

[killman]

Nice work fella's. Beautiful country you found there. Sheep are nice too!

[dana]

Sounds like a hunt full of memories to last a lifetime. Congrats to the both of you. Thanks for sharing the awesome pics with us.

[Ramshot]

Way to go MK! That is awesome. Got my goat draw and am going to make it for sure to hunt with u and GK this fall. Congrats again. <Ramshot

[Nimrod]

Contratulations
double header to boot ..wicked
nothing like one ram per pack to slow things down, have to make every step sure a true when your that far in.
nice looking country.

[whitetailsheds]

Good job boys...sounds like a heck of a trek...but well worth it! Thanks for posting...making this rye and ginger taste mighty fine tonite...a double header here..and srupp's photos coming thru...here's to you all...cheers!

[Amphibious]

Congrats! great pics, but need more of the story.

stuck at work and have a goat hunt in under a month, all these sheep pics trickling in are pure torture ;)

[Stone Sheep Steve]

That's a great double there gents!!:cool:

Congrats!

Must have been a knee-wobbling but rewarding pack out of the mtns!

SSS

[Fisher-Dude]

Nice pics and great rams! You boys earned 'em!

[Blainer]

Some fine photo's
beautiful country and great ram.

[crofton_hunter]

Awsome sheep, Very nice curl on the one, your backs must be aching tho!

[bayou]

Yes congrats nice rams and photos

[gbear]

Way to go guys! Big congrats. Sounds like you really earned it.

[d6dan]

Great looking Rams boys, congrats to the both of you!...

[sawmill]

Outstanding!I need my son in law to get his Core so I can make him pack!Beautifull rams Congats!

[Mtnhunter]

Congrats on a great hunt! Two fine looking Rams!

[muleyman]

Nice ram billies beautiful country.

[Kitimat Killer]

way to go thats an awesome looking ram you got love the light colour on your ram

kk

[1/2 slam]

A double!!!! Congratulations. Now you have to go back to work to recover from your vacation.

[Brambles]

holy smokes, nice going. Beautiful rams too. Some can only dream of double sheep down.

SWEEET

[mark]

Very nice, a dream hunt come true!
3 days hike in......must have been some mixed feelings when the 2nd ram hit the ground! :eek:

[BCbillies]

Sounds like a nasty pack out, ....but every meal must have been SOME tasty with 2 fresh Rams !!
CT

We ate well! :smile: The fresh sheep meat cooked with a little peppered salami was quite a treat. Inspite of all the food I still lost substantial weight.


Very nice, a dream hunt come true!
3 days hike in......must have been some mixed feelings when the 2nd ram hit the ground! :eek:

We trained both mentally and physically for the double. If you weren't up to the task you weren't going on the hunt! When the second ram hit the ground I wasn't even close to the action. That's a story in itself! Those guys that go solo for sheep and bring one home . . . now that's tough!

[Maxx]

Congrats on the 2 great rams, looks like a tought trip!

[goatdancer]

Beauty rams. 3 day pack out says it all. All of us old guys can only drool and dream.

[Gateholio]

Wow, nice double ram hunt!:shock:

[sillybear]

Great rams!! Well done guys!!

[Shade Tree]

Two excellent rams there fellas, good work.

[Alpine85]

Great job to both of you!!!!

[TheDuckinator]

Way to go, sounds like all that hard work was worth it :)

[BlacktailStalker]

Phenominal, congrats to you guys ! :cool:
Looking forward to the storys.

[Duk Dog]

Awesome stuff!! Congrats to you both.

[yama49]

Awesome rams boys. congrats !!!!!!

[Rattler]

Double header...way to go.

Congrats!

[srupp]

wow! and OUCH..2 great rams guys..makes my knees sore just thinking about it.However, well done ! looks like some wonderful country...I know what you feel like..
congradulations on a wonderful accomplishment...

cheers and CONGRADULATIONS TO YOU BOTH..

Steven

[rifleman]

awesome job you guys. a double header. sounds like a hard pack out, but thats sheep hunting. beauty rams. whos doing the taxi work?

[hunter1947]

Great job you two did on getting your sheep ,what a couple dandy sheep ,congratulations to the two of you http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif.

[pmj]

in pursuit of Stones and for 12 days we roamed the mountains in unfamiliar territory and enjoyed all that nature had to offer . . . with no human sign encountered other than our own!

....faced a 3 day pack out. Pack weights varied between 117 lbs and 142 lbs.

A big thanks to my wife and 3 kids for all their support and to 6 K, my hunting partner, for going the distance.



http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif Congratulations BCbillies and 6 K. What a incredible trip with two great stones. Both yours and 6k's post shows what a team and family effort a trip like this is. Hunting partners for a trip like this are very difficult to find. All the things need to be in place.
I hope you or 6k will post some details about the gear you use and the preparation you did for this trip. Sounds like everything was planned to the last detail. For a trip like this I want to know what kind of shoe laces you used?

I like this quote:
quote "We trained both mentally and physically for the double. If you weren't up to the task you weren't going on the hunt!"
I would like to know what training you did. How do you prepare to take out packs of that weight?
What kind of packs did you have?

[kennyj]

Way to go guys.Great to have a partner with the same goals.
kenny

[BCbillies]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif Congratultions BCbillies and 6k. What a incredible trip with two great stones. Both yours and 6k's post shows what a team and family effort a trip like this is. Hunting partners for a trip like this are very difficult to find. All the things need to be in place.
I hope you or 6k will post some details about the gear you use and the preparation you did for this trip. Sounds like everything was planned to the last detail. For a trip like this I want to know what kind of shoe laces you used?

I like this quote:
quote "We trained both mentally and physically for the double. If you weren't up to the task you weren't going on the hunt!"
I would like to know what training you did. How do you prepare to take out packs of that weight?
What kind of packs did you have?

Here are the basics:

Pack - Kifaru Longhunter Guide (me) and the Kifaru Rendezvous G2 (6 K)
Tent - Hilleberg Kaitum 3 (four season, double vestable, well vented).
Boots - both Meindl (Makula Pro 3000 for me and Canada Pro for 6 K)
Sleeping bag - both Integral Designs XPD0 (rated -10, 2 lbs 10 oz)
Trekking poles - both Black Diamond Contour Elliptic Carbon
Binos - Zeiss 8 x 30's and Minox 8 x 42's
Spotter - B&L 15-45 x 60
Tripod - Cullmann with ball head

Physical Training - nothing fancy or hi-tech here: We live two doors apart and have a steep mountain in our back yard. Start by jogging it the first month and then hike straight up for the last two months with weight - parts of it are brushy and cliffy. Compared to previous years I was the most deligent in training this year due to the task at hand and went every second day whether I felt like it or not. I either went at 6:30 am or at 9 pm while the kids were sleeping. When jogging and hiking with weight I timed myself to track my progress and to mentally push myself by wanting to better my previous time. Most of the hiking is done with a pack weight similar to what our packs will be on the trip in (approx 70 lbs). At the end I tried 80 lbs up the mountain and I had my best time and that's when you know that you're ready to go! ;-)

Mental Training - Eat, sleep and breath sheep hunting without forsaking work/family. The mental part is significant and I try to maintain a positive attitude before and during the hunt inspite of those things that can bring you down (weather, bugs, sore back, blisters, etc). Your confidence in all keys aspects of the trip should peak just before the trip (shooting, physical, gear, route/area knowledge, etc). Just before we left I traded the SPOT unit for a SAT phone and it mentally boosted my confidence. I also got my eyes checked before the trip and my prescription changed. Needless to say I got new contacts and that made a difference. It's funny how little things help! Although I thought about it I didn't get new boot laces.

[007]

great job guys! gorgeous rams!

[Krico]

3 days out with packs that heavy...bleghhh!!!

Congrats on a beauty!

[Philcott]

Great pics. Great scenery. Great hunt.

Thanks for sharing it. I know I'll never go on a trip like that so it is nice to experience it through you two guys.

[budismyhorse]

great pics BCB

congrats on the sucess!

[BiG Boar]

You guys are machines! The only thing bad about this post is that there isn't more of it! Man you do some awsome hunts. What river or mountains were you hunting in and around? I would love to do a trip in for sheep one day again.

[jml11]

What river or mountains were you hunting in and around? I would love to do a trip in for sheep one day again.

My guess is they were hunting notelly mountain which is accessed via the zippermouth river...:p

[David Heitsman]

Well done guys. Two at a time! Doesn't happen very often.

[ThinAir]

Good job buddy.

I thought you were getting too old for sheep hunting:p
3 day pack out....sheeesh.

[skyliner 270]

nice sheep congratz