Somewhere in Northern B.C...2011

[mwj]

this year i made two sheep trips up north. the first trip was for the aug opening with Cole (combine pilot) as my hunting partner. the second trip was in late sept. and i met up with Cole and Wade (lucky nuts) who had camp already set up. Good timing on my part lol.
So i'm going to start with pictures from the first trip, intermission will be a couple of fishing pics and then trip two.

[mwj]

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i'm on the 5:15 ferry out of duke point, it takes about 30 hours traveling to get where i'm going

[mwj]

All the creeks that we normally step across were all pretty high from all the rain this year.


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[mwj]

Here's cole doing some glassing on the way in.


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[mwj]

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this is what he's looking at.

[mwj]

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A little further up the trail we see this. Goat hair caught on the brush

[mwj]

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Marmots are usually pretty wary but i got a photo or two before he whistled and darted into his den

[mwj]

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We had snow on the peaks during the night, it's aug 1st in this picture of Jesse

[mwj]

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The butterflies must have been getting some mineral out of this moose shed

[mwj]

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Cole and i were busy glassing when we heard something behind us, a ewe and lamb crossing the valley bottom.

[mwj]

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Jesse's breakfast bowl lol.

[mwj]

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Can you see the ram bedded in the rocks? this guy is just short of legal.

[mwj]

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Bumped into a small group of caribou.

[mwj]

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It was kinda cool to find this wolf skull .

[mwj]

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I've seen alot of rams on this hill

[mwj]

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The bugs must have been driving this caribou nuts. We watched it run all across the mountain in the background and finally right past us.

[mwj]

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[DDD]

Nice country. Keep the pictures coming.

D

[mwj]

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We found these sheds just like they are....and left them for someone else to find.

[mwj]

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Here's a close-up of the ram in post 12. sorry for the poor quality

[Riverratz]

Gotta love pictorial stories...........keep 'em comin'.........excellent so far.

[Brez]

great pic of butterflies on moose shed

[nature girl]

Really great pictures. I also really liked the butterflies on the moose shed.

[mwj]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/P8280088.JPG
inbetween sheep trips i managed to get a bit of fishing in. this one weighed 30 lbs

[kevin 3006]

Nice trip,keep going.

[mwj]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/P9220091.JPG
base camp trip two with "bertha the wood stove". thanks to Cole and Mike.

[Dirt Road King]

good pic of the butterflies, didnt exactly know what it was at first lol then clued in

[mwj]

The next morning Cole Wade and I gathered our packs and headed into sheep country. We were almost there, just had to cross the creek one more time....you guessed it. I slipped on a rock in the creek and went down! well the boys gave me a 10 for flailing arms but a zero for the landing. When i stood up my ring finger was pointing at an odd angle. it was a bit of a struggle getting the ring off but i knew that i had to before the finger started to swell. I tried to pop the finger back into place but no luck there so we started back down the mountain grumbling all the way. I didn't get to the hospital till 10 pm only to find out that there's no docter from 8 pm till 8 am. So i slept in the back of the truck with my dog in the hospital parking lot that night.
In the morning my finger was frozen, x-rayed and popped back into place in short order and by late morning i was headed back to camp with two fingers taped together.

































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[mwj]

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While i was gone Wade and Cole hunted around camp. Wade called this bull in and took some pictures. he said he didn't want a moose.

[Call of the Wild]

I feel your pain ... the pain to see the end of your story!!! Keep it up I like it so far.

[mwj]

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Just at dark the same day i had my finger fixed the same bull walked out for me. Thanks to Wade and Cole for helping me get it out of the bush and hung up.

[mwj]

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A day or two later we were back on the trail heading for sheep country.

[ncurrie]

wow what incredible pics, looks like you had a great time, minus the broken finger!

[mwj]

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This tiny mountain creek appeared and disappeared into the moss. in this picture its flowing right underneath the tree.

[mwj]

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Taking a break on the trail.

[Everett]

Nice looking moose great story and photos keep it up.

[mwj]

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Shortly after this picture was taken Cole spotted some rams up ahead and there wasn't any more lolly-gagging. We moved up, set up spike camp and started looking at how we could make a stalk

[igojuone]

Well this is like one of those "Dateline" episodes with no ending. More Please.

[mwj]

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We hiked past the ridge the rams were on thinking we could sneak up the gully on the far side. We did some glassing before starting the stalk up the mountain, thats when we spotted this fork bull right in the way. after a while a cow came out of the brush to join him

[mwj]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/P9260106.JPG
A little more glassing reveiled another ram with a ewe and 4 goats also in the way.We watched until late in the afternoon and backed out slowly so we did't disturb anything. this picture has a ram and a goat in it.

[mwj]

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On the way back to spike camp we bumped into this caribou. He's legal but we left him to grow up

[pescado]

Made my evening, thanks MWJ.

[mwj]

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This is what we woke up to the next day, wet snow and over cast with flurries. The rams however were still in the same spot so we shouldered our packs and hit the trail full of anticipation.

[mwj]

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In this picture we are all freezing. It was immpossible not to get all sweated up climbing into position. We are 300 yards from a group of 5 rams, 1 is legal for sure. The trouble is that the ram cole wants is lying in a small dip and all we can see is the very top of his horns. We have to wait until they stand up. My spotting scope is on the rams and i keep checking on them.

[mwj]

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I tell Wade that the rams will get up at 1pm and i think i was pretty close

[Sitkaspruce]

Pretty cool story do far........

MWJ, you know you can put 4 (maybe even 5) pictures on one post. Might make it easier instead of posting one at a time.

Keep it up, can't wait until the end.

Cheers

SS

[mwj]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/P9270133.JPG
This is what you look like right after shooting a 9.5 year old double broomed ram from 300 yds

[mwj]

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[Call of the Wild]

Pretty cool story do far........

MWJ, you know you can put 4 (maybe even 5) pictures on one post. Might make it easier instead of posting one at a time.

Keep it up, can't wait until the end.

Cheers

SS

Maybe it's the broken finger that's slowing him a little :-D:-D

MWJ your partner sure looks happy

[mwj]

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[mwj]

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[mwj]

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[mwj]

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[mwj]

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[mwj]

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Looking down towards spike camp, on the way down we played cat and mouse with a grizzly. Cole had a tag but in the end Wade said he was too small and he went on his way.

[mwj]

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Sheep meat hanging about 100yds down wind of camp.

[mwj]

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Caping the head.

[mwj]

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Sheep ribs over the fire.

[mwj]

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Happy campers for sure

[mwj]

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Heading for base camp. Pretty easy packing a sheep out with 3 guys and 2 dogs

[Alpine Addict]

Very cool ram!

[bruin]

Very nice! I was depressed cause all the dead animal threads had ended. Sounds like a very great and adventurouse trip! Great ram, nice heavy. Ape on it.

[bruin]

Btw, love the dogs!

[2legit]

thats so awesome. Im a new hunter and all these story's i read are wicked. I love it when ya'll bring your dogs with you. I love my pooch and I know he would love to sit on a a beautiful animal like that ram you got there.

Good times!

[yama49]

Great pics, huge congrats to you and your hunting partners..

[Call of the Wild]

Awesome for you guys, a great story now I can go to sleep dreaming. thanks for sharing with great pictures

[bruin]

How did the lab fare in the cold weather? How were his feet?

[TheProvider]

GReat thread so far

[BCrams]

Great hunt!! Congratulations on a fun sheep hunt with a few stories! That finger had to hurt pretty good.

[vortex hunter]

Nice Ram and even nicer MOOSE ...

[BlacktailStalker]

Nice write up and pics as per normal Mark. I see you retired the canadian tire tent ? :lol:

[snareman1234]

Great Work Boys!!! Good mature ram! love the dogs!

[Rackmastr]

Great ram and thanks for sharing the story and pics with us!!

[nap]

great job all the way around, excellent pics and descrptions, Thanks for sharing your hunt with us!

[guest]

Great to see and hear of your success.

Congrats to you, that Ram has good character to him should make a cool mount too.

Nice pics

CT

[combine pilot]

The lab whose name is Clancy by the way did awesome. He is 12 years old and has been hunting with me for 11 years. His mother was chocolate lab and his dad was a newfoundler. Totally awesome dog. Unfortunately this will be his last mountain hunt as it is way to hard on him. Hardly moved for 10 days after we got home.

[REMINGTON JIM]

Congrats on that ram and your moose- Very nice pictures too !

[proguide66]

Sweet story/pics...especally when you think there's no new ones left for this year! You guys didnt let Wade wack one?

[porcupine]

Great story, great pics and great animals, the live ones included. Thanks for sharing.

[The Dude]

Great pics and story. Even with no game, that hunt would have been a great one with good friends, your dogs, and the views. Not to mention letting things go. The older I get, the more I like "letting things go."
The two you didn't let go were certainly worth "inviting home for dinner" :D
Thx again! Great stuff. How are sheep ribs smoked on the fire like that anyway?

[ufishifish2]

Damn great story. Thanks for that. Excellent pictures! I will sleep very well tonight with visions of broomed off rams dancing in my head!!!

[Riverratz]

Great story and pic's., very enjoyable. Congrat's on your successes.
Thank you for taking the rest of us there.

[moose2]

Great thread Mark it is good to see the story and pictures on here. Nice pictures I had only seen a few of them earlier this year so it was nice to see the new ones.
Mike

[Buck]

Looks like a great hunt....Congrats on the Ram.

[moose2]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/P9220091.JPG
base camp trip two with "bertha the wood stove". thanks to Cole and Mike.

Your welcome Mark. Your welcome to stay in our tent anytime. Besides it dosn't hurt to have a 3rd or 4th person around to help lift Bertha (our very heavy wood stove). LOL
If any one was wondering the tent is a 12' x 14' with a custom made enclosed 7' front porch that we use as a kitchen making it 21' in total. The tent and porch were made by DELUXE WALL TENTS it has been a great tent were very happy with it. This was our first season with it and it has housed hunters on successful moose, sheep and elk trips so far.
Mike

[hunter1947]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/P8280088.JPG
inbetween sheep trips i managed to get a bit of fishing in. this one weighed 30 lbs

Looks like your in your back dood when you caught this one ,Just like old times Mark nice slab you caught http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.png http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon6.png..

[hunter1947]

Mark and your hunting partners very adventures hunt you 5 had ,having the dogs along on this hunt of yours was a bonus nice to see this ,Mark very nice moose you shot lots of fine meat in your freezer for next year http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon6.png.

I know where you are coming from on that hurt finger I had a similar thing happen to me in late Aug this year still got the splint on as of today its no fun dealing with hurt fingers ,good thing it was not your trigger finger LOL.

The pictures of your trip are cool thanks for sharing them with us HBC members ,that ram your partner got is a fantastic looking animal very nice winter coat he is wearing the grin from ear to ear tells it all http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.png.

You guys look very cold in that picture of the snow as you where waiting behind the ledge to bad you did not have a hot thermos of coffee or tea in your back pack to ease the pain of the cold :icon_frow.

Thanks for letting us come along on your journey with you I congratulate all 5 of you that had a fantastic sheep ,moose hunt especially the older guy Clancy ,I like that one picture of Clancy you and your partner around the fire that night ,its sad that it will be Clancy last sheep hunt trip http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon6.png...

[vip_ruger]

sounds like a great trip very nice critters taken congrats

[BCRiverBoater]

Congrats on the ram and the moose. Great pictures!

[kennyj]

Awesome photo story. Loved it!
kenny

[gbear]

Great pictures, and congrats on the moose and ram

[oldkoot]

Looks like a great time, wish I still had the knees to follow. Your " Pup " may not have moved for ten days after.......but I bet he had a smile on his face while he layed there .

Thanks

[kootenayslam]

Great looking trip, Great ram and great writeup, congrats

[kayjayess]

Great post and nice ram. Congrats on a couple of outstanding hunts.

[markt308]

wicked thread! congrats

[375 ultramag]

Great pictures and story. Congrats on your sheep and moose.

[antileno]

great story and awesome pics, appreciate you sharing!

[ThinAir]

Very nice pics. That will be a great cape on that ram!

Congrats guys on a wicked hunt.

[d6dan]

Great pictures and awesome story Mark..Thanks for taking us along on your trip!.

[Vanman1985]

Awesome thread!!! Great bull and ram taken! Thanks for sharing.

[luckynuts]

Mark, Thanks for taking the time to post the pics and story. That was an unbelieveable trip. Though you did forget one tiny thing. I may have talked Cole out of that Grizzly but you were the one who talked him out of the 6x5 caribou Lol. I look forward to next year, there is hope for me yet. Thanks again for the laughs, and the experience and especially the oysters. Remember you have first dibs on the pom pom Lol

Mark/Cole a few people have asked my what packs were the dogs wearing? if you could provide details on here would be great, thanks. PS best two dogs to be in the mountains with bar none. As with their owners.

Wade

[Rubberknot]

Great pics, a trip to remember!

[Canadian Hunter]

Good job guys! Its nice to see a group go out, have fun and share their hunt with lots of pictures. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the animals!

[mwj]

Bruin,
No problems with the dogs and the weather although it really wasn't that cold. My chocolate lab Jessie is an inside dog at home. She's a bit of a princess and likes to sleep inside the tent under my jacket lol.

[mwj]

Hey Andy.
Last year i bought a sky ledge 2.1, it's really only big enough for me and the dog but it does have 2 doors and vestibles and only weighs about 4lbs. It doesn't leak or collapse either lol. Let me know if i need to buy a cougar tag this year lol.

Proguide
We tried to find a ram for Wade but his pom pom is still intact, maybe next year?

Lucky nuts,
I used some of your pics in the thread, i didn't think you would mind. I bought jesse's pack at wholesale sports in nanaimo. It's a "Wenaha" and even though jesse's big for a female lab (85lbs) its for "small dogs". by the way nice mulie you got this year!

Dude
Sheep ribs are tasty over the fire, especially in the mountains after eating freeze-dried for a few days.

[killer_shot]

you guys make it look so short and easy, how many days were you in the bush on the second trip ?

[kako99]

Wicked post really enjoyed it. Can't wait for my first sheep hunt next year!

[mwj]

One day hiking in, One day to shoot and one day out

[mwj]

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antlers and horns in base camp

[mwj]

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Some other rams we saw on the second trip

[mwj]

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[mwj]

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[paulgug]

great story and excellent pictures.....congrats on a successful trip!

[mwj]

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There's 14 rams in this picture, some of them are pretty obscured by brush ect. there was actually 17 rams all told and Wade was lucky to have the experience of that many rams in one bunch.

[mwj]

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[Deaddog]

Great pics and even better story, congrats to you for all your hard work!! a beauty of a ram..DD

[Wild Images]

Great story and pics Mark, we need to teach you that you can put up to five pictures per post and save you some time
Give me a call if your up this way and swing in for a beer ( bring pics ) and a bs

Ken

[WKCotts]

Nice ram! awesome pics guys

[cas-has-cars]

Love the pictures and the variety of animals. Great trip and how about a hint as to which side of northern B.C. East? or West? I'm guessing West.
Thanks again
You make us all want to be there with you guys.

[Gateholio]

Great stuff once again , Mark! :)

[scottwh]

Wow! Thats a great story and pics! That northern country is absolute beauty! I never thought of bringing my lab on such a hunt! I will now be purchacing some saddle bags for Remington :) Congrats

Scott