Endangered Grizzly Bear Photo Thread

[shines@times]

If you do not enjoy the Beartooths then nothing will make you happy. I have been all over the world and when I am in the Tooths it is like a spiritual outing. They are breathtaking. I thank God I lived long enough to spend time there. I hope everyone that hunts them this year a safe and wonderful experience.

With you in spirit old son--I'm heartened by your persistence. Condolences on your losses last year.

 

[MTGomer]

Hey @shines@times hope you’re doing alright and sorry to hear about your mother.

AZ is hot.
I’ll be headed to Montana in about a week to begin this goose chase again.

 

[Cheesehead]

Just wanted to say, this is by far my favorite thread on HT and my favorite dream hunt. Best of luck out there to all you guys...many of you have put in the time. Hope to try this myself in a couple years...

 

[C Bow]

Good to hear from you brother shines@times. I am sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my dad last September and my mom this past April. I will be praying for you. We will cross paths someday in the Beartooths

 

[520 Road Sow]

Sorry to hear about your mom shines that's very tough i'm sure. You as well cbow, 10 days in counting till i'm in for the season. Totally different approach but sometimes change is good. Good luck to all out there and stay safe this season.

 

[shines@times]

Good to hear from you brother shines@times. I am sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my dad last September and my mom this past April. I will be praying for you. We will cross paths someday in the Beartooths

Thanks C Bow. Sorry to hear about your mother too (from lurking last year--I was not up to signing in--I knew you had lost both your Father and your dog).

 

[shines@times]

Sorry to hear about your mom shines that's very tough i'm sure. You as well cbow, 10 days in counting till i'm in for the season. Totally different approach but sometimes change is good. Good luck to all out there and stay safe this season.

Thanks EYJONAS. Good hunting with the new approach, though, I kinda hope it is still in the same unit.

 

[shines@times]

Hey @shines@times hope you’re doing alright and sorry to hear about your mother.

AZ is hot.
I’ll be headed to Montana in about a week to begin this goose chase again.

Thanks for the condolences Gomer. I always look forward to your hunt reports and fine photos; I hope the next batch features horns.

Been spending some time in too-hot country this year myself. At auction, I bought some equipment from bankrupt power plants in California for property development and setting up a retirement shop (sounds like an oxymoron when I say it). Too cheap to pay for motel room, I spent three weeks camping in the desert SE of Barstow. Crawled around the hills a little while I was there. Didn't see a single snake or large mammal, but I enjoyed watching a great variety of lizards, including Chuckwallas, which I'd never seen in the wild before.

 

[Cav1]

I've been out in the boondocks in District #300 since Saturday. I came back home to recuperate for a couple of days (my body keeps reminding me on on the wrong side of 50) and to reassess my whole game plan. The area I was glassing turned out to be a repeat of last year. I saw as many as 50 or 60 sheep in a day, with every last one a ewe, lamb or juvenile. I had great views of a large basin and the mountains and connecting ridges all the way around it but never saw any loner or small group off by itself the whole time. Stunning country and endless mountain vistas in all diretions and I really enjoy watching the moms and their kids (a few mountain goats as well) but I would like to at least see a legal ram someday. I also saw more hunters out this year, largely because 90% or more were silhouetted against the skyline and thus stood out quite noticeably. I was especially tickled to find a "convenient" water source only about 300 yards from camp. Of course, that distance was as the crow flies. As the old fat guy loops around cliffs and loses and gains 500 feet of elevation the daily trip to fill water bottles ran better than 45 minutes. So now I'm poring over maps and satellite imagery trying to figure out an area that's not certified "Ram-Free" where I can go back in for a few more days, assuming the quota remains unfilled. I just looked through the #300 harvest reports again and noted that from 1999 to 2015 no rams were harvested for 7 of those years, so chances are good I can go back out.
View attachment 20190903_14.JPG

 

[buffybr]

I've been out in the boondocks in District #300 since Saturday. I came back home to recuperate for a couple of days (my body keeps reminding me on on the wrong side of 50) and to reassess my whole game plan. The area I was glassing turned out to be a repeat of last year. I saw as many as 50 or 60 sheep in a day, with every last one a ewe, lamb or juvenile. I had great views of a large basin and the mountains and connecting ridges all the way around it but never saw any loner or small group off by itself the whole time. Stunning country and endless mountain vistas in all diretions and I really enjoy watching the moms and their kids (a few mountain goats as well) but I would like to at least see a legal ram someday. I also saw more hunters out this year, largely because 90% or more were silhouetted against the skyline and thus stood out quite noticeably. I was especially tickled to find a "convenient" water source only about 300 yards from camp. Of course, that distance was as the crow flies. As the old fat guy loops around cliffs and loses and gains 500 feet of elevation the daily trip to fill water bottles ran better than 45 minutes. So now I'm poring over maps and satellite imagery trying to figure out an area that's not certified "Ram-Free" where I can go back in for a few more days, assuming the quota remains unfilled. I just looked through the #300 harvest reports again and noted that from 1999 to 2015 no rams were harvested for 7 of those years, so chances are good I can go back out.
View attachment 113752

Unit 300 was the last Unlimited unit that I hunted, 20 some years ago. The day before the season opened, I saw a great full curl, brimmed ram less than 100 yards from me. I was back at that same spot before daylight the next morning, and as it got light an outfitter and his string of dudes on horseback rode through the basin, a half dozen or more tents had set up in the basin since the evening before, and there were orange pumpkins walking everywhere. I never saw that ram again. I think all the legal rams became aware of the orange invasion and moved south of the ridgeline boundary of that unit.

 

[shines@times]

Hey guys,

My first thought: as close to the season opener as we presently are, now is not a good time to distract unlimited sheep unit hunters from their preparations, nor to expect much of a response to this query. On the other hand, those of you who are not already hiking into your hunting areas are probably organizing and packing gear.

So, here is my question: What brand and model of backpack or rucksack are you using to haul your gear into and, hopefully, your ram out of your chosen hunting unit?

What made you settle on that particular pack?

Did you try other makes and models before?
What did you dislike (and like) about the others?

What do you rate highest: lightweight, durability, capacity, adjustability or carrying fit and comfort?

The incredible amount of change in pack designs and the number of new, to me, sources since I was active in either hunting or backpacking is motivation for my question. The pack I am wearing in my avatar photo is an older (even then) Kelty Tioga bag pinned onto a cheap Stansport frame that I modified to accept the Tioga shoulder straps and hip belt in order to hug my back closer and hang lower. It sufficed, kept me more stable in high winds than did an unmodified Tioga and kept my center of gravity lower for improved balance, which were major considerations based on two previous trips onto the Beartooth Plateau. However, I would not give very high marks to its degree of comfort.

Hoping to enjoy a few seasons of hunting in the time left to me, and not needing to save any assets for non-existent heirs, I've been purchasing various gear to assess for different types of hunting, terrain, duration and weather. I am interested in hearing opinions of those hunters who have actively sought Bighorn sheep in the unlimited units over the past few years because the timing of the hunt, thus the weather, and the amount of competing hunters has changed the prospect from the late-opening severe weather hunt I knew in the 1980's.

Thanks all!

shines@times



PS: My initial evaluation leads me to accept the high intial weight (7-10 pounds) of some of the military surplus or tactical rucksacks I'm looking at in favor of their durability, large main bag capacity and adjustability.

 

[520 Road Sow]

Shines, the pack question comes up a lot throughout this forum in the end my friend I will say this. I run the stone glacier 5900. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the latest and greatest out there but this company has stood out to me. When I was looking for a bag I wanted something beyond it and they delivered. They stand by what they offer and they have, in my mind one of the best customer services i've ever seen in a company. Ive had the privilege to become friends with all of them and they are truly a great team, they want you to experience your hunt as they would theirs with the most comfort and durability, and giving you the most up to date system they have. Hope this helps, headed in next week. By the way that's an awesome photo. I can't wait to be grippin and grinnin like that one day. Good luck to all out there and be safe....... weathers a comin.

 

[shines@times]

Usually it would be windswept, as the beartooths tend to be, but in this case it had snowed a good amount and the wind hadn’t touched it yet. My buddy in the photo is 6’8, and had yet to hit solid ground. I ended up doing the best crawl/swim/wade up the slope I could in the baseless powder. The snowshoes were worthless- ski’s and skins would have been marginally better. We stayed long enough to build a small fire to dry out as well as have a quick snack, and then we bailed off the hard earned ridge after a distant band of rams.

That heavy snow slog was one of the most impressive photos I've ever viewed that conveys the depth (pun intentional) of commitment exhibited by some of those who choose to buck the odds for an opportunity to hunt Bighorn sheep, rather than spend a lifetime in tag lotteries or a fortune on guided hunts. I so hope you are returning for another go at it this season. Please enthrall us with more!

 

[shines@times]

Shines, the pack question comes up a lot throughout this forum in the end my friend I will say this. I run the stone glacier 5900. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the latest and greatest out there but this company has stood out to me. When I was looking for a bag I wanted something beyond it and they delivered. They stand by what they offer and they have, in my mind one of the best customer services i've ever seen in a company. Ive had the privilege to become friends with all of them and they are truly a great team, they want you to experience your hunt as they would theirs with the most comfort and durability, and giving you the most up to date system they have. Hope this helps, headed in next week. By the way that's an awesome photo. I can't wait to be grippin and grinnin like that one day. Good luck to all out there and be safe....... weathers a comin.

Thanks EYJONAS. I'll look into Stone Glacier before the 2020 season.

Obviously, you still "heart" sheep hunting--same unit this year? Was that you that puked up the trail last season? If so, please eat better this year. Good hunting to you friend!

 

[520 Road Sow]

Thanks EYJONAS. I'll look into Stone Glacier before the 2020 season.

Obviously, you still "heart" sheep hunting--same unit this year? Was that you that puked up the trail last season? If so, please eat better this year. Good hunting to you friend!

Haha yep i'm that guy and for some reason still go back. Johnsonville will not be attending. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. If you got any questions about the packs let me know.

 

[BigHornRam]

I just purchased a Stone Glacier down jacket. If I'm going to freeze to death, might as well do it in style! My sleeping bag is looking like the next piece of gear that needs to be replaced. I'll check S G's bags out when that day comes.

 

[520 Road Sow]

I just purchased a Stone Glacier down jacket. If I'm going to freeze to death, might as well do it in style! My sleeping bag is looking like the next piece of gear that needs to be replaced. I'll check S G's bags out when that day comes.

Don't rule out the quilt idea...... half the weight and half the price. Plenty warm. Enlightened Gear.

 

[MTGomer]

I use a Stone Glacier 6900. Comfortable, light, and founded by a great guy and ran by some great guys.

 

[andrew11]

I will be running a Mystery Ranch Beartooth 80.
Really like the shoulder straps and waist belt over the guide lite frame. Havent loaded it up past 80lbs yet, but it carried it well.

 

[shines@times]

Hey MTGomer and EYJONAS!,

I just checked out the Stone Glacier website and looked at the design features and specifications for both the 6900 and 5900 packs; they're pretty impressive! Those frame designs are quite innovative too. Seeing either of the packs on one someone's back--and I probably have seen one or both in photos you guys have posted here--I never would have guessed they are external frame designs! I also like the "bivy mode" option.

I need to have hernia surgery this Winter. Assuming I survive, heal well and get back into shape by late Spring, I'll have to give the brand serious consideration. Perhaps by then they'll offer them in camouflage!

Have you guys experienced any component failures with the Stone Glacier packs? I like the convenient access of zip-panels; but I trust top-loading packs more. The military packs, particularly later PALS versions, have built-in redundancy via MOLLE webbing and compression straps. However, all that extra webbing combined with 1000 denier fabric adds up to weights nearly double the Stone Glacier specs.

I'll look at anything that forum members recommend (going to Mystery Ranch website next andrew11) but I'm already highly impressed with the Stone Glacier product (primarily due to light weight frame design and the bivy mode configuration option).