My 2007 Dall Sheep Hunt (Updated 11 Sep @ 1030Z)
Last winter I was awarded a coveted dall sheep tag in Alaska's Delta Controlled Use Area. There are a total of 150 tags for this area; 75 for an early season and 75 for a late season. The early season restricts (for the most part) motorized vehicles from entering the area...the latter does not. I drew the second season.
I recruited the help of a great friend who was a one time Survive Evade Resist Escape (SERE) enlisted troop. He now is an Air Weapons Officer on the AWACs...just like me. Until last year he had never hunted a day in his life. I dragged him along to Cordova in May of 06 to do a black bear hunt. I'm hoping to covert him into a hunter one day, but for now he makes a great sherpa. Along with his endless amount of survival and wilderness skills, he was on the AF Eco Challenge team, has a date with Mt McKinley next year and is one hell of a long distance runner. Anyhow, the dude's name is Ben.
I also called upon Golden Eagle Outfitters in Delta Junction to provide us with our Air Transport. As always, I did my homework when selecting the pilot and I was told great things about Jim from GEO. His service was everything I expected and more...I'll explain later.
So...After a few bumps in the road with the commercial travel getting up to Alaska I caught up with Ben in Fairbanks the evening of Aug 24th, a day later than was planned. After lining through a few last minute "to do" items we checked into lodging at Eielson AFB. The following morning hit the road for Delta Junction.
The morning of our transport was a foggy one. We met with the pilot, Jim and after deciding it would be a few hours before the fog burned off Ben and I headed over to the local greasy spoon to meet with my uncle who I had not seen in 17 years. My uncle, who is also named Jim, is the lead scientist for Boeing at the Missile Defense System at Fort Greely. The things this man knows absolutely blows my mind away.
Anyhow, after choking down some eggs, sausage and toast it was off to the airstrip again. As we pulled into the drive the fog was lifting.
Jim's set of wings is a nice little cub. I was the first to be flown out to the strip. In the background you will notice the beautiful mountains of the Tok Management Area. The TMA and Delta CUA are separated by the Johnson River.
Another view of the TMA mountainscape...
Ben arrived shortly thereafter...in blue jeans nonetheless. The man has probably trekked over every mountain in Washington State in denim. I convinced him before leaving the airstrip to ditch 'em.
We knew going into this hunt the mountains are relatively small in comparison to much of sheep country and therefore the willows and alders would be labor intensive. Our first push would be a mile bushwack up and over this ridge and into X Valley.
Ahhh...the obligatory pre-push pic. Notice the denim is gone...and so is the shirt. Moosie probably noticed the shirt was gone before the jeans. Again, the ridge in the background is where we are headed.
It doesn't take us long to lean into the willows and climb our way up the top of the ridge. This is our first look into the valley from foot. Each place you see the light shining down there are Booner rams...no really, there are.
We spend the next few hours looking and glassing every nook and cranny we can. Ben being the rookie he is to hunting has a problem spotting game...initially. Within two hours I spot a total of 9 sheep peppered throughout, all of them rams...two of them legal by full curl. I also spy a black bear across the creek tumbling down a cliff and trying to work his way up. He isn't very big...maybe 5 foot. I'm stoked by the amount of game we are seeing.
We walk a little further, but not much. I want to set camp and glass more before we proceed. Here is another look up the valley.
Continued tomorrow...
Last winter I was awarded a coveted dall sheep tag in Alaska's Delta Controlled Use Area. There are a total of 150 tags for this area; 75 for an early season and 75 for a late season. The early season restricts (for the most part) motorized vehicles from entering the area...the latter does not. I drew the second season.
I recruited the help of a great friend who was a one time Survive Evade Resist Escape (SERE) enlisted troop. He now is an Air Weapons Officer on the AWACs...just like me. Until last year he had never hunted a day in his life. I dragged him along to Cordova in May of 06 to do a black bear hunt. I'm hoping to covert him into a hunter one day, but for now he makes a great sherpa. Along with his endless amount of survival and wilderness skills, he was on the AF Eco Challenge team, has a date with Mt McKinley next year and is one hell of a long distance runner. Anyhow, the dude's name is Ben.
I also called upon Golden Eagle Outfitters in Delta Junction to provide us with our Air Transport. As always, I did my homework when selecting the pilot and I was told great things about Jim from GEO. His service was everything I expected and more...I'll explain later.
So...After a few bumps in the road with the commercial travel getting up to Alaska I caught up with Ben in Fairbanks the evening of Aug 24th, a day later than was planned. After lining through a few last minute "to do" items we checked into lodging at Eielson AFB. The following morning hit the road for Delta Junction.
The morning of our transport was a foggy one. We met with the pilot, Jim and after deciding it would be a few hours before the fog burned off Ben and I headed over to the local greasy spoon to meet with my uncle who I had not seen in 17 years. My uncle, who is also named Jim, is the lead scientist for Boeing at the Missile Defense System at Fort Greely. The things this man knows absolutely blows my mind away.
Anyhow, after choking down some eggs, sausage and toast it was off to the airstrip again. As we pulled into the drive the fog was lifting.
Jim's set of wings is a nice little cub. I was the first to be flown out to the strip. In the background you will notice the beautiful mountains of the Tok Management Area. The TMA and Delta CUA are separated by the Johnson River.
Another view of the TMA mountainscape...
Ben arrived shortly thereafter...in blue jeans nonetheless. The man has probably trekked over every mountain in Washington State in denim. I convinced him before leaving the airstrip to ditch 'em.
We knew going into this hunt the mountains are relatively small in comparison to much of sheep country and therefore the willows and alders would be labor intensive. Our first push would be a mile bushwack up and over this ridge and into X Valley.
Ahhh...the obligatory pre-push pic. Notice the denim is gone...and so is the shirt. Moosie probably noticed the shirt was gone before the jeans. Again, the ridge in the background is where we are headed.
It doesn't take us long to lean into the willows and climb our way up the top of the ridge. This is our first look into the valley from foot. Each place you see the light shining down there are Booner rams...no really, there are.
We spend the next few hours looking and glassing every nook and cranny we can. Ben being the rookie he is to hunting has a problem spotting game...initially. Within two hours I spot a total of 9 sheep peppered throughout, all of them rams...two of them legal by full curl. I also spy a black bear across the creek tumbling down a cliff and trying to work his way up. He isn't very big...maybe 5 foot. I'm stoked by the amount of game we are seeing.
We walk a little further, but not much. I want to set camp and glass more before we proceed. Here is another look up the valley.
Continued tomorrow...
