Snowstorm Rams

[Erik in AK]

Howdy Campers,

Time for another installment of...
Big Game Erik is NOT allowed to hunt ("applause" light flashes)

but thats ok I, still get to see em' (besides sheep season's been over for a month)

Anyhoo....It snowed last night. We got a light, fluffy 3 inches while 30 miles to the south, in Atigun Pass, it dumped...which is pretty much normal. So your humble correspondent (that's me) is scheduled for the south patrol today which is delayed a few hours due to avalanches on the south side of Atigun. The delay worked to my favor because I ran the whole trip in daylight. As I approached Atigun I checked in with the CB to see if there are any semis on their way down. We do this during bad weather to avoid creating an opposing traffic situation when the road is down to one lane. There were 4 trucks coming in 7 minute intervals so I had about half an hour wait at the bottom. I hurry up a little further to the trauck chain-up pull out to get off the road and guess who was hanging out on a little flat 100 yards away.....about 70 dall sheep. Mostly ewe's, a few juvenile rams, a 3/4, 2 7/8's and one big boy.

You'll notice from the fuzzy close up (guess who's getting a mega-zoom lens for christmas?) that he's not quite full curl. I didn't get him in a dead-on profile, he's slightly quartering away but his horn tips actually pass above the bridge of his nose. I tried holding the camera up to one of my bino lenses but no joy - pics didn't come out. This ram is legal. I'm 99% sure...Brooks Range rams attain full curl later in life than rams in more productive ranges. Most rams reach full curl at 7 or 8 years old while Brooks rams are 9 or 10. This ram is at least 8 years old and therefore legal.

Plus I saw three really big bou out by the airport. I managed only one semi-decent pic before they bolted. Its really grainy but you can definitely make out the proportions of his antlers relative on his body size--his rack is about as tall as he is at the whithers....plus he was the second biggest bull in the trio.

And I saw a fox cruising the pipeline. All in all a good day

Hope you like the pics

Erik

 

[300wsm]

Erik
just tried to call you must be on days, they said your in your rm, something about to much steak and ice cream

 

[Canoe]

Hey man, I think that there is something wrong with your camera because everything is way blue.

 

[Elkhunter]

Cool pictures...............Thanks!

 

[waterboy]

Nice pictures bud. What a blast to see those sheep like that. Keep'm coming.

 

[Erik in AK]

Canoe,
camera is fine.

pictures taken of a snowy background with an overcast sky come out bluish. I'm 200 miles north of the arctic circle. This time of year most of what light we get is blue.
Its 9am and snow lightly as I type this. The light outside is twilight blue

 

[Tom]

200 miles north of the Arctic circle. What's it like when its dark for a long time? What do you do then? What's the year like, like and dark days, etc.? Pretty awesome pictures!!!

 

[TBinKodiak]

That's a nice ram for the Brooks. Geez, Sorry to hear you can't hunt them. I just happen to know someone that may be able to go shoot that big ole boy, if you pointed him in the right direction. hump
Hey, 4 days and you're in Kodiak. The snow has moved down to about the 1,000 foot mark so the deer should be below that. Went and registered for bear today just in case we run into an awnery one up there.

 

[Ovis]

Erik

Thanks for the pics. You may want to try a manual white balance adjustment on your camera. Even more important when shooting with snow/sand in the frame.

Anyhow, your pics remind me of a story. A wingnut from the 18th and I were headed home after a pathetic hunt up on the slope. We were mostly bow hunting, but after a few days of seeing very few bou along the road I decided to grab my pack and rifle and head west outside the corridor. I had my little wingnut acquaintance with me in tow and after a mile or so I noticed him lagging further and further behind. Finally I told him that I was turning around if he couldn't keep up. I figured if he couldn't keep a good steady pace going out the 5 miles with a light pack I damn sure didn't want to trust him coming back with a heavy load of bou. He tried to play the macho type for awhile and then finally swallowed his pride and admitted he probably couldn't hack it. No sweat, I'd rather him tell me there then the 5 mile point.

So after an unsuccessful hunt we are headed back south bound for Fairbanks. We are starting to make our way up through the pass when I pull off to the side to glass for sheep. This is my typical routine. I like viewing sheep even if they are lambs and ewes each time. But this time was different. I spotted three sheep off to the west of the road, popped the glass up and viola, three rams; one heavy legal, one just shy of legal and a banana ram...similar to the three you have photo'd (but the legal ram was a bit bigger). I couldn't believe my eyes.

So there we are...two guys, 1 legal ram, 1 tag and two bows. It wouldn't be my bow going up though. I had taken my ram a few weeks prior to this particular hunt, and now I found myself trying to work this guy up to go after the beauty of a ram. This was too good of a setup, the base of the mountain wasn't 100 yards away and the climb to get above them couldn't be any more than an hour, yet this guy really wasn't sure he wanted to go up after them...unbelievable.

Well, finally after calling him puss'e a few times, he gave in. I had my water and camera in tow, he had his bow and that was it. We crossed the creek and I scadaddled up the mountain. My dear "friend" kept up until we had closed the distance by half when finally he started whining he was getting cold and hungry. I told him to take a break, eat a snack (he crammed his pockets with food) and to stay put, that I would be back. I spent about 10 -15 additional minutes climbing, then made a short side-hill. I found myself 80 yards directly in line with the three sheep. I snapped a few pics then eased on down to get my hunting "buddy". A spend a few minutes working myself down when I get to the point where I left this guy. Uh oh, no guy...where did he go? I start one of those "whisper-yell" numbers. You know what I mean, right? I'm yelling for this guy as softly as I can, and no answer. I didn't want to spook the rams, but after a few minutes of calling I finally started to get nervous and began literally yelling...again no answer. Well, I work myself further down the mountain and just as I can begin to clearly see down the entire mountain I spot doofus staggering at a fast pace. I pick up my downhill rhythem and catch up to him quickly. It turns out, according to him, he is suffering from hypothermia. I give him the benefit of the doubt and assist him back to the truck, the entire time shaking my head in disbelief. We weren't in the truck a few minutes and he was fine.

Any true hunter in his right mind would have died for an opportunity like that. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. If only ADF&G would give out two tags.

 

[Erik in AK]

Ovis,

You say wingnut and 18th, like there's ever been any other kind. (hey, it could've been an ammo guy) Do you remember the truck chain-up turnout right at the base of the pass on the north side? Those sheep were not 100 yards from there. BTW if a high tolerance for misery is an important quality in a hunting partner call me any time. I almost always end up miserable, and wet, and cold, and stuck, or with some important piece of gear lost or broken--but never lost and never hurt....good times
And for a soon to be older guy I can still hump the boonies pretty good. (and no Moosie "boonies" is not code for weird, gross chicks)