How to pack for a sheep hunt

NVMDF

Active Member
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168
Hey guys,

In 4 weeks I'm headed for the NWT on a Dall sheep hunt. I'm just wondering if you have any recommendations on packing my gear for the flight to Norman Wells.

Of course I'll have my hard gun case and back pack. But, should I pack another bag with gear, should I pack optics's and other essentials in my pack and carry it on to the plane, with clothes, sleeping bag other things in another bag?

What's worked well for you?

Thanks!
 
Get a big duffel, stuff your pack and all your gear, sans electronics and optics in it. Review the airlines policy (and customs) for ammunition requirments. Some require it in the rifle case, others it doesn't matter.

Optics and electronics in carry-on. I use my pack for carry-on most times, make sure its small enough.

Good luck on your hunt!
 
Check your airline regs regarding ammunition as most don't allow ammo and guns to be packed together so you are automatically checking two bags.

Consider using your hunting pack as your carry-on. Wrap your rain gear around optics, rangefinder, camera and pack in your carry-on. I had a backpack with two long internal metal "stays" that gave the pack it's internal frame rigidity. After 9/11 the TSA looked at those as though I were trying to sneak samurai swords into the cabin of the airplane. On my current pack those metal stays are easy to remove and they fly inside the gun case underneath the foam padding so that they don't sit next to the firearm.

The gun case is usually below weight limits so I pack a few additional items in there such as knives, tripod, rope.

I wear my hiking boots just to keep that weight out of my checked baggage and because if my suitcase is lost I can always buy or borrow clothes to go hunting in but I don't want to be in the field with new or borrowed boots.

Good luck and have fun!
 
I would suggest large plastic totes rather than a large bag if you plan on bringing the cape with you back on the plane. The flight back from NW to Edmonton will require you to put the cape in a waterproof container. On the advice of the outfitter, I brought a spare large duffle to put capes in. This had been sufficient in the past. Apparently earlier in the season a person put a less than dry sheep cape in a bag that leaked and caused damage to others luggage. After that it needed to be water proof. Me and three other bought the hardware store in NW out of plastic totes and put capes, horns and meat in them for the flight out of NW. I had a caribou and sheep cape that were bone dry and a moose cape that was mostly dry. Didn't matter to Air Canada, and they did inspect them.

If you are flying from NW to base camp on North Wright Air, you can leave the totes with them along with your hard gun case. I would suggest putting some stuff in your gun case to get to close to the weight limit, then putting your pack and other stuff in a plastic tote. on the way back you can use the tote for capes, horns and meat and then just use your pack as your other bag. I did not get too worried about the over sized luggage fees. I figured I was already into this hunt 10's of thousands of dollars, a few hundred in luggage fees either way was not going to change the equation.

If I go again, I will bring a carry on bag, a hard gun case with as much extra stuff in it as I can fit and a tote that will fit my pack and all the rest of my gear. On the way back every thing will be split up between the carry on, pack and gun case and the tote will get the capes, horns and meat.
 
Thanks Guys,

Any recommendations on bringing meat back? They have a freezer in camp, can I buy a cooler in Norman Wells?
 
Take everything you think you might need for two weeks. The day before you leave, take out half of it and refill with money! Good luck and have an awesome trip!
 
>Thanks Guys,
>
>Any recommendations on bringing meat back?
>They have a freezer in
>camp, can I buy a
>cooler in Norman Wells?

Yes. The owner of the hotel in NW will let you borrow his truck
 
After your last commercial flight you may find yourself at a jumping off point. This is where I repack everything. The gun comes out of the hard gun case which will be left behind and the clothes I traveled in will go in the gun case. I take two medium size drybags out of my suitcase and transfer my sleeping bag, pad, clothing and toiletries into them. The large suitcase stays behind. Hunting gear, optics, rain gear goes in the backpack.

Most bush pilots and wranglers would rather deal with two small soft duffels over one large one. I like the drybags because no matter what happens at camp while I am away I know my clothes and sleeping bag will be dry and ready to use. Once the trip is over the drybags can double as extra suitcases or shipping containers. If I have muddy/bloody clothes they can go in a drybag and not contaminate the rest of my suitcase and as mentioned earlier they can be waterproof packaging for capes or meat that can be placed in the middle of my suitcase with clothing packed all around to act as insulation.

Safe Travels.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-19-17 AT 02:42PM (MST)[p] Norman Wells?
>
>Yes. The owner of the
>hotel in NW will let
>you borrow his truck

Yep Mr Mule creek, many of us have driven that truck!

Zeke
 
Regarding bringing home sheep meat you may have a problem with the airlines. I would make a call to each one you are using coming home and if they are OK with it print out a copy of their regulations for back-up. It's also very expensive meat having to pay the extra baggage fees. On my sheep hunts up there we enjoyed BBQing the straps and other over the camp fire. Tasted fantastic especially with A-1 and much better that the freeze dried food.
 

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