jm77
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,397
Back in 2004 I went on a horseback hunt in the Alaska Range for Dall sheep that turned out to be bum deal, with a guide who spent little time looking for rams and no ability to judge the ones I spotted. The outfitter was Tom Kirstein.
Two years later, two friends hunted with Braun Kopsack out of Palmer and had a brutal, but successful, backpack sheep hunt in very extreme weather. After hunting grizzly with Braun, already booking a future sheep hunt, I knew that if I could handle the hunt, Braun would get me on a ram.
After my successful bear hunt, Braun advised me he had a cancelled moose hunt in Sept 2014 that he would turn into a sheep hunt for me. I arrived Sept 9th set to hunt the Talkeetna Range, an OTC unit and Braun told me had had seen "a real sheep" in Aug, but it would take a big hike to get there. This area had no safe landing spots to get us anywhere near these sheep, most likely the only reason this ram was still alive in a general area. We were dropped on a lake by float plane and the hike began.
We didn't make it to where Braun wanted to spike that first day, so we just made camp. I got into my sleeping bag totally wet from sweating and was surprised to find myself dry in the morning. Great clothes and equipment make a difference! The next morning we packed up and found the area we were to set up spike camp. We were much further in than I had ever imagined. Two days later Braun and I found the rams and after dropping off the mountain and spending several hours trying to relocate the sheep again, I had my ram.
My expectations were to take home a legal ram, but Braun had got me to a true trophy Dall. He has the mass of a Bighorn with 14 5/8 bases and 40"+ length on his unbroomed side!
Braun and I with "Mastadon"(He wouldn't stop calling him that!)Mass of this kind is not common on Dall rams. The shot was taken from the rocks above us. 250yds with my tried and true 270 win.
The trek back up the mountain and to spike camp, loaded down with sheep, took 8 1/2 hrs arriving at 1:30 in the morning. Sleep came very easy that morning!
Braun is a year older than me at 58 and he is an absolute brute when it comes to hiking those mtns with a loaded down pack.
We never had a dry day, but it didn't snow on us. It was a mild Sept in Alaska this year. The hike back to the lake was another 8 hr trek and we had to wait till the following day for clear skies to get picked up.
Two years later, two friends hunted with Braun Kopsack out of Palmer and had a brutal, but successful, backpack sheep hunt in very extreme weather. After hunting grizzly with Braun, already booking a future sheep hunt, I knew that if I could handle the hunt, Braun would get me on a ram.
After my successful bear hunt, Braun advised me he had a cancelled moose hunt in Sept 2014 that he would turn into a sheep hunt for me. I arrived Sept 9th set to hunt the Talkeetna Range, an OTC unit and Braun told me had had seen "a real sheep" in Aug, but it would take a big hike to get there. This area had no safe landing spots to get us anywhere near these sheep, most likely the only reason this ram was still alive in a general area. We were dropped on a lake by float plane and the hike began.
We didn't make it to where Braun wanted to spike that first day, so we just made camp. I got into my sleeping bag totally wet from sweating and was surprised to find myself dry in the morning. Great clothes and equipment make a difference! The next morning we packed up and found the area we were to set up spike camp. We were much further in than I had ever imagined. Two days later Braun and I found the rams and after dropping off the mountain and spending several hours trying to relocate the sheep again, I had my ram.
My expectations were to take home a legal ram, but Braun had got me to a true trophy Dall. He has the mass of a Bighorn with 14 5/8 bases and 40"+ length on his unbroomed side!
Braun and I with "Mastadon"(He wouldn't stop calling him that!)Mass of this kind is not common on Dall rams. The shot was taken from the rocks above us. 250yds with my tried and true 270 win.
The trek back up the mountain and to spike camp, loaded down with sheep, took 8 1/2 hrs arriving at 1:30 in the morning. Sleep came very easy that morning!
Braun is a year older than me at 58 and he is an absolute brute when it comes to hiking those mtns with a loaded down pack.
We never had a dry day, but it didn't snow on us. It was a mild Sept in Alaska this year. The hike back to the lake was another 8 hr trek and we had to wait till the following day for clear skies to get picked up.
! I knew he was a goodin but he's awesome! Congrats!
