The Year of the Sheep

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martinc

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I'm living a dream this year : I will hunt sheep for the first time, in September 2010. I'm scheduled to hunt bighorn sheep in BC, in the Kootenays, with Alex Smutny - Bugle Basin Outfitters, Sept 9-18. This is a I'm also allowed a mule deer.

That will be my second hunt out west, I was in Northern BC for an elk hunt this last september with Dale Drinkall, Folding and Terminus Mountain Outfitters. My background is mostly as a whitetail and moose hunter.

I plan to post here my preparation toward that hunt - training, equipment...

I'm 37 and in good shape, I train 4-5 times a week. My training method is CrossFit, I believe it helps a lot, and better than pure aerobic training for mountain hunting. It gives leg strenght and stamina for climbing, much better than running. Strenght training is too often associated with bodybuilding but CrossFit is very different, geared toward athleticism and performance instead of muscle hypertrophy. I will get into more details in future posts.

Martin
 
Good luck. I live in the west and have yet to hunt sheep. Keep us informed of your progress, gear your taking, etc. Its great to live the hunt from my living room. I'm pulling for you.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-05-10 AT 08:44AM (MST)[p]From my limited sheep hunting experience I would have to say that being able to shoot is perhaps even more important than being in shape. If you don't get many opportunities to do much long range shooting, (Moose and Whitetails usually don't require it) I would certainly make that a priority in your preparations. Absolutely know your gun and your limitations. Sheep are usually a spot and stock hunt, but it is rare to get close before you run out of cover. Also shooting at severe angles muddies the water as well!

I am fortunate to be going on a Dall hunt in 2011 so I will be making preparations myself. Sheep hunting is addictive and we are all looking forward to your posts!
Anyway, congratulations and good luck for sure!
 
Martin,

Congratulations on preparing for your first sheep hunt. Just be aware that it can become addicting.

I used CrossFit this last fall to get ready for my Rocky hunt hear in Utah. It worked great. That was my 5th sheep hunt in 6 years and I think that CrossFit worked as well or better than anything else to prepare for the hunt.

Just throw in some time with a pack, make sure your boots are broken in, and take littlebighorn's advice to practice shooting. I've heard more than one story about guys who missed even short shots due to lack of preparation.

Good Luck,
Paul
 
Thanks for your comments guys.

I appreciate the need to practice shooting, I will concentrate on that starting in April. Right now I'm training inside, doing CrossFit in my garage gym.

My boots are ready, I have Lowa Tibet GTX that I just used on my elk hunt and I broke them last summer. I did short hikes with a heavy backpack ( Mystery Ranch Crew Cab ) last summer, and plan to do the same this time. I also plan to go the White Mountains, New Hampshire on a couple of hikes with my pack in July or August. These are the highest peaks in my area, so I think it's the best place to get ready for my hunt.
 
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Here is the picture of my garage gym. Yes it is covers of The Huntin Fool in the back, that pic was taken almost 2 years ago, I now have 35 covers on the garage door, full of amazing big gsame trophies. This is my motivation when I get there, a reminder to push hard each time.
 
Martinc,

Oh what a feeling !

I remember booking my 07 dall sheep hunt in 05, and training and daydreaming about the adventure each and every day. The thrill of a sheep hunt is hard to put into words, because its an out of body experience.

I wish you all the best !
 
I will be going on my first sheep hunt this year also, dall sheep in Alaska. I'm not 37 (will be 58) and not in the best shape of my life but not in bad condition for my age. I do an exercise bicycle or treadmill every day of my life and will continue this but that doesn't put mountain legs under you. We have plenty of hills where I live so my plan is to put a pack on my back and walk these hills a couple of times a week.

I am being told that conditioning is a lot more important than shooting. Where I'm going the ram has to be either full curl, both horns broomed or 8 years old and you need to be reasonably close to determine if he is legal with an average shooting distance of 200 yards.

I am really looking forward to it.
 
Training is going well, although this is not a huge week for me, being busy with my daughter since my wife is away.

Anyway, I played ice hockey on Sunday night, did pull-ups, push-ups, wallball on Monday, only benchpress on Wednesday, and Power Clean on Thursday 7 X 1 with 155 to 175 lbs, followed by 30 ring dips. A lot of upper body strenght this week, obviously not what you need for a sheep hunt but I feel I need it for my Crossfit performance. I'm usually putting a lot more effort in my legs, with squats and deadlifts, both low and high-reps.
 
Last night was ice hockey, a pretty good training session in itself.

Tonight I did a "Crossfit backpacker special" of my own design ie 160 meters on the treadmill, at 30% incline, 2 mph, with 15 overhead squats, 65 lbs, for a total of 4 rounds, in 16 minutes 10 seconds. Pretty good workout.
 
Wed 01/13 Bench Press and Pull-ups. More upper body work, I'll continue that in the short term, but then I'll concentrate on the engine of the sheep hunter, ie legs.

Thu 01/14 Back extension, front squats with 135, 185 and 205 lbs. Then 20 minutes on treadmill at 30% incline, 2 mph.

Sun 01/17 Hockey game.

Mon 01/18 Deadlift 10 X 135 lbs, 5 X 225, 3 X 275, 3 X 295, 3 X 305, 3 X 315, 3 X 325. Then handstand 8 X 20 sec with 10 sec rest ( Tabatha )

Tue 01/19 3 rounds of 20 push press at 65 lbs, 20 Dumbell swings at 40 lbs, 20 wallball at 18 lbs, in 9minutes36. Solid workout


My training is going well, I'm not at peak shape, but I should be solid in about 1 month, with plenty of time to go.

I bought a down jacket last weekend, I may not need it in mid-september but it is nice to know that no cold will affect you you the weather turn bad.
 
Training :

21/01

Press
10 x 65 lbs, 5 x 95 lbs, 3 x 115 lbs, then 1 rep at 135 lbs, 1 at 145 lbs, 1 at 155 lbs

Then "Annie" ie 50-40-30-20-10 Double unders ( that jump rope when you pass the rope twice everytime you jump ) and sit-ups, in 9 minutes 44

24/01 Hockey game

25/01 5 rounds of 15-12-9-6-3 Deadlift at 185 lbs and pull-ups, in 8 minutes 20

26/01 Back Squat 7 sets of 1 rep ( max strenght ! ) at 225 lbs, 245 - 265 - 275 - 285 - 295 - 305 lbs

I spoke with my outfitter last week, regarding equipment. I plan to carry a total of 45 lbs when going for 2-3 days, including gun, binos, camera, spotting scope and tripod. We usually leave for 2-3 days, then come back to base camp unless we find something that's worth some extra time. I can't wait !!!
 
Martin,

From the sounds of your workouts you're ready to go tomorrow. The training you're doing now will really pay off in the fall. There's nothing better than going into a hunt in shape.
 
Yes I do feel I could go tomorrow. But I plan to be even better next september. I don't think you can do too much, unless you get to the point of injury. I may not be the best hunter, but I plan to have fitness on my side.
 
I should add that I'm 5-8, 160 lbs, so I don't have to lose weight, which is a plus.

I'm shopping for a spotting scope, send an e-mail to Doug at Cameraland, and I plan to get a Swarovski STS 65 soon. I already have a good tripod, a Gitzo Basalt. My binos are Leica Ultravid 8X42.
 
I got my spotting scope from Doug this week. Amazing piece of optics, a Swarovski 65 STS. Great service by Doug, don't hesitate to do business with a sponsor of this site.

My training is going very well. I stopped by Crossfit Sherbrooke last Saturday, for a tough workout : 75 pound hang power snatch ( yes it's as fun as it's sound ), 10 reps, with 100 lbs thruster, 3 reps, for a total of 10 rounds. I finished in 15 minutes even.

I also did a heavy squat workout, 5 X 3, up to 275 lbs. I did another good workout of 5 rounds, 95 lbs power clean, 10 reps, and russian twist with a 18 lbs med ball, 10 reps too, in 6:39.

Sheep mountain, here I come !!!
 
Martin,
Just a thought on your bino's, I am a sheep guide and outfitter and every year I hear the same thing from our hunters...I wished I had bigger bino's, we all use 15X56 glass, the best you can afford. I know they weigh more but you will feel handicapped with only 8X glass. Just my 2 cents.
Greg
 
+1 Deadheads about the binoculars;
After a few Bighorn hunts and several other sheep hunts around the blue ball, I finally ended up buying a 15x56 Swarovski set. I picked these up for a desert sheep and a mtn goat hunt last year in Utah.
They are fantastic binos! Even without the use of a tripod the little gems are great (better with a tripod). I've used 10x42 Sw for years but the 15's are much better FOR ME. The country is HUGE and distances are great in sheep hunting and these 15's whittle it down to size!
Back to conditioning and shooting; get on top of your game in BOTH areas. Over the years I've seen people who couldn't get to the sheep and people who couldn't shoot when they did. Neither one is pretty!!!!! Good luck on your great adventure, keep us posted!
Zeke
 
Thanks for the comments guys. Will discuss the binos with my guide. With his knowledge of the area he should be able to advise on the best equipment. He felt that the spotting scope was a definite plus, even if he and the extra helper each have one.

My conditioning is up there, and I understand the need to shoot straight, and I plan to shoot more than usual starting in April. Will keep you posted...
 
Well it hasn't been the Year of the posts, to say the least. My preparation is really good, physically and mentally. I'm still training hard, and shooting when I can. I had a minor ankle sprain in late June, but it wasn't enough to keep me away from training. I'm adding some climbs with a 45 lbs pack, which is more then what I will carry in September. I'm so pumped !!
 
5 days before I leave.

I'm in my best shape, almost top strenght but certainly at my best regarding endurance. I hiked with a backpack up to 70 lbs. I plan to carry 50 lbs at the most.

I shot my gun, got a new Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10X44, I went with a 165 grain Nosler Partition bullet.

My gear is ready and so am I. Hopefully I'll have a good story to tell when I'm back.
 
You have worked and prepared hard! Now you have to hunt hard and shoot straight!
Good luck and by all means share the rest of the story!
 
LBH
Where's the rest of your story? You are keeping it close to the vest! What's up with that?
Zeke
 
I'm leaving in 48 hours. Forecasts are cool and clear weather, hopefully that will hold, as rain, fog, etc are one main reason why some might be unsuccessful.

I think I'm well prepared, physically I know I'm ready. My equipment and my shooting should be good too. Hopefully luck will be on my side. I'm not holding for a monster, any legal ( ie. full curl ) ram will do.
 
I didn't get my sheep, for now at least. We saw only 1 ram that was close to full curl ( legal ram in BC ), but he was missing an inch on his long side, because he was broomed. He was 7 or 8 years old, a beauty, but not legal. I will let you guess at the score.

I plan to go back for extra days in october, the snow should move them and may be we will find them. We saw at least 45 different ewes and lambs, so the sheep are there, it's just a matter of finding the rams. I saw grizzlies, black bear, elk, mule deer, moose, whitetails, goats. A magnificient area, a good outfit, knowledgeble and personnable guides who put a lot of effort to find a legal ram, but they were nowhere to be found. I will follow-up on our 2nd try.
 
Martinc

Good luck on the 2nd attempt! Please keep us posted.

I'll hazard a guess but it's hard since I don't know the horn base size for your area. 155" ish would be my 2 cents. What do you think?

Zeke
 
You look to be about 170 but I don't know your height! LOL

Beautiful ram. Too bad he's not legal, a real trophy in my book.

Again, good luck!
 
You have worked hard for this hunt and hopefully you will be rewarded in October. Any way you look at it hunting sheep is a special treat. Good luck and share your results!
 
Good to hear you still had a good time and you get to go back. How did you find the area for pressure from others.
Oct can be good especially if you get the right weather, there is some areas to watch for they will eventually come through so may want some warm cloths for sitting.
Good luck
 
There are resident elk hunters in the area, and we met 2 sheep hunters that were traveling together. Most elk hunters are road hunting, or don't go very far from the roads, we didn't see any in the backcountry.

I'm told they might be on the move in October, yes it can turn cold, I will be ready, I want it so bad !
 
Last week of the season they will be easier to find in there
Good luck and watch the timber patches
 
No I didn't get my ram.

I went back for 6 days, Oct 20-25th, which are the last 6 days of the season. We saw rams, most of them immature.We found a good 8-9 year old ram, we climbed to within 250 yards, but he was 1/2 inch short of full curl. It was an easy rifle shot, we were level with him, he was calm, broadside, he was not going anywhere, I had a good rest. I will post a picture when I'm home.

It was still a great trip, we saw plenty of game. We never got the snow even by late October, the snow will usually push them out of back basins and into areas where they are more visible. It is a tough, physical hunt. The residents have a low success rate, although many carry tags "just in case". But the rams are definitely in the area, it's a matter of finding the right one.

The good news is that my guide-outfitter enjoyed my hunt with him. He feels I was ready physically, way above average, and he'd like me to go back next year, at a discount rate. So I hope 2011 will be the Year of the Dead Sheep.

I'll post some pictures later.
 
Dishonor comes not from being unsuccessful, it comes from being unprepared. Welcome to sheep hunting bro!

You were prepared and arrived ready to hunt! Good for you. It sounds like you did everything in your power to make it a great hunt and a wonderful experience. You did yourself proud!

You should have borrowed a good set of horn stretchers to get him over the bridge of his nose! LOL

Well.... it sounds like you'll be returning next year for chapter #2. Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks,
Zeke
 
Thanks for your good words Zeke. Yes, that's how I feel about my hunt, I worked hard to be ready, and I kept a positive attitude until the very end. That is sheep hunting.


8895img_0500-1.jpg
 
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The 5 rams, including the almost full curl ram, were in the yellow chute, next to the small conifer patch, near the top, right of center.

We climbed on the ridge to the left, in the burn, to 250 yards. We spend more than 1 hour there, 250 yards from them.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-08-10 AT 05:51PM (MST)[p]Beautiful country. We did spend a lot of time behind these things...

3792img_0509.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-08-10 AT 06:56PM (MST)[p]This hunt is over. But there is always next year. As long as your legs can get you there, you can always give it another try. I'm now a sheep hunter, even if I'm not a successful sheep hunter yet. One day, I'll get one of these beautiful animals.

5972img_0324.jpg



A trophy is not measured in inches, but in effort
-Aldo Leopold
 
Wow! Looks like one heck of a trip, even though it was unsuccessful, that will be a hunt you will remember for the rest of your life.

Awesome pictures by the way.
 
Yes Tagalong, great memories. It was a wonderful trip, I hope I can go back next year, or later. Thanks for your good words.
 
You are a sheep hunter when, after all the effort and no success, you are still willing to try again! A big pat on the back for sharing your incredible adventure and good luck on the next!
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-12-10 AT 07:37PM (MST)[p]Guys

I was asked by some how I tied my rifle to my pack, so I'm adding a picture. I had a pocket made to hold the butt of the rifle, it has 2 slits that you can't see and the lower strap on the pack is going thru those slits. Then I used the other 2 straps to tie the rifle, one strap between scope mounts and one above the front mount, Voila ! The rifle was steady when the pack was moderately loaded, and I wasn't pulled backward at all. Not all packs have compression straps like these but if you have them it's a plus. My pack is an Osprey Aether 70, this actual model isn't made anymore.

8193img_0295.jpg
 

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