Dall Sheep
Possibly the most beautiful of all sheep species, the pure white Dall sheep is a sight to behold. As king of the mountain, these golden horned rams are a true reward, and a hunter can expect to feel a real sense of accomplishment once harvested.
HUNT DATES
July 28 to August 10 (3 pre-season scouting days plus 10 hunting days)
August 10 to August 23 (12 hunting days)
Full Mixed Bag Hunt Option (all species) August 23 – September 11
Contact for availability and pricing.
Wolf and Wolverine are included.
Possibly the most beautiful of all sheep species, the pure white Dall sheep is a sight to behold. As king of the mountain, these golden horned rams are a true reward, and a hunter can expect to feel a real sense of accomplishment once harvested. The terrain they inhabit is beautiful but unforgiving, and will push a hunter to his physical and mental limits during the hunt. Expect to be cold, tired, wet, and exhausted, sometimes questioning your own sanity for even doing this type of hunt. At the end of the day though, you will go to sleep having accomplished something, and dream of these sheep from there on out. Sheep hunting gets in the soul, and those who have done it, know how addicting it can be to push your limits and test yourself in sheep country. For us, sheep hunting is not only about the harvest, but about the adventures experienced getting to that point, and the time shared on the mountain with our new friends and clients.
Our Dall Sheep hunting is concentrated in the Wernecke and Mackenzie Mountain ranges of the northeastern Yukon. Rams are found in moderately rugged terrain at elevations between five and nine thousand feet. Limestone mountains predominate, with very few trees on the lower slopes. Some of the higher peaks have medium size hanging glaciers. In general, the area is dry and receives below average annual precipitation. We book no more than twelve sheep hunters per season. Because of the extremely remote location there have been next to no resident sheep hunters in this area since 1986. We closely monitor the Dall sheep population through preseason scouting with our aircraft and through post hunt reports from guides. We are fully committed to preserving trophy quality for all hunters and plan each hunt accordingly. Age is of the utmost importance to us, and a ram that is 9 years old or better, is what we strive to find while out hunting. The older the ram harvested, the more sheep left on the mountain, and thus, more rams around to breed and continue to spread their genetics.
There is an excellent chance of taking a Caribou on our Dall sheep hunts. Caribou bulls are often found at the same elevation and in similar terrain during August, so having a tag in your pocket is highly recommended. Grizzly, wolf, and wolverine are also options on the sheep hunts.
We offer various methods to get into Dall Sheep country as effectively as possible. Horseback, Backpack, and Float Trips are all available depending on the style of hunt preferred.
Horseback
The classic way to access remote country, we ride our horses over 222kms just to get to our Goz Lake Sheep Basecamp from the nearest road. Our crew endures long days in the saddle, knowing at the end of the journey, those beautiful white sheep will be waiting somewhere on a mountain to climb. Each hunter will be paired with an experienced guide and a wrangler learning the trade. Once our clients fly into basecamp, your guide will go through your gear, fit you to your horse, and if time allows, head out that very day you fly into camp. If not, it will be bright and early the next morning. Hunters can expect to ride anywhere from 4-10 hours from basecamp to get to your hunting location. If coming in on a second hunt, you may have the option of flying direct to your horse string if they are already setup in location. This will save time and effort on both your parts.
On any given day, your guide and wrangler will catch the horses that go to feed each night hobbled, and saddle them for the day’s hunt ahead. Time will be spent riding the valleys adjacent your spike camp, and climbing nearby mountains in search of a mature ram. Focus will be spent searching for rams 9 years of age or older. We strive to harvest the oldest rams possible always, regardless of size. Hunters should come prepared to spend hours in the saddle each day, and to hike each day as well. Your physical and mental ability will determine your success on these hunts. It is important to stay positive and keep going day after day. Dall Sheep live in huge areas, and are not around every corner. Methodically hunting the country will bring the best success, and your body will feel it.
You will ride horses from camp each day, and likely, climb a mountain every other day in search of rams. If an area is hunted thoroughly with no success, your guide may decide to either move camp completely, or have his wrangler drop him off to go backpacking for a few days with a pickup location determined by the party so as to prevent the need to backtrack to camp. Once a ram is harvested, the hunter and trophy will be brought to the closest air strip for pickup, or will ride back to basecamp directly.
Backpacking
Previously not done much in the territory, backpack options abound within the area. Time was spent this past season opening up new areas to backpack potential, and airstrips built for pickup and dropoff. Backpacking is more physically demanding as all the food and equipment needed for the hunt is carried on your back, but the need to catch and saddle horses is not there, so in essence, time is saved simply using your own two feet. This is a great option for anyone in good shape who wants a pure hunting experience in the wilderness.
Clients can expect to carry anywhere from 65-95lbs on their backs at any given time. Depending how much food you eat, your food bag will weigh almost 20lbs alone, not to mention the 5lbs of salt needed for the cape, your tent, clothing, and equipment. Come prepared with a large backpack, minimum of 100 litres in size, and with room to spare to fit your animal once harvested. On these backpack style hunts, your guide and yourself will carry all the meat, cape, and horns to the nearest extraction point, whether an airstrip, or a nearby river for pickup with the plane or jet boat.
Your guide and you will walk the valley bottoms, glassing up into sheep country. Once a mountain is picked out to cover surrounding country thoroughly, a climb ensues and hopefully a ram is at the top somewhere nearby. Expect to shoot distances ranging from 100-400 yards.
Waking up in the morning bright and early, having a hot coffee, and glassing surrounding mountains in near silence is a glorious way to hunt the mountains, and using one’s own feet to do so is extremely rewarding.
Jet Boating or Floating
New to our hunting methods is the ability to effectively hunt the river systems in our area. The Snake, Bonnet Plume, And Stewart Rivers are main arteries within our concession, allowing us to effectively hunt the North, Central, and Southern portions of the territory.
If utilizing this form of transportation, your guide and you will likely cover a stretch of river, and backpack from that location up into the mountains. A pre-determined loop will be hunted by foot, ending at the river for pickup once complete. If no rams are found in that loop, you will continue on to a new location and hunt new country, following the same tactics.
Using the rivers in this way will allow us to access far off country that would otherwise take many days to access with horses or backpacking, and will be a more effective means to get around into country never before hunted. Expect to backpack on these hunts, simply using the boats to access new areas before and after the hunt.
OTHER HUNTS
California Bighorn Sheep
Dall Sheep
Alaska-Yukon Moose
Caribou
Mule Deer
Grizzly Bear
Black Bear
Cougar
Wolf
