Ram hunting

[coldredneck]

My best bud TM and myself walked my Dall and our day gear back to camp ( couple miles)two years ago. My Dall with head / cape and complete boned out meat ( and I mean all meat - Neck / rib and down the legs ) fit in my pack ( Kifaru Longhunter ) and while it was heavy it was manageable. Would have been more manageable if I had been in better shape. Kev took the rest of the gear in his pack. We didnt pack the ram and camp gear out as the only way into our area was by chopper, But I think two guys should be able to bring out a ram in one trip if you go in as light as possible. Of course this would also depend on how far in and how long your in for.
BTW : Looking for a partner in the Okotoks area to go in for Bighorns next year!!!

[Stipa comata]

Originally Posted by sacan

From what I have been told you should be at least two people per ram to carry it out. I was wondering if any of you have or know of a way that you can carry out one ram per person?
The people I know that go after rams say they have a hard enough time carrying out one ram with two people sharing the load, and they don't think it is possible to do it one person, one ram. I have been trying to think of ways to do this, but again if someone knows of a way or has done this then please fill me in on how.

I may be biting off more than I can chew, but I have a couple of thoughts on how I could potentially do this, but again any input would be appreciated.

As a side note... I am in shape and will be in shape for my hunt next year so fitness should not be an issue.

I might a bit too greedy as I don't want to wait 3 years before it is my "turn" to get a sheep haha

I think the piece of advice about two trips is the best so far.

Lots of guys can carry 160 pound packs on an internet forum. Putting that kind of weight on your back and scrambling rock is not the brightest idea. Even if you didn't slip and kill yourself, the chances of causing serious damage to your back or other body parts exists. It's one thing to be in shape, another to be in shape to carry a pack and a completely different thing to be conditioned to handle weights proportional to you own body weight for extended periods of time.

Take what you hear with a grain of salt

[Hooter]

Originally Posted by sacan

Also I am unsure about what boots to buy so any suggestions on those would be appreciated as well

thanks

I just bought my second pair of Hanwag Goretex boots and they're simply awesome. I think they were nearly $500 OTD, but worth every cent. Track 'n' Trail in Edmonton carries them.

-Trevor

[ishootbambi]

i carried around 70 pounds of meat and my buddy carried the head. when i stood up in the shale, i took 2 steps and promptly did a cartwheel in the pitch blackness. on a level parking lot i could carry quite a bit more, but coming off a mountain i would not have wanted one more ounce than i had. i believe some guys can handle more due to experience doing it, but they are not common. i also think a few guys would be surprised how much the scale shows their 100 plus pound packs to actually be.

[shooter]

I've now had three sheep in my pack in the past three years. Been on two ram kills and have packed half of each and it's a good load along with a bit of gear... wouldn't want much more weight than that.

Last year I packed out my ewe all in my own pack. De-boned the fronts and backstraps, but not the hinds as I just put them in whole. Along with the head on top, it made for a fairly heavy load coming out but manageable.

A buddy of mine packed his ewe out this fall all in one shot and decided that the hide was so nice he had to take that home too. He weighed the pack at home and without the rifle and optics it was 118 lbs. Meat all boned out prior to pack trip.

I think the key is two packs for a ram and life is much better and the trip more enjoyable!

[Redfrog]

The sheep I've packed out were on a horse.
I have packed moose out in a couple trips with a buddy. We weighed our packs and one was 165 and the other 160. I was young and very fit and weighed in at 205. I went to horses shortly after that.

it was nearly flat terrain as well.

[Tundra Monkey]

Originally Posted by coldredneck

My best bud TM and myself walked my Dall and our day gear back to camp

One of the greatest days ever Bud

Noticed ya didn't post in the "Do you shoot at running game" thread

Nice shootin' BTW

tm

[Peasant]

Great info to unpack here

[dave99]

Fun old thread.

I have carried (parts of) 4 rams and an entire ewe off the mountain in past hunts. I can manage 1/2 ram and multi-day gear in one trip, but not more. Where I hunt it often takes 1 1/2 days to 2 days to get out to the truck with that weight.

The ewe was a day hunt, and I humped it out on my own without too much trouble.

I have one friend who packed a ram and multi day gear out as a solo hunter. He did 2 trips to get ram and gear out.

Although it certainly is possible to take a ram and multi day gear out in one push, it does stretch sanity and borders on dangerous. For a few km over flat ground I would try it. But mountains ain’t flat, and sheep aren’t often killed beside the road.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dave99]

Double tap- I was so excited to reply...

[cowmanbob]

I have done it twice. Both times I thought I would die. Both times I lost toe nails to what I thought were well fitting boots. Once back at camp after a good feed of hot chili most of the pain was forgotten.
I kept telling myself, Do you want a ram on the wall or do you want to be comfortable.

[CNP]

If you can carry a 100# pack (wt of empty pack + deboned meat + head/cape) up and down a mountain you can do it. For us mortals, one man and one ram, in one trip, can't be done. You're never going to come under 100# for all the meat (completely deboned) and the head/cape and the weight of your pack. Of course you're going to have other stuff in your pack that increases the weight.....and then volume comes into play. I'd recommend two trips over trying to manoeuvre any kind of sled because a sled is just a bad idea in mountains.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sacan

From what I have been told you should be at least two people per ram to carry it out. I was wondering if any of you have or know of a way that you can carry out one ram per person?
The people I know that go after rams say they have a hard enough time carrying out one ram with two people sharing the load, and they don't think it is possible to do it one person, one ram. I have been trying to think of ways to do this, but again if someone knows of a way or has done this then please fill me in on how.

I may be biting off more than I can chew, but I have a couple of thoughts on how I could potentially do this, but again any input would be appreciated.

As a side note... I am in shape and will be in shape for my hunt next year so fitness should not be an issue.

I might a bit too greedy as I don't want to wait 3 years before it is my "turn" to get a sheep haha

Get the ram first. Then worry about it.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by TRL

The other way to do it by yourself would be to "leap-frog" it out. If you have an external frame pack that has a detachable bag you can make one pack into two. Slpit the load between the two packs, carry one at a time a short distance (2-3 hundred yards) set it down and then go back and get the other pack you left behind and take it up past the first pack. This method does take a while to get everything out but it is effective way to carry a sheep out by yourself. I've been in on a pack out like this where three of us had to take two rams plus camp out. It took most of the day but it was still quicker than making two complete trips. Of course it depends on how great of distance you need to cover in your situation.

I have done this with Elk and Mule deer in the past.

[buckman]

First shoot the Ram,make sure its a huge one,it will make the pack out a lot sweeter.

[Fwee6]

I'll leave the opinions on how to get a sheep out by yourself, as I'm on year #5 of chasing rams for my first. Each year I/we get closer...but hoping to beat the 7-year average every veteran sheep hunter told us to expect!

As for boots: try-on, try-on, try-on. Can't stress it enough. Boots are crucial.
I hadn't even heard of the brand I liked best (Salewa) until I started visiting stores, and ultimately have worn them now for 5+ years.
- I have a skinny foot, which eliminated a few popular sheep hunting boots immediately.

[kilgoretrout]

The crazy thing about Rams is their front ends are as big as their hind ends.... deboning is the only way to go along with a couple of trips

[wildwoods]

Ole Nuge and I accomplished this last year. Two guys, one ram. Took it in two trips. It was a marathon but was more efficient than killing ourselves. I’m guessing the guys who do it solo in one trip are caching gear and being very liberal with shank and shoulder meat. Fast forward to this year and bringing in a friend who is a wrangler was an amazing decision. Fresh camp chow and super light packs. Love it!

I have an offer from a neighbor to acquire free llamas. I might take him up! A string of 4 would carry 320 lbs of gear. Now that would be super cool!

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by wildwoods

I have an offer from a neighbor to acquire free llamas. I might take him up! A string of 4 would carry 320 lbs of gear. Now that would be super cool!

A lot of unknowns about llamas and disease transmission to wild sheep, but many suggest the risk is not worth the chance until more is known. Worth doing some reading on as wild sheep are incredibly vulnerable to disease and can have catastrophic effects on populations.

[Smoky buck]

Good boots, trekking poles, and pack make a big difference in packing out during mountain hunts. Everyone has different limits and some guys are beasts. Craziest solo pack out I know of was a bull elk and a bull caribou over 20km out of the mountains in northern BC. Crazy bugger leap frogged both animals and gear till he got out. This guy is truly a savage in the mountains and most could not keep up to him I know I can’t

Personally I would expect multiple trips and sore legs no matter the pack out lol

[alpineguy]

I have an offer from a neighbor to acquire free llamas. I might take him up! A string of 4 would carry 320 lbs of gear. Now that would be super cool!


Likely a good reason they are FREE!!

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

A lot of unknowns about llamas and disease transmission to wild sheep, but many suggest the risk is not worth the chance until more is known. Worth doing some reading on as wild sheep are incredibly vulnerable to disease and can have catastrophic effects on populations.

I’ve listened to a podcast featuring a guy from the WSF. There is no transmission between llamas and sheep. Same as horses.

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by alpineguy

I have an offer from a neighbor to acquire free llamas. I might take him up! A string of 4 would carry 320 lbs of gear. Now that would be super cool!


Likely a good reason they are FREE!!

Haha yes under normal circumstances I agree. He’s really old, there’s no market, and they’re multiplying like mice. I would think grabbing a couple young ones would enable a guy to get training, but I digress....

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by wildwoods

I’ve listened to a podcast featuring a guy from the WSF. There is no transmission between llamas and sheep. Same as horses.

I should qualify this by saying there is no proven transmission. I don’t want to throw out false info. The guy ( I forget his name) that I was listening to was not concerned about it. But it does pay to be careful, yes.

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by wildwoods

I’ve listened to a podcast featuring a guy from the WSF. There is no transmission between llamas and sheep. Same as horses.

Its listed in their "Conservation Vision 2020" report. Like I say there seem to be a lot of unknowns with them and it has caused multiple messages, however some advocates suggest its not worth the risk until more is known. Just pointing out the larger conversation that's out there.

[Steyr Luxus]

I would presume you would be doing some preseason scouting. As such preposition a transport dolly on one your scouting trips. I have done this with a remote moose hunt and it worked out very well.

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

Its listed in their "Conservation Vision 2020" report. Like I say there seem to be a lot of unknowns with them and it has caused multiple messages, however some advocates suggest its not worth the risk until more is known. Just pointing out the larger conversation that's out there.

For sure. Dually noted. Good to think about these things. They are a lot bigger than my desire to carry less for sure

[Big Grey Wolf]

Trl's pack lighter loads until you get tired, set load down preferably on log high rock so easier to pick up. When you walk back you are getting your wind back and do not waste time puffing and laying on ground. You are always within minutes of your pack loads so bears or wolverine do not get your meat.
My father taught me this technique for carrying moose and elk out of the bush years ago and they weigh much more than a sheep.

[BGS906]

Yes the narrow feet guys like us really like the proper fitting Salewa boots along with the Scarpas too. Meindls , Lowas, and Hanwags are built for sheep hunters and are top quality. Three ram hauls for me but all with different boots.

[OL_JR]

Two guys can pack out a ram with multi day gear as well. Honestly it is quite common, and without wasting meat. Done it twice on mine and a friends ram and it sucks but very doable. First time I was sore for over a week afterwards with an 8 hour pack out. Didn't even think that was possible at the time ha. Second time was a two day er but with a better pack and maybe some muscle memory built in I wasn't sore for more than a day.

One guy packing out a whole ram ? Never tried it but I think possible with just day gear. Heard of it happening with multi camp in the pack as well but I always wonder how careless the knife gets.