Spirit Of A Sheep Hunter, Brooks Range Dall Sheep Hunting

[Music] a mature Dahle Ram lives where other animals cannot he thrives in the deepest mountains here he finds solitude and refuge from his predators early autumn is his time to flourish to build strength for the upcoming rut in another harsh winter the Grizzly the wolf or Wolverine rarely attempt to capture him this time of year this is the one brief window of the annual growth cycle in which Mother Nature tips the scales to favor the prey rather than the predator [Music] for a small margin of hunters this too is the season for them to flourish to test their strength and resolve to awaken their soul to see if another year's planning and dedicated physical preparation will produce a harvest of one of the most difficult animals to hunt in all the world killing a ram isn't what makes you a sheep hunter you must come to understand the species you're pursuing a sheep hunter must face the same dangers a wise old RAM faces and survive in his mystical unforgiving world call yourself a sheep hunter you must face challenges obstacles that tower above that which you believe you can overcome and when it happens you must embrace the doubt and the fear cling to whatever faith you can find and forge ahead [Music] it's in that instant that the spirit comes alive and the sheep hunter is born if I had to pick a here or a role model in my life it would have to be my dad most of what I know and who I am is because of him what Dad first told me he had cancer my stomach sank but my old man's tough as nails he kept his chin up never wavered all he said was I'm gonna fight this like hell as he was going through treatment we talked about regret one day he looked me in the eyes and told me don't hold back in life Mike don't ever hold anything back if there's something you want you got to go for it I had a couple of buddies who in a path they hunted all over North America both of them hunted dall sheep they told me about the miles how bad their feet and bodies hurt they both agreed dall sheep was by far their greatest adventure I [Music] started working out and eating right before I even called Billy to book the hunt I ended up losing 75 pounds I worked in average in 90 hours a week for two years to pay for the trip poo and PAP both passed away while I was training for the hunt their memory food my fire I took my training and preparation to a whole new level when dad found out his cancer was under control I took it up another notch because I knew that it was not possible that he would be around to see the result of this adventure when I hugged dad and said goodbye at the airport the fear of failure wedged its way in but I knew I could no longer let excuses to find me I had to take action I was on a mission being a father and have your son go into an adventure and follow-through people have a tendency to procrastinate Mike said I'm gonna do this and he did I was worn out I just come off from a grueling 90 mile sheep hunt where in ten days we never saw a legal ramp before that was a three-on-one caribou hunt where one of my clients and I narrowly escaped drowning in a river [Music] part of me was hoping the pass would be socked in I wanted to go back to base camp and lick my wounds a rookie pilot might have turned around but for a seasoned Cub driver like Jake you just slip the wings under the clouds as as tires washed over the ancient Tundra below [Music] with nothing but descending terrain ahead the remainder of the flight despite camp was routine three weeks into the season I was already starving my body craved fresh protein ahead was another ten days of little more than freeze-dried food [Music] I knew this hunt was one of the biggest undertakings of Mike's life I questioned whether I had the grit to put him in front of a full curl Ram I was already feeling the pressure I wasn't sure how but I had to find a ramp [Music] in cheap country a little bit of snow pretty foggy last couple weeks wet rainy snowy actually not as much snow as I thought there'd be [Applause] be a little bit tough picking out sheep in the snow but hopefully we can keep some sunshine and get some of it to melt get her done find illegal sheep maybe do some bear and caribou hunting you got ten days make something happen over two weeks ago at a client fall in the river and I had to dive in and help him get out I've been and then it's been raining ever since raining and snowing so everything I own is wet I'm trying to dry out those boots is trying to dry out these boots I figured we'd have snow here so I had the Gators in the boots ready but if I can get away with it I'm gonna run with the Crocs here while I set up camp hopefully we get a little more blue sky a little bit of sunshine 36 degrees here feels cool but it's dry I'm happy here comes Mike Jake's got a pretty stiff crosswind flying in it looked at the mountains and thought you got this but as soon as we landed those models looked a lot bigger no problem lost her sunshine got a little bit of brain at this point Micro Green Bay Wisconsin how long you been dreaming of this huh two years yeah it was a play true for a lot of years and played in a reality good for you all my life I thought sheep hunting was for someone else not for guys like me I wasn't sure if I was worthy [Music] [Applause] it's rainin what do you know I tried to just soak it all in but I was so excited I knew there was no way I could get any sleep that night morning and day one the frost on the pumpkin mostly clear skies these mountains were pretty well snow-covered when we arrived yesterday afternoon got some decent weather clearing off pretty quick a couple days worth a grub and gear 630 day one Mike Rhodes Green Bay Wisconsin got ten days in the Brooks Range what are we looking for what are you hoping to experience in Alaska can't quite put it into words right now trying to experience dall sheep hunting in the Brooks Range and what all that entails find out we're gonna find out each one's a little different so that's what we're here for for the adventure you ready for it to begin ready let's do er we're off and running got a you up here she's up there quite aways seems to be all alone got a young RAM there's another one up into the right we're gonna keep easing up this Creek bottom see what we got in here about seven miles on 13 lambs and ewes and a couple of young Rams keep crawling up here try to find some curly orange [Music] this river a lot of the drainages don't have much for water but this one sure does certainly seeing a few sheep in here 17 so far not quite at noon these 13 lamb young members that we spotted earlier just about to the head of her up ahead the Continental Divide will poke over here see what we got been up here now for about 23 24 days drained all of two or three boy it's sure nice to get some sunshine boots aren't dry yet but most everything else is well it's really nice to get some good leather cover some country every turn we made as we worked our way up the canyon there was another waterfall it was probably the most beautiful place I'd ever seen and to drink the water it was so clean and cold it was the Alaska that I always dreamt about here's your chance for a shower [Music] [Applause] we put on a lot of miles we saw sheep sign almost everywhere we went but most of it was pretty old because the weather was so good we decided to hunt the whole drainage in one day rather than spike out that night on the mountain all my nervous energy from the day before was spent it was about 11 o'clock when we rolled into camp my muscles were sore but I knew I would be ready for the next morning Oh footing on well over 20 miles today camp is a welcome aside do some grub get some shut-eye hopefully got good weather again tomorrow what did you think a day one of your sheep on Mike it's an adventure he's gonna sleep a little better tonight than he did last night obviously prove all tonight morning they do spiking out four days worth grub five if we really need it yes a little bit too much Creek here I think we'd get wet so pulling all these little over waiters I cross room across the Mike humph in the backside all these mountains to go up this next drainage over and after a couple of days come out of this Canyon right here and return to our base camp yeah that is the plan find a sheep pretty stand-in here but I'm gonna keep getting a turd nature strives unceasingly for balance I see it as divinity in its most tangible form the life and death of any one individual thing doesn't really matter the objective of nature is the whole the eternal continuation of all life this area of the Brooks Range once flourished with dall sheep however some combination perhaps wheat genetics over grazing or too many predators collided with an early winter just after their strenuous breeding season had ended freezing rains left their feed cased in ice and most of the herd perished it was a big change to the environment but I could already see nature beginning to heal herself the Grizzlies were affected little they still had plenty of berries squirrels and roots to eat the wolves however they were starving the caribou that had been so plentiful in the area for decades had altered their migrations they had depleted the slow-growing like and they thrive on and the wolves were now forced to target seed more than ever [Music] with their prey so sparse most of the wolves had either moved to more game rich areas or starved to death what was left that August in the northern Brooks Range were only the strongest fittest of sheep the most enduring cunning and stealthy of wolves [Music] [Applause] it was my 17th year of guiding was I past my prime was I no longer growing toward the Sun but rather weakening deteriorating closer to the earth this hunt would be a test for me both professionally and personally just like any other adversity in life this one too brought with it a seat of opportunity just entered into this other main drainage you can see a lot of country here we're just gonna climb up to this little knob Park it for a while let her eyes do the walking quarter to three day to never am spotted spotted him out quite a ways up in that shale both my center bellies at least three quarter curl oh the heat waves are pretty bad I can tell any more than that this is a big enough Ram figure we better get an eyeball on him he's don't find an illegal sheep here these days so figure we better he's fairly close to legal at least so favorably better invest the time and go check him out rather than stomping that country we're gonna get up on this nearby Ridge and try glassing him again bet you're really bummed you didn't draw that tag no he's pretty much in the bank big art agrees Lee Mike applied for a tag in this area but didn't draw and this would be a beauty 1/2 mile from where the airplane can land he's about a mile away from us right now half half mile from our camp digging for roots and seeing where he's been digging all over the place first cat everywhere this Ram we've been watching I don't know is this 95 percent sure he's not legal but not a hundred just heat waves are just too bad so I don't know Mike and I are gonna have to discuss what we're gonna do about that sheep the only way to know what he is for sure is to get up a little closer and get an eyeball on if we wouldn't have these heat waves you know even though he's two miles away I'd have been able to tell but just the way it goes I guess we last saw this Ram was on this Shaylee point here and he went into this bowl right behind this mountain so all might be for naught here Mike you find out but I think it's something we got to do 5:00 p.m. going on a hike picking our way along [Applause] I'm good man we're good [Applause] win lose or draw you're going to have one heck of a view up there man which in the water yeah water my sweat [Laughter] when I learned 12 minutes into it she can get their hour and a half well we working on something figure we're kind of figuring we peaked over been in here we can't find them took us an hour and 45 to get up here so it's two hours probably by the time we actually is more than two hours by the time we left I guess this is a lot of work just to look at a seven a Stram like I just never got a real definitive you figured we'd better find out for sure one way or another this is turning into a lot more work than I anticipated that's way it is my seven o'clock Oh keep pushing along till we find I think you went over into the back side so we got to go all the way to the top we saw him that's fine and you was going down figured he'd be feeding in this bowl but I'm thinking he fed up so we gotta cross over the saddle knees about what what a figure he's at about fifteen sixteen she's definitely not legal first sheep up close it's pretty cool I hate you know spending four hours basically two hours of climbing to get a look at him I actually over by the time we had to keep climbing but you know I knew he was close that's pretty much what I figured he was I figured he was young pretty tight curl looks like a six year old RAM he's probably an inch away but he's definitely not full curl I can't imagine that there's too many spots on this earth that are more beautiful than the Brooks Range unforgiving country desolate rugged isolated beautiful quiet not so fruitful and fruitful on sheep anymore still here still chasing them don't get too cocky one of those big ones and that [ __ ] face planet alright eleven o'clock actually it's getting closer to noon morning a day 3 then foggy rainy it's starting to lift they're just kind of getting rolling it may be breakfast already but we're gonna eat a little lunch hopefully this Sun continues to peek out dries up lifts these clouds we can get hunting so last night we came busted down off the hill is after 10 o'clock raining went to pull out some freeze-dried grab some hot chocolate or cider realize I forgot the hot chocolate and the cider Mike was pretty good about it when I was pretty bummed I wasn't worried about the hot chocolate the cider but my coffee definitely never done that one before we were planning them well up to five days of spiking out but as luck would have it we were fogged in this morning so we got to rest up called base camp checked in fellow guide Bobby Mike's new best friend Bobby we met at base camp Bobby's the man I guess Bobby found a legal ramp so we're gonna we're actually packed up we're gonna go see if we can't lay eyes on Bobby's RAM again you ready to do her mic so we're waiting on a couple airplanes gutter camps was our spike camp we're about six miles from our main camp right now so I got runway markers set up here and over there to some compactor bags some clothes and some food hopefully the guys will come pick us up a shuttle us back to main camp throw that stuff together why over to wear Bobby's out and see if we can't find that Ram again so day three 4:30 that's what we're up to your air traffic control mic area we've got some birds incoming at least one your natural roads one school for it I must give him pretty good directions cuz he came right at us [Music] always looks like they're gonna fly right into the mountain own it here comes the other bird so big dog sailors I haven't flown with him in a few years good to see him just got an end marking a threshold mark just so they can get a line where they should land yeah and that's good in that end do so that has landed there very good grab this bag we'll be out of here [Music] [Music] [Music] looks like they got a plan they do already experts [Music] [Music] [Music] this spot look she pee rugged it's all rugged there's RAM here it's all worth it Bobby Jensen sheep spotting machine well if you know what's Rockies out in mind we don't even have to fight him we just got to get there morning day 4 5 o'clock waiting for the water to boil [Music] waiting for the fog to burn off the mountain get some coffee going breakfast flushed it out get down the mountain Bobby's gonna show us where the big Rams hang out Bobby and I think we know where we're going going high up far into the fog seven o'clock hike down to the mouth to where Bobby left saw these Rams we're watching waiting on a pot to boil here get rid of this fog Bobby did the old count coup on these Rams pretty much how close do you think he got to him about 90 yards right on one bathroom you throw the other ones right there so awesome Bobby was up the way and glass down here and so I'm on this Ridge somewhere and then they worked in that drainage and then you put an eyeball on him again yesterday morning yeah the fog came in about 5:00 in the morning I was down here about 4:00 got a good look at him they came down to fix water and then it just fog in on us so a good idea where they should be hanging out but nonetheless we're just gonna wait till this fog clears we don't want to start climbing and risk bumping them we got a pretty good idea where they're at so it's gonna play play it patient well boys say she's clear it up we're ready to March the marks when you get a gun go time that's pretty steady so we're gonna bake over which ideal we bumped over thermals are going up real good just a little bit foggy in there so we're doing we're maker is that gel in your hair gel yeah I got look pretty pullin an old Houdini on us [Applause] after stomping rocks all day we still had a six mile hike back to camp I could see Mike was wearing down when we stopped for a break I filled his water bottle and tossed him a granola bar he just sat there staring at the ground Mike sheep hunt was just beginning we were so confident we would find those rats but we looked high and low that day made boot camp look like a walk in the park my feet were all torn up and my entire body hurt my legs felt like rubber and not finding those rams was like a dagger in my heart that's when doubts started creeping in I started to think I don't know if I can do this [Music] the country was so big and so rugged and when you're out there all alone the challenge is so real I wasn't ready for the loss Billie could tell it was fading he told me I wasn't eating and drinking enough that I wasn't replacing the energy that I was putting out he'll probably tell you he gave me a pep talk but it was more of a kick in the ass really [Music] I've just laid it out there for them from now on you're gonna eat when I eat and drink when I drink you're gonna have to dig deep and find your motivation for being here tomorrow we're gonna climb a mountain and if we don't find him there we're gonna climb another mountain we're gonna do that every day until either there's no mountains left to climb the plane comes to pick us up or we kill a ram Mike never said a word I knew we had a lot more miles left in him but I've seen it plenty of times if a hunter shuts down mentally it's almost impossible to bring him out of it this was a defining moment in Mike's hunt Billy and I sat by the creek for a good while I forced myself to drink two bottles of water and ate everything left in my pack I thought of my buddies poo and pap who had ironically passed away five days apart they both said it was the toughest hunt they had ever been on but they got it done they didn't quit I couldn't stand the thought of going home and looking my dad in the eyes and tell him that I gave up that I had quit I couldn't live with that [Music] give it to me mornin mornin you want to try to get out of here today kill a ram get out of here day five a gentle work - give it to me Mike come on happy to get out here live on day ten for 25 yet coffee ready thermals are going down we got to find this Ram man we're trying so we're not coming out of these mountains until something's shot either us or the RAM we're bringing five days worth of food and we're going not coming back until the bitter end or until we get around until we get around we're gonna find us a dirty dog maybe this is where the RAM will be some mineral that's um some type of mineral and big old heavy horns up this Canyon that's what it is man and then there were two they're dropping like flies are on your mic it's just you and I some more weight in the fastest yep he's in here we're gonna find him how we thought we had that thought we had a nail down yesterday and I'm well wind was good I don't think he winded us I just think he he slipped through the crack somewhere so basically our plan is to work all the way around and try to find them so you got five days worth food on our backs I'm sleeping bags in tent and a stove Mike's got a 300 Winchester and an itchy trigger finger we got good water yeah personally yes [Music] we were hiking along and I looked ahead and saw belly chasing some ptarmigan hearing myself laugh triggered something inside of me I realized I wasn't having fun but in the moment I recognized I could still find joy in this experience even though things weren't going the way I had anticipated it was like flipping a switch I realized I was going the wrong way with the wrong attitude I just had to simply put one foot in front of the other and go I told myself let's get this done five miles after leaving Bobby at the saddle the trail had grown cold the country was all new to me and there was virtually no vegetation I had chosen to go west but it was cleared the Rams we were after had went East there was only one other drainage they could have gone to this meant hiking 10 miles back to Bobby's camp only to reattempt our plan which was simply to keep hiking till we killed the RAM or die trying' I told Mike if we don't find him in there tomorrow morning I know where there's proven ground but it's too drainages away and it's gonna take one hell of an effort to get back in there but it's good sheep country and I know it like the back of my hand if there is an old RAM left in these mountains I got a figure that's where he'll be I knew staying in camp waiting for good weather so a plane could pick us up who'd cost us a day or two or even the rest of the hunt Billy told me it was going to be a death march but to me at that point it was a no-brainer I just looked at Billy and said whatever it takes let's get to proving crowd Mike had yet to even see a legal ramp but in that moment he became a sheep hunter [Music] are you sure you're ready to put it on this time really go day six just biking out for the duration that's great coming out heavier hopefully spike out it up here and go somewhere we're just going never hiked across so much ice in my life we're pumping out the miles we got to find the RAM haven't seen a sheep three days go that way so great deck now we're gonna make it through this or in we'll see what we can do I don't know if I want proof of me going over that one gotta admit I thought about station and my little ones when I went across that one look good up there though but no shape fortunately I've never seen more waterfalls and glaciers on a hunt she is pretty rocky up in here it's like Afghanistan this is living a mic Rhodes that lunch here yep yeah I don't think this is a real popular picnic spot but it should be I'm gonna cross over this saddle we got five days with a grub with us supplies airing out the feet last bit of water before we start our climb you got to get her done buddy yeah from way back down around the corner it looked pretty yeah we don't have a choice I've never hunted this particular spot mm-hmm I know there'd be sheep here from time to time hunting on the backside a fair bit so that's kind of where we're gonna head get into some country I know well that's the plan today's day six we got three days left three full hunting days after tomorrow freshest I know hunt skip I'd say it's less than 24 hours old the two Rams we'd been chasing were merely shadows we followed their tracks but it was clear they'd traveled into the adjacent drainage which was out of her hunting area it was time to focus on finding new sheep in new mountains as soon as we topped out the cloud swooped in from the West we were drenched in rain sleet snow and sweat we'd been marching in dense fog for hours when we stumbled across fresh grizzly tracks our senses were instantly heightened and our strides were lengthened and our resolve to get to fresh country was greater than ever I'm kind of a minimalist not a big fan of gps's but one would have been handy that day it was tough to know where we were when we could only see 50 feet 10 years earlier I would have set up camp right there and waited for better weather before continuing but time was running out Mike had only three days left to get a ram in my gut I felt we were in the drainage that offered the lowest pass into the area we call flap Creek if we were headed up the wrong drainage it meant we would end up climbing an extra 1,500 vertical feet to get over it I knew Mike may only have one more big climb left in him and I wasn't sure how many climbs were left in me either but we just kept marching anyway it was one of the bigger Gamble's in my guiding career thankfully my instincts were right darkness and hypothermia were upon us as we kicked away the snow atop the tundra beside flap Creek we stripped off our soaked clothes and hopped into our sleeping bags to warm our bodies and soon passed out [Music] that up a little bit more she blowing in here pretty him pretty tutti fruiti didn't get much ventilation but maybe we should have stayed by Bobby winter wonderland out there morning a day seven eight o'clock been snowing pretty much pretty much all night starting the stick you're more recently big grams love the snow I love it yeah actually I've had snow working my favor probably more than hurt because it'll usually move the sheep somewhere and so they're they get pretty active so I hunt under one year where it was snowy I went to a certain spot actually this Hill right here behind us so maybe they'll come out there hit that face by all the way from our tent and then also right here with snow either one year or kill the big Ram it's almost 40 inches so oh yeah we can't see too well out here right now obviously so put on quite a few miles quite a few hard miles yesterday climbing up over in the saddle with camp and so we actually I'm glad we got our camp set up here where we can see so we're in a pretty decent spot so ride it out and hope this weather breaks [Music] I was lost in that tent not lost and where I was but in who I was my right foot was killing me I didn't know it then but the arch of my foot had collapsed every step felt like a vise squeezing tighter and tighter I questioned if it would be my last fall of guiding I questioned how I would support my family I had a lot of questions that day as we weathered out the storm but I wasn't finding any answers the Bible says that all of mankind is created in God's image that's a powerful statement when you consider the fact every human being is totally unique all my life I've been enthralled by nature I gravitated to it for much of my life I'd been convinced God had called me to it everything in nature serves a purpose everything receives life and ultimately gives life back as it is in nature I believe the individuality of each person is the precise reason the creator of this earth puts them here [Music] on August 17 2011 my hunter had tagged out and gone home and I was all alone in the Brooks Range it was the day my daughter Frankie was born it was the greatest day of my life it was the day I finally understood why I was called to the wild so right now I just got a lot of jittery energy I'm just gonna go for a walk and have a talk with the big guy upstairs four years and nine days later there I was in the same mountains knowing full well I had shirk my duty to God and thus everyone around me as the notion of finding Micah Ram seemed all but impossible I opened my Bible the book I rarely read until that fateful day four years earlier in reading the book of John I came to the seventh and eighth verse of the fifteenth chapter if I've ever spoken truth it was that God spoke to me that day through those passages and others I didn't hear an audible voice but I didn't have to his message was as real indefinite as my frozen toes sometime during that day Mike asked me what I was reading he told me he too tried reading the Bible years earlier but didn't understand it I assured him I didn't understand much of it either but like nature what I did understand always left me thirsting for more what I didn't tell Mike was that even though I had no idea how it would happen I knew that before our time in the mountains was over we would get a ramp [Music] seven o'clock day number eight five-star accommodations the air conditioning is working oh yeah haven't tried the heat yet what's the word today man for sunshine gonna kill her am today today's a good day a storm has passed we're back on the trail now they're a little snowy a lot of times that helps what's that yeah I'm told Mike's I don't what beast this usually these mountains right here this little set right there once in a while on that mountain used to see Rams on earth once in a while it's gonna get some Sun today might be a good spot also when it's when the snow comes a lot of times Rams come to that mountain there so we are gonna go up the canyon and then into that Canyon goes back about eight miles when we get a lot of snow like this I like to stay in the bigger drainages and just cover a lot of country just to see as many mountains as you can see P usually move around a fair bit there's usually places they like to go and they get a little bit of snow we got about three inches on the ground maybe four yeah maybe four I'm like three four anyway up high I probably got a little bit more so that might be enough snow to really move the sheep around but you really like to get sunshine because you usually end up seeing the tracks before the the sheep so we're just gonna go slow and try to cover lots of country and hopefully we can get lucky today change plans got a gut feeling that we need to go up and over the settle let's check out that country definite improvement from yesterday yeah beautiful day beautiful day just popped over the saddle there's a huge ramp picked our corns no he doesn't see us we got a good ramp peeked over the saddle right in here looked like about 500 yards let's do it buddy yes the rifle load it up poker on the corner so far yes all right go ahead and zoom it all the way up let me arrange him again you can get on him dead solid perfect okay just let him walk don't move too much [Applause] he's yep yep I think he's got our wind so just get dead get on him dead solid perfect they don't move too much are you on him lately your sticks on your pack don't move too much hey y'all it's 330 yards you got to really like the first one okay he's gonna move getting ready to move so he's gonna come up so just get set just get said he's moving up can you see him let's take your time are you on him are you close to being on him love this wake farm yeah he's got our win so it's three hundred and thirty so you know where you're gonna hold okay can you see him through the scope at all yep okay yep first one's got to be perfect yep no worries it's just you're just shooting a piece of paper just pick a hair and squeeze it slow he'll probably move uphill probably slowly too and he'll stop let's take your time if you can see the RAM you sure should yeah let's get your breathing right there he's moving so get ready stay on him he's not too spooked wait for him to stop don't take that first shot unless you know you can kill them 3:30 he's gonna move up a little more are you good solid so you can shoot 10 yards above them can you see his horns at all okay he's gonna move up a little more you gotta really like it squeeze it really really slow 330 yards you gotta really like it and reload okay you hit in front of you wait 350 wait for him to stop 350 you hit him reload wait for him to stop yeah yep you hit him I think he's hurting down he goes it's a big Ram I could see the tips late coming up it's a big Ram we heard that you hit that berm on your first shot I thought it was I thought it was over he's a beautiful man it's a big Ram the good Lord came through for you for us I had total confidence I said a prayer last night and I've never I could only think of a couple times where I've afraid for an animal but I thought Lord that's where my buddies had died last year we deserve this one mmm the video is gonna suck because I'm shaking my he's a beautiful Ram he is a reading smoker big dark horn he's ten years old anyway he's a smoker Ram let er rip let it rip all that practice is shootin 30 and I just aim for the front shoulder work now who cares that's fun work I'm humbled but I feel I'm dessert we're deserving as many miles as we put in yeah a lot of tough ones oh there were laws but we just persevered and kept going I'm time we get them back we'll have close to 80 miles if we don't have 80 miles I didn't even feel cold laying in that store never thought it but not when I was looking up here and I spotted him I'm like do you see what the naked eye no just was my binoculars he just filled them up I saw you drop like a stone thank you so much what do we got day number eight of nine eight of nine this has been one of the you know you look back at all that work now it just makes this moment all the sweeter that's day four I didn't know if I had it in me and I just started eating eating a lot of food and drinking water and I just got that mindset that I'm gonna finish this there's no way I'm gonna quit there's no way and the hunter before me he had 90 miles and when he came back to camp I looked at the other guys or a hundred I said boy I hope I don't have to go that far I certainly would have this is where we were in our first camp we were hunting and then we were planning on spiking out and actually ending up right where we're camp now and come right through this saddle but Bobby spotted a legal RAM several days ago so we went over there tried to track him down it just didn't work out we never caught up to him and so we stomped into this country day before yesterday we put on about 12 miles heavy packs went up and over a pie saddle over 5,000 feet and we just wanted to get to here we were gonna go we're gonna go back in this valley off to the left and and this is used this is the best country and I knew it and this saddle is always a pretty good crossing we were gonna go up there just because there's more country to see and there's a lot of snow and we stopped and we blast it we had to Sun weight great weather yeah head finally we got a break in the weather and I just decided you know what this is our best spot we can't take it you know the weather tomorrow for granted we got to go to the best spot today and it paid off oh man I can't even explain believe it can you believe it it's over can you believe it well it's not over yet out in over but I mean it it happened we got it done I'm real I was reading the book of John last night it says for those who seek to do my will and produce fruit from the vine which is Christ ask it in my name and you shall receive and so I read that and I said a prayer and I said Lord if we get a we get a ram on this hunt when I put the video together the glory will be yours you got around August 17 2011 was the day I fully acknowledged Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in that instant it was as if I was seeing nature and the entire world around me for the very first time Jesus himself describes it as being born again and that's really the only words that I can describe how I felt I immediately realized I was starting a brand new life and I felt a powerful conviction in my heart that I had to share what I was experiencing with others as I lay in the tent with Mike the day before after I devoted 17 body punishing days to turn up a legal ram I had no hope we would find one but with a few verses of Scripture in one simple prayer I knew success was certain from the time I woke that morning I was drawn to that saddle the way a spawning salmon is drawn from the endless ocean to the exact stream of its birth Mike and I will both go to our graves knowing that Ram truly was a gift from God we're out of the Sun it's pretty cold the season down in here you fell down but I just want to I want to get too far ahead of ourselves here we're just easing along glassing up on the hillside see his tracks all along this hillside game over top at some point this morning I'm speeding in here some nerve-racking minutes there yeah we shot from over there shot the ramp up on this hillside we didn't see where he went he tipped over we figured we'd walk on this side see a snow slide or read who actually went way down there and we were starting to get nervous to where he went we're like we didn't celebrate too early did we so now we see the see a slide must be hung up behind that Boulder let's go get our hands on we're back on top now we're starting to get a little nervous like how could we have missed him see his tracks where he came in didn't see where he went out how does your last climb in the Brooks Range feel pretty good pretty darn sweet [Music] oh yeah got the floor like you wanted exactly what I wanted he's exactly I can't Mike we got her Dodd and buddy what a blessing what a privilege to come up here and chase these animals yeah shot was perfect perfect right behind the front shoulder probably half an inch behind it perfect all that shooting paid off when did you start thinking about hunting dall sheep I want to say probably ten years ago it started becoming more of a pipe dream than anything and then that was too old that back overweight out-of-shape then I saw Barry Barton climbing the hill and taking a ram with two two rebuilt knees I said to myself how how can I have an excuse and Barry's up there chasing these Rams and I'm sitting at home and I made a decision that day and and there was a lot of trials and tribulations between now and then but it all came together and I can't even I can't even express words how grateful I am watching all the Billy's up shows and DVDs and I it was just a such a elegant beautiful animal the country was rugged and beautiful as you can see I mean there's no words can pick can describe this this spot this day and that's well that's why I wanted to hunt Rams but I really didn't I really didn't think that it was something that I could do and I dreamed of it but I I didn't I just didn't think I could do it and I thought I knew exactly what I was getting into physically the climbing I you just can't there's nothing you can do to prepare for climbing on the rocks and the snow and the tundra and the the soft growl and the hard groan I'm as prepared as a flatlander from Green Bay Wisconsin can be but uh I I wasn't ready until I got here and got into it to come in here on day eight it was just as a guide very rewarding and the hunt hunt with Mike just his humble and pombal and positive attitude you know I could honestly say there was there was just that one day when you were you want we got you we got you some rest and got you some food and you man you bounce back kept maintain a positive attitude we haven't seen a sheep I think for five days until this one and we saw we saw a fair number the first couple of days but that's what sheep hunting is about is just testing your will and not quitting and not giving up and man it's lunch like this is a guide that reminds me why I do what I do Mike a pleasure hunting with you the fantastic Ram you're definitely deserved it one of the greatest hunts I've ever been on and I've been on a fair number of them you got a good Ram under tough conditions and you persevered were a lot of guys they wouldn't had it in them yeah you you earned this man you've changed your life you lost what 70 pounds 70 75 pounds yep and this is this is why I do what I do you meet guys like Mike you see their motivation their determination and the old saying you're product of your environment hunting guys like you with my pleasure Congrats man you earned this sucker good job awesome alright I think that was good dad 75 miles into it we got a ram down we're holding it right now you got him we got him it was a struggle we got um we were today's day 8 we had a 10 day hunt scheduled thank you I love you dad I love you thank you I will I will alright bye [Applause] alright dad suicides elavil oh thank you but I'll satisfying with that phone call better my life congratulations round you've earned it ready alright we're gonna try to get him down to the bottom you know this works [Applause] I didn't think you'd roll that far on his own but it's pretty nice and soft with all the snow yeah I think one more little nudge and we got a nice flat spot to work there head to treacherous treacherous look here that won't hurt him a lick we're doing here is it's called the rib roll the other side I think I'll actually take a rack of ribs so we can have some sheep ribs petting on when we get out of here so they're bloodshot pretty good barns triple shock did a number on them I'm gonna keep all these ribs in one piece so you can see what I've been doing just cleaning out the meat in between each rib basically so barely held on to one piece but pretty well a side ribs there but usually when you don't have it bloodshot there it'll it'll come out all night it's nice and neat in one piece as Mike and I skinned and butchered the RAM the totality of the adventure and significance of it began to settle upon us we didn't talk anymore about it that day but we both knew our lives would forever be different because of the experiences we share I love it love it one heavily loaded pack too heavily loaded packs looks pretty sweet we're sticking with ten and a half years old you believe it I believe it believe it now [Music] yeah very very thankful that one worked out very thankful couldn't worked out any sweeter I drifted back for most of the pack back to camp I guess I just wanted to soak it all in the sense of accomplishment and the overall experience was almost euphoric my thoughts drifted to poo and pap I like them I too was afforded the privilege of carrying my doll ram off the mountain on my back I did in fact have what it takes I was tough enough physically and more important mentally to get it done on the mountain the other thing they kept coming to the forefront of my mind was the phone call home to my dad when I booked this hunt I knew full well that there was a strong possibility that he wouldn't be around for this call the fact that we got to share that experience together even if for only a few minutes by Sat phone is one of the things in my life that I am most grateful for [Music] last sidehill into the season but that breaks your heart huh it does her getting her that was the hardest part of this whole thing with side Helen for me yeah yeah the climbin was no treat but the side Helen better had tough on the feet even with even with the top-of-the-line boots it just can't prepare for it yeah 6:30 probably won't be back to camp time that won't be back to camp till 8:30 anyway oh you have arrived here's the meat willows will hang the meat in there and here's her strip we made her buddy nice job man we're gonna be easy he'll give a little spin here see the old Ram nice ten and a half years old he's a beauty I'm spent motional e physically on I'm done all right on the timing couldn't have been better [Music] our adventure had most certainly brought Mike and I closer to a true reflection of who each of us was put on this earth to be little did we know early the next morning as I was still in my underwear our adventure was not yet over boots are a little cold this morning I actually had him inside the tent and that's how much ice is on a snow blanket out here yet today so you're telling me there's a chance in a million just wait this way okay over to wing another one over its head all right hold on trying to keep him from stealing all of our meat just you shoot it what shoot well in front of it and beyond it [Music] you take them both I took the good one you got them both oh he left that you took the good one left the crap we got to watch out for him cuz he's circling to smell us get out of here well in front of them in front of him so the dirt sprays in his face that's all you have then save them we might be able to salvage a fair bit of this we can find it yeah I don't think he was here too long because I was just up I think I think it just caught him just as he was taking it yeah we got to get him run off though never a dull moment in Alaska couldn't have taken the bag all the scraps in the blood shot he had to take the good stuff yeah I suppose his nose tells him the difference yeah I should have should have kept that one right in camp but you know figure one night just I haven't seen any bears I mean yeah this bear just won't leave get out of here directly in our wind to get get out of here well you did say you were gonna give me the integrant Alaskan experience yeah I'd say we got just about everything on this hunt no mm-hmm we got to get this dude ran out of here he's just too young to know any better he's not being real aggressive but he just will not leave us and he's not scared Mike fired four rounds at him and can't get him to budge yeah we got the runway marked either end here's the meet there's camp there's the bear there's the other runway marker that's the closest you've ever been to a grizzly bear well we scored there yeah he saved one important piece of meat hey we're doing all right you must have caught him just as he got the bag open yep he's got there's a piece of meat in the bushes here somewhere so let's just throw that in there set it in there there are tenderloins in there yeah you dirty little rascal that's how it almost looks like I was a piece off of the shank off the front leg yeah we'll find it either way yeah we'll leave it there we'll find their ass here we go oh yeah we're getting most of it he did chew up on that a little bit and you got about half he was like a rock I think that's a couple different tracks together mean that big we're doing good I think this bear is finally scared he's scared of the sleeping pad got downwind of us camp we yelled at him shot at him but he's looking back to that sleeping pad just know that that the only limits that in life and I'm not just talking about Alaska I'm talking about anything our limits that you place on yourself and if you limit yourself you're cutting yourself short and you shouldn't live with that you shouldn't be it's fine that acceptable so find your dream and chase it and don't let it get away that's about all I have I love it it's been a hell of an adventure and it's still an adventure we we got we're waiting on the planes and we got a grizzly bear backtrack in our track as we just stole his meet Mike again my pleasure it's really one heck of an adventure an awesome adventure fortunately the weather was clear I called base camp and explained our situation they assured us the pilots would be there within the hour the bear was literally standing right on the runway Matan big dog had to abort their first attempt to land and go around there he's finally leaving now that the planes are coming in to land I think he owes me a pad the thought of not having a sleeping pad for my next two months in the bush made me want to punch Matt in the gut the instant he stepped out of the plane in recognizing he was my only ticket for a home-cooked meal in a hot shower I decided to forgive and forget an apology and an offer to have his sleeping pad were the first words out of his mouth Matt thoughts a guy I've come to know and love over the years that landings one of the many tales we relive over a leftover box of wine at the end of every hunting season big dog stood beside Mike and I as we hustled our gear together out of the corner of my eye I noticed him rolling a fresh cigarette sometime between drags he said boys better hurry up your buddy's back we looked behind us and there was the Grizzly 60 yards away poking his head out of the Willows we scooped up our belongings and double-timed it to the plains we threw everything in back and hopped in as I buckled up I looked back to where our camp was minutes earlier I saw the bear licking the blood off the bush the meat was hung on [Music] big dog firewall tianjin before I could get to my camera the tundra tires began rolling the tail wheel rolls off the ground and soon we were gone just like that The Adventure was over [Music] just as Mike didn't know if he had what it took to make it through an Alaskan dall sheep hunt I too wondered if I had the cojones to tell my experience truthfully exactly as we lived it I [Music] didn't share this story to become anyone's moral compass I share this story because my Christian faith without question is the single greatest product of the 30-plus years I've spent hunting and studying nature I share this story because I could no longer look into my daughter's eyes and expect them to believe me when I'd tell them that God had a special design for their lives when I knew damn good and well I wasn't following God's path for my own life ever since the day Frankie was born I've resisted sharing my faith because of what others would think or say I was scared it might cost me friends and customers but I've come to realize if I'm not man enough to live the life I want to live how could I ever expect my daughters to live their lives on their terms what it goes oh very good I believe the sharing of this story was a mountain God wanted me to climb across he wants me to bear I'm slowly learning that the more I trust him rather than my own reasoning the more peace and joy I find [Music] I share this story also because that's what sheep hunters do they don't follow or look for the paths of others they long for the deep unfamiliar mountainous they cast fear aside and strive forward with courage and boldness they forge ahead all in the hope of discovering that high lofty Basin that no one else knows about where the grass is lush the water is clean and a twisted horn monarch is perched in the crags high above [Music] the things of greatest value in this life you can't hold them in your hand you can't hang them on your wall or put them in your wallet what really matters in this life is found in the pursuit in those countless often desperate climbs that no one else knows about or could even begin to understand you ready for this Mike oh how much Harlee yeah big rocks [Music] now we're gonna make it through this or in figure something if you don't take on the steepest rockiest mountains and you never stumble and fall [Music] you'll never know the spirit of a sheep honor [Music] you [Music] you you got a lot of writing to do in the journal tonight man it's big it was the dardan big day I don't know where's third there was other times you know bonding I put him in a stand one time bowl hunting I said you go up in that tree right there there's a stand you stay there till dark and I'll come and get you I got up in a tree and got comfortable and I looked in here come Mike walking across the field and I thought where are you going and I come on and he says dad he says I shot a nice buck how could you shoot a nice buck you just got in a tree he says he comes I know Sooners that doesn't he come underneath the tree we got lanterns went back in and we retrieved I believe it was the eight pointer and it would that was a rememory that'll never go away and it was really it was a a father/son moment so uh think this is like so what do you what do you do for a living I'm a correctional officer okay and when a guy goes into the clink what does he get don't they get one phone call who are you gonna call I call my dad let's call paw and we were out for fish dinner and my phone rang and I I did look at the phone and think hmm I don't recognize the number but I said you know it was kind of expecting to hear from Mike excited you know it was pretty emotional it was like what he set out to do he has done was a dream come true that's pretty much it it was a dream come true and we got Bobby's toilet paper write your name in the snow might be here might be here five years from now it's all in the glacier cause this thing that collapse you did drag him right out on the frozen tundra now like Lambeau Field Op rosen Tundra likes a Green Bay native yeah go pack go oh I love the Packers gosh I love the power how they're doing sorry [Music] so you got a nice warm place to butch room makes for better pictures though the Sun will be around by the time we're butchering push it to the limit and then put a little bit more just to say okay I can do this purse Tooting pretty good I should hope so start with the weather great I woke with a fart a freeze-dried flatulation red she's red I think I am colorblind a single daughter is it a dot in a bar it's a single done yeah some antlers in a rock don't know some fancy pilot work I don't think there's a patch kit that's gonna save that one yeah yeah she's seen better days therm-a-rest is pretty good about repair to read turning stuff or replacing but that's up and I don't pilot ran it over this is just some horn growing mineral in the water makes the horns big obviously that ain't working guess I better give him a pan sauna hey Barry that's a big round thank you by the way at ole ole berry is gonna be an inspiration to a lot of guys and here's living proof awesome how nice are Wet Ones on Hunt's like this when you remember to use them yeah we probably should have been using them more than we did freeze-dried if for those who haven't eaten them they keep you pretty regular to say the least [Laughter] any final thoughts you just don't want to see your face too much on the directors go for more information on other DVDs books and modern-day mountain man apparel log on to belly moles adventures.com here you'll also find information on Alaskan hunting opportunities with Billy for doll sheep caribou moose brown bear grizzly bear as well as white-tailed deer hunting in Wisconsin [Music] much of Billy's offseason is devoted to public speaking he travels across the country sharing his knowledge and passion for the wilderness at corporate events schools conservation organizations wild game dinners Christian outreach events and much more Billy is a master storyteller attendees are sure to be entertained educated and inspired log on or call for more information [Music]

Channel: Modern Day Mountain Man

Views: 765,397

Keywords: Alaska big game hunting, sheep hunting, Dall sheep hunting, Alaska hunting, hunting, Modern Day Mountain Man, Billy Molls, Hunting movie, Christian hunting video, Dall sheep hunt, Dall sheep hunting Brooks Range, Alaska Dall Sheep hunt, Alaska Dall Sheep hunting 2019, Dall sheep, Dall sheep hunt NWT, Dall Sheep hunt Yukon, Dall sheep hunt Canada, Alaska Dall sheep, Alaska Dall sheep hunting videos, alaska hunting documentary, Hunting film producer, Hunting videos

Id: xKQ29UByFqI

Length: 97min 17sec (5837 seconds)

Published: Fri May 24 2019