14c sheep draw hunt, any info at all from people with experience?

[Randy907]

I drew a tag for ds139, I already attempted to gather information earlier but no one replied. You can pm if you want or what not, just looking for some solid information on where to go. I've heard Icicle creek/glacier from a few. Is the Nature Center Trail my best route in? I will be hunting September 25th through October 1st. Just looking for good starting points before I began my scouting trips this summer.

Thanks,

Randy

[Brian M]

The Dishwater Creek/Icicle Creek drainages usually get hit pretty hard in the early seasons, as those are the two closest drainages to the Nature Center that are open to legal hunting. That being said, this year they restricted the early hunts in Eagle River to one permit per season, so the chances of those two drainages still holding rams are much better than in the past when they gave three permits per season. It would be worth a shot. Dishwater is easier to get into and hunt, Icicle is tougher terrain but has more hiding spots for the big, wary rams. You might also consider going in 12 miles and checking out the high bowls above Thunder Gorge. There is a high chance that you'll be snowed on up there, but there have been some hogs taken out of there over the years. In addition to the 12 mile hike, though, you're looking at thousands of feet of alder breaking and a brutal pack out. Enjoy!

[AlaskaTrueAdventure]

100%

The info provided by Brian in the prior post is 100% accurate, and is exactly what I would have said, if he had not.

Also...you have all summer to condition by hiking back and up into that country.
After alder bashing for six or ten weekends it will not seem so terrible or frustrating when you do it for your hunt. You will find the game trails and safest, easiest routes if you invest the effort. Its all about "heart"....and sweat...some blood...once-in-a-lifetime committment.

Dennis
AK TAGS

[USMC RET]

I agree with Dennis also. Spend some weekends getting in there and bashing some alders and brush and GPS your route. It may make it a bit easier when the time comes to actually get in and hunt.

Good Luck.
Brian

[Randy907]

So the farther back I go usually the better ?? I've heard that organ mountain is good as well.

[Brian M]

Organ can be good, but it's open to many more hunters before your season, as that falls within the Ship Creek/S. side of Eagle River drawing unit.

[AlaskaTrueAdventure]

Organ mt

DS139 is sure a versatile tag.

Organ Mountain is sensational. It is sensational for the first hour of the first hunt. And I would call it sensational after the first hour if you are a very experienced mountain climber.

...dare you to climb to the top!

...and it is on the south side of the river, directly across from Icicle Creek. Eagle River might be low enough to cross W/O a little boat by mid Sept. To scout during the summer i advise crossing the river with little yellow pool-toy boat (OR A BETTER BOAT). There is only one route up the valley toward Organ. Again, summer time scouting will find it.

Brian, is Organ Mountain the same as Polar Bear, or just next to it?


Dennis
AK TAGS

[Randy907]

Who all has first hand knowledge and has hunted/ taken sheep back there?? I was thinking about going 6 miles past icicle creek and cutting to the left and going farther back.

[AlaskaTrueAdventure]

thundar gorge

Six miles past icicle Creek...welcome to Thunder Gorge, (if left is the north side of the river) as Brian mentioned earlier.
Randy, it is a great area. But nobody is going to tell you how to hunt it. But you will figure it out if you have the right stuff!
dennis

[Brian M]

Brian, is Organ Mountain the same as Polar Bear, or just next to it?

Organ is behind Polar Bear, which is next to Eagle Peak. All of them are pretty tough climbs. I've been up Eagle, but was out of town the day my friends did Polar Bear.

[AlaskaTrueAdventure]

Polar Bear

Brian, Good for you...for not climbing Polar Bear. I have failed to summit Polar Bear (with the Polar Bear shaped glacier/snow patch.....It is just to technical for me....but I have saw some super rams up on the top after opening day!

But, back to the post/thread....Hopefully somebody will have more info for Randy907.

Dennis

[Wyo2AK]

First off, congrats on your tag!

If I had a DS139 permit (or any 14C permit for that matter) the first thing I'd do is buy this map, if I didn't have it already, and then I'd take a highlighter and trace the boundaries of my hunt unit on the map.

Then I'd go to Fish & Game and get the packet that lists the 14C harvest info for the 5-year period from I think 2001 to 2006. I've never found it online. You'll notice in that packet that it lists the approximate kill site of all the harvested sheep.

Then I'd go through the packet and find the location of every kill site on your Chugach map and mark it with an X. At first it's like a "where's Waldo?" trying to find all the place names, but I can tell you that just about every place name listed is on the Chugach map. By the time you've mapped out five years of harvest data, you'll have a pretty good idea of places that consistantly produce sheep, and maybe more importantly, areas that don't.

I'd use information as the starting point for my summer scouting. And I would spend as much time as possible scouting. If it were me. :rolleyes:

[bushrat]

Wyo2AK...

...you should really go into the hunt planning business!

[AlaskaTrueAdventure]

14C

....Or he can hunt any and/or all of the locations already mentioned. For the last 25 years all these areas have been big-time producers of quality sheep.
dennis

[Randy907]

Thanks, but already bought maps, is Thunder Gorge hunted hard? Only 20 people drew a tag for ds139