ds 185 Friday Creek
- Thread starter cbody
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B&C 04
New member
Excellent advise. I spoke to Mike yesterday and got the flight lined up for Carpenter's Creek sheep. Did a hunt with Mike last year and is a true professional and extremely knowledgable to boot.
scott_zimm
New member
I was lucky enough to get drawn for this hunt too. I know you can get to the sheep without flying in considering it's fairly close to civilization and has some pretty established trails to get you part of the way there. however, I have no wheeler and heard there was a couple of airstrips up Friday creek valley so I'll most likely just fly in. A buddy of mine who kicks around there quite a bit claims he sees sheep all the time in the Maude rd. / Jim creek area but I'll have to see it for myself... I'm not too familiar with the area yet.
hoose35
Well-known member
A guy I know was telling me about his hunt with this tag. He told me he hired a guy to fly him around up there to look for the sheep, he spotted them and then a couple days later he walked from his truck up to where he seen the sheep, got his ram and packed it back down to the truck. Sounded like a pretty easy hunt from the truck, but he said he would not have walked in like that without flying first to make sure there were sheep withing striking distance.
S
shphtr
Guest
The air taxi service with the most experience for that area is Wiederkehr Air. Meekins is more familiar with the territory more to the north esp'ly around Mat. Glacier and the Talkeetna Mountains across the highway. Loren Wiederkehr and his son Bill were the air taxi service that used to fly Dave Harkness (Bio for 14C) to do the sheep, goat and moose surveys in the hey day of trophy sheep hunting in 14C. For many years b/o $ issues they did not do any aerial counts. I don't know, but perhaps now Mike Meekins does the flying for the current bio for 14C as well as further north. There are two air strips in Friday Creek - one at the end of each fork. From the left fork of Friday one can easily walk up onto Metal Glacier and then down into the headwaters of Metal Creek. From the right fork of Friday one can access Cottonwood Creek famous in the past for holding big rams. Also from Metal Glacier one can access the headwaters of Carbon Creek (which also has two strips) and Carbon Creek where Frank Cook shot his famous sheep - at one time #2 in the book, now I think more like #3-#5). Carpenter also has a strip. Valley sheep hunters used to walk into those areas all the time before they went to draw. Be advised that the glaciers and mountains in and around Metal Glacier holds some "challenging terrain". Good luck
AK Ray
New member
Keep in mind that a lot of the sheep that people see on the hillsides above Jim Lake/Creek are actually goats - nannies and kids mostly.
There are sheep up there once in a while, but not often seen from the road.
There are sheep up there once in a while, but not often seen from the road.
Chisana
New member
Great info there and some nice history of sheep hunting in the western Chugach.
scott_zimm
New member
I agree. great info there. too bad both the areas you mention going to up either side of friday creek are outside of my draw area. cant wait to get up there and do some scouting for myself though.
S
shphtr
Guest
When you fly up the left fork of Friday Creek, make sure you get a good look back over your left shoulder and to your rear at the bowl tucked in there since that is a favorite place for sheep to hang out in that particular fork. You also might consider getting a registration tag for goats since they occasionally will wander over from the Metal Creek drainage. There are also good goat populations in Grasshopper Valley and along Marcus Baker Glacier. Good Luck.
driveacub
Member
FYI Goats are a draw hunt in that area.......
S
shphtr
Guest
Last time I shot a goat in the Chugach it was by Colony Glacier and it was registration then. Perhaps the goat registration hunts changed the same time 14C open sheep hunting went to draw? Not recommending breaking any laws - it is ALWAYS a good rule to review the MOST RECENT hunting regs before going into an area. I usually carry some with me an burn before leaving camp ... if not used as fire starter or emergency TP!
arctic andy
New member
There are sheep above Jim Creek, no plane needed. I hunted friday creek tag successfuly 2 years ago. Check out my post - arctic andy.
My suggestions,
Hike up anything, when ever you can, carry weight, use poles, then carry more weight. If you live near by, hike up Lazy mountain and glass the area. Get to know their grazing schedule.
Contact me for specific info
All the best,
Andy
My suggestions,
Hike up anything, when ever you can, carry weight, use poles, then carry more weight. If you live near by, hike up Lazy mountain and glass the area. Get to know their grazing schedule.
Contact me for specific info
All the best,
Andy
AlaskaTrueAdventure
New member
I agree that Mike Meekins is the pilot with the local history and skills to deal with anytime you want to access that country on either side of Knik River and Knik Glacier. And as Shphtr indicated Wiederkehr Air is equally fine. Actually, everything Shphtr said (post #12) is high quality information.
Those sheep drawing units between Palmer and Matanuska Glacier have been draw hunts long enough now that some mature and very fine trophies should start coming out of Friday, Metal and Grasshopper Valleys.
Train your body and mind for the next two months. You can fish for salmon for the rest of your life, but this will probably be your only shot at those Chugach Unit 14b rams. Those of you fortunate enough to have drawn tags, and have the right physical and mental conditioning, should have an opportunity at some of the better rams available in the state at this time.
dennis
Those sheep drawing units between Palmer and Matanuska Glacier have been draw hunts long enough now that some mature and very fine trophies should start coming out of Friday, Metal and Grasshopper Valleys.
Train your body and mind for the next two months. You can fish for salmon for the rest of your life, but this will probably be your only shot at those Chugach Unit 14b rams. Those of you fortunate enough to have drawn tags, and have the right physical and mental conditioning, should have an opportunity at some of the better rams available in the state at this time.
dennis
Some of the people that I constantly hassle have been reporting some very big sheep in this area and when they say that it is gospel.
I would do at least two or three scouting missions and save pennies to do two or three hours of flight time scouting. There is a lot of big sheep history in this area.
Sincerely,
Thomas
I would do at least two or three scouting missions and save pennies to do two or three hours of flight time scouting. There is a lot of big sheep history in this area.
Sincerely,
Thomas
Tony Barnard
New member
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- Mar 26, 2011
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Has anyone climbed between Jim and Friday Creeks to reach sheep country? I've heard of the ATV trail to the right/SE of Friday Creek...is there anything to the north and west of Friday Creek. Please let me know if you have any advice. I have a DS180 permit and thought I'd climb up through the alders and base camp around 3,000 ft elevation.
Tony - I'd be making the most of the next two weekends and put in some major scouting to explore access routes into the area if you haven't done so already. There are some dandy sheep in there, but you won't be the only one pursuing them. I heard of a ram that came out of that area last year that taped 40" with both tips broomed off.
Thomas' advice above is gold.
Good luck!
Rich
Yellowknife
New member
That would be my advise also. I've accessed that area both walking from the truck and with a canoe. ATV may help, although I haven't done it. There are ways that avoid most of the alders, but it's steep and you will want to find them BEFORE you are humping a heavy pack up the mountain.
Yk
