plentycoupe
New member
President Vetoes my TMA sheep hunt!!
This is going to be short story that I need to write about!! Cause that is all that I can do anyway!
Imagine my surprise when the winter draw results came out last January. January 28th to be exact. You have won DS102, that’s the message I saw when I clicked on my name!! Holy cow a Dall Sheep tag in one of the most coveted areas in the great state of Alaska, and my first time putting in for it. I know some may say that is not fair or whatnot but I played the game and won the tag.
January 29th came and I was posting messages and buying books and looking at packing lists of hunters who already know what they are doing. Since then I have read 4 books on sheep hunting, talked to many, many people with ideas and information that only can come from experience. Bought and studied several videos on how to hunt and how to field judge the Dall Sheep. I mean hey since I have the opportunity, why note try to find the biggest sheep I can. I now own a .300 WSM. Good gun I heard. Although I am an avid traditional bowhunter I listened to many folks and followed their wisdom. This is a ONCE IN A LIFETIME HUNT increase your odds of killing a sheep and use a rifle. Although the kill is not what the hunt is all about to me I did decide to use a rifle. I was going to take my bow into the mountains for a couple 4 day trips in August and if that didn’t pan out, the 1st of September would find me going in for 10 days with the rifle.
I can say that I now have a ton of gear that I did not have at this time last year. Double gear actually, because we had to outfit my hunting partner, My Wife Heather, as well. She has been so great in helping with research and the purchase of gear and calling people and buying maps and just listening to me rant and rave about this piece of info or that valley or how good a certain ridgeline looks.
We went from planning a walk in off the highway, to a fly in, to a ATV ride up the Tok River Drainage and then a walk in. Have 3 areas picked out for base camps and then was going to hike in and hunt with a light packs!! Many, Many people have been such help with planning this hunt. Thanks to all of you..
As some of you know my unit and are a currently sitting in Iraq. Two days ago we were counting the six days left until we were headed home, Alaska bound at last….. And then came the call..
Went something kinda like this:
Hey Smoke, this is the President. Would like to invite you to stay a little longer in the desert. You see we have a desperate situation in Baghdad and really need more Soldiers to head that way. I know that your Soldiers have had a long year and you are hot, tired and ready to come back to the land of English speaking people but I need your help! This Nation needs your help so I am asking you and your men to stay a little longer.
Well Mister President, I respond. Sounds like you do need our help, I am wondering if you could just hold out a couple months though. You see I have this TMA sheep tag that I drew and the wife and I would really like to make it to those mountains and carry out all the preparation that we have put in. See the fruits of our labors. This is a hard to come by tag and we would like to make the best of it!!
Well Soldier, he says. I hear you and am truly sorry for your predicament, however, the enemy always has a vote too. And right now his vote is strong and load. You are going to have to miss that hunt! But you are young and will have many years to enjoy the great outdoors!
OK sir, I’ve been doing this job for a few years now and understand the way it works. My Soldiers and I will use this night to be pissed off. We will go get some near beer from the chow hall and talk about all the issues and have a cold one. Tomorrow we will come in with our heads high and a warriors grin. Ready to go visit the capital of Iraq and put the enemy where they belong. Thank you for your time……
And thank you he says…
Well maybe not quite like that but you get the jist of it. There is one very lucky 40” up there in the mountains this season!!!
Enough of the drama, just felt the urge to write a few things down. Maybe I can convince ADFG to hold a tag for me next year!!!
Plentycoupe
This is going to be short story that I need to write about!! Cause that is all that I can do anyway!
Imagine my surprise when the winter draw results came out last January. January 28th to be exact. You have won DS102, that’s the message I saw when I clicked on my name!! Holy cow a Dall Sheep tag in one of the most coveted areas in the great state of Alaska, and my first time putting in for it. I know some may say that is not fair or whatnot but I played the game and won the tag.
January 29th came and I was posting messages and buying books and looking at packing lists of hunters who already know what they are doing. Since then I have read 4 books on sheep hunting, talked to many, many people with ideas and information that only can come from experience. Bought and studied several videos on how to hunt and how to field judge the Dall Sheep. I mean hey since I have the opportunity, why note try to find the biggest sheep I can. I now own a .300 WSM. Good gun I heard. Although I am an avid traditional bowhunter I listened to many folks and followed their wisdom. This is a ONCE IN A LIFETIME HUNT increase your odds of killing a sheep and use a rifle. Although the kill is not what the hunt is all about to me I did decide to use a rifle. I was going to take my bow into the mountains for a couple 4 day trips in August and if that didn’t pan out, the 1st of September would find me going in for 10 days with the rifle.
I can say that I now have a ton of gear that I did not have at this time last year. Double gear actually, because we had to outfit my hunting partner, My Wife Heather, as well. She has been so great in helping with research and the purchase of gear and calling people and buying maps and just listening to me rant and rave about this piece of info or that valley or how good a certain ridgeline looks.
We went from planning a walk in off the highway, to a fly in, to a ATV ride up the Tok River Drainage and then a walk in. Have 3 areas picked out for base camps and then was going to hike in and hunt with a light packs!! Many, Many people have been such help with planning this hunt. Thanks to all of you..
As some of you know my unit and are a currently sitting in Iraq. Two days ago we were counting the six days left until we were headed home, Alaska bound at last….. And then came the call..
Went something kinda like this:
Hey Smoke, this is the President. Would like to invite you to stay a little longer in the desert. You see we have a desperate situation in Baghdad and really need more Soldiers to head that way. I know that your Soldiers have had a long year and you are hot, tired and ready to come back to the land of English speaking people but I need your help! This Nation needs your help so I am asking you and your men to stay a little longer.
Well Mister President, I respond. Sounds like you do need our help, I am wondering if you could just hold out a couple months though. You see I have this TMA sheep tag that I drew and the wife and I would really like to make it to those mountains and carry out all the preparation that we have put in. See the fruits of our labors. This is a hard to come by tag and we would like to make the best of it!!
Well Soldier, he says. I hear you and am truly sorry for your predicament, however, the enemy always has a vote too. And right now his vote is strong and load. You are going to have to miss that hunt! But you are young and will have many years to enjoy the great outdoors!
OK sir, I’ve been doing this job for a few years now and understand the way it works. My Soldiers and I will use this night to be pissed off. We will go get some near beer from the chow hall and talk about all the issues and have a cold one. Tomorrow we will come in with our heads high and a warriors grin. Ready to go visit the capital of Iraq and put the enemy where they belong. Thank you for your time……
And thank you he says…
Well maybe not quite like that but you get the jist of it. There is one very lucky 40” up there in the mountains this season!!!
Enough of the drama, just felt the urge to write a few things down. Maybe I can convince ADFG to hold a tag for me next year!!!
Plentycoupe
