CANADA: YUKON - STONE SHEEP HUNT

Specialty horseback Yukon Stone Sheep hunts are offered during a limited traditional prime window with 3 specific time slots. Week 1: July 31- Aug. 11, Week 2: Aug. 11-22, Week 3: Aug. 22-Sept. 3.

-Grizzly Bear: Can be taken on sheep hunts for a flat-rate trophy fee.
-Mountain Caribou: Can be taken on Sheep hunts for a flat-rate trophy fee.
-Moose: Often not possible on Sheep hunts. Neither a prime time nor a prime location.
-x2 Black Bears: Can be taken as bonus targets of opportunity on any hunt at no additional cost.
-Wolves: Can be taken as bonus targets of opportunity on any hunt at no additional cost.
-Wolverine: Can be taken as bonus targets of opportunity on any hunt at no additional cost.
-Fishing: Not available while in sheep country.

These 10 full-day, professionally 1x1 guided Stone Sheep hunts are a combination horseback/backpack-style hunt. Arrive to basecamp, overnight, and the following morning proceed by horseback into the alpine to a specific hunting area. Once the horses can go no further, dismount and proceed by foot, spike camping in strategic areas with good vantage points. Glassing comprises the vast majority of this hunt.

Meticulously glass the surrounding peaks, slopes and valleys for sheep until a big shooter ram is located. Devise a careful plan and execute a well-thought-out stalk to get into shooting range. Once the sheep is down, attention can be turned to other species, such as Grizzly Bears or Mountain Caribou. The terrain is quite gentlemanly as far as sheep country goes, but these Yukon Stone Sheep hunts do still require a degree of physical fitness to comfortably negotiate the mountains effectively.

Nearly all clients bring their own firearms, but in rare cases a rifle can also be made available to borrow from our Yukon Stone Sheep outfitter at no cost if needed, provided arrangements are made well in advance. Shooting ranges can vary but most shots fall between 200-400 yards. Arguably the most popular calibers would be .7mm and .300 Win Magnum. Other similar, fast, flat shooting and hard-hitting calibers are also suitable.

Archery hunting either by compound, traditional, or crossbow is all legal and possible if desired.

Central Yukon is a mosaic of mountains, lakes, wetlands, and water bodies, with stands of mixed timber, natural meadows, dense willow, and alder thickets. Yukon Stone Sheep hunts occur above the treeline in the alpine, usually at elevations of 4000-7000 feet above sea level. Here, the landscape is big and open, with long hanging valleys and grassy alpine pastures. Other areas are interspersed with stunted willow bushes, or comprised of sloped boulder fields and rocky slides. Beautiful, harsh, rugged, remote, vast, and wild are all words that quickly come to mind when describing the Yukon.

Sheep hunts occur in the earlier chapters of the season to promote reliable and conducive hunting weather. Late July to early September can range from warm and at times somewhat buggy, but cools down at night. Other years, colder weather comes earlier. There is always a chance for strong winds or some rain, but snow this time of year would be highly unlikely. The vegetation is still mostly green when Yukon Sheep hunts commence, but begins transitioning into fall colors as the season concludes and the land prepares for winter. Light, warm, high-quality, layered clothing systems are ideal for this hunt.

Yukon Stone Sheep hunts commence in basecamp, which provides all the comforts such as electricity, Wi-Fi, hearty home-cooked meals, private bedrooms, showers etc. Upon departing basecamp by horseback, hunters may stay a night or two along the trail, either in a more rustic trappers’ cabin, or prospector-type tent camps. Once the horses can go no further, the hunt becomes backpack-style, with spike camping with individual peak or dome tents. Propane stoves are packed for cooking, and camps are made to be mobile, to move with the sheep as needed to always be hunting effectively.

For the first or last night in basecamp, meals are hearty and home-cooked. Once on the trail, there will be fresh food while traversing to the sheep hunting areas by horseback, with items like classic breakfast lineups, or roast ham, spaghetti and meat sauce, rice, and veggies for dinner. While backpacking on the mountain, meals will consist of oatmeal, granola, energy bars, trail mix, and freeze-dried type meals such as Mountain House, to stay light. Of course, sheep back straps also often find their way onto the menu!

Destination City: Hunters are asked to arrive to Whitehorse, Yukon, where they will be greeted by the Yukon Stone Sheep outfitter or a driver. Typically, overnight in a hotel and charter from the Whitehorse floatplane base into basecamp the following morning. Overnight in base camp and depart by horseback into sheep country early the next day.

Travel Suggestions: Whitehorse is best reached from connection airports such as Vancouver, Calgary, or Edmonton by major airlines such as Air Canada or WestJet with daily service. Air North also offers limited service 2-4 times weekly from destinations such as Ottawa or Toronto.

Hides and skulls are carefully skinned, labeled and frozen by the outfitter. After the season the outfitter delivers all trophies to their chosen taxidermist in the Yukon who can complete, or prep, certify, crate and deliver trophies to his shipping agent or expeditor in Whitehorse to be shipped internationally. Turnaround times range from 6-9 months.

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