Alaskan Hunter Scores a Record Dall Sheep
Record Dall sheep have been very scarce in recent years. However one Alaskan resident was lucky to find such a trophy. Bryce McGough from Chugiak, Alaska and his father Mike left their hunting camp in search of a Dall Sheep. They would return to that camp 14 hours later. Bryce and his father had hiked into the Tok Management Area and spent four days hiking, climbing, stalking Dall sheep. Bryce shot the Dall sheep, it was one of the largest he had seen and this was his 7th Dall sheep hunt. Bryce and his father knew it was a prize sheep. They field dressed it and place it in their packs, adding about 80lbs each. Instead of going back the way they had come, they decided to head down a canyon that was in the direction of their camp, hoping it would be an easier hike.
It was starting to get dark, and the two men had only their flashlights to light their way.
It got to the point where I couldn't move anymore," said McGough, a
27-year-old from Chugiak. "At one point I was afraid we wouldn't make it off the
mountain. I was afraid we'd fall asleep and become hypothermic."
The men made a decision to drop their packs, and continue hiking without the
extra weight. They left the packs near a mound of boulders. The next day when
they returned to the top of the ridge, there were mounds of boulders everywhere.
With luck they found their packs again. They grabbed their packs and salvageable
meat and made it back to camp at 10:30 pm.
Currently Bryce is waiting for the drying period before official measurements
can be taken. Carl Brent of Wasilla, an official scorer for Boone and
Crockett, measured the horns shortly after the McGoughs returned from their hunt
and scored it an unofficial 173 4/8. If this score holds after the 60 day
drying this Dall sheep will be in the records as 123rd largest. Dall sheep are
only hunted in a few areas in Alaska and Canada.
Bryce had never seen one with the curls like the one he harvested. The
ram he bagged in Tok had a full curl and then some. Each horn measured 44 2/8
inches and each base measured 14 inches, according to Brent's score sheet.
From TheNewsTribune.com
It got to the point where I couldn't move anymore," said McGough, a
27-year-old from Chugiak. "At one point I was afraid we wouldn't make it off the
mountain. I was afraid we'd fall asleep and become hypothermic."
The men made a decision to drop their packs, and continue hiking without the
extra weight. They left the packs near a mound of boulders. The next day when
they returned to the top of the ridge, there were mounds of boulders everywhere.
With luck they found their packs again. They grabbed their packs and salvageable
meat and made it back to camp at 10:30 pm.
Currently Bryce is waiting for the drying period before official measurements
can be taken. Carl Brent of Wasilla, an official scorer for Boone and
Crockett, measured the horns shortly after the McGoughs returned from their hunt
and scored it an unofficial 173 4/8. If this score holds after the 60 day
drying this Dall sheep will be in the records as 123rd largest. Dall sheep are
only hunted in a few areas in Alaska and Canada.
Bryce had never seen one with the curls like the one he harvested. The
ram he bagged in Tok had a full curl and then some. Each horn measured 44 2/8
inches and each base measured 14 inches, according to Brent's score sheet.
From TheNewsTribune.com
