Yukon Mike
Well-known member
He needs to have it in Monday for the banquet, so I helped him finish it up. Apparently they don't teach keyboarding in gr 6 up here. I was happy to help him, but it took like two hours for him to tell me EVERY detail.
: ) He was pretty proud to show Jane around our secret spot.
Here's his version of what happened. The hunt was this past Aug. If I have time I'll add a few pictures tomorrow, but I gotta hit the hay for tonight. I'm beat.
My Sheep Hunt Aug 2008
By Mac Prawdzik Age 11
This year I went on a fly-in sheep hunt with my mom (Jane Wilson), by friend Marcus, and his dad Jud.
Day 1
We took off Schwatka at about 7:30 and landed about 8:00. On the way in we saw 7 sheep, but they were all too young.
When we got there we set up camp, me and Marcus got water and played for a while in the creek. After that we had a snack, played cards, and went to bed.
Day 2
Day two was scouting day. We woke up at about 5:30, had breakfast and started walking. Me and my mom went up one hill and Jud and Marcus went up another. Me and my mom started at about 6:00 AM to hike up one hill and all along the ridge and came back.
On the way up the hill we saw 1 pika and a marmot. When we got to the top we had a rest and a little snack. During our little rest I took some pictures of flowers and scenery. After our break we started walking again. While we were hiking we saw another pika and close to 12 ptarmigan. After hiking for a while it got really socked in. It was so foggy we decided to head back to camp. After walking for about 5 – 10 minutes, the fog lifted all of a sudden and we could see again. So we started hiking our original route. After a while we stopped for a rest at a little “castle” to have a snack and do some spotting. During our rest we saw 4 ewes and 3 lambs on the ridge Marcus and Jud were walking on, but no rams. We also fed a pika!
After our rest we started walking again. We walked and took pictures until we came to the end of the ridge. We looked down the hill to see it was rather steep. We walked along the end of the ridge that led out onto a little spine which we could do some glassing from. We hiked out onto the spine and when we got to the end sat down, had a snack and I found an eagle feather. After our snack, we hiked back to camp, seeing nothing, except another pika. I got really close to him, but got no pictures.
Jud and Marcus hadn’t seen any rams on their walk either.
Day 3 Opening Morning
We woke up at about 5:00 AM, I skipped breakfast, and started hiking. We decided to walk to the next valley over, where we had seen rams other years, but hadn’t been able to shoot any. It was a long slog on a muddy horse trail. We had sun, clouds, and fog, and after all most three hours of steady walking we were on top of the next mountain. We saw nothing. We had a long break and Marcus and I tried to make a little fire in a cave we found. We couldn’t get it lit, but we made smoke.
We decided to hike higher to do some glassing, and saw more nothing. Walking down in an open saddle, my mom thought she saw 3 sheep below and to the side of us in the same valley. We hit the dirt and got out the spotting scopes to find that there were 10 sheep all together, and 7 were rams. We watched them for 7 hours. From that spot, and then we snuck closer for a better look. We got about 120 yards from them looking straight down, and Jud was sure none were legal.
Marcus was quite disappointed, but we didn’t want to take the chance on a ram that wasn’t full curl. We headed back to camp under clouds and cold, had supper, and me and Marcus played in the creek until it was time to pile in the tent. I slept pretty good.
Day 4
We went back and looked at the same group of rams for about an hour, and determined 100% that there were no shooters. So Jud let me and Marcus see if we could sneak up on them for fun. After we snuck about 10 feet, the sheep jumped up and ran full tilt to a cliff. I think they ran because they smelled us from not showering, or maybe just Marcus’ breath.
Walking back along the top of a ridge, me and Marcus played and explored some castles and found some really neat caves. By that time the sun was out and the sky was blue. We found a really cool castle! You could stay there if you had too. The whole thing was about the size of our gym, with lots of caves. Me and Marcus could both fit inside one crevasse. One was a square tunnel, big at one end and small at the other. The small end was like a window that a little kid might fit through, and the big end we could easily fit in. I took a picture.
We took our time walking home and got to our tent 12 hours after we had left. Supper, sleep.
Day 5
It was our last full day, so we woke up early again, and we decided there was no where left to look for sheep except the mountain Jud and Marcus had walked on scouting day. The weather was fair and cloudy. We walked up the hill, through the tangled willow mess, up the ridge where the fake sheep are (white rocks), close to a snow patch to glass. That took a while.
Seeing nothing, Marcus and I went butt scooting on the snow patch. I was wearing rain pants so I didn’t get too wet. It was fun! We went on our bellies too to get more speed and made tracks like otters. The tracks left pink streaks on the snow. Weird.
When we got back to Jud and my mom, we looked back to see the snow patch looked like sheep tracks going up, otters going down, and caribou going across from where we side hilled it.
Marcus wanted to show me a little stone wind-break he and his dad had found two years before. It was really neat! Me and Marcus played a game called sheep hunter to pass the time and then we walked back to camp. On the way, we rolled down the hill, with our packs on, and found massive bear digging the size of a man. He must have been going after a marmot or something. We never saw the bear.
We ate supper, played in the creek, and went to bed.
Day 6 Plane Day
We slept in a bit, and woke up to a nice sunny day. We packed up camp, moved the stuff to the edge of the lake and waited for the plane. To pass the time, Marcus and I played in the creek and watched a gopher that steals from our camp. One time he climbed right up on Marcus’ knee to steal hot chocolate. One year he went right into our tent to steal hot chocolate! We caught him with his head in a bag of bagels one time too. I’m sure it’s the same gopher, and Marcus named him Robert the Robber.
We had a great time. Can’t wait until next year!
Mac
Typed by Mike (dad)
This is Robert trying to sneak past marcus.
View attachment 100_0267.jpg
View attachment 100_0267.jpg
: ) He was pretty proud to show Jane around our secret spot.
Here's his version of what happened. The hunt was this past Aug. If I have time I'll add a few pictures tomorrow, but I gotta hit the hay for tonight. I'm beat.
My Sheep Hunt Aug 2008
By Mac Prawdzik Age 11
This year I went on a fly-in sheep hunt with my mom (Jane Wilson), by friend Marcus, and his dad Jud.
Day 1
We took off Schwatka at about 7:30 and landed about 8:00. On the way in we saw 7 sheep, but they were all too young.
When we got there we set up camp, me and Marcus got water and played for a while in the creek. After that we had a snack, played cards, and went to bed.
Day 2
Day two was scouting day. We woke up at about 5:30, had breakfast and started walking. Me and my mom went up one hill and Jud and Marcus went up another. Me and my mom started at about 6:00 AM to hike up one hill and all along the ridge and came back.
On the way up the hill we saw 1 pika and a marmot. When we got to the top we had a rest and a little snack. During our little rest I took some pictures of flowers and scenery. After our break we started walking again. While we were hiking we saw another pika and close to 12 ptarmigan. After hiking for a while it got really socked in. It was so foggy we decided to head back to camp. After walking for about 5 – 10 minutes, the fog lifted all of a sudden and we could see again. So we started hiking our original route. After a while we stopped for a rest at a little “castle” to have a snack and do some spotting. During our rest we saw 4 ewes and 3 lambs on the ridge Marcus and Jud were walking on, but no rams. We also fed a pika!
After our rest we started walking again. We walked and took pictures until we came to the end of the ridge. We looked down the hill to see it was rather steep. We walked along the end of the ridge that led out onto a little spine which we could do some glassing from. We hiked out onto the spine and when we got to the end sat down, had a snack and I found an eagle feather. After our snack, we hiked back to camp, seeing nothing, except another pika. I got really close to him, but got no pictures.
Jud and Marcus hadn’t seen any rams on their walk either.
Day 3 Opening Morning
We woke up at about 5:00 AM, I skipped breakfast, and started hiking. We decided to walk to the next valley over, where we had seen rams other years, but hadn’t been able to shoot any. It was a long slog on a muddy horse trail. We had sun, clouds, and fog, and after all most three hours of steady walking we were on top of the next mountain. We saw nothing. We had a long break and Marcus and I tried to make a little fire in a cave we found. We couldn’t get it lit, but we made smoke.
We decided to hike higher to do some glassing, and saw more nothing. Walking down in an open saddle, my mom thought she saw 3 sheep below and to the side of us in the same valley. We hit the dirt and got out the spotting scopes to find that there were 10 sheep all together, and 7 were rams. We watched them for 7 hours. From that spot, and then we snuck closer for a better look. We got about 120 yards from them looking straight down, and Jud was sure none were legal.
Marcus was quite disappointed, but we didn’t want to take the chance on a ram that wasn’t full curl. We headed back to camp under clouds and cold, had supper, and me and Marcus played in the creek until it was time to pile in the tent. I slept pretty good.
Day 4
We went back and looked at the same group of rams for about an hour, and determined 100% that there were no shooters. So Jud let me and Marcus see if we could sneak up on them for fun. After we snuck about 10 feet, the sheep jumped up and ran full tilt to a cliff. I think they ran because they smelled us from not showering, or maybe just Marcus’ breath.
Walking back along the top of a ridge, me and Marcus played and explored some castles and found some really neat caves. By that time the sun was out and the sky was blue. We found a really cool castle! You could stay there if you had too. The whole thing was about the size of our gym, with lots of caves. Me and Marcus could both fit inside one crevasse. One was a square tunnel, big at one end and small at the other. The small end was like a window that a little kid might fit through, and the big end we could easily fit in. I took a picture.
We took our time walking home and got to our tent 12 hours after we had left. Supper, sleep.
Day 5
It was our last full day, so we woke up early again, and we decided there was no where left to look for sheep except the mountain Jud and Marcus had walked on scouting day. The weather was fair and cloudy. We walked up the hill, through the tangled willow mess, up the ridge where the fake sheep are (white rocks), close to a snow patch to glass. That took a while.
Seeing nothing, Marcus and I went butt scooting on the snow patch. I was wearing rain pants so I didn’t get too wet. It was fun! We went on our bellies too to get more speed and made tracks like otters. The tracks left pink streaks on the snow. Weird.
When we got back to Jud and my mom, we looked back to see the snow patch looked like sheep tracks going up, otters going down, and caribou going across from where we side hilled it.
Marcus wanted to show me a little stone wind-break he and his dad had found two years before. It was really neat! Me and Marcus played a game called sheep hunter to pass the time and then we walked back to camp. On the way, we rolled down the hill, with our packs on, and found massive bear digging the size of a man. He must have been going after a marmot or something. We never saw the bear.
We ate supper, played in the creek, and went to bed.
Day 6 Plane Day
We slept in a bit, and woke up to a nice sunny day. We packed up camp, moved the stuff to the edge of the lake and waited for the plane. To pass the time, Marcus and I played in the creek and watched a gopher that steals from our camp. One time he climbed right up on Marcus’ knee to steal hot chocolate. One year he went right into our tent to steal hot chocolate! We caught him with his head in a bag of bagels one time too. I’m sure it’s the same gopher, and Marcus named him Robert the Robber.
We had a great time. Can’t wait until next year!
Mac
Typed by Mike (dad)
This is Robert trying to sneak past marcus.
View attachment 100_0267.jpg
View attachment 100_0267.jpg
