Kathleen's (aka- Aksheephuntress) Sheep Hunt, ALASKA


buckee

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The People Demand Updates!!!!!

:D:D:p
I think Buckee's holding out on us!!! :mad: I can't believe she hadn't called yet, I think she whacked him (the sheep, not Buckee :D) and she'll be posting the whole story herself, with lots of pics, late tonight or tomorrow!! :)

So, that being said, Let me be the first, right after buckee of course, :rolleyes: to congratulate you on a great ram!! I can't wait to see the pics!! ;):)

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Quote:

Originally Posted by stevebeilgard viewpost.gif

days there are now shortened to about 18 hours of hunting. (really) i think they are busy caping & packing meat. we'll see what tomarrow brings....

I agree :)

You guys must be right, because I never heard from here again today. I'm just hoping there is no need for concern, and maybe they had to camp up in the snow last night.

I was really surprised not to hear anything today, so I hope she either calls later on tonight, or first thing in the morning. Believe me .. If I new something, I'd let you all know.

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UPDATE: Aug 14 10:00pm (9:00pm AK time)

Kathleen Just called.

They are both tired and worn out. They've traveled more than 17 miles in the last 2 days, all uphill and downhill in the most treacherous terrain imaginable. They did manage to see 2 trophy rams yesterday, but too far away to shoot. They figured they should try for a stalk which took them to the top of a mountain where they had to use ropes to cross over to another peak, only to not be able to locate the 2 rams, after that.

Then last evening on the way down, they had a severe thunderstorm, which got them soaking wet. When they reached the river, it was higher than when they had crossed before, and they had difficulty remembering where they stashed their waders, because things just looked different. Then as they were crossing, the water came up over Kathleen's wader's and she ended up getting swept off her feet, and swept down river for a ways, before recovering, soaked to the bone..

They hunted today also, only to find a fresh young moose kill, with huge Grizzly tracks around it. They just got back to camp, with severe winds blowing down through the valley. As you can see on the maps above, the Gerstle river has a huge sandbar, where they are at, and she said it is a whiteout of blowing sand right now. I could hear the wind whistling through the phone, and got disconnected 3 times .:(

They are very low on food, the river is rising, and they have to get out now, before it gets any worse.

I've been keeping track of the weather forecast for them, and it doesn't look good. The weather up in the mountains can be a lot different than down below also.

Needless to say, Kathleen did not get her dream sheep yet, but has "Not" given up. They do have to get out of this area now though, and put an end to this particular hunt.

She asked me, to ask all of you, to please pray for their safety, on the way out especially now, because of the rising river. It will be extremely treacherous :(

I prayed with her on the phone, but they can use all the prayers we can muster right now.

It will be a successful hunt, just to get out safely now :(

She said she will call tomorrow, so I know they are safe. I don't mind saying, I'm a little worried and by the sound of her voice, she is too.

Delta Junction, AK Weather Forecast

7:51 PM AKDT WED AUG 14 2008

TONIGHT - Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms in the evening. Lows around 45. South winds 10 to 20 mph.

FRIDAY - Mostly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 65 to 70. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

FRIDAY NIGHT - Mostly cloudy with scattered rain showers. Isolated thunderstorms in the evening. Lows 40 to 50. Southwest winds around 10 mph.

SATURDAY - Mostly cloudy with scattered rain showers. Highs 70 to 75. Light winds.

SATURDAY NIGHT - Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Lows near 40.

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That spill in the river could have been fatal. One of the guys that fished with us at the same river hole we used to frequently fish in college took a similar spill. We weren't there when it happened. Same thing, his waders filled and he went for a ride. He didn't survive it. They found him a couple days later pushed under an undercut rock downstream. He was crossing the same stretch in the same spot that we all had done dozens of times before. It never occurred to us how bad it could be if we slipped.

Now that water up there where Kathleen is, is very cold too. Hypothermia in July could really happen. I'm shivering just thinking about a dip in one of those rivers.

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