Tundra's First Sheep Hunt

Sorry everyone, there isn't much of a public version again this year. In summary, it was an amazing and successful sheep hunt. The success wasn't based off of dropping a sheep (that didn't happen), the success was determined by the memories I made with one my best buddies. 

Here are a few tidbits related to hunting with Tundra:

My sheep hunt this year was going to be a little different. I didn’t want a hunting partner because I missed the solidarity of a solo hunt, not depending on anyone, and making all the decisions. On top of this, I have been wanting to take Tundra on a sheep hunt with me for quite a while. Not committing to a sheep hunt with anyone and Tundra’s growing age made this the perfect time to take him on his first sheep hunt. So that was the plan… me and Tundra heading after sheep in the mountains come fall 2020.

On top of me getting in shape, I now needed to get Tundra ready for a mountain hunt. He needed to get in appropriate mountain hiking shape, used to a heavy pack on his back, quiet when he saw animals, and completely obedient at all times.

Tundra is 10 years old, so he isn’t a young pup anymore. I worked hard with Tundra over the summer to prepare him (actually both of us) for the challenge. Getting him in shape was easy. The most difficult part was getting him used to the weight on his back and hiking long distances with it. Tundra suffered a rear, right leg injury in late spring after chasing a tennis ball. This injury had the tendency to flare up and result in a limp after a good session of fetch or a long weighted hike where he started running at some point. I couldn’t put weight on his back when he was hurt, and I had to make sure he was healed before I reintroduced it. I also had to work extra hard to prevent him from running when he had the pack on his back.

The training paid off well. He was physically fit, at a great weight, wasn’t barking when he saw wildlife, and followed commands perfectly. Tundra was trained to follow directly behind or in front of me, depending on the situation. He would also sit/lay and stay for as long as I wanted him to, even if I left his sight. We had hand signals for all of these commands too. This obedience was key for the sheep hunt.

A couple weeks before the hunt, it was unknown if Tundra would be up to tagging along on the hunt due to his nagging leg limp. It wasn’t until a couple days prior to leaving that I felt comfortable taking him with. I was confident his health was in the right place and his presence wouldn’t impact the hunt’s outcome.

Challenges of Hunting with Tundra (A Reflection)

Hunting for sheep is the ultimate hunting challenge in Alaska. Doing it as a walk-in, solo, without any intel makes a successful sheep hunt even more challenging. Add a dog to the mix and the difficulty raises to another level. Below is a list of challenges I experienced adding Tundra in the mix of sheep hunting.

-    I had to pack a bigger tent to fit both of us. A bigger tent meant more weight to pack. Normally if a bigger tent is packed for a pair of hunters, they can share the weight; that wasn’t possible with Tundra.

-    Tundra had no way of staying dry if it rained, he crossed a creek, or brushed up against wet foliage. Knowing this, Tundra could have been soaked at night before getting in the tent. As a result, I had to pack a small towel to assist in drying him off (extra weight). I also had to take a synthetic sleeping bag in case his wet body got my sleeping bag wet. Not being able to take my down sleeping bag meant more weight on my back from using the synthetic bag.

-    To make sure I kept control of Tundra the entire time, he wore his shock collar while hiking. Although I only used it once, it was a necessary item to ensure I had control over him and could correct his impulsiveness (don't worry, I don't electrocute him, it makes audible noises too). Wearing the transmitter around my neck the entire time was both awkward and added extra weight.

-    You can’t tell a dog to drink extra water and prepare for an extended time without it. I could hydrate and load up on water when I knew the upcoming conditions needed it, but communicating this need to Tundra was not possible. To encourage it, I would stop at a creek or drinking puddle for an extended period of time and Tundra would drink more as he settled down and grew tired of me keeping him in one area.

-    Tundra’s pack was bright red! This was an eyesore, and I probably should have tried to spray paint it a different color.

-    Tundra’s hair is light blonde. This made him extremely visible and stuck out among the mountain. If the sun was out, his hair shined and reflected the rays to make him look like a moving beacon.

-    Dogs stink, especially when wet. Scent is one thing you try to control when hunting, but I couldn’t control Tundra’s stench. I bathed him before we left, but his added smell could pose a problem trying to sneak up on game.

-    I had to ensure I knew where he was at all times and had him completely under control the entire time. This got difficult when I was staring in my binoculars or spotting scope, or I was concentrating on hiking safely, or my attention was on sheep.

-    A house dog’s paws are not made for hiking countless miles in the high mountains on scree, shale, and sharp mountain rocks. His paws and pads held up well, but I can only imagine how it felt having those rocks jam into his webbing and pads. I packed dog booties (extra weight) but was only going to use them his paws needed added protection because they would likely reduce traction.

-    Tundra isn’t used to being active for the entire day. Tundra typically sleeps and rests most of the day. Although we went on some long hikes when we trained, there really wasn’t a way to prepare him for consecutive days of never sleeping during the day. This contributed to his fatigue after a long day of hiking.

-    A young pup would have completed the hunt with ease compared to a decade old dog. Tundra already had a bummed, rear, right leg. Although he was in good enough shape to complete the hunt, his nagging injury didn’t help and made several appearances.

-    Dog food is heavy. For me, I have a variety of food I can chose from, and as a result, I take very dense food for efficient weight to calorie ratios. This isn’t possible with dogs. They have sensitive stomachs and changing their food, especially on a demanding trip, is a stomach disaster waiting to happen. We were stuck with his typical food. This food is heavy, bulky, and is not calorie dense.

-    Hiking on steep mountain sides was difficult. If he was below me, I would kick rocks at him that could potentially hit him. I actually have no idea how he didn’t get clobbered a handful of times. I preferred him walking on the upside of the mountain. Although he couldn’t warn me about rocks he kicked lose, at least I knew to try and dive out of the way.

-    You can’t tell a dog to hold their pee or poop. Dogs go to the bathroom whenever and wherever. This can be difficult when scent control is needed for not spooking game.

-    Tundra loves to bark and chase things, especially marmots. Marmots and animals were everywhere but he displayed amazing control.

-    Last, taking care of the dog is an added task that isn’t needed during a typical hunt. The assistance isn’t reciprocated; Tundra never helped around camp!

Hunting with Tundra was amazing. Yes we didn’t bring home a ram, but the hunt was a success. I wanted to make memories with my buddy in the mountains before he got too old to hike and explore with me. For this goal, we succeeded; bringing home a ram would have been icing on the cake. The hunt was rough on him, so I’m not sure we will do another mountain hunt together. Regardless, I will keep taking him with me to do as much as possible until it isn’t possible any longer.