Member's Hunt: Alaska Birthday Combo Hunt

by
posted on October 2, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
mh_alaska_birthday.jpg

By Ernie Hedrick, Collegeville, Pa.

“He is the third ram from the left ... facing us and well past full curl. That is the one we want,” whispered my guide, Brad Patterson, on a brisk and bright beautiful morning in the Alaska Range west of Denali National Park. I was lying prone on a patch of lichen with a group of seven Dall rams feeding contently 400 yards away. Two of the rams were at least full curl with one appearing to go far past that. The wind was steady and in my face as I glassed the bright white rams against a backdrop of snowcapped peaks arching high into the fall sky. I was ready to take the longest and most important shot of my hunting lifetime, and I took a few deep breaths in a failed effort to slow down my rapidly beating heart.

I was hunting with Litzen Guide Service out of McGrath, Alaska, for sheep, black bear and grizzly. I had met Mike Litzen during an earlier hunt in Southeast Alaska and kept in touch with him, finally booking the combo hunt in March of 2014.

August came fast and I felt prepared. I had worked out my 57-year-old body intensely all summer and also shot my Browning 300 magnum at distances out to 300 yards. Being a whitetail hunter from Pennsylvania, shots over 100 yards at big game were rare, though I knew I needed to be prepared to accurately shoot longer distances for sheep in Alaska.

After arriving at camp I found out that Mike, our pilot, was weathered in near Kenai so we decided to hunt black bear and wolves right out of the main camp. We had glassed some nice-size bears from our airstrip that day and listened to wolves howl around our camp all night so we knew the animals were there. On the second day of my hunt, we were calling to some wolves and spotted a nice-size bear a good distance away and began a stalk. After several miles and some intense glassing, we located the bruin feeding in a depression next to an alder patch. We stalked up to within 80 yards and I shot the beautiful 6-foot, 10-inch black bear as he emerged from the brush. 

While we were skinning the bear Mike’s plane landed at camp. We hiked back quickly to pack up and head into sheep country. The flight on the Super Cub was picturesque and before I knew it, we were landing on a saddle between two snowcapped peaks. The next morning we crossed a stream, climbed an adjacent mountain and sat down to glass for the ram of my dreams. Little did I know he was just 3 miles away. We had sheep spotted in three different directions with one visible legal ram to our west. We were hesitant because of the wind, but when the sun broke through, the wind changed, allowing us to begin our stalk.

After we traversed a few shale slopes and depressions, we came upon the band of seven Dall rams. I readied for my shot, compensating for the range, and held slightly over the monster ram as he quartered away. I slowly squeezed off the first shot and immediately saw that I had hit the ram hard.

“Great shot, shoot him again,” said Brad as I racked another round and shot a second time at the now broadside Dall. With the sound of the second shot, I saw the ram crumple and I realized that one of my hunting dreams had just come true. Little did I know that upon reaching the ram he would have horns that stretched the tape to 39¾ inches with a 29-inch spread! I was truly in awe of this magnificent specimen.

Brad and I spent the next nine days, including my 58th birthday, chasing around a huge mountain grizzly that seemed to be lucky or just plain smarter than we were. But as I boarded the plane to fly back to the main camp and then civilization, I knew that I was both fortunate and lucky to have experienced the beauty and wilderness that is the western Alaska Range.

Do you have an exciting, unusual or humorous hunting experience to share? 
Send your story (800 words or less) to [email protected] or to American Hunter, Dept. MH, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA. 22030-9400. Please include your NRA ID number.  Good quality photos are welcome. Make sure you have permission to use the material. Authors will not be paid, and manuscripts and photos will not be returned. All material becomes the property of NRA.

Latest

Lasagna Soup Lede 3
Lasagna Soup Lede 3

Recipe: Venison Lasagna Soup

Lasagna is comfort food for many, and an energy-rich meal for hunters spending the entire day afield. To shorten the cook time and enjoy the same flavors, try this excellent lasagna soup recipe from Brad Fenson.

New for 2025: Chiappa 86 Wildlands Angle Ejection Takedown

Chiappa has continued its tradition of producing fine modern firearms with a pedigree in the past, with the 86 Wildlands Angle Ejection Takedown, a lever-action worth a closer look.

How To Use Trail Cameras to Find More Bucks and Bulls

Get some tips from Scott Haugen on how to optimize your trail cam grid this season.

New for 2025: Davidson's Exclusive Bergara B-14 FSP Hunter Stainless

Davidson’s has collaborated with Bergara to produce the first complete Bergara rifle with a stainless-steel barreled action available in the USA.

New for 2025: Leica USA Rangemaster CRF Max

Leica Sport Optics USA has unveiled the Leica Rangemaster CRF Max. Designed for hunters and long-range shooters who demand precision and reliability, the CRF Max combines Leica’s optical performance with cutting-edge digital integration and a new heads-up display.

Boone and Crockett Club Poaching Data Published

Did you know that the majority of wildlife violations never result in citations? Sure, with so much ground to cover, it may be easy to guess that most violations committed deep in the backcountry will never see the light of day, but the scale is still quite surprising. 

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.