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Hunting Stories and Pictures
Rich's Dall Sheep
I'm happy to report I used my BULL-PAC frame
during a Dall's Sheep
hunt in Alaska this August. A buddy and I hiked 17.5 trail-less miles across mountain tundra
where we then set up a humble camp that was really nothing more than a small nylon
backpack tent. On our first night in camp we saw a sow grizzly and her cub, just one
drainage over, and also watched as a pair of wolves----one black/one white----came right into
our camp (I video taped most of this).
On opening day, I walked alone (my partner's knee was injured) to the 22 mile mark where
I killed a very nice Fannin Ram at 11:30 a.m. After boning the meat,
camping the face, and
preparing the horns, I loaded everything onto my pack frame. It was indeed a heavy load and
the first real test of my frame. It took me 3.5 hrs to cover the four-plus miles back to camp in
a rain storm. After three days of wind, fog, and rain which pinned us down inside our tent, we finally
began packing out. Due to my partner's bum knee, I carried all the boned meat, the horns and
skull, plus all my personal gear. Though I never weighed my pack, I estimate it was between
95-100 lbs, a heavy load indeed. Despite the fact we had to top a 5600-ft peak with heavy
winds and blowing snow, we covered the 17.5 miles in two very long days.
It was no easy pack out but I can tell you I was very satisfied with my frame. For what it's
worth, I took a nylon packsack from one of my old packs and attached it to the
bull-pac frame.
That worked quite well for the entire trip. I especially liked the generous number of
tie-down hooks along the frame. This enabled me to configure my load in various ways for the
long trip out. For example on the second day, I adjusted my load higher on the frame thereby
shifting the burden to other muscle groups.
As an Air Force Survival Instructor, I have spent many years backpacking with students
while teaching survival, and also recreationally while hunting. On a remote hunt such as this
year's sheep hunt, I never doubted my packs structural integrity---I had complete confidence in
it compared to the flimsy by comparison tube style pack frames I've used in the past. Next
year, my wife and I will have a taxidermy display booth at the Fairbanks Outdoor Show in
April; I am tentatively planning on teaching a backpack hunting seminar. I will highly
recommend your frames. I take it you can ship to Alaska no problem? Anyway, thanks again. I'll attach a few pictures----Rich & Cheryl
Hamilton / Brow-Tine
Taxidermy / PO Box 56623 / North Pole, AK / 907-488-4778
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