Justin Shaffer's Dall Sheep Hunting Gear List
There are many factors that go into having a successful sheep hunt.
Obviously physical preparation should be near the top of the list, but I feel having the right gear selected for the time of year and area you’re going to hunt in can be just as important, if not more depending on the conditions you're facing.
When I’m choosing my gear, it’s based off mostly two factors. The first and most important is the time of year I’ll be hunting and the second is the length of the hunt.
The time of year is more important because it’ll dictate the potential weather and temperatures that you’ll encounter thus driving your clothing selection. With any mountain backpack type hunt, weight should always be in the forefront of your mind. Grams equals ounces, ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain when its attached to your back for a week or more. Balancing weight, versus need, versus want, is always tough in these types of hunts.
It’s important to have a system in place that breaks this balance versus reward down for you to get the most bang for your buck out of your gear selection.
Below is the breakdown of what my gear choices consist of for my 2021 Alaska Dall sheep hunt this August. I’m heading into the north central part of the state along the Alaska, Canadian border in the Wrangell Mountains.
Typical temperatures this time of year will range anywhere between 30 to 60 degrees and it’s not uncommon to see snow, rain and sleet.
What’s great about this set up, is the versatility of the “skin to shell” layering system and its ability to be utilized across a wide spectrum of weather conditions and hunting areas. This will be very similar to my setup on my September Moose and October Goat hunts this season.
This gear list has been tested in the worst conditions mother nature can throw at you and I know with confidence it’ll work anywhere I hunt this fall.
DALL SHEEP HUNTING GEAR LIST
TOP
BOTTOM
- Chugach TR Rain Pant
- Kutana Stretch Woven Pant
- Super Down LT Pant
- Peloton 118 Zip-off Bottom
- Strongwool Hybrid Crew Sock (3 Pairs)
- ULTRA Merino Boxer Brief (2 Pair)
- Kutana Storm Gaiter
- Climbing Belt
GLOVES
HEADWEAR
PACK
- PRO LT 7000 Full Kit
- Pack Rain Cover (Large)
SHELTER
- Storm Star 2 Person Tent
- Super Down Altai 15F Sleeping Bag
- Sea to Summit Ether Light XT sleeping pad
GEAR
- Platypus 3L Hoser (2)
- Havalon W/10 60A Blades
- Petzl Reactik Headlamp with extra set of lithium batteries
- 1-quart water bottle (2)
- HD Roll Top Dry Bags (1 S, 1 M, 1 XL)
- Zip Dry Bags (3 S, 1 M)
- Extreema Bag (1 S)
- Quarter Game Bag (1 L)
- Leki Aluminum Trekking Poles
- MSR Hyperflow Water Filter Pump
- JetBoil Stove with extended folding spoon
OPTICS/ TECH
- PRO Bino Harness (XL)
- Rangefinder Holder 2.0 (2)
- Swarovski 10x42 El Range Binoculars with Outdoorsman Binocular Stud Adapter
- Swarovski ATX 20-60x65mm spotting scope
- Outdoorsman Binocular Adapter
- Microfiber Lens Cloth
- Leica 1000R Rangefinder
- Manfrotto Befree carbon tripod with Outdoorsmans Micro Pan Head
- Garmin Inreach Mini
- iPhone 15 PRO Max w/ Phone Scope adapter
PERSONAL
- Chap stick
- Sunblock
- Small pack of wet wipes
- Bug head net
- Wind checker
- Meds and kit
- Lighter
- 50 feet ultralight cord
- Sunglasses
- 2 pairs Rubber gloves (skinning)
- Tenacious, Gorilla and electrical Tape
- Sewing needle and thread
- Crocs
- Wiggy ultralight waders
