Jim Anthony’s Kluane First Nations Special Sheep Permit hunt actually started when his good friend Bart Lancaster and I where hunting cougars together in Williams Lake, B.C. Bart had asked me about the first KFN Permit hunt that was offered in 2006, which I was the guide for, when hunter Ed Rasmuson took a 175 3/8 B&C ram. Bart said he had a friend that might be interested in bidding on the hunt, which was to be offered by FNAWS at the 2007 Western Hunting & Conservation Expo.

It was after that cougar hunt that I got a call from Jim asking for some more information about the hunt, and the area it would take place in etc. After quite a few calls and emails from both Jim and Bart it was decided that Jim would try to be the high bidder at the Salt Lake Convention.

I had spoke with Luke Johnson, the KFN Rep for the Permit hunt about the excitement of the 2007 Auction. Luke and I had become good friends since we met in Reno before the 06 auction of the Permit.

After the shock of Jim being the high bidder for the KFN Permit had wore off, the TEAM was assembled. Bart Lancaster and Willie Hettinger would be along to video and help on the hunt; Luke Johnson would be the KFN Rep; Samuel Johnson also of KFN would be the wrangler/packer; and I from Ruby Range would again be the guide rounding off the team. We all started to think about the logistics of the hunt as time was of the essence to most involve, because of other guiding commitments.

Luke and Samuel had put a string of nine horses together for when I arrived on the 10th of July. We wanted to do some pre-hunt scouting in a part of the permit area that we never got into the year before. We saddled and packed up our string of outfit horses for the long ride into the area, and we made a cash of dry food and supplies, in case we came back into this area to hunt. After four or five days of scouting we then headed back to the trail head to get ready for the arrival of the rest of the team and Jim.

Luke headed to Whitehorse to meet Jim, Bart and Willie and to get groceries and supplies. I headed back into part of the Permit area where we had hunted the year before to set up a spike camp in case we decided to hunt out of this area as well. After picking up groceries and some supplies needed for the hunt from Ryan Leef of Ruby Range, Luke met Jim, Bart and Willie and brought them out to the spike camp I had set-up. Shortly after everyone’s arrival it began to rain, the first rain we had seen since the scouting began. We quickly finished setting up the tents and ate supper. As we had a few days left before we could start the hunt, we once again started to scout the area for rams. With quite a few 2000 to 3000 foot climbs, we soon had most of the old country looked into.

Before opening day we had looked at several rams. Three of the rams we all thought would be of the caliber we where looking for on this hunt. Of the three, one ram had a super long horn and was broomed back on the other. A ram we called “Hoop” was 42 to 43 with good mass all the way to 3rd quarter, a very good looking sheep.

With a plan for opening day set, all that was left to do was to try and get some sleep. However, with the morning came rain and fog. We had a late breakfast, and decided to split up and try to find some part of the range we could glass for rams. Jim, Willie and I headed to the front part of what we called the Hillary Step, while Luke, Bart and Samuel headed to some country we hadn’t looked into since last year. The fog was not letting up, and our group had only spotted two rams at long range so we headed back to the spike camp. After a late lunch and some time reading a book, the weather started to improve. Being enticed by the awesome sheep haunts that were just above camp, and now out of the fog, it was hard to stay put.

While wondering how the rest of the Team was doing with the weather, Samuel suddenly appeared back in camp. They had spotted a NEW player, and wanted us to go and have a look. We all put are gear together and where soon on our way to where Luke and Bart where waiting. As we approached the area we could see a ram on a big rock pinnacle. It didn’t take long to see that it was a good ram. Nearing Bart and Luke you could sense the excitement in their voices and actions. One look in the spotting scope and all I said was what GREAT MASS. This ram had it all and then some. Samuel was to stay in the valley with my orange rain cover from my pack to give us some direction in case the rams moved while we were out of sight on the stalk. Without saying to much more we all started to get ready for the stalk. There where clouds starting to form in the southeast, and the sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. About twenty minutes into the hike it began to rain. With a flash of lighting we all put on our rain gear. As we neared the rock outcropping that we had set out for from the valley floor, the rain had started to let up. This would be our first look at where the rams had been since we had left Samuel. Not seeing them, we glassed down to where Samuel was. He had moved the orange rain cover. The rams had rolled over the top. As we side hilled just off the skyline, we could sneak a look over the rim every so often. Bart had seen a band of five rams way across the drainage feeding on a green hill side. The number of rams in the band was the same as the band we were stalking. We all back tracked to get a better look. With the spotting scope set over a rock Bart and I looked at the band. The big ram was feeding away from us, and was a very good ram, but something just doesn’t seem right. Finally the lead ram turned just enough so I could see that it was broomed back some on its left horn, and there were two more mature rams in the band. This was unlike the four younger rams that where with the ram we were hunting. Wrong band of rams!

We quickly packed up and headed back down the ridge to where we first were. Our second look over the ridge proved to be the lucky one. We saw three young rams in a rock bluff 150 yards below us. They were nervous and slowly milling around. We were trying to figure out which direction the other two rams were from the three we could see. We had the advantage as we were above them, and could see a lot of the side hill they were on. All five rams moved out to about 200 yards. Jim was over the two backpacks ready. At the shot the rams busted and ran. We followed suit and ran down the ridge to keep the upper hand. Setting up for shot number two, it happened quickly. The band disappeared into a cut; we took this time to head down the ridge some more and set up for shot number three. Jim couldn’t find a comfortable position for his legs on the steep side hill. The band was strung out in a line, and Jim set up for the fourth shot. I called out the yardage, and we all heard and watched as the shot was a good one.

As the ram was hung up on the side hill, and the rest of the band was heading out across the valley, we all looked around in disbelief as there was a ram down on day one. After all, only twelve hours earlier we had been in camp and fogged in. As the Team made its way down to the ram, it became apparent very quickly that this wasn’t just a BIG ram, but a Great BIG ram. After some celebrating and photos, we then took off a life size cape and filled the four packs with sheep meat, the cape and horns. The hike off the mountain was surreal; someone said out loud that a heavy pack was a happy pack. Happy! You bet we all were.

Arriving back at camp after midnight, we all marveled at the size of the ram and then slowly one by one headed off to the tents. Blue skies greeted us in the morning; and we had breakfast and broke camp. The hunt for the most part was now over. We got a green score on the ram, of over 182 B&C. The team was again on a high.

The Team consisted of Jim Anthony (hunter); Kelly Wiebe (guide); Luke Johnson (KFN Rep); Samuel Johnson (wrangler/packer); Bart Lancaster (video and hunt assistant); and Willie Hettinger (video and hunt assistant). It was an awesome Team to work with, and the team work from the beginning was unsurpassed. Everyone did their fair share to make sure this was a TRUE HUNT OF A LIFETIME.