BC Stone Sheep

Day 1

The bush plane dropped David Brinker in sheep country with Athlete, Guide, and Outfitter Dustin Roe and his pack dogs Odin and Sitka. They were joined by Seacat Creative Photographer Steven Drake, Guide Kent McKenzie, and Kent’s hunters Andrew and GT.

As the hum of the float plane faded into the clouds, Kent and his clients shouldered their packs to head east. Dustin, David, Steven, and the dogs went west. They were officially off the grid. No emails, no cell phones. Just one thing on their minds: find sheep.

This was Dustin Roe’s 100th guided sheep hunt, on which his clients had notched 98 tags. Dustin's hardworking, creative approach to hunting landed him a position on our Athlete team from its inception. At just 31 years old, he’s played a crucial role in the development of some of our key products, including the Blizzard series and Timberline pants.

On night one, Dustin pitched camp in the biting wind, the Kelvin Down Jacket and Kelvin Lite Pant proving clutch.

Day 2

Spotting Stone sheep with their dark bodies in rocky terrain proved difficult, but with Dustin Roe’s veteran eyes and David Brinker scanning rock gardens with his 15X binos, they spotted the first ram on the morning of day two, a 3/4 curl.

Just passing through. David Brinker, Dustin Roe, Sitka, and Odin head for distant ranges where the sheep are more abundant.

Dustin's pack dogs, Odin and Sitka (son and father). These incredible pups can pack 35 lbs a piece and can navigate some gnarly terrain. They accompanied the team on every stalk and are surprisingly sneaky and deft in the mountains. They are the perfect companions for a sheep hunt.

As Dustin and David moved into more densely populated sheep country, the weather socked in and the clouds unleashed. Hoping to wait out the storm and remain semi-comfortable, they sought quick shelter under the tarp. As the clouds rolled through they were given a short opening and spotted a band of rams a mile out. Before they could get a good look, the clouds rolled back in covering the sheep. These would be the very rams that guide Kent and his two hunters GT and Andrew would kill later that day. Double down!

As David and Dustin set up tents for the night, two other rams appeared on the opposite mountain. As they grazed along the skyline, it was clear that one was a beauty.

David and Dustin went to bed with high hopes for the morning, and Steven Drake, with both cameras fogging up, had his fingers crossed for nicer weather.

Day 3

At first light of day three, they spotted the beauty, a 9 1/2 year old ram feeding in the bottom of the basin. With no way to get in close, they waited for the ram to make a move.

By mid-afternoon the ram started working his way up the ridge. With David in position, Dustin ranged him at 108 yards.

The sound of the shot kicked off the celebration. David’s first sheep hunt and Dustin's 100th was a success.

Sitka Athlete, Outfitter, and Guide Dustin Roe and our own David Brinker with David’s first sheep. Congrats on officially getting "kicked out" of the <1 Club, Brinker!

The guys packed the ram back to the tents where they shared in the fellowship of the hunt with fellow guide Kent and his hunters, Andrew and GT. After three incredible days backpack hunting in remote B.C., the triplet of beauty rams more than iced the cake.

Day 4

Day four started with 95-pound packs 10 miles from the pickup point...

…and ended on a white sandy beach deep in the heart of British Columbia, waiting on the float plane.