AI Summary
5 min readEvery step Cameron Hanes took in northern British Columbia this past September was a reminder that stone sheep hunting with a bow is not just hard — it is, by his own account, three or four times harder than he expected. And he expected it to be hard. The hunt lasted 22 days door to door, with 15 days of active hunting before he finally got a shot. The result was a giant old ram taken at 57 yards, on one hip, in the wind, with the animal staring at him. But the story is less about the kill than about everything that had to break — physically, mentally, and spiritually — for that moment to happen.
The hunt that almost ended before it started
The trip began with three flights to Smithers, a long drive, and then a bush plane that turned back on opening day because of a wall of clouds. That delay, frustrating at the time, turned out to be a blessing in the Chinese-proverb sense that Hanes and his cameraman Eric discussed throughout the trip. If the weather had held, they would have been packed into remote country when outfitter Kurt McGee's throat swelled shut. McGee could not swallow; his airway was closing. Hanes, who has no medical training, had already accepted that he might have to perform a tracheotomy. Instead, they got McGee to a small medical facility at 2 a.m., where a doctor lanced whatever was blocking his throat, and he was fine. "So that was the Chinese proverb,"
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:24) **Hunt Setup & First Impressions** - Cameron and his crew recap the start of their Northern BC stone sheep hunt, including the travel and initial challenges.
- 2 (07:22) **The Blessing in Disguise** - The weather delay is revealed as a fortunate turn of events when outfitter Kurt McGee suffers a medical emergency.
- 3 (10:26) **Brutal Pack-In & First Week** - The crew packs into the backcountry, facing a grueling 10-mile hike with heavy packs and no trail.
- 4 (13:44) **Mosquito Hell & Strategy Shift** - The hunt is plagued by relentless mosquitoes, and the team decides to move to a new mountain range after finding no shooter rams.
- 5 (19:55) **Spotting the Target Ram** - A break in the clouds allows the crew to finally spot a big ram, instantly revitalizing the team's morale.
- 6 (21:44) **First Stalk & Missed Opportunity** - Cameron gets within 32 yards of the big 9-year-old ram on his first stalk, but a younger rams spooks the group.
- 7 (29:41) **The Long Search & The Coliseum** - After the blown stalk, the big rams disappear for days, forcing the crew to cover every inch of country to relocate them.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Join Cam and James for a conversation about Cam’s recent Stone Sheep Hunt in British Columbia. They’ll cover troubles in traveling, the kill shot, hardships of hunting the mountains for 15 days and how it’s changed their faith, and more!
Follow along:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameronrhanes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cameronhanes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camhanes/
Website: https://www.cameronhanes.com
Timestamps:
00:00:00 – A Rough Start to the Hunt: Travel & Hiking
00:13:41 – Week 1: 10 Sheep, Mosquitos from Hell, &
00:21:22 – Day 7: 32 Yards from a 9 Year Old Ram
00:27:14 – The Colosseum: Back to Square One
00:35:54 – Kurt’s Faith & Certainty
00:39:38 – Day 15: The 59 Yard Kill Shot
00:45:55 – Sacrifice, Precision Planning, & Unknown Problems During Hunting
00:53:37 – The Old Man and the Sea
00:58:06 – Fred Bear Country & the Fellowship of the Hunt
01:59:03 – More Than Just a Hunt & Getting Baptized
01:06:04 – James’ Predictions on the Hunt
01:11:11 – Messages From Home
01:13:34 – Championing Hunt Stories for Future Generations
01:14:55 – Comparing Worth vs Success
01:18:22 – Remembering Roy Roth
01:22:59 – James’s Effort and Dedication to his Work & Fitness
01:27:19 – Final Thoughts & Shoutout to Reg Collingwood
Thank you to our sponsors:
Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/ Use code KEEPHAMMERING for 10% your order
Montana Knife Company: https://www.montanaknifecompany.com/ Use code CAM for 10% off
LMNT: Visit https://drinklmnt.com/cam for a free sample pack with any purchase
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