We are excited to share the winner of the Best Photo Story category from our first-ever Exo Experience Photo Contest.
We created this contest to engage with our customers and encourage them to document and share all aspects of their hunting adventures. While trophy photos from a successful hunt are great, a trophy photo alone does not capture the essence of the hunt experience.
The Exo Experience Photo Contest had three categories this year — Best Photo Story, Best Pack Photo, and Best Moment Captured.
Below, we share the winning submission for Best Photo Story. Submissions for this category were to capture a complete hunt story, using up to 10 photos to "tell" the story of the hunt. The submissions were judged based on creativity, execution, and the quality of the images and story.
"A Dall Sheep hunt became a reality when I drew a nonresident permit in Alaska. This was an unguided hunt, as I was accompanied by my brother-in-law, who is an Alaskan resident.
Having only ever dreamed of a hunting sheep, the reality set in when the draw results were released. We immediately began preparing — physically and mentally — and also increasing our knowledge of sheep, and deciding on critical gear.
We also spent a day with a local biologist, who demonstrated how to judge for Full Curl and count Annuli, so that we could be fully prepared to judge a legal ram to harvest.
After 8 days of hunting that included covering 50+ miles, climbing over 20,000' of elevation, and passing many sub-legal rams, my well-placed shot at 610yds dropped a 9-year-old ram. He tumbled off some cliffs and landed on a glacier. The fall broke one horn off, which we recovered on a nearby snow field.
This hunt was a massive team effort, and I am so thankful for all the amazing people this hunt brought into my life and the sheep knowledge they shared with me. There is nothing like friendships bonded by the pursuit!
Thank you, Exo, for the fantastic pack and all of the podcasts loaded with information that helped me find success in the Alaska mountains on this once-in-a-lifetime hunt."
—Kenny N.
Congratulations, Kenny!
As the winner of Best Photo Story, Kenny is receiving a $2,500 cash prize from Exo Mtn Gear, the SIG ZULU6 Image-Stabilized Binocular, and a Marsupial Bino Harness. He will also join us on the Hunt Backcountry Podcast to share his hunt story.
If you want to learn more about future contests and giveaways, sign up for our Exo Insider email list.