Don't Wait: In Memory of Jason Hairston 

Got my Dall sheep at 39 years old, what a hunt. Looking back from 72 I still have the memories and little else. I'm so glad I did it then. I couldn't afford it, had better places for my money I was told, but did it anyway. The better place for the money turned out to be my wife's exit account. My advice is to taste and appreciate life to its fullest as you go along. Tomorrow, a loving family and good health is promised to no one.

Miss you Jason, my friend since kindergarten. Love watching these videos!

Thank you for sharing his last hunt with all of us. His passion is contagious. ... thank you, Jason..... enjoy the view from the highest mountain........ and to all of us DON'T WAIT.

Met in the Anchorage airport on my way north to work on the slope. Took the time to talk with me a random stranger for a few minutes and one of the most genuinely nice, enthusiastic and down to earth individuals I’ve met in the hunting world. Hunting lost a good one, rest easy Jason.

This was by far one of the best videos I have ever seen not only because of the story behind it but the motivation and inspiration that Jason spreads, Jason will always be remembered

He’s gonna always be my inspiration his legacy lives on forever #kuiustrong

Great video and one phrase in the video really struck home "Don't Wait". I have had two people I graduated with not see their 21st birthday. I have seen people who worked hard their whole life an have great plans for retirement die of cancer before they could retire. That is why at by 25 I had hunted Africa. And made a point to hunt out west every year

These videos are so well done. I don't even hunt or really care for the idea of hunting, but they're captivating to me just as a lover of the mountains and the outdoors. This one's especially poignant given what happened a few weeks later. Great work KUIU, and peace to Jason and those who loved him.

That’s a hunt I will be planning. Congratulations JR.

What a fantastic tribute to an innovator of the hunting world. Thanks for putting this together guys. RIP Jason.....

Great video. Still hard to imagine that someone with this kind of success and drive would take his own life, R.I.P. Depression is real, don’t be ashamed to ask for help.

Great man ,great life, this man and Cameron Hanes changed my life, my mind 👏👏👏👏 love you guys. These guys who hold their lives like they wants. ( if you want it come and get it) R.I.P. Jason and Roy. Great hunters

I have no words. I wept during the entire film. Good to see DTJ in the film. RIP Jason.

Thanks for the video crew for showing us your adventures. Well done.

What an awesome hunt, video and experience! Thank you so much for sharing, and of course, THANK YOU Don Jr for what your AMAZING Family is doing for this, the best country in the world!

That was an awesome shot Don Jr. That looked like some hard fun.congratulations..

Such a loss but so glad I watched this great film. The passion in his eyes on the mountain and how he described what made him tick, this is how I'll choose to remember Jason Hairston, some powerful stuff right there.

I got pretty choked up watching this, and I can see in the comments many others have (and will continue to) as well. Such a remarkable human being with such vision and willingness to share his passion. I only know of you Jason through what I've seen or read but I can only imagine you have left a huge gaping hole in the many mates and family members lives since your tragic passing. I know how much my best hunting buddy means to me and I'd be heart broken if he were no longer around... RIP Jason, I hope they have Dall sheep up there too.

Great video to watch at least once a year

Ive watched this several times. The video, music and narration never fail to wet my eyes and stir my heart.

I absolutely loved this video. It resonates with me. I haven’t hunted sheep but have gone after high country elk and have climbed over many shale slides as I put countless miles on my boots. Having great gear is really nice.

I am a Sheep hunter, I can attest to everything Jason said in that hunt about sheep hunting, he is 100 % correct. From being prepared and not waiting and to just do it. I am a B.C. Resident and I can hunt sheep every year. I turned 50 last June and in August 2018, around the same time Jason was on his hunt, my long time sheep hunting partner Rob and I went on another Stone sheep hunt, non guided as usual. We were flown in and dropped off for 8 days. In those 8 days we both took amazing rams and hiked a total of 102 Km or 68 miles and gained 5000 feet of altitude. It was up and down all the time and the smoke from all the forest fires around us made it even more challenging, for glassing and breathing. Prior to hunt, I trained 6 days a week, weight training, running and hiking with a weighted pack. I did that for about 6 months before the hunt. I can tell you it payed off. It makes your hunt more enjoyable. I have taken 3 Stone Sheep myself and have been there when 9 rams over the years have been taken, from Dessert to Rocky Mountain bighorns and they were all hard work, but I loved every minute of those hunts. I was prepared physically and mentally and had the best equipment I could afford. Yes, I used a Kuiu Icon pro 7200 pack and frame on the hunt in August 2018. I watched all of Jason’s videos prior to my hunts on how to pack, what gear to take and how to pack food. All professional advice that you can trust your life on, I have and many others do. Take his advice and if it’s something you have been wanting to do, go for it. You only live once. I wish I could have met Jason. On that hunt in August, I told my partner one day in camp. I am going to call Jason, when we get back and ask him how he keeps his pack under 60lbs. Mines always over 70 lbs. no matter how much I take out. I never got the chance to. I put it off to long. R.I.P. Jason and thank you.

Excellent video and story and people. I met Jason at the CA Kuiu HQ a few years ago when I left the conference I was attending to visit their store. He gave me a tour of their store and back offices. Very nice man, incredible vision and company. He changed the hunting industry. Think about him every time I put on KUIU gear, which is often.

Great video! I spent many years climbing big mountains in the western US, Canada, Alaska, and South America. Many solo, and all hard. There is something that gets in your blood that only huge expanses of space and altitude can satisfy. I gave up that life mostly about ten years ago, but this video started the itch again. Time to see if the legs can give it another go or two.

What I love most about this film is the purity of it. It transcends political preference and distills down to primal human qualities - integrity, perseverance, humility. DTJ politics are not for me, but that's irrelevant in this film. In this film, I saw human beings that EARNED my admiration and inspired me. I never knew anything about KUIU's origins until after watching this film. I'd never even heard of Jason Hairston. Now, I feel I've missed out. Quite an individual! I do know this, my decision about what gear I'm outfitting with is made. KUIU all the way. Though in my mid fifties and just now aspiring to a sheep hunt, Jason's story about his father was a real inspiration. I'm gonna get my legs right, train like hell, and maybe..., just maybe I can experience a great hunt not too unlike this! Thanks KUIU for sharing this. I think maybe I'll be a customer for life.

RIP Jason. Beautiful rams taken by Jason and Don jr. Good to see my old friend Brad treated you well on the hunt. Feels like just yesterday Brad was my wrangler on the prophet river. Good to see he is still giving good memories to great people. What a great video!

Amazing and inspiring video!!! Thank you for sharing this video with us! Sad to see Jason gone. RIP Jason.

GREAT video! RIP Jason. I have to tip my had to Trump Jr.....he appears to be a tough son of a gun to keep up with that crew!

And Jason's point is well taken - never put off til tomorrow what you can do today. Glad he got it done. Thanks Jason. RIP.

Such an amazing film. Jason was an amazing human and positively influenced the lives of so many people including myself. It's hard to believe he is no longer with us. Rest in Peace Jason #KUIUSTRONG

Way to go DJ!!! Great shot.

Excellent film and to bring out the challenges of a sheep hunt in the remote mountains. Rest in Peace Jason!

Nice work Don Jr!

I spent 4 years in the Marine Corps infantry and this looked pretty tough to me even by those standards. You guys are hardcore and the footage was really excellent. Perhaps one day I'll get up there for a sheep hunt. Great video!

Outstanding! Thank you ,KUIU . Mr .Trump Jr . Great hunt ! I hope you run for president after your father .

Beautiful video. Thanks Kuiu. Keep up the hard work.

Thanks Jason for your kind words of Honesty and inspiration RIP with all the other LEGENDS

I am absolutely thrilled that trump jr - from the life style he is from - elects to humble himself in nature and in some gritty MF conditions And came out successful. So thrilled. Apparently I need some kuiu gear

Jason was always inspiring to me. Incredible way to give him a goodbye. Thank you for sharing. #kuiustrong

Great video it's such a good thing to have the President of the United States son with you to show everybody that they are just good human beings too.

Such a beautiful video. It does such a good job at capturing the heart of a true hunter. RIP #kuiustrong

One of the best hunting vids ever

I look at Donald Trump Jr in a new light after watching this video. This is the hardest hunting in the world to do. You go Trump Jr.

Great video, amazing trip, good commentary. Sad loss for his family and friend. RIP

Don Jr is a boss

Such a powerful video.

Always seemed like a genuine guy, loved what he did and provided for the hunting community. He will be missed. Still dumbfounded thinking that he is no longer able to go on anymore hunts.

Jason is a true inspiration.

I was so sorry to hear about his death. He was an inspiration and a true outdoorsman. We lost a good one.

Every time I watch this I get more inspirited to be a better person and have started planning more sheep hunt!

Perhaps the most amazing cinematography in a film of any genre...... an epic memorial to an industry icon! All of us that love wild places and the outdoors have lost a true innovator and friend. What a stunning tribute this film is to his legacy!

Beautiful video and a beautiful memorial you guys! Thanks for having the courage to put something so heart-felt out there in a world that'll probably sling mud on it. The mud is worth the inspiration it will spread to the rest of us. A powerful reminder not to put our dreams on hold! Don't wait

By far your best film so far! Such a tragic loss for the whole industry...

Amazing video and what an extraordinary life this guy led. He was a great mentor and legendary icon. RIP, go get those rams Jason!

Great hunt thank you for sharing Awesome video Hunt of a lifetime

I hunted sheep at the same time in the concession just south of Bonnet Plume. Yes, the weather was terrible. It was a horseback hunt, thankfully for me. One of the hunters from Mexico was completely outfitted in KUIU from socks, sleeping bag, rain gear, everything. Little did he know that 30 miles north of us was Jason Hairston. Sad to hear about Jason's demise. You never know what battles people are going through.

Their camouflage is perfect for that terrain!

I am proud to have hunted with Jason- he was inspiration and I still can’t believe he is gone

Awesome! Great hunt great humor. Absolutely brutal Terrain. I've been in terrain like that I lived in Alaska 7.5 years . Go Trump Jr! I knew Donald Jr was a hunter first time I got to see a hunt. Awesome Hunt! Thanks

No words... incredible.

Beautiful. Hard to watch but inspiring and a great example of a great man.

That camouflage is working. Good job jr. Just like the old man a winner that give up didn't wine and complain. You got it done.

Too early too young, RIP Jason you truly were a inspiration.

This film is unrivaled. I have watched it countless times. Jason is my Jack O'connor - everything I learned about sheep hunting came from Jason and Kuiu. Don Jr and Jason made a great hunt team. #kuiustrong

Truly inspirational. RIP Jason

Great video and tribute To Jason he will be missed .great sheep and Jason rest in peace ✌️

Your editor did an amazing job. Such a powerful video, I love all of it.

Such an incredible video- RIP Jason

What an incredible life. It’s a very sad yet beautiful story of a man and his passion for living life only to be somehow overcome by life as well. There has got to be a way to relay to those suffering with depression that it’s ok. Mental illness is just that an illness. Treatment is available. I will pray for Jason’s family tonight. It struck me like a ton of bricks after watching this video only to see “in Memory” of Jason at the end. So I immediately went to google to see what happened thinking maybe he died of a hunting accident. He seemed like an absolute rock of a man that needed to tell someone he wasn’t. Sad sad sad.

! lived life to the fullest RIP............LEGEND!

Awesome hunt. Awesome trophies. Awesome video. Awesome crew. Thank you, gentlemen.

This is next level. Goosebumps just watching this. Reminds me of hunting in the Iron Range in MN.

Amazing hunt. My "Don't Wait" experience was skiing the Alta and Expert chutes at Jackson Hole, WY over 20 years ago. That...and this hunt, are both way beyond my reach now. RIP Jason. Big tip of the hat to Don Jr. for leaving the comfort zone for this.

Always wanted to visit the Dixon show room to meet him. RIP #kuiustrong

So hard to believe a hunter could commit suicide. Hunting is where I find my peace. It cured my depression 6 years ago and its what I live for today. This guy is a warrior.

Awesome footage. Stunning scenery as well. Reminds me of my own hunting ground. As pointed out in this video......mountain hunting is not a walk in the park. Thumbs up and greets from a subscriber in Norway.

I surfed into this video while researching jackets. What an amazing find! Jason sounds like a remarkable guy!

Wonderful tribute. Great film.

That group hug after Jason shot his ram... RIP Jason

My very first year I went Dall Sheep hunting I got a Nice Ram,1998,seems like a lifetime ago in 2000 I broke my right ankle and movement has been limited since,Im gonna be 60 this month and only wish I could do 1 more before Im not able to,most gut wrenching hunt youll LOVE and have stories forever to tell your kids and grandkids,so like he says,dont wait,GO

awesome video!!! RIP Jason H.

A wonderful reminder that the meter is running, whether it be in regard to the hunt of a lifetime or any other important endeavor. Requiescat In Pace, JH. #dontwait

Great hunt. Glad you had the drive and tje opportunity! Congrats,always wanted to do this but never had the means. Not complaning 68 &have had a great life!

Best film ever. Don’t wait

Amazing Legacy!!!

What a incredible video, thanks for sharing!

A true passion. R.I.P.

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and challenging hunt!

i don't believe this man would take his own life. especially being in the awesome position that he is in...

So Awesome!

There will never be another. #KuiuStrong

May God rest his soul.

Free Range Tahr hunting on the West Coast of New Zealand for me is sole food. Look after one another guys. Nice video!

Both of those rams were magnificent

That’s awesome Jr. I drew a sheep tag back in the 90’s up in the chugach and thought I’d go in and get her done solo. I was wrong after I woke up in my little camp 8 miles in. I’d never hiked with a heavy pack and I had never woke up in a camp with that big of blisters on my feet. It was a good time anyway, but I found out going in solo, you better be an army ranger!!

One of my favourite videos I watch over and over again. So sad he isn’t here anymore

You go for it old man. We may be slower but much wiser. Sheep hunting is about perseverance not speed.

Outstanding video! Damn shame we lost him so soon.

We could all learn something from this man

what an awesome adventure