Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Dynamite
Nube, please elaborate a little bit more on this. It's sparked my attention for sure, but what do you use? Bivy bag with goretek cover? Hammock? What do you do for rain/snow?
It sounds like I need to try what you are doing, as my bag, pad, tent just take up way too much room. No way in the world I could get a ram out as well
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Ive done it all. When I solo hunt I have used gortex bivy sack with light sleeping bag. I have done a hammock which I do like. They weigh nothing and keeps you off the ground. I have done the hammock with a light tarp over me and slept in my clothes. Keeps rain off but if it's cold it's hard to dress warm this way. I have slept under rock overhangs with a fire all night. Slept a few hrs and then try and warm up. Nap during the day while waiting for a ram to show and carry on over the next ridge till you find the rams.
In reality I can't do what I used to be able to. I am too old at 42 to hunt like I used to. It used to be all out and live on the mountain and run over as many ranges as I could but I just can't do it now.
I have never weighed a rams head and cape but I would bet an easy 30-40 pounds or so..... add the meat and really how much weight can a guy carry?
These guys that say they carry hundred pound packs for miles and miles and miles are either way tougher than I knew possible or full of it.
I weighed 170 pounds at my peak back when I hunted sheep hard. I don't know many guys that can carry more than half their weigh for very far.
One spot I hunt and have killed rams is 16km in and 16 back to the truck from base camp.
Can you find rams next tot he road? Sure you can! Is your chance of success that high? Not really. How many people drive up and down the highway in K country spotting from the truck? You think you are going to get many rams hiding out from guys like that! but yes it is possible.
Key to sheep hunting is know your area well, have good number of sheep, not readily acessable by the crowds, know the hidy holes where sheep go when pressured. Know mineral licks and grass holes that are out of site and hidden. Lots in the bush like this that hold sheep but they can easily get away if needs be. I shot a ram in a creek that was 30 yards across and steep walls on each side. It was also near the bottom of the mountain but the sheep ran up and down this creek and lived down low where it was cooler, had water, grass along the creek and it had rock sheer cliffs on the creek to get away from the wolves. There was sheep poop all over. I hunted them like whitetails.
Basically know your sheep and the area they frequent. Learn the travel routes.
The biggest mistake is to not learn an area and give up and move to a knew area... unless there are just no rams that live there of course.