We headed in two days before the opener and moved into our first camp. The forecast was questionable but held off nicely for our ride in.
we spotted a few ewes and lambs that night and were pumped to head up in sheep country. The next morning, we reached the top of a pass and had to rest the horses so we started to glass. It wasn't long before we spotted our first Ram, just a single Ram.
excited about what we have seen so far we took off back down the trail to our next camp. opening morning mike and I hiked up to a shoulder where we knew we would have a good chance of spotting That Ram again. It didn't take more than an hour and a half before i caught him crossing a shale slide out of the corner of my eye, all by him self again. We never got a really good look at him so we took out the spotting scope and decided that he was worth a closer look as he was still quite far away. After a pretty good stalk it ended up that the wind got the best of us and we couldn't get a good look at him.
The next morning we decided to hike up to a different spot to glass some different country.We spotted a bunch of goats and 5 more sheep that morning and afternoon. The weather was great and man what a view up here
The next morning we decided to head into the country we spotted those 5 sheep .It was some awesome country indeed but only ran into a bunch of ewes and lambs. The next day we hiked back up to the same ridge we did the day before and after a few minutes of glassing i looked into the basin with that single ram we have seen twice before and there he was bedded on that same shale slide. we decided to let him be for the afternoon and move camp to explore a bit of different country.
The next morning we rode up to a pass and started our day of hiking. after a few hours we were able to get a peak into the same basin with the single Ram and as we suspected he was still there! I decided that I was gonna try to get another stalk on him and get a good look at his head gear. From what we have seen of him before he looked like a nice ram.
An hours hike and we were in his basin and I was ready for the stalk. I got down in the trees across the creek from him and was able to range up to where he was bedded and he was lying nicely at 400 yards for me. I set up the scope and had a good look and was able to see that he was legal. I counted the annuli and aged him at 7.5 years as well.
I started my stalk across the creek and up the basin to the wash the ram was bedded down in. It felt like an eternity before i finally got over there and got my bearings straight but I was finally ready to make my final stalk. I chambered a 150gr seirra gameking into my .270 win and peaked out the treeline to find out that he Ram already knew I was there, HA! he was in a crazy steep rocky outcrop and I could not get a good enough rest so I dropped my pack and scrambled up the steep slope. The Ram had backed into the corner of the cliff / outcrop and had nowhere to go but left or right. I peaked over the rocks and watched his horns disappear into the cliffs. Knowing he had to show up eventually I set up for the shot and waited.
I had ranged the back of the cliff a while back and knew it was 220 yards. from where I was I figure it to be around 170 yards. It didnt take long before he started to walk up the rock outcrop. He stepped his two front leg onto a ledge and looked at me for a few seconds. I had a good look at him from straight on/ slightly quartering towards and let him have it. BOOOOM, DROP, TUMBLE.
The guys were watching the stalk through their spotting scope and watched him roll down the cliff to where he would finally come to rest. I had just shot my first Big Horn RAM!!!
Now the work began!!!. I wont bore you with the details but 7 hours later we got back to camp.
The next day was spent around camp caping and salting and cleaning up the scull and thank you Richard for the most amazing sheep stew ever!! thanks so much for your help boys.
I have to thank the guys so much for the most amazing, exhilarating, exhausting hunting experience of my life. I could not have done this without each of you!!!!!!
I brought my sheep into fish and wildlife the day we got back and got him registered and plugged. I cant wait to get him on my wall to share the story with friends and family
cheers
My First Ram - Story and Pics
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