2025 Colorado Bighorn Sheep Hunt

[jwatts]

Looking at that first shot more closely, that is so unlucky to have gone through what you did. It looks like the bullet went just under the spine on a pretty level path thru. A smidge higher and that animal is anchored on the ground where it stood. A smidge lower and his lungs would have collapsed and he wouldn't have gone far. A smidge further forward and both shoulder blades would have been destroyed and he couldn't be able to run anywhere. Archery hunting this is often called the VOID because there is a pretty large area up there where an arrow can go in and not do enough damage to kill an animal. I can't really recall many instances that I know of where a rifle bullet can pass through any of that area and not provide a kill or at least significantly cripple the animal to recover them. Which I suppose is what ended up happening with you thanks to your perseverance.

It looks like it's under the spine, but I'd be willing to bet it's above. If a sheep is built like a deer, the spine dips behind the shoulders just before it transitions to the neck. It doesn't take much at all for a high shoulder shot to miss anything vital
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[seeth07]

It looks like it's under the spine, but I'd be willing to bet it's above. If a sheep is built like a deer, the spine dips behind the shoulders just before it transitions to the neck. It doesn't take much at all for a high shoulder shot to miss anything vital
View attachment 384927.

I was going how he said high shoulder but not backstrap

 

[Gerald Martin]

I was going how he said high shoulder but not backstrap

Next time you get a chance to gut a deer look closely at the chest cavity and that artery that runs under the spine. The “void” does not exist under the spine. That’s most often an actual backstrap hit that doesn’t penetrate the spinal column.

The last deer that I archery shot in the “void” I penetrated the top lobes of the lungs, severed the artery under the spine and had one blade cut a groove on the bottom edge of the spine.

I suppose its possible to clip one lung or hit high lung without cutting enough blood vessels to cause death by hemorrhaging or by collapsing the lungs but the “void” doesn’t actually exist.

 

[elkduds]

Very impressive hunt, especially your vivid recounting of what has to happen after the 1st shot. Given all the ups and downs (p.i.) this could be the hunt of your lifetime. I bet you were generous with your guide, that guy is a man among men.

 

[kansasdad]

The Boddingtons wish she/they had found such a ram as yours.

Congratulations

 

[warmer]

Looking at that first shot more closely, that is so unlucky to have gone through what you did. It looks like the bullet went just under the spine on a pretty level path thru. A smidge higher and that animal is anchored on the ground where it stood. A smidge lower and his lungs would have collapsed and he wouldn't have gone far. A smidge further forward and both shoulder blades would have been destroyed and he couldn't be able to run anywhere. Archery hunting this is often called the VOID because there is a pretty large area up there where an arrow can go in and not do enough damage to kill an animal. I can't really recall many instances that I know of where a rifle bullet can pass through any of that area and not provide a kill or at least significantly cripple the animal to recover them. Which I suppose is what ended up happening with you thanks to your perseverance.

“No man’s land”

 

[npaden]

Something I didn’t realize before this, but sheep have an extra hump right there at the top of the shoulder. So it looks lower than it really is.

The exit hole was bigger than a quarter and you could see the top of the scapula in the hole so that’s why I said very high shoulder. I should have looked more closely at the back straps but there wasn’t much noticeable damage. I’ll inspect closer when I butcher it.

How it didn’t hit the spine and drop him is the head scratcher. We are talking millimeters up or down or side to side.

 

[jrabq]

I also made a high shoulder shot on my Wyoming ram, he dropped like a ton of bricks. Then after about 10 seconds he got up and started walking off. What a way to ruin a celebration! About 4 shots later I got lucky and planted him, somewhere between 350-400 yards. This was in some really nasty country so it was a great relief he didn't keep walking. I don't recall if we determined if the first shot went under or over the backbone. But this was another example to be wary of any animal that drops in his tracks, I had something similar happen on a moose I hit in the neck. Doesn't sound like this happened to you, just thought I'd share my experience.

 

[Mudranger1]

I also made a high shoulder shot on my Wyoming ram, he dropped like a ton of bricks. Then after about 10 seconds he got up and started walking off. What a way to ruin a celebration! About 4 shots later I got lucky and planted him, somewhere between 350-400 yards. This was in some really nasty country so it was a great relief he didn't keep walking. I don't recall if we determined if the first shot went under or over the backbone. But this was another example to be wary of any animal that drops in his tracks, I had something similar happen on a moose I hit in the neck. Doesn't sound like this happened to you, just thought I'd share my experience.

This is what I was thinking...you would think the bullet shock or whatever it's called would have at least rattled that spine enough to plant as fake ded

 

[npaden]

Dropped him off at the taxidermist and just got home. Going to try to go through and answer questions that I’ve missed and maybe post up just a couple more pictures tonight.

Will try to get started on the long winded narrative tomorrow and I got permission from the guide to go ahead and post pictures that give away pretty much exactly where we were hunting. It’s not a secret spot, it’s just a hard spot to get into and hunt it. The stats will show what drainage the sheep are harvested in anyway so not much of a secret.

 

[npaden]

Pretty sure the other hunter shot one out of the group of 4 rams that was up higher in the basin. Heard a shot and then saw a hunter moving around where the sheep had been.

Just a clarification here. It seems like this guy either missed or wounded one of the rams in that group of 4. Guide said they were all small and we weren’t planning on going after them. While we were sitting there the hunter and a buddy came up the saddle where we were sitting not really looking like they were tracking anything but for sure too soon to have already taken care of a sheep and be hiking out. They were zig zagging around a bit, and they ended up going out of sight in the direction the guide was expecting the sheep he had been keeping tabs on to be coming from.

Essentially that was blown now and that was one of the reasons we started to focus on the rams we ended up going after.

 

[npaden]

Man.. send me a PM when you get a chance and let’s see if I can get up there and give you a hand if need be still

Thanks for the offer. Sorry you didn’t end up getting a ram. I can’t imagine trying to get into bow range to kill one of these guys!

Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery may have someone who can help
https://www.rockymountainbiggamerecovery.org/

I ended up texting back and forth with the closest tracker and it was something that I think would be a great option. My guide said he is going to keep their contact information in case they need help in the future. We didn’t end up using them but I’m going to go ahead and send a donation to them anyway. Seems like an amazing resource and crazy that it is all volunteers. You can’t even give them a cup of coffee.

We have eyes on the sheep! He is alive about 400 yards from last blood. Bedded right in the middle of an avalanche shoot.

View attachment 384713

Of course we are now 1,100 yards away and no real chance to make a play on him before dark.

Looking at the maps and measuring distances he was only about 150 yards from last blood and the guide was less than 100 yards away from where he was bedded with us occasionally yelling back and forth keeping track of where we were while we were searching. He might have moved to that spot after we left but he was obviously hurting and not wanting to move anymore than he had to.

Also he was 1,400 yards away not 1,100 yards away not like it matters. Way too far to shoot and still well over a mile of bushwhacking to get over there.

 

[jwatts]

Thanks for the offer. Sorry you didn’t end up getting a ram. I can’t imagine trying to get into bow range to kill one of these guys!



I ended up texting back and worth with the closest tracker and it was something that I think would be a great option. My guide said he is going to keep their contact information in case they need help in the future. We didn’t end up using them but I’m going to go ahead and send a donation to them anyway. Seems like an amazing resource and crazy that it is all volunteers. You can’t even give them a cup of coffee.



Looking at the maps and measuring distances he was only about 150 yards from last blood and the guide was less than 100 yards away from where he was bedded with us occasionally yelling back and forth keeping track of where we were while we were searching.

Also he was 1,400 yards away not 1,100 yards away not like it matters. Way too far to shoot and still well over a mile of bushwhacking to get over there.

I thought about taking my dog up there for second rifle, but you have to run on a leash and there's no way I'm following my maniac in a leash at that kind of elevation. They're a great resource for sure

 

[npaden]

Great news. Enough reserves in the tank to make a stock this evening?

I’ll just quote this one, but several were of this opinion. The guide really wanted to see what he was going to do before either of us made a play on him. In the end when we did make a play the decision was for him to stay back while I made the stalk. I don’t think he would have allowed that the night before. Turns out he essentially stayed in the same spot and we probably could have pulled it off, but it would have put us in a bad spot with an animal down just before dark with a long way to go to either get back to camp or get out to the trailhead. The safe play was to wait until the morning and I’m glad I had a guide there to help make that decision.

I did not see that coming.

This post resonated with me the most going over the replies quickly at camp that night. I sure didn’t see that coming either! I went from about as low as I had been in a long time to floating off the ground in the span of about 60 seconds.

He stood up and is feeding. Looks like maybe a high shoulder shot? Like right at the top of his left shoulder and the exit is through the back strap?

He is limping and favoring his left leg but able to put some weight on it.

For sure not wanting to move around anymore than he has to.

This ended up being correct. Just didn’t seem right but thought we could see blood on each side up there high on the shoulders. I keep saying high shoulder but with that hump on the shoulder it is really a low back strap hit.

Wounded animals can still be on super high alert. I tried this on a bull once upon a time a few days later thought I’d just sneak in and finish the job I never got inside of 500. Be extra cautious time will be on your side if he hasn’t moved

Thanks for this post. In some ways I was ready to just charge over there but this post helped keep me in check. We repeatedly told each other that we had all day if we needed it and patience was key. In the end I don’t think the ram had any idea I was there at the trigger pull and that was very helpful with how thick it was in there where he ended up.

Shooting sticks or other stabilizing rest at the ready, mind the thermals and squeeze off the finishing round when you are steady and confident.

Perhaps tonight you can use the OnX line distance tool to have a good idea of ranges from likely shooting locations.

Another thanks for this post. I was planning on this anyway but it helped reinforce it. I’m one of those guys that hates to drop my pack because I sometimes end up needing something and always you have to go back for it but I dropped my pack a full 100 yards before I had on the previous stalk and went in as light and as quietly as possible.

Also had already done quite a bit of measuring distances on the GoHunt app and discussing options and had a pretty good feel for distances before even going over there that morning.

It for sure sounds like you found a good outfitter and I really bet you are glad you have him along to help you on this

I’ll expound on this in my narrative, but I was VERY happy with my guide! The outfitter was very flexible as well and they completely reworked things to make this work as a spike out hunt with plans for us to be mobile rather than a standard wall tent setup for the duration.

It would've been tough to not pursue him last night. Especially only being 1100 yards way... how far do you practice shooting out to? Shave 400 yards off and give him a finishing shot.

I hope this morning yields great results!!!c everyone's pulling for you!

Only 1,100 yards is so deceiving. Even once we closed it to 715 yards it was still over and hour and a half just to get to where I really started having to go slow because I was trying to be quiet.

My preferred range is under 300 yards and I’ve been practicing at 390 a bit this summer and felt like going in that if every was perfect I could maybe take a 400 yard shot. Couldn’t get closer than 715 yards before dropping to far down and losing sight of him. No way I’m taking a 715 yard shot with my current skill level and setup.

 

[npaden]

Don’t mean to tell you your business, but might be best if the guide comes with you on this one.

I disagree, keep tabs at all costs

My guide and I had this discussion in depth on both of the stalks. In a perfect world we would have had another guy to sit back and spot while we both went on the stalk. Even then having 2 on the stalk has twice the chance of kicking a rock or snapping a twig going in at the end. Since we didn’t have an extra guy to sit back and spot and since he had confidence in my ability to get over there and get close we made the call both times for him to sit back with eyes on the sheep while I went in my myself.

Starting to worry me with 3hrs with no update. Makes me think they couldn't relocate him...

Maybe we were both wimps, but it is just hard to describe what it was like to make the stalk. 1 mile in that country with the elevation drop and gain and side hilling is like 3 or 4 miles walking on a trail. It’s not waist high blow down, but with the steepness mixed in with the rocks and the aspens and just trying not to fall down about half the time it is a lot of work moving anywhere in that country.

 

[rjthehunter]

My preferred range is under 300 yards and I’ve been practicing at 390 a bit this summer and felt like going in that if every was perfect I could maybe take a 400 yard shot. Couldn’t get closer than 715 yards before dropping to far down and losing sight of him. No way I’m taking a 715 yard shot with my current skill level and setup.

Props to you for sticking with your range. I'm really glad everything worked out the way it did! Best possible outcome given the situation!

Now to find you a gun that you can start practicing out further with for the next ram tag you get

 

[seeth07]

Props to you for sticking with your range. I'm really glad everything worked out the way it did! Best possible outcome given the situation!

Now to find you a gun that you can start practicing out further with for the next ram tag you get

Or he can remain a man and chose to pursue his game in a sporting manner

 

[mtmuley]

Now to find you a gun that you can start practicing out further with for the next ram tag you get

What? mtmuley

 

[rjthehunter]

Or he can remain a man and chose to pursue his game in a sporting manner

I guess a 715 yard shot to put down a wounded animal is acceptable in my book.

 

[mtmuley]

I guess a 715 yard shot to put down a wounded animal is acceptable in my book.

Can you do it? In those conditions?mtmuley