2025: Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

[Clarq]

I had a meeting with my boss and let him know I was headed for burnout if something didn't change. I had several vacations on the calendar for October and told him I really needed to be gone when I was away. We talked about some strategies to keep things rolling while I was gone, and he agreed to support me. I put in a good effort over the next few weeks, trying to focus on worrying less and just controlling what I could control.

My next trip was an over-the-counter elk hunting opportunity that was likely going to be difficult. The elk had been hunted for a number of weeks prior (both archery and gun seasons), the weather was clear and warm, and the moon was full. Not exactly ideal, but I was excited for a vacation and a chance to chase a bull. I decided that the condition I left things at work would have to be good enough, and headed home to pack and prepare for an early departure.

The trip was scheduled to run Wednesday through Saturday. I traveled Wednesday morning and early afternoon, set up camp, and headed up the mountain to scout for the evening. My first few glassing spots yielded nothing. As darkness was starting to settle in, I set up at my last glassing spot for the evening and started looking.

I hadn't been at that spot for 30 seconds when I spotted elk. Three cows, and then...



A bull! And a good one! Not the type I'd be interested in passing up. My heart began to race as I began plotting my approach. I didn't have much time to get over to him. I'd really have to hustle. Oh, and the wind... it was terrible. I'd be approaching with the wind right at my back. The more I thought, the more it seemed like a bad idea to race for him right at dark. I'd just gotten here. If I could relocate the herd the next morning, I'd be in way better shape.

At the same time, this might be the only herd of elk I'd see all hunt. I was torn. And I needed to either make a decision quickly, or let indecision become the decision. Ultimately, I decided to let the opportunity go in hopes of creating a better opportunity later.

I calmed down and sized up my target.



He wasn't quite as big as I'd first thought. Maybe a 5 point or small 6, but on a hunt like this, he was still an easy shooter. I knew where I'd be in the morning.

I watched the herd until the light ran out, then headed back down to camp to make dinner and preparations for the morning. As I settled in for the night, visions of the bull in my head, I realized I was feeling about as happy as I ever have. Maybe I was finally remembering how to let the stress go and just be.

I'll confess, a nice bull elk can help a person do that.

 

[Clarq]

I tore the mountains apart with my glass the next morning and never turned the herd back up. Same story in the evening. And the next morning. And the next evening. They were either gone or fully nocturnal.

Wednesday and Thursday were clear and warm with a full moon. Friday and Saturday were windy and rainy. All four days made for tough elk hunting. I never saw another elk; yet, I had an awesome time. I was really starting to embrace the "let it go" philosophy. Maybe I didn't need to be top dog in my career. Maybe I could just be good enough. Maybe I really did deserve a break every now and again.

I headed home, dirty and tired, unsuccessful (in terms of game harvest), but feeling like a new man.

 

[Clarq]

Next weekend was a quick trip with Dad to hunt pronghorn.

Conditions were rough. The animals were spooked from a lot of hunting pressure and the wind was absolutely howling the whole time we were there. Maybe 30, 40 mph? Pretty hard to get close enough to feel comfortable shooting in that wind.

Excuse the poor picture quality, but this is more or less what I was dealing with. Big herds out in the wide open bowls where it's tough to sneak up on them.



We enjoyed ourselves but never got into position for a shot.

My standard hunt application procedure has been to throw a ton of things against the wall and see what sticks. For many years, that strategy was good for a tag or two a year. I've built enough points now that it's starting to get me more tags than I have time for. I filled my schedule with too many hunts this year, and I left this trip feeling like I hadn't really done the pronghorn tag justice.

There were still a few weeks left in the season, but as much as I love hunting pronghorn, I love hunting sheep more. The next trip was one I'd been looking forward to since I'd started applying for it about 10 years ago. Pronghorn would just have to wait.

 

[Clarq]

My home state of Utah offers five once-in-a-lifetime species in the big game draw:

• Moose
• Mountain goat
• Bison
• Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
• Desert Bighorn Sheep

Utah is kind enough to let nonresidents apply for all five (thank$ for your contribution$), but allows residents to pick only one. When I first started getting interested in big game hunting as a young adult, I was faced with the dilemma of which one to apply for. I remember flipping through the old hunt guidebook and contemplating my course of action.



The desert bighorn sheep captured my eye and my imagination. Chasing sheep in the famous red rock country of southern Utah sounded like the pinnacle of hunting.

A look through the drawing odds quickly discouraged me. Many of the other species had better draw odds. What to do? Play the odds? Or just hope for luck?

Then, I got a crazy idea. I was going to hunt all five of the species. Probably not in Utah, but I was going to find a way to hunt them elsewhere if need be. I did some research and identified achievable ways to hunt moose, bison, and Rocky Mountain bighorns in other places. Mountain goats would be expensive but not out of the question. Desert bighorns were the one that stumped me. There were no realistic opportunities for someone in my tax bracket to hunt one. Getting lucky in the draw was the only way.

That settled it. I started applying for desert sheep in Utah.

I wish I could say I got lucky and drew a ram tag in my home state, but I can't. Soon after I made my decision, though, Nevada began offering some desert bighorn ewe hunts to nonresidents. Maybe I'd have a chance to hunt the species after all? I applied year after year, sitting unsuccessfully at the top of the point pool.

Until this year. Soon after cards started getting hit for the 2025 Nevada draw, I noticed a $1,201 charge on my card. I'd never been so happy to see a large amount of money disappear from my account. Even with max points, odds of drawing this tag were not good. The email soon came to confirm it.



My chance to hunt desert sheep had come. Possibly the only chance I would ever get.

 

[Clarq]

I began begging for help and received some very generous information from two Hunt Talk members with experience on the unit. Armed with that knowledge and the full array of e-scouting tools, I put some plans together.

The hunt opened on Monday, October 20, but work and life would keep me away during the week. The plan was to run down on Friday, October 24 after work, do a quick hunting trip that weekend (with the main goal being to learn the unit) and then come back and hunt again starting Wednesday the 29th and continuing through the weekend or until I succeeded.

The drive down took place without incident and I found myself pulling into "camp" around 9:00 PM. For the sake of traveling light and staying mobile, I made the questionable decision to sleep in the passenger seat of the 4Runner. To my surprise, I slept very well and woke up before the alarm, feeling rested and ready to go. I got going as soon as it was light enough to see. I found myself in country very different than I'm used to hunting in. Cool place.



My chosen route would take me to a side canyon with a two-track road. I didn't know exactly what condition the road would be in, but my experience with other two-track roads in Nevada is that they quickly deteriorate as you drive along, and are often not suited for a passenger vehicle. I recently switched to a 4Runner to give myself better capability on roads like these, but with it being so new, I was more inclined to baby it than to push my luck. Ironic, isn't it?

I turned off onto my chosen side road and soon hit a rough section in road. I decided I'd just park and hike from there. I began walking and realized that after the one rough spot, the road looked fine for quite a while. Should I go back and start driving? No, the road would turn bad soon enough. I was ok. I walked on.

I soon discovered that I was far from the only person hunting off this road. It was a veritable highway of sheep hunters (not quite, but there were 5 or 6 other hunting parties using the canyon). Most of them stopped to chat with the hunter who was dumb enough to walk the road instead of drive. I told the first few of them that I just like walking. It's true, to an extent. I learn so much more about a place when I take the time to learn it step by step instead of through a windshield.

All of the other hunters told me I might as well turn around. No one was seeing anything or having any luck. I stubbornly pressed on. I was here mainly to learn the country, and I figured I'd do just that.

Walking the canyon exposed me to all kinds of interesting things. Here's one.



If I could find a fossil, I could certainly find a sheep, right?

I learned that the road was drivable, but the adjacent desert bushes probably would do a number on my shiny new paint if I were to drive up. Like all the other hunters, I saw nothing from the road.

I set my sights on an area that just seemed too sheepy to be vacant. It wasn't visible from anywhere you could take a vehicle, but if I could figure out how to get there, I felt like I'd have a good shot at finding something. It would require negotiating some steep terrain. I eventually found a path up into the cliffs that was only moderately dangerous.

As I was ascending, I suddenly found myself 10 yards away from a sheep.



Not exactly the type of sheep I was hoping to find, but at least I was in the right habitat. The skull, jaw, and both horn sheaths were all there a short distance from each other.



This was getting interesting. I pressed on.