MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
I am super impressed with the story of this hunt. Awesome job by you and your wife. Can't wait for the next installment.
Alaska bighorn hunt
- Thread starter Bambistew
- Start date
Wyodeerhunter
Banned
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2002
- Messages
- 2,150
Love the story so far! Hope it concludes with a couple rams!
krshntr81
Member
Can't wait for the rest of the story!!
d-bone20917
Member
Great story and pictures. I really need to get up to Alaska.
indian larry
Member
This is more interesting than a live hunt post and i already know the ending.
Bambistew
Well-known member
We started our return about 7-8 hours later. To our delight I spotted a ram about mid way up the knife ridge we’d seen the rams that morning. A quick glance and he was out of site, I was unsure what ram it was, but the good news, is he was in a spot we could get to him if we could get a shot. We crept closer, taking a few steps at a time while keeping a vigilant watch in his general direction. About a minute after I spotted the first ram, I spotted a sheep below the knife ridge. This surprised me a bit, because I didn’t think the first sheep I spotted would have moved that far that fast. Now I was sure we were looking at multiple sheep in a spot we could take them. We moved a bit further until we could see the sheep at the base of the cliff. He was maybe 450 yards away at this point. I put the spotter on him to verify, and determined that he was a younger ram, maybe 7-8 at most, but definitely not full curl. He had a big drop to his horns, and was fairly heavy, but I couldn’t count more than 7 rings on his horn. He will be a dandy in a few years… He spotted us, or sensed us and was moving up the edge of the cliff. Not really alarmed, but concerned of where we were.
Once the young ram was out of sight, we continued our way up the edge of the moraine in hopes of seeing the second ram. We cautiously moved up 10-20 yards at a time until I spotted a ram bedded on the cliff above. He was unaware of our presence; we instantly noted that his head gear was much bigger than the last ram, and that he appeared to be the same double broomed ram we’d seen that morning. Using the spotter, we determined that he was in fact double broomed, and carried a lot of mass to the end. The problem was he was laying down, and didn’t offer us a clear shot, the good news he didn’t know we were there. I hit him with the range finder, 275 yards. At the angle we’d be shooting the range would be closer to 200… D E A D.
We waited for probably 10 minutes for him to stand. During that time another ram fed out on the cliff. We noted that it was the same small ram that was with the big guy that morning. During our moving around we were spotted by the big ram and he was locked onto us staring intently. We were afraid to move, figuring if he saw us move he’d stand and move up further. Our legs fell asleep as we crouch in an uncomfortable position for what seemed like hours, probably more like 15 minutes. Finally the big ram looked away and relaxed. Slowly I swung the spotter around on the tripod so Tanya could use it for a rest. She inched over and got set up for the shot. Now it was a matter of waiting the ram out. We waited, and waited and waited some more. It was starting to get dark, and we figured we had two options, make something happen or come back the next day.
Both have risks, we may never see this ram again, or if we push it, we may not get a shot. We decided to see if we could make him nervous enough to stand up and then give us a shot. We figured if I got up and walked that he’d sand up. Tanya stayed on the rifle, ready to shoot, I stood and walked about 20 yards parallel to him. He continued to stare, and didn’t stand.
I walked a bit further, and the shooting angle was better, showing more of the ridge. A second shot if needed would be much better. Tanya moved up closer to me and settled in. Finally he stood. Tanya dropped the hammer, the ram lunged and went out of sight, down a small draw and up on a little cliff about 30 yards to his right. He showed himself and she fired again. This one took him down for the count. About this time I noticed that a third ram had been feeding a bit closer to us, but was hiding in some rocks, he seemed to have come out of nowhere and was standing just below where Tanya’s had been lying. Through the binos, I instantly noticed he was also a double broomer. I snagged the rifle away, lined up using the spotter/tripod for a rest fired. My ram stretched out his hind end and stood still. Tanya yelled to shoot again, I think you missed. His body language said otherwise, however, I put a second shot in him and he fell about where he stood. This was not good… He was about 40-50’ up on a cliff, and we weren’t sure if we could get to him. After about 5 seconds he kicked, and down the cliff he came. Landing near the bottom, but in a spot I could get to.
All this happened in a matter of seconds I’m sure. Once we realized both rams where down, that we’d just smoked a couple double broomers, we were exstatic.
We spent the rest of the evening and through the night cutting, capping and boning. We made our way back to camp at first light, this time avoiding the slide area where I’d dislocated my shoulder, by dropping down to the glacier moraine. The return sucked, and took about 2 hours to go less than a mile. We finally made it back to camp approximately 26 hours from when we started, victorious. We knew it was going to be hot, but also knew we needed some sleep.
Once the young ram was out of sight, we continued our way up the edge of the moraine in hopes of seeing the second ram. We cautiously moved up 10-20 yards at a time until I spotted a ram bedded on the cliff above. He was unaware of our presence; we instantly noted that his head gear was much bigger than the last ram, and that he appeared to be the same double broomed ram we’d seen that morning. Using the spotter, we determined that he was in fact double broomed, and carried a lot of mass to the end. The problem was he was laying down, and didn’t offer us a clear shot, the good news he didn’t know we were there. I hit him with the range finder, 275 yards. At the angle we’d be shooting the range would be closer to 200… D E A D.
We waited for probably 10 minutes for him to stand. During that time another ram fed out on the cliff. We noted that it was the same small ram that was with the big guy that morning. During our moving around we were spotted by the big ram and he was locked onto us staring intently. We were afraid to move, figuring if he saw us move he’d stand and move up further. Our legs fell asleep as we crouch in an uncomfortable position for what seemed like hours, probably more like 15 minutes. Finally the big ram looked away and relaxed. Slowly I swung the spotter around on the tripod so Tanya could use it for a rest. She inched over and got set up for the shot. Now it was a matter of waiting the ram out. We waited, and waited and waited some more. It was starting to get dark, and we figured we had two options, make something happen or come back the next day.
Both have risks, we may never see this ram again, or if we push it, we may not get a shot. We decided to see if we could make him nervous enough to stand up and then give us a shot. We figured if I got up and walked that he’d sand up. Tanya stayed on the rifle, ready to shoot, I stood and walked about 20 yards parallel to him. He continued to stare, and didn’t stand.
I walked a bit further, and the shooting angle was better, showing more of the ridge. A second shot if needed would be much better. Tanya moved up closer to me and settled in. Finally he stood. Tanya dropped the hammer, the ram lunged and went out of sight, down a small draw and up on a little cliff about 30 yards to his right. He showed himself and she fired again. This one took him down for the count. About this time I noticed that a third ram had been feeding a bit closer to us, but was hiding in some rocks, he seemed to have come out of nowhere and was standing just below where Tanya’s had been lying. Through the binos, I instantly noticed he was also a double broomer. I snagged the rifle away, lined up using the spotter/tripod for a rest fired. My ram stretched out his hind end and stood still. Tanya yelled to shoot again, I think you missed. His body language said otherwise, however, I put a second shot in him and he fell about where he stood. This was not good… He was about 40-50’ up on a cliff, and we weren’t sure if we could get to him. After about 5 seconds he kicked, and down the cliff he came. Landing near the bottom, but in a spot I could get to.
All this happened in a matter of seconds I’m sure. Once we realized both rams where down, that we’d just smoked a couple double broomers, we were exstatic.
We spent the rest of the evening and through the night cutting, capping and boning. We made our way back to camp at first light, this time avoiding the slide area where I’d dislocated my shoulder, by dropping down to the glacier moraine. The return sucked, and took about 2 hours to go less than a mile. We finally made it back to camp approximately 26 hours from when we started, victorious. We knew it was going to be hot, but also knew we needed some sleep.
What a hunt! Great photos and perfectly written up. Thanks for sharing and Congratulations on your success.
Question: Have you dislocated your shoulder before or been around someone who has? Sounds like you handled the situation very well. The initial pain/panic is a feeling not easily forgotten.
Question: Have you dislocated your shoulder before or been around someone who has? Sounds like you handled the situation very well. The initial pain/panic is a feeling not easily forgotten.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
Great Job. Great Story. How are you gonna follow this one up?
Buck Fever
Member
what a awesome story, you two did well!!
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 8,379
Thanks for the writeup Bambistew! A big congratulations to Tanya and you! Sounds like the adventure of a lifetime.
krshntr81
Member
Awesome story!
Bwana
Well-known member
Great story and thanks for sharing.
npaden
Well-known member
+ 1,000. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
Bambistew
Well-known member
Still have a bit left to write, but I got too tired last night to finish.
This was my first time... At first I thought I broke my collar bone, the way I fell. I know its just a matter of time before something happens to me or my hunting partners. I spend too much time outdoors and like to be as prepared as possible. I've taken about 100+ hours of first aid training.
I have a brown bear hunt next month, I'm planning on gunning one with my muzz.
Toss in a caribou hunt or two, and a late season archery moose hunt, with a side trip to Montana.
I already have a trip planned for sheep next year and the following. Plenty of adventure in my future.
This was my first time... At first I thought I broke my collar bone, the way I fell. I know its just a matter of time before something happens to me or my hunting partners. I spend too much time outdoors and like to be as prepared as possible. I've taken about 100+ hours of first aid training.
I have a brown bear hunt next month, I'm planning on gunning one with my muzz.
Toss in a caribou hunt or two, and a late season archery moose hunt, with a side trip to Montana. I already have a trip planned for sheep next year and the following. Plenty of adventure in my future.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
Green with envy!
Here I thought you were going to say something like,"I am not sure how I am going to follow this one up." On top of all all of this, you probably are catching all different types of salmonidae up there too.
My wife and I, are going to have to have a chat when I hang up my uniform in about 10 years.
Here I thought you were going to say something like,"I am not sure how I am going to follow this one up." On top of all all of this, you probably are catching all different types of salmonidae up there too.
My wife and I, are going to have to have a chat when I hang up my uniform in about 10 years.
havgunwilltravel
Active member
Fantastic write up and adventure you guys had...such great scenery and all the hard work paid off with those pair of rams...really appreciate the read and images , it was superb.
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