arffdog875
New member
Congrats! That is great! Waiting for a story and photos!
Arizona desert sheep tag!!!
- Thread starter Lv2hnt
- Start date
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
An FYI for those wondering --- 9-yr-old ram, scored 159 and change. There's a couple in there a bit larger I need to get to know better 
...
...sbhooper
Well-known member
Pull out all the stops! That is amazing! I knew a guy years ago that drew a tag for the Kofas the first time that he applied. He killed a very large ram there, too.
passinthru
Active member
Congrats! That is one awesome tag.
Friend of mine drew this year with ten points as a nonresident. No luck for me with fifteen, again.
Good luck looking forward to the pics
Friend of mine drew this year with ten points as a nonresident. No luck for me with fifteen, again.
Good luck looking forward to the pics
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
Well, I spent a couple days this past week over in my hunt unit. Definitely see why it's called a desert bighorn sheep hunt . FYI, the very southern tip of my hunt unit is only about 9 miles from the U.S./Mexico border. Since my unit is composed largely by the Barry Goldwater Gunnery Range (there's a Marine air base not too far away), access is restricted to those acquiring passes. Even though I now have my pass, I'm required to call in my intended visitation each time prior to arrival. And there is some of the range that is definitely off-limits --- safety first!
Never having owned trail cameras before, I set out a few on water catchments to see what rams might be in the area --- I'll be back to check them over Labor Day. Though come my hunt in December, they won't be frequenting this water since they'll be getting their fluid needs then from the plants they'll be eating. That could be high or low on the mountain --- they'll follow the available feed.
The mountain range angles NW-to-SE, about 16 miles north-south & 9 miles west-east. The highest peak sits about 2,500 feet above the desert floor (NO CHANCE, I'll be scrambling up that STEEP sucker!).
There are just a handful of functioning water catchments that are found in these mountains, all fed by water runoff from the INFREQUENT rainfall. The mountains' topography significantly affects where rainfall is dispersed across them. And the catchments (either 5,000 or 10,000 gallon underground holding tanks) do NOT get the same amount of runoff. The sheep get access to the water via drinkers fed from the underground tanks.
I didn't plan on spending time glassing my 1st trip, just wanted to get acquainted with the mountains. I did bump 3 ewes (my 1st wild sheep spotted!) out of a drainage mid-morning that were bedded not too far from one of the catchments. I'll spend time with butt in the spotting chair on my next trip!
No deer live in this mountain range, so no lions (can I get a hallelujah?!). My cameras will probably captures pics of (mostly) birds, rodents, foxes, coyotes, and an occasional bobcat or badger. There are a few mountain ranges not too far away that support a SMALL amount of deer and sometimes see a wandering mountain lion.
I'll attach a few pics showing what I get to play around in. No intentions to hike into the hills until it's actually time to go after the ram that I finally pick out (no need to spook sheep into more inaccessible "verticality!"). Scouting will be done mostly from the desert floor with 15s and spotting scope, from distances up to a couple miles away.
Even though Arizona is known for the iconic saguaro cactus, there are actually not that many where I'm hunting (a lot of ocotillo, though!). I did include pics of one saguaro that shows the result of rams butting it repeatedly (not an uncommon occurrence). Pretty amazing that saguaros survive that punishment! BTW, if anyone can rotate the saguaro pics I posted, have at it!
I did have a bite to eat with the other tag holder for the unit, a long-time area resident. We're both Arizona natives, and had a good time sharing stories about growing up in our state. I feel like I've got a new friend, not a competitor --- we're both pulling for each other. We're both doing this hunt without guides, though will have extra eyes helping out with the scouting.
This unit is not known for super-big rams score-wise. In fact, the sheep here are smaller in body than elsewhere in Arizona. The population is made up mostly of the Mexicana type, with rams carrying the blockier, broomed-off horns, which I LIKE!!! My goal, as it were, is to tag a 165-in. ram, 'though I wouldn't turn down a shot opportunity at something larger
. When it's all said and done, though, I'd be very happy putting my hands on a pretty 160-in. sheep.
More to come in a few weeks ...
. FYI, the very southern tip of my hunt unit is only about 9 miles from the U.S./Mexico border. Since my unit is composed largely by the Barry Goldwater Gunnery Range (there's a Marine air base not too far away), access is restricted to those acquiring passes. Even though I now have my pass, I'm required to call in my intended visitation each time prior to arrival. And there is some of the range that is definitely off-limits --- safety first!Never having owned trail cameras before, I set out a few on water catchments to see what rams might be in the area --- I'll be back to check them over Labor Day. Though come my hunt in December, they won't be frequenting this water since they'll be getting their fluid needs then from the plants they'll be eating. That could be high or low on the mountain --- they'll follow the available feed.
The mountain range angles NW-to-SE, about 16 miles north-south & 9 miles west-east. The highest peak sits about 2,500 feet above the desert floor (NO CHANCE, I'll be scrambling up that STEEP sucker!).
There are just a handful of functioning water catchments that are found in these mountains, all fed by water runoff from the INFREQUENT rainfall. The mountains' topography significantly affects where rainfall is dispersed across them. And the catchments (either 5,000 or 10,000 gallon underground holding tanks) do NOT get the same amount of runoff. The sheep get access to the water via drinkers fed from the underground tanks.
I didn't plan on spending time glassing my 1st trip, just wanted to get acquainted with the mountains. I did bump 3 ewes (my 1st wild sheep spotted!) out of a drainage mid-morning that were bedded not too far from one of the catchments. I'll spend time with butt in the spotting chair on my next trip!
No deer live in this mountain range, so no lions (can I get a hallelujah?!). My cameras will probably captures pics of (mostly) birds, rodents, foxes, coyotes, and an occasional bobcat or badger. There are a few mountain ranges not too far away that support a SMALL amount of deer and sometimes see a wandering mountain lion.
I'll attach a few pics showing what I get to play around in. No intentions to hike into the hills until it's actually time to go after the ram that I finally pick out (no need to spook sheep into more inaccessible "verticality!"). Scouting will be done mostly from the desert floor with 15s and spotting scope, from distances up to a couple miles away.
Even though Arizona is known for the iconic saguaro cactus, there are actually not that many where I'm hunting (a lot of ocotillo, though!). I did include pics of one saguaro that shows the result of rams butting it repeatedly (not an uncommon occurrence). Pretty amazing that saguaros survive that punishment! BTW, if anyone can rotate the saguaro pics I posted, have at it!
I did have a bite to eat with the other tag holder for the unit, a long-time area resident. We're both Arizona natives, and had a good time sharing stories about growing up in our state. I feel like I've got a new friend, not a competitor --- we're both pulling for each other. We're both doing this hunt without guides, though will have extra eyes helping out with the scouting.
This unit is not known for super-big rams score-wise. In fact, the sheep here are smaller in body than elsewhere in Arizona. The population is made up mostly of the Mexicana type, with rams carrying the blockier, broomed-off horns, which I LIKE!!! My goal, as it were, is to tag a 165-in. ram, 'though I wouldn't turn down a shot opportunity at something larger
. When it's all said and done, though, I'd be very happy putting my hands on a pretty 160-in. sheep. More to come in a few weeks ...
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Carrion Carrier
Member
Awesome!
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
Here are a few pics of rams taken in my hunt unit from '07 and '08 ...
Top right pic of OLD ram taken in 2008 ...
Bottom left pic is ram (160-in?) taken in 2008 ...
Top left and bottom right are pics of same ram (165-in?) taken in 2007 ...
Top right pic of OLD ram taken in 2008 ...
Bottom left pic is ram (160-in?) taken in 2008 ...
Top left and bottom right are pics of same ram (165-in?) taken in 2007 ...
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Lv2hnt
Well-known member
Oak, I've got a few pics of rams taken 2 years ago. I'll post them up in a few days ...
highmountian
New member
Congrats on the tag! Dream hunt for me! Wish the best of luck...
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
Well, leaving for the desert mountains in the morning for a couple days. Will be retrieving SD cards from my cameras --- it'd be sweet to have a few nice rams to evaluate! Some good rain here in the desert the past several days; the thing is, it's so spotty, no telling how much actually hit the ground where I'll be hunting. Not too worried about the level of water in the catchments; just want good green-up in the forage!
Here are 2 rams that were taken by young ladies in 2011; the 1st from my unit, the 2nd taken from a unit immediately adjacent ...
Here are 2 rams that were taken by young ladies in 2011; the 1st from my unit, the 2nd taken from a unit immediately adjacent ...
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bjtc_brian
Member
Man, so cool!!!! Good Luck!
oldman357
New member
sooo cool!
ashersdad
Well-known member
Some awesome looking rams! I can just imagine how excited you are. Good luck this weekend on the scouting trip.
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
Quick trip last weekend to check my trail cameras --- "interesting" excursion:
- Rock sliced sidewall on front tire while driving remote 2-track to pull SD card (8 p.m. Saturday); quad with 8-ply tires sitting in truck bed (doh!)
- Airborne due to coiled rattlesnake about 3 ft away (8:03 pm), 100 yds from trail camera
- Airborne due to 2nd rattlesnake (8:15 pm); had altered my route back to truck to avoid 1st snake (hah!)
- Fun backing up truck downhill to 1/2-way level spot to change tire; successful!
- Arrived at parking spot for night (10 pm); no breeze, 90 degrees, mosquitoes out due to rain few days prior (have had better nights)
- Wearing headlamp, left truck at 5:15 am for remote water catchment (1 mile of uneven ROCK, ROCK, ROCK / 850 ft elevation gain)
- Right quadriceps tightened up as I arrived at catchment (constant up-and-over rocks woke up sciatica from 3 years ago)
- Ran out of water on way back to truck (took couple bottles with me, but terrain exacerbated my weakened condition); had to lie down twice (body overheating)
- On way back down to truck, filled water bottles from 2 s-m-a-l-l hidden potholes (from infrequent rain 1 week prior)
- Survived!
Sheep in my unit are smaller (both bodies and horns) than elsewhere in the state (harsher environment, less rainfall). Sheep pic is of largest ram ever taken in my unit (2 years ago, I believe guided), scored 168 6/8 --- beautiful ram! I know there's one alive a bit larger. Undoubtedly he's seen it all, so there's the challenge ...
- 1st 2 pics are looking back toward where I started hiking in
- Pics 3 & 4 show terrain on way in
- Water catchment is still quite a ways around bend up to the right in pic 5
- Highest summit of entire mountain range in pic 6 (just for kicks); tops out 2,326 ft above desert floor's elevation
Some good pics of sheep on my cameras (more on some than others). A few 160-165 inch shooters I'd be happy with, IF #1 eludes me. Bear with me --- one other tag holder in my unit, so I'll keep those pics to myself for the moment.
Season starts Sunday, December 1 --- seems light years away right now ...
- Rock sliced sidewall on front tire while driving remote 2-track to pull SD card (8 p.m. Saturday); quad with 8-ply tires sitting in truck bed (doh!)
- Airborne due to coiled rattlesnake about 3 ft away (8:03 pm), 100 yds from trail camera
- Airborne due to 2nd rattlesnake (8:15 pm); had altered my route back to truck to avoid 1st snake (hah!)
- Fun backing up truck downhill to 1/2-way level spot to change tire; successful!
- Arrived at parking spot for night (10 pm); no breeze, 90 degrees, mosquitoes out due to rain few days prior (have had better nights)
- Wearing headlamp, left truck at 5:15 am for remote water catchment (1 mile of uneven ROCK, ROCK, ROCK / 850 ft elevation gain)
- Right quadriceps tightened up as I arrived at catchment (constant up-and-over rocks woke up sciatica from 3 years ago)
- Ran out of water on way back to truck (took couple bottles with me, but terrain exacerbated my weakened condition); had to lie down twice (body overheating)
- On way back down to truck, filled water bottles from 2 s-m-a-l-l hidden potholes (from infrequent rain 1 week prior)
- Survived!
Sheep in my unit are smaller (both bodies and horns) than elsewhere in the state (harsher environment, less rainfall). Sheep pic is of largest ram ever taken in my unit (2 years ago, I believe guided), scored 168 6/8 --- beautiful ram! I know there's one alive a bit larger. Undoubtedly he's seen it all, so there's the challenge ...
- 1st 2 pics are looking back toward where I started hiking in
- Pics 3 & 4 show terrain on way in
- Water catchment is still quite a ways around bend up to the right in pic 5
- Highest summit of entire mountain range in pic 6 (just for kicks); tops out 2,326 ft above desert floor's elevation
Some good pics of sheep on my cameras (more on some than others). A few 160-165 inch shooters I'd be happy with, IF #1 eludes me. Bear with me --- one other tag holder in my unit, so I'll keep those pics to myself for the moment.
Season starts Sunday, December 1 --- seems light years away right now ...
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havgunwilltravel
Active member
Looks like great country to be hunting Desert Sheep in, and a fair amount of browse in some of those pictures. Look forward to seeing some TC images if you can post em up, even of just some of the smaller rams and ewes.
Be a great place to carry in a fly camp and just work that entire range looking for a mature ram.
Good luck, many here are trying to draw an AZ sheep tag and no doubt are living through experiences like yours.
Enjoying the thread a lot.
Be a great place to carry in a fly camp and just work that entire range looking for a mature ram.
Good luck, many here are trying to draw an AZ sheep tag and no doubt are living through experiences like yours.
Enjoying the thread a lot.
oldman357
New member
I am green with jealousy! Good on ya thanks for including us in your huting preps.
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
Arizona has been getting some MUCH needed rain the past few days, however my hunt unit historically is one of the driest (Note: Ariz. is the 6th largest state geographically; rain doesn't fall equally across the state). Drinkers at water catchments developed and maintained largely by the Az. Desert Bighorn Sheep Society help sustain the desert sheep herds. It can get a bit crowded when the sheep actually start drinking ...
Note: When actually glassing from a distance, those white sheep rumps act like beacons!
Note: When actually glassing from a distance, those white sheep rumps act like beacons!
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