Desert Bighorn Ram hunt,,

[duckhunt]

At my age (late 30’s) and late to the points game I don’t even bother with sheep. Unless it was through a raffle or maybe a dall (even those are getting out of reach now) I don’t think I’ll ever get to hunt one. This is also not me complaining, it’s just a math problem.

The closest I’ll probably get to hunting desert sheep would be booking an aoudad hunt. You hunt a lot of the same country and often may get an opportunity to see desert sheep.

I think sheep is one of the coolest animals in the west but I'm with you on only doing raffles. I retire in 4.5 years and am thinking as a gift to myself doing west texas auodad.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

At my age (late 30’s) and late to the points game I don’t even bother with sheep. Unless it was through a raffle or maybe a dall (even those are getting out of reach now) I don’t think I’ll ever get to hunt one. This is also not me complaining, it’s just a math problem.

The closest I’ll probably get to hunting desert sheep would be booking an aoudad hunt. You hunt a lot of the same country and often may get an opportunity to see desert sheep.

I am 78 years old. For an honest 30 years of my life, I actually lived in mountains with desert bighorn sheep. For another five years I lived in the city, but at least every few months i spent time out in the desert seeing them. That such a huge and majestic animal can actually live in such a harsh environment is a miracle on nature.

Their population numbers were so low for most of those 30 years i never felt right putting in for a tag. when their numbers rose, I did and drew a tag on my first ever appilcation.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Arizona desert bighorn sheep, rifle, guided, public land, December 2022, KOFA NWR, 13 Nonresident points.

Apply, apply, apply! You will hit sooner or later. Lightning does strike every so often.

Wheels up for me on October 13th for blue sheep (bharal) hunt in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. (Indy-Dallas-Doha-Katmandu.)

Very blessed, thankful, and grateful for the opportunity to hunt and visit Nepal after 3 years of planning and training.

Good luck this upcoming season and happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[MikeP]

I drew a Ca desert bighorn with 3 points and a Colorado rocky with 4. I have been blessed but somebody has to draw! I used to think whats the point, but you gotta think "why not me?" The best hunts and memories I have ever had afield. Apply everywhere you can

 

[Hunters Intel]

Good luck, never been on one of those hunts, but they look like a lot of fun.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I drew a Ca desert bighorn with 3 points and a Colorado rocky with 4. I have been blessed but somebody has to draw! I used to think whats the point, but you gotta think "why not me?" The best hunts and memories I have ever had afield. Apply everywhere you can

what desert bighorn zone did you draw and when ?

 

[MikeP]

what desert bighorn zone did you draw and when ?

Clark-Kingston 2019

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Clark-Kingston 2019View attachment 413231

Nice looking ram! Looks just like the one on your hat, haha.

 

[littlebighorn]

You are blessed indeed MikeP.
Your Desert ram is as pretty as they get in my book.
It's unfortunate that the demand for sheep tags is so great that few rams get as old and outstanding as yours.
Well done sir.

 

[Jdan9]

Clark-Kingston 2019View attachment 413231

Great ram

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Clark-Kingston 2019View attachment 413231

I drew the Sheep Hole Mountains Unit much further to the south. Your unit had much more spectacular terrain.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Good luck, never been on one of those hunts, but they look like a lot of fun.

A desert bighorn ram hunt can be such an adventure. It was for me. Glassing all afternoon, learning how to see sheep, finding a Ram, watching it bed as the sun goes down.

Planning every detail of a stalk for the next morning. Getting up at 3am, hiking under the stars in a clear winter sky for hours. Beginning or making the entire assent under the cover of darkness or in a side rock chute out of sight.

Thermals are falling, perfect. Watching for first light, then wondering if I had done it all right.

On my first stalk I made one critical error and spooked a fine ram. I just stuck my head out alongside a boulder with no back cover. He was 150 yards away and ran like the devil himself was chasing him.

It is all about STEEP, STEEP and more STEEP. I trained for three months before my hunt. I was in my mid 50's then.

Nights were below freezing, days up to the mid 80's. We could never seem to carry enough water, always end up deeply thirsty.

My final successful stalk was long, over an hour, and my shot was just 125 yards. Used my Browning Safari grade bolt action rifle in 30-06 that i had for 30 years then. Now had it for over 50 years. Simple 3 to 9 variable Redfield scope.

Returned back to camp under a dark star filled sky just exhausted with a ram's head on top of my pack and my guide carrying the meat out.

I was a guide myself then too and was wise enough to hire a legendary sheep guide who knew this specific desert country and the wild sheep there.

 

[JV842]

I was a young, dumb Marine stationed at MCAS Yuma, back in 94-97…used to chase the mulies in the Kofas w my bow but always ended up following the sheep…didn’t understand the “draw” process back then n ended up only putting in for Coues near Nogales because my Gunny was from there.
Got a very nice buck (100 and some change) but still my favorite memory was those sheep n country they were in.
One in particular was jumping a ram out of his bed at maybe 30yds, him running up the side of what seemed to be an unclimbable cliff, then looking back down at me from the top…unreal n etched in my brain still to this day.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I was a young, dumb Marine stationed at MCAS Yuma, back in 94-97…used to chase the mulies in the Kofas w my bow but always ended up following the sheep…didn’t understand the “draw” process back then n ended up only putting in for Coues near Nogales because my Gunny was from there.
Got a very nice buck (100 and some change) but still my favorite memory was those sheep n country they were in.
One in particular was jumping a ram out of his bed at maybe 30yds, him running up the side of what seemed to be an unclimbable cliff, then looking back down at me from the top…unreal n etched in my brain still to this day.

Deer, antelope and elk are magic, desert bighorn sheep are pure magic!

 

[TheGrayRider]

I was a young, dumb Marine stationed at MCAS Yuma, back in 94-97…used to chase the mulies in the Kofas w my bow but always ended up following the sheep…didn’t understand the “draw” process back then n ended up only putting in for Coues near Nogales because my Gunny was from there.
Got a very nice buck (100 and some change) but still my favorite memory was those sheep n country they were in.
One in particular was jumping a ram out of his bed at maybe 30yds, him running up the side of what seemed to be an unclimbable cliff, then looking back down at me from the top…unreal n etched in my brain still to this day.

Definitely unique country…I hope to return again.





Good luck this upcoming season and happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

View attachment 413317

Definitely unique country…I hope to return again.

View attachment 413318

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Good luck this upcoming season and happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

The Adverse Effects of Climate Change on Desert Bighorn Sheep (U.S. National Park Service)

In 2010 the National Park Service began to study the link between population declines of desert bighorn sheep and the effects of climate change.

www.nps.gov