Idaho Sheep Hunt- Final Report

Sawtooth

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Like most plans made in 2020, this hunt turned out completely different than what we had hoped. Originally, when my buddy drew his once in a lifetime Idaho sheep tag, I was planning on spending at least nine days helping him find his sheep. As a middle school teacher, I was able to help him scout throughout the summer. But once school started, Online schooling and hybrid schooling required our schools faculty to spend every waking minute getting everything up and running for our students. To take time off for a hunt in September would have added a major burden to the rest of the teachers in my department.
Opening day of the season found my buddy hunting the rugged sheep country on his own. He spent the first couple of days in country we had seen a few sheep in during our summer scouting trips. During these first couple of days, he saw a few ewes and lambs but no rams. After three days of hunting alone, he was joined by his son, who is a hunting machine. His son gave him a new set of eyes for glassing and a boost of the much needed energy required to cover the miles in steep sheep country. On the second day with his son, my buddy spotted four rams. Two of them were worth a closer look. Neither ram was the full curl ram he was hoping for, but the larger of the two was bigger than any other that we had seen during our summer scouting and the prior four days of hunting. After watching this band of rams for more than half an hour, my buddy decided that the largest ram of the bunch was worth taking home with him. Having his son with him on the trip made for some great memories and the opportunity to hunt such an incredible animal in "the Sheepeater Country" is an experience he will enjoy every time he looks up at the euro mount in his living room.

Picture is of his son and the ram. Take a guess at the rams age and I will post what the Idaho Fish and Game aged the ram at tomorrow.
 

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Thanks for the update. I am glad to hear he got his ram but I am sorry you weren’t able to be with him for the actual hunt.
 
Well, I got one picture to post. Try and guess the rams age and I will Post the Fish and Games reported age for the ram tomorrow.
 
Congrats to your friend!!! Knowing nothing about aging these guys, I am going to go with 7
 
Had that tag in 2017 and passed on several rams like that. Had 1 feeding for an hour at 100 yards. Didn't tag. Where do they go when they get older?

I have passed on perhaps 100's of deer, elk, moose, sheep in my lifetime. I hunt hard and like see them. Don't have to shoot. I am 62, I didn't pass as much when younger.
 
Hmmm, I don’t see a picture. Have I had too many beers or is it gone?
 
Had that tag in 2017 and passed on several rams like that. Had 1 feeding for an hour at 100 yards. Didn't tag. Where do they go when they get older?

I have passed on perhaps 100's of deer, elk, moose, sheep in my lifetime. I hunt hard and like see them. Don't have to shoot. I am 62, I didn't pass as much when younger.
They are in there. More than a few of the local residence had pictures of them down by the river during the rut (after last years hunting season) and during the winter. My buddy had some shooters remorse for ending his hunt so early in the season on a OIL tag, but in the end he decided that this particular sheep, during that particular hunt with his son was the one for him.
 
All that talk with him about the comforts of tree stand whitetails, I completely forgot to bring up this sheep hunt. A belated Congratulations to Bill, indeed!
 
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