Montana Sheep Help
- Thread starter HighWildFree
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HighWildFree
Well-known member
No update yet as I am still guiding elk hunters in the Belts. I will be returning to hunt sheep starting on the 18th.
I'll keep you all posted.
I'll keep you all posted.
I watched about 45 head having a heck of a good time on the top of Cinderella this evening. Looked like maybe 6-7 legal rams, going crazy in there chasing ewes around.
Crappy spotter picture, but this guy looked the best to me in the group.
Crappy spotter picture, but this guy looked the best to me in the group.
HighWildFree
Well-known member
So the ram hunt began in earnest today. Made it back in this morning from guiding in central Montana. Headed out at noon and immediately spotted these two from the road. Saw a lot of sheep, probably a dozen or so 3/4 curl rams. The are chasing ewes and some fighting. A lot of other guys in orange walking around but no one else with a ram tag that I could tell.
Couple things I learned about sheep today:
-Their eyesight is tremendous
-They make a heck of a lot of noise
-Their eyesight is tremendous
I'll have to review my tapes on judging sheep, any guess on the one to the left? He's the heaviest sheep I've seen so far. He's broomed off on this side but the far side still has lamb tips and is 7/8 curl maybe even full.
Couple things I learned about sheep today:
-Their eyesight is tremendous
-They make a heck of a lot of noise
-Their eyesight is tremendous
I'll have to review my tapes on judging sheep, any guess on the one to the left? He's the heaviest sheep I've seen so far. He's broomed off on this side but the far side still has lamb tips and is 7/8 curl maybe even full.
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Not an expert, but things that stand out to my little bit of experience; Good inner hole and looks to drop to the bottom of the jaw, also carries mass quite well out to the thirds. I'm guessing 37" on that side we can see based on hole and drop, but don't know on the bases of rams in that area? Good ram, maybe mid 170's without knowing the bases but could vary 10 points depending on the base.
HighWildFree
Well-known member
Saw some more rams today. It just doesn't feel right to take one so quickly. I've got maybe three or four rams that I would be happy with. Kinda of interesting that the rams with low dropping horns seem to be light on mass, but the heavier ones are short or tighter curls. Maybe it's all in my head, or maybe that's the nature of sheep horns.
Anyway here's a couple more rams from today. The last one I'm pretty sure is a shooter. He's on private property right now though.
Anyway here's a couple more rams from today. The last one I'm pretty sure is a shooter. He's on private property right now though.
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A lot of wisdom in that statement. I hope you find the biggest ram in the unit and shoot him. Score won't matter if you do.
thecrittergitter
Well-known member
Man, I don't know bud. That sure looks like a nice ram, but I'd be pretty nervous pulling the trigger on that ram. Maybe its the picture but it doesn't quite look like a legal ram to me. looks like its just shy of the 3/4 curl mark. Don't use my judgement though, you got to see it in the spotter and probably looks different than the picture angles.
Good luck, hope you shoot one!
Good luck, hope you shoot one!
thecrittergitter
Well-known member
Absolutely exactly what I did on my moose tag.........seemed to work out just fine using that theory
Dinkshooter
Well-known member
Man those are some white people problems you have!
Bambistew
Well-known member
Shoot the oldest, crustiest one you can find, or the one that looks the best to you. Score is not everything...
Looks like a fun time.
Looks like a fun time.
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HighWildFree
Well-known member
I'm not really hung up on score. I'm just using it to quantify these rams. The more I look at these sheep the harder it is getting for me to tell which ones are big and which ones aren't. I pretty much have two categories: small and not small. Maybe the really big rams haven't shown up yet
Here's a couple more from today.
Here's a couple more from today.
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JCW
Active member
That last one looks like a nice Ram. Like many have said before, score isn't everything.
HighWildFree
Well-known member
For those of you that know this unit better than I do, are these rams toward the top end or should I be waiting for something bigger? I'm going to check out another drainage this evening.
BuzzH
Well-known member
I think you should find a ram that you can live with the rest of your life and kill it.
I'd say score wise you're probably looking at about as good as 203 is these days. Like I said in my first reply, if you're going after score, the first ram I saw that I felt was 180 would get it.
I dont think any of the rams you posted would make 180...definitely a couple that are 175 ish and definitely some great looking rams. I doubt you're going to uncover a huge ram in that unit, maybe a low book head at best.
I doubt theres any tag holders left, you can USUALLY relocate the rams you've already found pretty easily. It would be worth looking in any areas you think may hold some sheep you havent seen as I doubt theres going to be much competition at this point. You have nothing to lose by looking at more sheep and you get to experience more sheep hunting. Win-Win.
When my Dad had a Montana Ram tag, I spent about 8 days just looking at rams and trying to see as many as I could. I took pictures/video of just about all of them and let Dad take his pick of the ones I'd found. He killed the ram he did based on look rather than score. The way it worked out, the ram also scored 183+.
I can also tell you that Dad wouldnt have cared if his ram scored 170...it was the ram HE wanted.
Just find one that suits you...
Good luck.
I'd say score wise you're probably looking at about as good as 203 is these days. Like I said in my first reply, if you're going after score, the first ram I saw that I felt was 180 would get it.
I dont think any of the rams you posted would make 180...definitely a couple that are 175 ish and definitely some great looking rams. I doubt you're going to uncover a huge ram in that unit, maybe a low book head at best.
I doubt theres any tag holders left, you can USUALLY relocate the rams you've already found pretty easily. It would be worth looking in any areas you think may hold some sheep you havent seen as I doubt theres going to be much competition at this point. You have nothing to lose by looking at more sheep and you get to experience more sheep hunting. Win-Win.
When my Dad had a Montana Ram tag, I spent about 8 days just looking at rams and trying to see as many as I could. I took pictures/video of just about all of them and let Dad take his pick of the ones I'd found. He killed the ram he did based on look rather than score. The way it worked out, the ram also scored 183+.
I can also tell you that Dad wouldnt have cared if his ram scored 170...it was the ram HE wanted.
Just find one that suits you...
Good luck.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
Awesome thread! I am fired up to see how this ends. A legal ram looks like an awesome ram to us flatlanders. Good Luck, HWF!
I agree with Buzz, it's possible these rams are as big as is in there. The unit still does put out 180 inch rams though, so I think it's worth keeping at it until you've looked in every canyon up there. As I'm sure you've seen, you can wait until the last hour and still kill a great ram.
HighWildFree
Well-known member
Thanks guys. I would be more than happy with a couple of the rams I've seen so far. A trophy ram for me would be a mature ram that is near the top end of what this unit produces. If that is a 170 or 175 class ram, perfect. I haven't run into anyone else hunting sheep so I might be the last one standing.
I guess I'll just have to keep hunting sheep. Bummer.
I guess I'll just have to keep hunting sheep. Bummer.
