An incompetent CO ewe hunter bleats for help

[mountainlaurel3]

Posting from a very comfortable borrowed canvas tent in (theoretically) sheep country.

I drew a ewe tag in a unit with a very long season. I scouted once, hunted a few days in September, four in October, and am now back, hoping for better luck finding sheep.

The unit only has a small herd, and rams are known for being seen on/just off a river road by a reservoir you wouldn't want to eat the fish from.

My September hunt was a glorified scouting mission, I explored a few roads I hadn't been on before and found some very old sheep sign in the general area they are known to hang.

There are spots that look sheepy.




In October, I went back for a few days with wife and pup. We spent a couple nights camping in the area I expect to find them, then hit the high country for a night and morning, and finished with another night at a forest service cabin in some meadow country also up high.

Big sheep-free views.



I may have gotten distracted midday and picked many pinon. So many hours of shelling that next week.



Higher country.



Elk steak at high camp.



We moved to a bit above the top of the pass for sunset to catch the meteor view.



In those trips, I saw no sheep and no reasonably fresh sign. I heard one report from a local bear hunter that he had seen a ram that didn't care at all about him on the river road that morning (mid October) but he also reported that he had never seen a ewe in the vicinity.

 

[Bluffgruff]

I expected a link to an article about a S&R, but this is way better. Please, continue.

 

[warmer]

Finally, some one who drinks real beer and not that pussy IPA!!!

 

[Oak]

There were sheep within a mile of the reservoir, upstream, in Sept. 2023. Have you spent time in that area?

 

[mountainlaurel3]

Finally, some one who drinks real beer and not that pussy IPA!!!

Sorry to disappoint.

 

[Oak]

Also, have you talked to the CPW bio? He has an interest in sheep and might be able to give you some pointers. I can put you in contact if you need.

 

[mountainlaurel3]

I have been playing phone tag with the local wildlife officer since June. I'm winning.

I've called the local CPW office asking for a biologist instead - I've always been told, no you don't want to talk to them. Not a vote of confidence from your colleague.

I joined the RMBS, but live a good six hours from Denver so couldn't make the meet and greet.

Basically, I'm flying blind (and am neither a good nor experienced hunter in the first place). I've been asking random locals about sheep and the results have been discouraging - "oh we used to see them more" etc.

I have most of this next week to try again. I planned to fill my third rifle mule deer tag early so I could head here. Didn't go well.

I left home yesterday evening so I could set up camp and be here at first light. I made it about 5 miles past my town before finding a very freshly hit mule deer still in the middle of the highway.

I got a cow elk this year, but also was given a second freezer, and wanted more meat. My failure at my buck tag in mind, I salvaged the doe.

In the light of my car headlights. Until the battery died. No cell service, so I walked to a nearby house to approach, in the dark, a house that never gets approached in the dark.

I asked for a jump of a phone and was asked in return why I didn't have a phone. Turns out I had service by having climbed the 50 or so vertical feet to the house.

I proceeded to talk to AAA from their driveway - I'm sure the denizens thought I was real sharp.

AAA for the win, the doe is now hanging in my neighbor's garage, waiting on my return.

I got to the unit this afternoon on attempt #2. I refrained from stopping for another fresh-looking roadkill. Making my ma proud.

Set up my incredible abode on a very muddy/snowy side road. Ellis Tents out of Durango, check it if you need cozy accomodations.

Hit a couple glassing knobs, no sign of sheep. The deer are thick, just as I wished they were two days ago in my home unit. Alas.

 

[mountainlaurel3]

Also, have you talked to the CPW bio? He has an interest in sheep and might be able to give you some pointers. I can put you in contact if you need.

Thanks, I'd love a phone number! Was planning to call tomorrow again anyway. Not sure why the weird response discouraging me from talking to the biologist, seemed odd.

 

[mountainlaurel3]

There were sheep within a mile of the reservoir, upstream, in Sept. 2023. Have you spent time in that area?

I've spent most of my time within that stretch - reservoir and a bit up, trying to glass the south facing hills going up from the river - either from above or below. They definitely are here at some points, so it could be I just need more glassing time. Or they're here at a different time of year, ha. Sheep hunting is difficult!

 

[mountainlaurel3]

Also, to add to my tale of incompetence, I took a trip into town yesterday to borrow a couple things. Mr. Buddy heater and swanky canvas tent are clutch, but I forgot to borrow my buddy's spotter, so I'm glassing with my 8x binos (on a tripod at least) - which are great for the thick timber around my house, not as ideal for this situation. Genius!

 

[mountainlaurel3]

A few days are left in the season, but my efforts are over, had to get home to head out for thanksgiving Monday.

Put in a total of 10 days hunting plus some scouting without seeing a single sheep. Not a great tally.

With an assist from @Oak I did talk to the biologist, who gave me some helpful tips. Sadly, he also explained why a ewe tag exists for such a small herd - there has been 0 lamb recruitment, so they are expecting the herd to die off anyway. Apparently with the small herd it is known to be a tough hunt, so he at least assuaged my ego.

Morning glassing sessions included lots of down and a bonus blanket.



Camping by this sign seems a little on the nose. Hope the fine has gone up...





On a trip back into town I saw a big herd of pronghorn on a pivot, so pulled over to check them out. Even cooler, just to the foreground of the pronghorn were hundreds of sandhill cranes. Cool birds. Also saw one of these creepy conveyances - creepy because they seem to be uncontrolled. This horse kept looking at me while I slowly approached a stop sign, like he wanted to be damn sure I knew he was a horse and he wasn't stopping.



All in all, fun to chase sheep with a tag in the pocket, but damn it's beautiful hunting country and I was wishing I had a chance to at least try a stalk. Didn't make it too hard to recognize the unit, applier beware!

 

[Khunter]

I have been playing phone tag with the local wildlife officer since June. I'm winning.

I've called the local CPW office asking for a biologist instead - I've always been told, no you don't want to talk to them. Not a vote of confidence from your colleague.

I joined the RMBS, but live a good six hours from Denver so couldn't make the meet and greet.

Basically, I'm flying blind (and am neither a good nor experienced hunter in the first place). I've been asking random locals about sheep and the results have been discouraging - "oh we used to see them more" etc.

I have most of this next week to try again. I planned to fill my third rifle mule deer tag early so I could head here. Didn't go well.

I left home yesterday evening so I could set up camp and be here at first light. I made it about 5 miles past my town before finding a very freshly hit mule deer still in the middle of the highway.

I got a cow elk this year, but also was given a second freezer, and wanted more meat. My failure at my buck tag in mind, I salvaged the doe.

In the light of my car headlights. Until the battery died. No cell service, so I walked to a nearby house to approach, in the dark, a house that never gets approached in the dark.

I asked for a jump of a phone and was asked in return why I didn't have a phone. Turns out I had service by having climbed the 50 or so vertical feet to the house.

I proceeded to talk to AAA from their driveway - I'm sure the denizens thought I was real sharp.

AAA for the win, the doe is now hanging in my neighbor's garage, waiting on my return.

I got to the unit this afternoon on attempt #2. I refrained from stopping for another fresh-looking roadkill. Making my ma proud.

Set up my incredible abode on a very muddy/snowy side road. Ellis Tents out of Durango, check it if you need cozy accomodations.

Hit a couple glassing knobs, no sign of sheep. The deer are thick, just as I wished they were two days ago in my home unit. Alas.

guys still run around the mountains without the cheap and small jump batteries that fit in a glove box they are so compact?
Abandoning a sheep hunt arrival for roadkill? Hard no. LOL

Sorry it did not work out for you, but not learning the situation with the herd till the end of your hunt does suggests you were not really spending the many months ahead of the hunt preparing for success. As you are a RMBS member, we at RMBS woulda provided as much info and advise and contacts as possible had you called when you drew whether you went to meet & greet or not. We even provided contact info in our M&G invites.

Who told you to not to talk to bio, that was dumb dumb dumb of whomever said it. Some advice sounds stupid when you hear it and that one should have been ignored. Most every phone call made trying to prepare for a hunt is worth making given it costs nothing. When I talk to folks prepping for my hunts I usually also end with “who else do you suggest I talk to and do you have contact info” Often enough that yields the best info and makes the original call worthwhile.

 

[mountainlaurel3]

Abandoning a sheep hunt arrival for roadkill? Hard no. LOL

Sorry it did not work out for you, but not learning the situation with the herd till the end of your hunt does suggests you were not really spending the many months ahead of the hunt preparing for success. As you are a RMBS member, we at RMBS woulda provided as much info and advise and contacts as possible had you called when you drew whether you went to meet & greet or not. We even provided contact info in our M&G invites.

Who told you to not to talk to bio, that was dumb dumb dumb of whomever said it. Some advice sounds stupid when you hear it and that one should have been ignored. Most every phone call made trying to prepare for a hunt is worth making given it costs nothing. When I talk to folks prepping for my hunts I usually also end with “who else do you suggest I talk to and do you have contact info” Often enough that yields the best info and makes the original call worthwhile.

All criticism warranted, minus the roadkill, I've got no regrets there.

I definitely thought I had a better handle on things than I really did, and was feeling confident for this late part of the season, wrongly, in hindsight.

Certainly didn't mean to make it sound like I'm blaming anyone but myself for my failure (see thread title re:incompetence). I procrastinated on seeking help, but also learned a lot, had a great time exploring a part of the state I had wanted to hunt but probably won't for elk or deer, and am not crying myself to sleep on not filling my tag. At 1/5 on the season on my big game tags, I'm used to it. I can see that my thread title or talk about failing to find CPW folks might've sound whiny, was just going for humor.

As a newer, self-taught hunter, I also sometimes struggle with asking for help, and haven't done much of it in the past. Next moose or sheep tag I get, I'll certainly make sure I do things differently.

Thanks for the feedback - I like the who else should I talk to question - and thanks again to @Oak for the help.

 

[elkantlers]

 

[Mudranger1]

IMO your biggest mistake was your glass. I could barely find them with 15x binos. If I had my 8x's they would be in rifle range lol. I played phone tag with CPW pretty much until after I left for my hunt. luckily I ran in to a couple officers up in the high country that confirmed where I had been was the right place I just needed to look better