Art Vandeley
Well-known member
Lots of these posts are lacking pictures..
“Big 3” all from your home state
- Thread starter The Hedgehog
- Start date
Wrong Burgundy
Well-known member
Yep.....Pictures or it didn't happen!!!
appaloosa
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lonedave
Active member
I've been lucky enough to take 3 goats (prior to them being OIL), bighorn ram, bighorn ewe, and bull moose here in Washington, I drew my first goat tag at 14 the first year I put in (1972), my ram tag in 2014 after 42 years of applications, and my moose tag in 2015 after 38 years of applications. Did I say I've been a little lucky? 
buffybr
Well-known member
I've been lucky enough to have taken at least one of each of Montana's Big 3 animals, all within 100 miles of my home, and all on DIY hunts, and most on solo hunts. I shot all of them over 30 years ago, and the way SW Montana has changed over that time period, I see no reason not to say what hunting units that I shot them in.
My first Big 3 animal was a Goat that I shot back when Units 326, 327, and 328 were all one unit. This was a DIY solo hunt in the middle of November of that year.
I shot my first Bighorn ram in Unit 500, also on a DIY solo hunt.
I shot my next two Rams in Unit 302 back when it was an unlimited unit. Both of those hunts were also DIY solo hunts.
I shot both of my Shiras moose in Unit 309. My first was a 50" bull that I shot on a DIY hunt with a friend that helped me pack him out.
My second moose was a 40" bull that I shot on a DIY solo hunt. My horses packed both bulls out.
My first Big 3 animal was a Goat that I shot back when Units 326, 327, and 328 were all one unit. This was a DIY solo hunt in the middle of November of that year.
I shot my first Bighorn ram in Unit 500, also on a DIY solo hunt.
I shot my next two Rams in Unit 302 back when it was an unlimited unit. Both of those hunts were also DIY solo hunts.
I shot both of my Shiras moose in Unit 309. My first was a 50" bull that I shot on a DIY hunt with a friend that helped me pack him out.
My second moose was a 40" bull that I shot on a DIY solo hunt. My horses packed both bulls out.
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
You’re pretty much the guy I was excited to hear about on this. Knew you had a local collection from excellent hunts.I've been lucky enough to have taken at least one of each of Montana's Big 3 animals, all within 100 miles of my home, and all on DIY hunts, and most on solo hunts. I shot all of them over 30 years ago, and the way SW Montana has changed over that time period, I see no reason not to say what hunting units that I shot them in.
My first Big 3 animal was a Goat that I shot back when Units 326, 327, and 328 were all one unit. This was a DIY solo hunt in the middle of November of that year.
I shot my first Bighorn ram in Unit 500, also on a DIY solo hunt.
I shot my next two Rams in Unit 302 back when it was an unlimited unit. Both of those hunts were also DIY solo hunts.
I shot both of my Shiras moose in Unit 309. My first was a 50" bull that I shot on a DIY hunt with a friend that helped me pack him out.
My second moose was a 40" bull that I shot on a DIY solo hunt. My horses packed both bulls out.
sethkuhl
Well-known member
I drew an antelope doe tag in 2005. Since then, no luck! Moose sheep and goat are like looking to mars for vacation for me, yet I keep on trying.
Wrong Burgundy
Well-known member
These are
I've been lucky enough to have taken at least one of each of Montana's Big 3 animals, all within 100 miles of my home, and all on DIY hunts, and most on solo hunts. I shot all of them over 30 years ago, and the way SW Montana has changed over that time period, I see no reason not to say what hunting units that I shot them in.
My first Big 3 animal was a Goat that I shot back when Units 326, 327, and 328 were all one unit. This was a DIY solo hunt in the middle of November of that year.
I shot my first Bighorn ram in Unit 500, also on a DIY solo hunt.
I shot my next two Rams in Unit 302 back when it was an unlimited unit. Both of those hunts were also DIY solo hunts.
I shot both of my Shiras moose in Unit 309. My first was a 50" bull that I shot on a DIY hunt with a friend that helped me pack him out.
My second moose was a 40" bull that I shot on a DIY solo hunt. My horses packed both bulls out.
These are some of the best pics/story on this thread, primarily because three decades ago, my guess is there was a Pentax or Canon 35mm camera (yep kids, film!) with one lens slung around your neck, and it wasn't just as easy snapping away with a phone.
I remember processing those 35mm slides or prints, always nervous and excited as to what I would end up with. That is an impressive line up of MT big 3 successes.
MTANTELOPEHUNTER
New member
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- Feb 5, 2018
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Very nice
BradA
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There are another form of sheep that are closely related to a rocky and that’s the Sierra Nevada bighorn only found in California but no permits are issued for them.I'm shooting for 3 species of elk from my home state. I think I can live long enough to draw them all... I've got the Tule, and I'm applying for Roosevelt next.
If Deer are your thing we have 6 subspecies of deer in state
But sadly we only have Desert Sheep. No Moose or Mountain Goats.
NDGuy
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- Apr 26, 2018
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I got one down... hoping to get the moose, the sheep will never happen though lol
buffybr
Well-known member
Very nice critters! Did you shoot your goat with your bow also?
buffybr
Well-known member
As did many other Vietnam Vets did, I came home with a couple of Nikon 35 mm cameras, a bunch of lenses, and the latest and greatest stereo equipment of that time. Most of the time that big camera was in my backpack, and yes, all of those field pictures were taken as slides that I had printed as pictures, then later I took pictures with my digital camera of my old slide pictures. That's why many of my old pictures aren't as clear or sharp as today's pictures straight from phones or digital cameras.
geetar
Well-known member
I love the dog in the pics. Is it the same one in both the moose and ram pics?I've been lucky enough to have taken at least one of each of Montana's Big 3 animals, all within 100 miles of my home, and all on DIY hunts, and most on solo hunts. I shot all of them over 30 years ago, and the way SW Montana has changed over that time period, I see no reason not to say what hunting units that I shot them in.
My first Big 3 animal was a Goat that I shot back when Units 326, 327, and 328 were all one unit. This was a DIY solo hunt in the middle of November of that year.
I shot my first Bighorn ram in Unit 500, also on a DIY solo hunt.
I shot my next two Rams in Unit 302 back when it was an unlimited unit. Both of those hunts were also DIY solo hunts.
I shot both of my Shiras moose in Unit 309. My first was a 50" bull that I shot on a DIY hunt with a friend that helped me pack him out.
My second moose was a 40" bull that I shot on a DIY solo hunt. My horses packed both bulls out.
buffybr
Well-known member
Yes, that was Taffy, my 2nd Golden Retriever. Now I have Zoe II, my 5th Golden Retriever. I know that I have pictures with Buffy with at least 2 Antelope, and Zoe I with at least one Antelope and one Elk. For many years I didn't carry a camera with me hunting, and if I did it was a 35 mm camera with slide film that I haven't had transferred to the jpg format.
Fair to say I (and my family) have been unbelievably lucky with draws in MT.
Able to finish the Big 3 this year, at 31yo..not too bad.
I want to know if anyone has done
2x big 3s? I want to make another round, but I think luck is starting to run out now. Next stop, Bison
EYJONAS!
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- Mar 17, 2017
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That's impressive nice work.
My uncle has 2 big 3s coupled with 2 bison too, all MT.
He's also got 15 goat points, he doesn't apply for moose or sheep anymore.
Wow, that’s awesome
