Google Bot Data Mined Super-Fund Site

[shines@times]

I wonder if Grey has seen that picture?

That email of his continues to make me want to puke. I was really on the verge of becoming a WSF member. Maybe I’ll email him and tell him why I won’t be and then cut a check to Oak

Gray N. Thornton makes descent points in his letter, entirely valid ones in my opinion, provided the sheep is legitimately a 3/4 curl legal ram. A 3/4 curl requirement is unambiguously straight forward, workable and doesn't put undue stress upon hunters in already challenging circumstances. I have shot at two MT Unlimited rams--missing the first one cleanly--and did not require prolonged study to determine legal headgear on either one. While sitting upon a boulder and contemplating that first miss, I did study another ram that emerged from a draw and determined that its left horn projected well over an inch beyond that eye-intersecting line that I was superimposing with my scope's reticle. I passed on that ram, but would not have criticized another hunter's decision to shoot. I hope that the Boddington trophy does show up displayed in public forum(s) as several members here have predicted it will. Preferably, it will appear in a Euro-style mount, so that participants of this thread may judge its legitimacy for themselves while granting the Boddingtons the benefit of a larger eye (socket) opening .

As I have previously mentioned, a more concerning issue to me would be if it is sub-legal (people do make mistakes) and it was improperly passed by FWP personnel due to perceived celebrity status of the shooter and her spouse, or due to some other consideration or inducement. Until I can view that head myself, from the side, or obtain the first-hand report of some trusted member of this forum who does so, I think it is time for me to withhold further comment on whether it is a legal ram or not. If it is a legal ram, that should be the end of the story, though I certainly question the judgement behind authoring and publishing a sheep hunting story for a prestious journal that suggests it was a valid field call to shoot such a ram that subsequently requires fat baling twine to justify its harvest. There would be no quibble from me at all if Montana's standard for the U/L units was "any ram." Wild sheep are tasty table fare; and I'm sure that the youngster was tender.

 

[shines@times]

Jonas is moving on. I've had enough HT for awhile.

@Southern Elk just cause I am a man of my word and your beloved Dak is gonna take your 'boys to the playoffs I will honor our deal.

Remember "only the ram knows, where the ram lives" - Don't be marketing that shit either @sacountry.

Good luck all, hope to one day see ya on the trail.

BULLSHIT! You'll be back with spurs on the instant anyone posts an off-topic comment to this thread--the offender doesn't even have to be me!

 

[RobertD]

I'm not a member of this club but I'm forced to lurk here

Waiting to see a picture of that damn sheep taken from the correct angle

 

[ZMT588]

BULLSHIT! You'll be back with spurs on the instant anyone posts an off-topic comment to this thread--the offender doesn't even have to be me!

He told me yesterday in person that he's not coming back for a while because he doesn't want me to be right about my previous comment. But it is friday and his drinks start pouring around 5 o'clock so we will see.

 

[BigHornRam]

New owner of the Dome Mountain Ranch. Hopefully the outfitter they hire can tell what a legal ram looks like.

6,300-acre Paradise Valley ranch sold to Home Depot co-founder's company

A 6,300-acre Paradise Valley property that borders the Dome Mountain Wildlife Management Area has been sold to a company owned by Home Depot’s co-founder.

www.bozemandailychronicle.com

 

[BigHornRam]

I'm not a member of this club but I'm forced to lurk here

Waiting to see a picture of that damn sheep taken from the correct angle

Hope you are a patent guy.........

 

[buffybr]

... why on earth is a 4yr old ram legal?

I am not defending the Boddington ram. I would not have shot that ram and I have passed on shooting longer Unlimited rams.

This is the last Unlimited ram that I shot. The year before I shot him, I passed on shooting him and another ram that looked like his twin, both standing broadside 20 yards from me. I actually picked up a golf ball size rock and threw it underhand and hit one of the rams.

This ram also has the shortest horns of any of my Unlimited unit rams. He is also the oldest. FWP and I both aged him at 9 1/2 years old. A string from the base of the front of his right horn through the back of his eye, just barely touched the tip of his right horn. The same measurement on his left horn makes him legal by 2 1/4".

While I was having him measured at FWD headquarters, another hunter brought in a ram that he had just shot in one of Montana's premier sheep units. That ram was aged at 4 1/2 years old and he green scored over 190 B&C inches.

 

[mevertsen]

I am not defending the Boddington ram. I would not have shot that ram and I have passed on shooting longer Unlimited rams.

This is the last Unlimited ram that I shot. The year before I shot him, I passed on shooting him and another ram that looked like his twin, both standing broadside 20 yards from me. I actually picked up a golf ball size rock and threw it underhand and hit one of the rams.

This ram also has the shortest horns of any of my Unlimited unit rams. He is also the oldest. FWP and I both aged him at 9 1/2 years old. A string from the base of the front of his right horn through the back of his eye, just barely touched the tip of his right horn. The same measurement on his left horn makes him legal by 2 1/4".

While I was having him measured at FWD headquarters, another hunter brought in a ram that he had just shot in one of Montana's premier sheep units. That ram was aged at 4 1/2 years old and he green scored over 190 B&C inches.

Amazing how different units produce such drastic differences in health and horn structure.

 

[rogerthat]

I am not defending the Boddington ram. I would not have shot that ram and I have passed on shooting longer Unlimited rams.

This is the last Unlimited ram that I shot. The year before I shot him, I passed on shooting him and another ram that looked like his twin, both standing broadside 20 yards from me. I actually picked up a golf ball size rock and threw it underhand and hit one of the rams.

This ram also has the shortest horns of any of my Unlimited unit rams. He is also the oldest. FWP and I both aged him at 9 1/2 years old. A string from the base of the front of his right horn through the back of his eye, just barely touched the tip of his right horn. The same measurement on his left horn makes him legal by 2 1/4".

While I was having him measured at FWD headquarters, another hunter brought in a ram that he had just shot in one of Montana's premier sheep units. That ram was aged at 4 1/2 years old and he green scored over 190 B&C inches.

Your dog must have been a badass. My feet hurt just looking at that picture

 

[YoungGun]

While I was having him measured at FWD headquarters, another hunter brought in a ram that he had just shot in one of Montana's premier sheep units. That ram was aged at 4 1/2 years old and he green scored over 190 B&C inches.

I'll second that- When I brought my sheep in to the taxidermist, there was a ram from the Breaks nearly half the age of mine, but with nearly 40" of more horn. Something about the Beartooth genetics and scratching out winters at 10000' that keeps 'em a bit smaller, I guess.

 

[winmag]

Anyone have an address for the Boddingtons? I want to send them a thoughtful Christmas present that they can use on their future extreme hardcore guided from the truck unlimited bighorn hunts: a 360 degree protractor and a laminated copy of the 3/4 curl requirement page of the sheep regs.

 

[rjthehunter]

Anyone have an address for the Boddingtons? I want to send them a thoughtful Christmas present that they can use on their future extreme hardcore guided from the truck unlimited bighorn hunts: a 360 degree protractor and a laminated copy of the 3/4 curl requirement page of the sheep regs.

Email Donna and see if she has a PO box you can send a Xmas present to!

Then mail a second copy to the outfitter!

Then mail a third copy to the dumb@$$ that plugged it

 

[winmag]

Then mail a third copy to the dumb@$$ that plugged it

Ooooooooooo now that would be good!

 

[shines@times]

Amazing how different units produce such drastic differences in health and horn structure.

Genetics, nutrition and environmental stress--severe weather across long Winters in the Beartooth country especially--are the contributing and limiting factors.

Something else occurs to me, though I do not have enough information to form a hypothesis: Does living at significantly higher elevation than the populations in the breaks of the Missouri River mean that a larger proportion of the nutrition consumed by Beartooth sheep goes to simply fueling their metabolism year-around, regardless weather conditions?

It seems a logical conclusion to me that more nutrition directed to simply maintaining an animal's basic cardio-vascular functioning consequently limits that available to grow horn mass, but I am interested in reading responses from biologists and associates of same who might be following this thread.

 

[BirdManMike]

Maybe the Beartooth ewes just prefer metro rams. Natural selection. Not all females want a beefcake, some prefer wisplike.

 

[YoungGun]

Genetics, nutrition and environmental stress--severe weather across long Winters in the Beartooth country especially--are the contributing and limiting factors.

Something else occurs to me, though I do not have enough information to form a hypothesis: Does living at significantly higher elevation than the populations in the breaks of the Missouri River mean that a larger proportion of the nutrition consumed by Beartooth sheep goes to simply fueling their metabolism year-around, regardless weather conditions?

It seems a logical conclusion to me that more nutrition directed to simply maintaining an animal's basic cardio-vascular functioning consequently limits that available to grow horn mass, but I am interested in reading responses from biologists and associates of same who might be following this thread.

Interesting thought- But I would say it's possibly more a genetic factor. 302- the Hilgards, mimics some of the Beartooth in many ways, yet is managed differently, and thus, produces more large rams. The 2nd 501 ram this year is a testament that the Beartooths can produce large rams, not on the scale of the Breaks, but still. Perhaps a better comparison yet is many of the record Rams coming from Alberta- I won't say they are enduring a Beartooth Winter in all areas of Alberta, but the Canadian Rockies are no slouch, either. I have no doubt that diet and habitat make a difference. But to what extent, I can't say.

I think you would have to abduct and transplant a Beartooth ram into the Breaks and then monitor him for the duration of his life, while simultaneously doing the opposite to a Breaks ram.

 

[longrunner]

In general, plant productivity and nutritional value appears to be inverse to elevation. Alpine meadows are not as productive as bottomlands.

 

[BigHornRam]

My understanding is that native herds like the Beartooths, Absarokas, Salmon River, and Selway, in general have slow horn growth. Look at Sun River sheep, same thing. Transplant them to new uninhabited territory like the Breaks and look out, though. Seems like some of transplanted herds horn growth slows down after the herds get to carrying capacity, but who really knows for sure.

 

[BigHornRam]

Quality of mothers milk plays a huge roll in how big the ram will get also.

 

[BigHornRam]

Interesting thought- But I would say it's possibly more a genetic factor. 302- the Hilgards, mimics some of the Beartooth in many ways, yet is managed differently, and thus, produces more large rams. The 2nd 501 ram this year is a testament that the Beartooths can produce large rams, not on the scale of the Breaks, but still. Perhaps a better comparison yet is many of the record Rams coming from Alberta- I won't say they are enduring a Beartooth Winter in all areas of Alberta, but the Canadian Rockies are no slouch, either. I have no doubt that diet and habitat make a difference. But to what extent, I can't say.

I think you would have to abduct and transplant a Beartooth ram into the Breaks and then monitor him for the duration of his life, while simultaneously doing the opposite to a Breaks ram.

I remember they transplanted some sheep from the Breaks into the Devils Canyon, Wyoming. More rocks than grass in that country. One young ram from that transplant, grew up to be a real big ram, and was taken by a lucky hunter. Not sure of the age he was taken at, still fairly young if I recall the story right. (Looked it up. Ram was 6.5 when harvested and measured 186"+)