My First Sheep Hunt - NV Desert Bighorn
- Thread starter eshunt
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BradA
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Good luck can’t wait to see your ram you kill.
txco
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- Apr 27, 2017
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So cool. Thanks letting us ride along. Love those desert sheep!
Well, had another weekend of looking at sheep. Didn't have any luck finding old rams on this trip. Actually only saw three sheep the entire weekend with this guy being the ram in the group. But I did get to spend some great time in the mountains with my little girl. She came home tired and happy so it was a successful scouting trip.
Found a carcass with this skull. Sheep had been here before, but no fresh sign.
The best scouting buddies.
She was excited to be out looking for bighorns.
And came home with a trophy of her own.
Next weekend is the opener. Will be heading down on Friday to get another day and a half of scouting in. Hopefully will find where all the sheep went. We checked several springs and there were only a handful of fresh tracks. The places I had been seeing sheep the last couple months seemed barren of animals. We hiked more miles and saw fewer sheep than any other scouting trip so far. The family and a couple friends will be around for the opener, but if I don't find a good ram in the first couple days, I will be on my own for a bit.
Found a carcass with this skull. Sheep had been here before, but no fresh sign.
The best scouting buddies.
She was excited to be out looking for bighorns.
And came home with a trophy of her own.
Next weekend is the opener. Will be heading down on Friday to get another day and a half of scouting in. Hopefully will find where all the sheep went. We checked several springs and there were only a handful of fresh tracks. The places I had been seeing sheep the last couple months seemed barren of animals. We hiked more miles and saw fewer sheep than any other scouting trip so far. The family and a couple friends will be around for the opener, but if I don't find a good ram in the first couple days, I will be on my own for a bit.
Had a chance to get a little more information from the biologist and also the successful archery hunter from my unit. The archery ram is a stud! Anyway, I was a little unsure what to make of the fact that we didn't see any fresh sign at the water sources. Well, it sounds like the sheep are getting most of their water needs from the vegetation they are eating right now. I was surprised to find that out. Will have to adjust my hunt strategy and will be looking around further from water and around the areas that the vegetation is present that they are eating. Trying to learn as much as I can about these animals. It's part of the hunt that I enjoy.
littlebighorn
Well-known member
Rolling with the punches is bound to lead you to a knock-out round with a sweet desert Ram.
I love the pic of your daughter. Perfect!
Found this guy yesterday afternoon. Was hoping he’d be close by this morning as I was going to go after him since my wife and daughter were here. But the whole group of them were nowhere to be seen this morning.
Funny how yesterday I saw sheep almost everywhere I looked. Even had one ram run right at us on the road. But of course in the opener this morning there hasn’t been a sheep spotted.
Funny how yesterday I saw sheep almost everywhere I looked. Even had one ram run right at us on the road. But of course in the opener this morning there hasn’t been a sheep spotted.
littlebighorn
Well-known member
That ram looks like the one your daughter is cradling!
This guy was chilling on the hillside as the sun rose this morning. It was his lucky day though because I had a larger ram spotted high up on the mountain. Currently sitting in the blazing sun, watching a group of 13 sheep from 500yds. Unable to get closer and not a place I can get myself set up for a shot. Hoping they feed closer next time they stand up.
Hawk Tuah
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Nice
mevertsen
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Dont get paralysis of the analysis.
A couple good rams there!
A couple good rams there!
Oh there was no doubt in my mind I was going after the one up on the mountain. He made me excited. That’s all I need. I got some more photos of him too.
mevertsen
Well-known member
Any updates?
So on Monday afternoon after sitting in the sun watching that group of sheep, I finally had an opportunity at the ram. I spent over an hour crawling into a good shooting position, getting set up and getting the ram lined up in the scope.
It was amazing watching how the ewes were constantly covering up the ram and not letting me get a shot. Finally after what seemed like another eternity the ram chased off a couple of the smaller guys and offered a nice broadside shot.
Boom!
Chaos erupted and the ram took off chasing the smaller guys again while they all looked around trying to decide where the shot came from. It was painfully obvious I had missed. Sailed one right over his back. I watched them for a couple more hours as they worked their way back up the mountain.
It was amazing watching how the ewes were constantly covering up the ram and not letting me get a shot. Finally after what seemed like another eternity the ram chased off a couple of the smaller guys and offered a nice broadside shot.
Boom!
Chaos erupted and the ram took off chasing the smaller guys again while they all looked around trying to decide where the shot came from. It was painfully obvious I had missed. Sailed one right over his back. I watched them for a couple more hours as they worked their way back up the mountain.
While spending hours watching the sheep I got to witness something I did not expect to see. The group of sheep were all bedded, in two groups about 10-15 yds apart. Suddenly the lower group of sheep bolt up in a cloud of dust and start looking around. They run up to the group above that have now all stood up as well. Im looking around with the binos thinking a lion or some predator is closing in on them from below.
I quickly realize there is large dark shadow on the hillside and look up to see a giant bird swooping down on the sheep. Looking closer I see it’s a golden eagle. And now all the sheep were in a tight group with the young lambs in the middle.
The eagle circled and swooped in a few times over about a 10 minute period. The entire time the sheep were encircling the smallest and youngest of the group. Finally it sailed off in the thermals and left this group alone.
I had been told by the biologist that golden eagles were one of the main predators for sheep in this unit. So it was amazing to watch it unfold in front of me.
Little encounters like that were the high points of the day. Which I had to remind myself during the lowest of lows when I realized I had missed a shot.
I spent Tuesday morning shooting my rifle and found that something very strange was happening with my rifle/scope. It led to me deciding I needed to head back home and get a different rifle to use.
I quickly realize there is large dark shadow on the hillside and look up to see a giant bird swooping down on the sheep. Looking closer I see it’s a golden eagle. And now all the sheep were in a tight group with the young lambs in the middle.
The eagle circled and swooped in a few times over about a 10 minute period. The entire time the sheep were encircling the smallest and youngest of the group. Finally it sailed off in the thermals and left this group alone.
I had been told by the biologist that golden eagles were one of the main predators for sheep in this unit. So it was amazing to watch it unfold in front of me.
Little encounters like that were the high points of the day. Which I had to remind myself during the lowest of lows when I realized I had missed a shot.
I spent Tuesday morning shooting my rifle and found that something very strange was happening with my rifle/scope. It led to me deciding I needed to head back home and get a different rifle to use.
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