Mtnhunter1
Well-known member
New Year’s Day found me banging around my Stepmom’s sheep unit. I have always tried to go out into the hills on this day to start the year off right. I was hoping to find, photograph and video the grey faced ram with the white spot on his forehead. I was successful with that endeavor.
A FWP’s envelope is received in early August, yup, sheep tag enclosed with my name on it! What are the odds of that?
Now that I knew the area fairly well, let the scouting commence. I spent 5 days at the end of August looking for the grey faced ram and I did not succeed. I returned in early October for 4 days and found three barely legal rams but no grey face. I did not get back to sheep hunting until Nov. 4th but planned to hunt through to the end of the season if needed. Nov. 12th was the first time that grey face appeared. I failed in the stalk when he winded me at just over 50yds. Nov.18th was the next time that I put the glass on grey face. He was with eight other rams and they were putting on an awesome head butting show. I stalked to within 150yds and got almost two hours of head banging video. Then, like being called in for dinner, the rams lined out and started to walk in single file to who knows where. I hustled to circle around and get in front of the rams. The rams had the choice of taking three possible paths. I picked the middle of the three. I topped out on the ridge and could not see the rams. Then I heard rocks rolling directly below me and could see the flash of horn coming up through the timber. The rams were on a trail that topped out right where I was standing. I backed off several yards and kneeled between to bushy trees. The grey faced ram was the first to crest the ridge and veered to my left. I was already at full draw when he cleared a small bush slightly past my location. At the shot, he reared up on his hind legs, spun 90 degrees and disappeared over the ridge. When I peered over the ridge I could not see any of the rams but could hear their progression down through the timber with all the rocks rolling. Finally the rams appeared up the drainage trotting single file up a small open sub ridge. I counted as I followed the rams through my binos, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Eight rams and grey face was not in the group. The distance from my shooting position to where the ram was when I shot was four paces.
I guess that somethings are truly meant to defy the odds! This hunt was one of those “somethings”! I completely owe this hunt to my Stepmom as I would have never picked this unit to apply for without helping her out the previous year. I really enjoyed this hunt that blessed me with a beautiful ram.
Side note: My Stepmother and Dad drove to the unit several times with me both during some scouting days and also several days of the hunt. My Stepmom was with me on the 12th when this ram was first spotted. She had a great time watching my failed stalk through the spotter that day. All other days were spent solo.
Found, and scanned, another pic of this ram.
A FWP’s envelope is received in early August, yup, sheep tag enclosed with my name on it! What are the odds of that?
Now that I knew the area fairly well, let the scouting commence. I spent 5 days at the end of August looking for the grey faced ram and I did not succeed. I returned in early October for 4 days and found three barely legal rams but no grey face. I did not get back to sheep hunting until Nov. 4th but planned to hunt through to the end of the season if needed. Nov. 12th was the first time that grey face appeared. I failed in the stalk when he winded me at just over 50yds. Nov.18th was the next time that I put the glass on grey face. He was with eight other rams and they were putting on an awesome head butting show. I stalked to within 150yds and got almost two hours of head banging video. Then, like being called in for dinner, the rams lined out and started to walk in single file to who knows where. I hustled to circle around and get in front of the rams. The rams had the choice of taking three possible paths. I picked the middle of the three. I topped out on the ridge and could not see the rams. Then I heard rocks rolling directly below me and could see the flash of horn coming up through the timber. The rams were on a trail that topped out right where I was standing. I backed off several yards and kneeled between to bushy trees. The grey faced ram was the first to crest the ridge and veered to my left. I was already at full draw when he cleared a small bush slightly past my location. At the shot, he reared up on his hind legs, spun 90 degrees and disappeared over the ridge. When I peered over the ridge I could not see any of the rams but could hear their progression down through the timber with all the rocks rolling. Finally the rams appeared up the drainage trotting single file up a small open sub ridge. I counted as I followed the rams through my binos, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Eight rams and grey face was not in the group. The distance from my shooting position to where the ram was when I shot was four paces.
I guess that somethings are truly meant to defy the odds! This hunt was one of those “somethings”! I completely owe this hunt to my Stepmom as I would have never picked this unit to apply for without helping her out the previous year. I really enjoyed this hunt that blessed me with a beautiful ram.
Side note: My Stepmother and Dad drove to the unit several times with me both during some scouting days and also several days of the hunt. My Stepmom was with me on the 12th when this ram was first spotted. She had a great time watching my failed stalk through the spotter that day. All other days were spent solo.
Found, and scanned, another pic of this ram.
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