bonecollector Report post Posted December 5, 2022 Hope you get the one you are after. Good luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted December 5, 2022 Keep at it and enjoy the ride! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted December 5, 2022 17 hours ago, CatfishKev said: Good karma sent your way. Definitely. Had a similar situation on my buddy’s ram hunt…both hunters ended up tagging out by working together. Good luck! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
couzhtr Report post Posted December 6, 2022 Good luck Eddie! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted December 6, 2022 On 12/4/2022 at 7:17 PM, akaspecials said: This is a picture of the last portion of the day 1 stalk. Hunter and sheep are circled in red. We got pinned down at the top left portion of the yellow grass patch while the rams shuffled around to the right edge of it… We later find out that one of the other hunters is after this same ram. We met him the first morning, and he ceded this area to me since I arrived first. In return, I agreed to stay out of the next canyon over. I had texted him after the blown stalk that the rams may head into his canyon. We communicate that night and he asks to trade areas for day 2 under the same agreement as day 1. I hesitate since we put the rams to sleep and these are some of the only archery accessible rams. He sends pictures and videos of the rams and tells me there are two specific rams he is after, and no others. He held true to his word on day 1, so I agree to the terms and pull out. I call my crew and ask them to take a deep breath. I tell them we aren’t hunting “Mr. Big” in the morning. They take it in stride with only a few comments. The other hunter tells me where he is going to be the next morning and it is exactly where the rams bedded down at the end of day 1. I wish him good luck, knowing that he will kill Mr. Big the next day with a rifle. We get to sleep in an extra hour since we aren’t racing anyone. Our crew of 3 see 1 ewe on Day 2. We think we hear a gunshot mid afternoon… Any updates? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest akaspecials Report post Posted December 6, 2022 On the evening of day 2, the phone calls and texts begin in earnest. We find out that the gunshot we thought we heard was NOT the other hunter. A sigh of relief came from the crew. We wonder what happened. Did he not see them? Did they move one canyon over in that last 5 minutes of light? Did our archery tactics push them off the mountain? We assume the other hunter will be in there again and we decide to move on. Mr. Big was fun, but we are now looking for Mr. Bigger. Day 3 begins on the other side of the range a few hours before sunrise. We see 10-15 other guys in camo gathering at the same spot we choose to meet. We watch from the gas pumps as they combine vehicles and their convoy heads north. We assume they have one of the other tags but don’t communicate. We follow 10 minutes behind and are glad to see at least half of them pulled off prior to where we are headed. Our parking area is empty upon arrival. We are thankful. We throw on the packs and start hiking into the wilderness. I grabbed a quick photo as we crest the hill. Alex and Jeff start pulling up sheep almost immediately. They aren’t moving far in the howling wind. Has that ewe really sat perched in the same position for 3 hours??? I become convinced that I see a ram in the trees behind her. A side hike for better angles and a few more hours behind the glass proves me wrong: Nothing is there. None of the rams we pull up are shooters. It starts to rain. We retreat. Back at the trucks, we lament not looking at the weather report. We hunker down under a makeshift awning and trade stories. It’s cold and wet, but enjoyable. Jeff and Alex call it off after a few hours while I hang around convinced it will blow over. It doesn’t blow over and I drive home in the dark contemplating life and sheep hunting. We decide to take a rest day on Sunday (Day 4) for family and church. It is needed. The clouds don’t break until late afternoon anyways. I pack for a day hunt on Monday; it is my last day with help for a while. I pack the big pack for Tues- Sunday backpacking and look at maps of the interior. At 11pm, urgent work calls come in and I’m stuck at the computer late dealing with that. There is still fog at my house at 3am. We won’t be able to see anything at sunrise in the mountains. I curl in for a restless 2 hours of sleep before my alarm goes off. Before I know it, the hunt is back on. I chug my coffee unaware that Day 5 will be the culmination of years of hard work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted December 6, 2022 Love the cliffhanger…keep us hanging on for details! Fun following along so far… Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted December 6, 2022 What he said. How many tags in your unit? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dentedr Report post Posted December 7, 2022 The suspense is killing me… Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost85 Report post Posted December 9, 2022 Come on man! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tropicalmulch Report post Posted December 9, 2022 On 12/6/2022 at 12:08 PM, akaspecials said: Before I know it, the hunt is back on. I chug my coffee unaware that Day 5 will be the culmination of years of hard work Let's hear it! See some pics! What's the hold up? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted December 9, 2022 Patiently waiting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest akaspecials Report post Posted December 9, 2022 As I leave my house on Day 5, I get the first text: “Hey im going to wait until fog lifts...will head out when it does...” I relay the message and I’m left wondering if anyone will show up. I fill gas in my truck and saunter to the mountain knowing it will be a slow start. Alex is there waiting; I’m the one that is late. We pull out lawn chairs in the pre dawn and bullshit like the old days. It’s nice to catch up with a friend I don’t see often these days. Well after sunrise 3 trucks roll in and I get an earful from the guide/helper for posting this thread. The out of state hunter is amicable and I wish him luck. They head up the mountain into the fog. We decide to move to a place we think will clear out the fog more quickly. Curtis rolls in with a big smile but none of us are convinced today will be productive. I talk about maybe taking the morning off and Curtis suggests we sit tight for 30 minutes. In 30 minutes, the fog starts to lift and we are hunting! We have an archery accessible ram in the area that has been hanging out for a while. He’s fairly immobile and not going far, so we hike to the glassing knob to find him. We glass the face for a few minutes and I notice the clouds are lifting over where we stalked Mr. Big on day 1. I turn my 10x42s to scan the mountain and in less than 2 minutes glassing I pull up a white spot. The spotting scopes come out. It’s Mr Big!!!!!! It’s Mr friggin Big!!!! Curtis puts the 85mm on him and confirms: He’s in the exact same spot as Day 1 except 300 yards uphill. We spent 8 hours over there with a bow a few days before and know exactly how to get there. It’s not conducive to bow hunting, with where he is bedded so we grab the rifle. Curtis says a prayer for the believers and off we go. Before you know it we had hiked to the base of the hill and scurried up what we call Draw 2. Mr Big is bedded under the same cactus and Alex’s ranges him at 198 yards. I start scanning the mountain for the other rams; all I come up is with ewes. There were more rams up here. Where are they? Is that the right ram? Alex whispers it’s him: shoot! He’s under the same saguaro: shoot! I scan again and wonder how long we can sit waiting to make sure. I hit him with glass again and stare at him like he stared at me on Day 1. It has to be the right ram, he has the same chunk out of his horn, he’s the same size, same color. I settle behind Alex’s 30-06 and squeeze the trigger. Mr Big never leaves his bed. Curtis is watching from the bottom of the cliff and confirms the shot is good and he sees the same thing. I frantically ask if I shot the right ram. Everyone assures me it’s him. I breathe a sigh of relief and all the emotions overcome me for 5 minutes. I remove my hood and drop to my knees to give thanks to the Triune God. Over the next 20 minutes as we watch the ewes and other rams slowly filter out the area. They seem unconcerned that their patriarch is gone. We are cliffed out, so we hike around to get our hands on him. Alex hurries ahead as I contact my wife. I snap a picture about 100 yards away from where he lays. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest akaspecials Report post Posted December 9, 2022 And this is what it looks like when you walk up on your desert bighorn with one of your oldest friends: IMG_1918.MOV Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest akaspecials Report post Posted December 9, 2022 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
