Looking for a needle in a haystack

[bullwidgeon]

I went go help my uncle and his buddy who drew a sheep tag for 31/32 the last 3 days. It was pretty neat, and I am always amazed by Aravaipa and the vastness of that place and amount of neat little animal concealing cracks in the Earth there. Anyways, we were unable to locate the "plan A ram" we were looking for on this expedition but they are relocating to another spot in that big place and will go after "plan B" or "plan C" ram, if that doesnt work out maybe we will go back and look for "plan A" again a little later. Sheep move alot, more than deer anyways and that place is too big to consider an animal completley gone. Only in Aravaipa (and maybe 22 or 24B) can you pass up Booner sheep every day holding out for a real Toad until after Christmas . Here are some pics, no sheep pictures for me, I was mostly just glassing up deer and enjoying the scenery .

 

At one point in time "Plan A" was on living just around here some place. As you can see that's quite a big chunk of country to find a goofy traveling old ram.

 

Here is a buck that was all by himself feeding in the middle of the day. Just a 2 pointer, but a nice 2 pointer. Not the biggest we saw but this one was posing for the camera. He also was living in canyon that I usually would have considered "too steep" for a coues buck to live in. The cliffs above and below this guy must not have fazed him at all, he seemed right at home it stuff I thought only a sheep would like. The coues are starting to rut, some had swollen necks, a few of them were cruising around with noses to the ground like dogs on a hot scent and some were sparring a little and chasing does already. Good luck to everyone with December tags, it should shape up to be a good one.

 

Bret M.

[Shiras]

Bull,

 

Were you guys hunting for Desert sheep or Rocky Mnt. (Or does AZ have both tags available?) From what I have read on the AZ game and fish website, some sheep are transplants and there might only be a couple hundred in a unit (I think that was 27). That would definately be looking for the proverbial needle. Good luck to you guys!-Shiras

[bullwidgeon]

Aravaipa has desert sheep only. The last aerial survey of Aravaipa turned up 50 something head I think, but there are more than that floating around throughout both units 31 and 32. Shoot, our little group saw 30 or so the last few days and we only looked at one little section of the place. It was just nice to get back up in the hills and check out a part of that canyon I had never been to before, enjoy a campfire and some cool weather and hang out with some of the guys who taught me how to hunt. 27 is loaded with sheep, they stand in the road, if you ain't careful you might bumper check one .

 

Bret M.

[Dan H]

Looks like some good lion country as well. Good possibility you will score a skull from a ram glassing this area.

Heck of a lot funner than sitting at work.

Dan

[DesertBull]

Is it legal to pick up sheep skulls / horns?

 

In some states it is not.

[bullwidgeon]

Yes, but not in all areas. I am pretty sure there are rules prohibiting it in places like the Kofas and Cabeza Prieta. I am not sure about BLM wilderness areas though and alot of the best sheep areas are there, especially in alot of the SW units.

Bret M.

[az4life]

Beautiful country for sure! thanks for the pics and diversion from work.

I wish you better luck finding "Plan A".

Nice to hear the coues rut is showing signs of starting. I was wondering if it would be late due to the warm winter we have had so far. I will be trying to fill my tag in about 10 days!

[kwp]

That sure is exciting that you saw some signs that the rut is starting. These frigid mornings we've been having lately sure make ya think of being out in the hills. Can't wait till the 16th, my stick and string are ready

 

Good luck finding one of your rams

[DEERSLAM]

Awesome country

 

Keep us updated on the hunt. Love to see pics of a big old ram. Good luck.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

Awesome Bret,

Good luck on the plan A ram. Will be exciting.

thanks for the pictures and update

Houston

[muledeerarea33?]

Bull,

 

From what I have read on the AZ game and fish website, some sheep are transplants and there might only be a couple hundred in a unit (I think that was 27). That would definately be looking for the proverbial needle. Good luck to you guys!-Shiras

 

 

in 27 there are more dang sheep than rabbits every day my mom drives to work up there she gets pissed off about all the tourists going up the trail stopping in the road to look at the sheep she calls them the grenlee county rats

[CouesWhitetail]

Thanks for pics and info Bret. It's interesting you mention seeing a coues in terrain you thought was more for a sheep. Just today while glassing I was thinking that it's a good idea to glass some country you think is too steep for coues. My hunting buddy years ago glassed up a buck walking in nothing but one of those rock slides/talus slopes. He said he never would have imagined a coues would walk there. I think it's a good idea to test assumptions sometimes....

 

Amanda

[COOSEFAN]

I'm jealous you get to experience all that! I finally had my first invite to help out on a sheep hunt last Friday, but they killed before I got there! They were in the Kofas and I told him to hold out but he couldn't pass on a high 160's ram. Oh well, maybe next year! Good luck and hope you find "plan A"! JIM

[DesertBull]

I just hope I can draw a tag before I'm too old to do it.

 

I also put in for Mountain Goat in Nevada and Utah.