Dall sheep Y2K11 double

[308Nut]

To all,

 

After a three year dry spell on rams, I decided to harvest a ram I have been watching grow up the last couple of years. I was also watching another ram with him the same age. The ram I wanted was broomed on one side with several chunks missing on the top of his horns and was 15/16 curl on the other side. 8 growth rings automatically made him legal and the other was a symmetrical full curl. Both rams appeared to be 8 years old. My friend and hunting buddy Charlie has taken several rams in the past but nothing ever solid (making a complete full curl). Since Charlie has watched me harvest several nice rams and helped me pack them out a few times, I offered him either of the 2 rams that he wanted. Granted, I had hoped he didn’t want 'Buster' and hoped that he wanted 'Curly'. From the descriptions I gave him, he indicated that he might like Buster. That's OK I thought. I just wanted him to get a good ram this year. I just love busted chipped up rams. I love their character. There is just something about the old warlord look. Anyway after a LONG and wet hike into the high country after working a full day on the 9th, we got to bed at 1:00am. We got up at 3:45am, ate, packed and hiked. And hiked and hiked.....It was snowing and blowing much of the time. The fog pretty much made finding the rams very tough. The fog would break here and there just enough for us to find them. When we got to the top of the peak and the fog cleared again, we found them bedded at 688 yards. We couldn’t move on them as we were wide open. I was not comfortable with the wind so we did not take a shot. For 6 hours we waited on this peak in the snow, fog and wind. We were both exhausted, hungry and had run out of water. To make a long story short, when the fog broke for good, they were gone. We found them at the bottom of the drainage feeding. (This is for those who believe I do not know how to 'hunt') We stalked to within 150 yards. After handing the rifle to Charlie, I told him to take which ever ram he liked the best. He said with out a doubt, he wanted Curly. YEEEEESSSS I thought. I get to harvest Buster. He took the shot and drilled Curly. He handed the rifle back to me and I nailed Buster who was now further up the hill side. They rolled down the hill into the creek bottom but they were 200 yards apart. We did not have time to move them together for pictures since we shot them at 9:30 at night. We took pictures, gutted them, opened them up and did a partial skinning job just so they could cool down. We would have to return the next morning to finish the cutting and pack them to camp. It was over 2 mountain miles back to camp, in the dark of course. We got back to camp at midnight, ate and went to bed. That morning, we hiked back to the rams, cleaned them up, and packed them back to camp. The next day we packed them back to the wheeler. Charlie and I have had doubles on moose, caribou, deer and bears but never sheep. He always wanted us to get a double on sheep. It could not have worked out any better. We got our double and the rams WE wanted. This was Charlie's 4th dall ram and while not his largest, it is his nicest ram. This is my 7th dall and while not my nicest or biggest definitely one of my most appreciated. Both rams are aged at 8 years old.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

Standing on the edge of the universe in the snow:

 

 

Sleeping in the rain next to the edge:

 

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

 

 

 

113 pounds of meat, horn, cape and camp. Charlies pack and my pack were within 2 pounds of eachothers.

 

 

[hunter4life]

Congratulations, great rams and a good story!

[Chef]

WoW!

 

Congratulations to both of you!

Just reading the story, I can feel the exhaustion and pure dedication it took to hike and hike and hike, in the saturating wet fog and sleet, only to wait, wait, wait! Glad you guys had a great ending and it's awesome you scored another double.

 

Again, much congrats!

[Oak]

Congrats on the rams! Looks like fun. I'd love to go back again.

[pwrguy]

Congrats to both of you predators. I suppose you are already planning on how to fill your Caribou tag. Looks like it's going to be a productive hunting year for you.

[Brian Payne]

Great rams and nice write up! Hope I get to do that some day.

[308Nut]

Congrats to both of you predators. I suppose you are already planning on how to fill your Caribou tag. Looks like it's going to be a productive hunting year for you.

 

Of course......Maybe next weekend. Stay tuned.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

Congrats on another successful hunt! Awesome!

[loco4coues]

Congrats and thanks for sharing the story and pictures!

[tjhunt2]

Without a doubt you both workrd your butts off for those. Congratulations to both of you and thanks for sharing. As I sit here I realize I will never get to experience what you have done but I can visualize being there thru your story and pictures. Thanks!

 

TJ

[sbhunter]

308nut Congrats!! I wish I could hunt those white sheep every year

[sjvcon]

Congrats Nut!!! Great story. Never hunted Dall, but it sure sounds like fun ... if not a LOAD of work ...

[Pine Donkey]

Thanks for posting the story and pictures, I really enjoyed them. Those are a couple beautiful rams...congratulations. Can't wait to read about the caribou hunt.

[cramerhunts]

Congratulations on a couple of beautiful rams! Great write up and story to share with us the rugged wet trip. Can't wait to see the caribou hunt unfold.