ehunt Report post Posted February 5, 2008 yeah thanks for the help gino!! and mike thanks for the great comments, this hunt was for sure the hunt of a lifetime!!! it taught me alot about myself and made me appreciate the time i spend outdoors even more!!! i also made some great friends in the process!!! story coming soon!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Extreme Coues Report post Posted February 5, 2008 AWSOME RAM CONGRATS TO THE HUNTER AND TO GINO !!! MAYBE ONE OF THESE DAYS I'LL DRAW A SHEEP TAG????? AFTER ALL IT IS ON MY THINGS NOT LIKLEY TO HAPPEN LIST.... HA HA HA CONGRATS AGIAN Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ehunt Report post Posted February 5, 2008 I tried to write the summarized version of the story the best I could. We had been out three previous trips in two of the units that had the most potential for finding a big ram. Our first trip was in mid October and we were hoping the rut would be going strong upon our arrival. We hunted hard for three days and saw a ton of sheep, but with the rut going a little slower than expected we didnt see the mature rams that we had hoped for. One of highlights of the trip was having a small ram walk within a few yards of me while we were glassing and he scared the living crap out of me!! He then posed for some great pictures!! The other was when gino, colton, lee and myself had to wade across a river to get into one of the canyons we wanted to check out and it held a ton of sheep. my dad named us team rubber duck but Im telling you it was freaking awesome!!! After day three we decided to pull out and return in a few weeks hoping conditions would improve. In the meantime I just didnt feel right sitting home with this tag burning a hole in my pocket, so my girlfriend and I took a few days off and decided to check out one of my units that was just a couple of hours from my house. Within a few hours of the first evening we spotted eight ewes feeding on a ridge, so we went to bed with high hopes of finding a nice ram in the morning! The next morning the sheep were right where we left them and now had two awesome looking rams with them. We watched them for the next hour or so and it took all I had not to sneak up there and smoke one of those rams. Now with my terrible sheep judging skills and knowing that I had a whole year to hunt we made a wise decision and decided to get out of the area before I did something stupid. Gino and I returned to the area about a week later to try and get a better look at the rams and the sheep were on the exact same hill. We were able to find one of the two rams I had seen and gino commented that I must have been drinking the peyote tea on the first trip because he wasnt close to what we were looking for!! Gino, I still think he was a great looking sheep!! Mid November we headed back up north and with some great info of some big rams spotted we had high hopes we were going to “get bloody”, as Gino likes to say it. Gino had arrived at camp the evening before me and had spotted some sheep deep in one of the large canyons. Even at such a long distance he could see a dark horned ram that definitely needed a closer look. With no way to approach the area from down below we decided to hike in and come above the area we hoped the sheep would be. After a short quad ride the next morning we began our long hike into the area. Our hike took 7- 8 hours to get to where we wanted to be and on our way in we saw another group of sheep with two smaller rams and some very nice muley bucks. When we finally reached our canyon we were slowly creeping along the edge looking below when gino spotted a ram. As I peered over I could see a dark horned ram feeding below. About that time Gino found another ram and said “holy $&%$, get your gun I just found your shooter” so I grabbed the .300wsm I was using and got set up on ginos pack for the shot. Gino ranged the ram at just over 300 yards straight down into the canyon, and I asked when he was ready for me to shoot. His response was classic, “anytime after, NOW!!” At the shot he dropped immediately and we finally had our ram!! With the sheep down thats when the fun started figuring out how we were going to get to him. I still have nightmares to this day of gino taking me 100 vertical feet off the cliff down into the canyon below!!! Thats when I found out he is referred to as spider man by his friends, I will never forgive him for that. But I soon forgot about it as I made my way up to my ram. He is awesome and was a warrior for sure with all the scars and his big broken nose!!! Again thanks to gino, colton, lee, rose, and my dad for all the help on this hunt!! and thanks to matt pierce and dave conrad for your help and bob price and brad faulk with the Arizona game and fish for the help in packing him out, thats another story in itself. I will try to post some more pics of the hunt. Thanks, eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron G. Report post Posted February 5, 2008 Awesome ram and great story! Congratulations! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted February 5, 2008 Again Eric, congratulations on your ram and I enjoyed your story. Sounds like you had the right ones on your hunt with you. Great job! What did it score? TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IHunt2live Report post Posted February 5, 2008 Wow! what a hunt! Congrats on taking such a great ram! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted February 5, 2008 I tried to write the summarized version of the story the best I could. We had been out three previous trips in two of the units that had the most potential for finding a big ram. Our first trip was in mid October and we were hoping the rut would be going strong upon our arrival. We hunted hard for three days and saw a ton of sheep, but with the rut going a little slower than expected we didnt see the mature rams that we had hoped for. One of highlights of the trip was having a small ram walk within a few yards of me while we were glassing and he scared the living crap out of me!! He then posed for some great pictures!! The other was when gino, colton, lee and myself had to wade across a river to get into one of the canyons we wanted to check out and it held a ton of sheep. my dad named us team rubber duck but Im telling you it was freaking awesome!!! After day three we decided to pull out and return in a few weeks hoping conditions would improve. In the meantime I just didnt feel right sitting home with this tag burning a hole in my pocket, so my girlfriend and I took a few days off and decided to check out one of my units that was just a couple of hours from my house. Within a few hours of the first evening we spotted eight ewes feeding on a ridge, so we went to bed with high hopes of finding a nice ram in the morning! The next morning the sheep were right where we left them and now had two awesome looking rams with them. We watched them for the next hour or so and it took all I had not to sneak up there and smoke one of those rams. Now with my terrible sheep judging skills and knowing that I had a whole year to hunt we made a wise decision and decided to get out of the area before I did something stupid. Gino and I returned to the area about a week later to try and get a better look at the rams and the sheep were on the exact same hill. We were able to find one of the two rams I had seen and gino commented that I must have been drinking the peyote tea on the first trip because he wasnt close to what we were looking for!! Gino, I still think he was a great looking sheep!! Mid November we headed back up north and with some great info of some big rams spotted we had high hopes we were going to “get bloody”, as Gino likes to say it. Gino had arrived at camp the evening before me and had spotted some sheep deep in one of the large canyons. Even at such a long distance he could see a dark horned ram that definitely needed a closer look. With no way to approach the area from down below we decided to hike in and come above the area we hoped the sheep would be. After a short quad ride the next morning we began our long hike into the area. Our hike took 7- 8 hours to get to where we wanted to be and on our way in we saw another group of sheep with two smaller rams and some very nice muley bucks. When we finally reached our canyon we were slowly creeping along the edge looking below when gino spotted a ram. As I peered over I could see a dark horned ram feeding below. About that time Gino found another ram and said “holy $&%$, get your gun I just found your shooter” so I grabbed the .300wsm I was using and got set up on ginos pack for the shot. Gino ranged the ram at just over 300 yards straight down into the canyon, and I asked when he was ready for me to shoot. His response was classic, “anytime after, NOW!!” At the shot he dropped immediately and we finally had our ram!! With the sheep down thats when the fun started figuring out how we were going to get to him. I still have nightmares to this day of gino taking me 100 vertical feet off the cliff down into the canyon below!!! Thats when I found out he is referred to as spider man by his friends, I will never forgive him for that. But I soon forgot about it as I made my way up to my ram. He is awesome and was a warrior for sure with all the scars and his big broken nose!!! Again thanks to gino, colton, lee, rose, and my dad for all the help on this hunt, and thanks to bob price and brad faulk with the Arizona game and fish for the help in packing him out, that’s another story in itself. I will try to post some more pics of the hunt. Thanks, eric You had to be smokin' somethin' on that trip! That ram was not nearly as nice as the one you shot. But, I am very proud of the fact that you took my maps and went right to the spot I pointed out to you and you found sheep right away! That proves my point about what a good hunter you are and how hard you worked for your ram! Awww... Come on, Buddy....I know you would dive off of that with me again if there was a dandy Ram layin' at the bottom!!! That first hundred feet was not that bad.... You did great coming down off that canyon side! You were a real trooper that day.... most guys would have quit before we got to those sheep... not to mention what I put you through from the time you shot untill we got back to camp 3 1/2 hours after dark that night. This is me, tippin' my hat to you, Buddy! Congrats, Eric!!! You harvested a Great Nelsoni Ram and you have Great Memories to go with your "Hunt Of A Lifetime"!!! I have got to give a Huge Thanks to our fellow hunters Bob Price and Brad Fulk!! They gave up over a half day of Mule Deer hunting on The Strip to help us pack that ram out of a wicked piece of country! Thank You for your help and kindness! CnS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunting6 Report post Posted February 6, 2008 Awesome story, and what a great animal you were able to take. defenitely once in a couple of lifetimes chance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ehunt Report post Posted February 6, 2008 thanks again everyone for the good positive comments!!! i have always been hesitant in the past to post because of some of the negativity you see on other sites, but i have learned that is not the case here on coues whitetail!!! thanks for that tj, the ram scored 164". eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertsheep Report post Posted February 7, 2008 Eric, That a great ram, And I wouldnt care what everybody says. You and Gino did a great job. Congratulations. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZ402 Report post Posted February 8, 2008 Great job guys, congrats!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buckhorn Report post Posted February 8, 2008 Sweet Ram guys. Huge congrads on a hard hunt. Buckhorn Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hunterdude Report post Posted February 9, 2008 What a Beaut! It's always nice to hear a great story about a successful hunt like this one! He really has some character with the busted nose and scaring! Great job!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted February 9, 2008 Great ram Eric!! Congratulations on a fine hunt! That's some really neat character with that busted up, healed over nose. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted February 9, 2008 tj, the ram scored 164". eric Wow, what I would give to have one like that in my scope. I would sell everything I got for a sheep tag, which isn't much. Well, maybe not my 15x56's that I'm waiting on to arrive any day. Congratulations again Eric. Gino would have his work cut out for him trying to get me down over what sounded pretty nasty. As long as he got my sheep back. What a way to go. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
