125nontypicalforky
Active Member
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I posted a few pictures in another thread but enough guys seemed to want to hear the story I figured I’d write it up. When the seed numbers came out this year I saw that I was close for the sheep tag. I had replied a few times in the thread about it and I really didn’t think I’d draw the tag. But unbelievably I beat the odds!
The Biologist in this unit is a friend of mine so he was of course my first call. What an amazing amount of help he was! With a few areas to check and intel on a giant ram I headed out for a scouting trip with my son. View attachment 155920 We drove so many miles on nasty roads just to get to the edge of where these rams may be. All we found on that trip was one ewe but it solidified to me that I needed a different plan. I absolutely hate driving around on dusty nasty roads. There was another way into the area and it was a much better/shorter drive. It required crossing a river and hiking into the area. The next trip my dad and my son and I glassed across the river into the area the big ram had been seen in the past. It was so smoky that night and following morning. We were glassing two miles and in a stroke of luck the big ram stepped out in the open grass and showed himself. Now we had a plan!
I had a trip to Wisconsin planned for the week before the season so all I could do was hope the ram stayed put. Two days before the season I headed out with my two close hunting partners Johnny(brother) and Ken. We set camp and headed to the glassing point. Just before dark we found the ram with his smaller buddy! What a relief! he bedded down just as it got dark and we made our way back to camp. At first light the day before the season we found him right where we had left him the night before. We kept our eyes on him all day as they grazed and bedded. With a few hours of light left we made the decision to sleep on the hill half way to the ram. The rest of my family made it to camp that afternoon as Johnny, Ken and I crossed the river and made our way closer the the rams. That night we put the ram to bed as my dad and another friend Tim watched from the original glassing point. We settled in under the stars with high hopes and lots of nerves!
Opening morning broke and I crawled to the spotting scope that was still set on the last place we’d seen the rams. He was still laying on the edge of the rim! It was a very challenging approach but after much strategizing we settled on a plan. As the rams fed we moved across the open flat and then out of sight under the rams. They were feeding across a couple draws and we knew we needed to cut them off. Just as we broke over the top we looked to our left and there was the small ram looking our way. They had covered way more ground than i imagined! I was as able to get cover behind a big rock and waited as the big ram cautiously made his way into sight. I felt the wind at my back and I knew it was now or never. It was a frontal shot but with a rest at 175 yards I felt confident. I squeezed the trigger and instantly heard those awesome words “you nailed him code!” Having those guys with me and my dad and Tim watching from the glassing point made the trip so much more amazing.
The rest of the trip was spent reliving the hunt, fishing and camping with the family. It was truly the hunt of a lifetime! The biologist aged him and 9 and scores him at 173
The Biologist in this unit is a friend of mine so he was of course my first call. What an amazing amount of help he was! With a few areas to check and intel on a giant ram I headed out for a scouting trip with my son. View attachment 155920 We drove so many miles on nasty roads just to get to the edge of where these rams may be. All we found on that trip was one ewe but it solidified to me that I needed a different plan. I absolutely hate driving around on dusty nasty roads. There was another way into the area and it was a much better/shorter drive. It required crossing a river and hiking into the area. The next trip my dad and my son and I glassed across the river into the area the big ram had been seen in the past. It was so smoky that night and following morning. We were glassing two miles and in a stroke of luck the big ram stepped out in the open grass and showed himself. Now we had a plan!
I had a trip to Wisconsin planned for the week before the season so all I could do was hope the ram stayed put. Two days before the season I headed out with my two close hunting partners Johnny(brother) and Ken. We set camp and headed to the glassing point. Just before dark we found the ram with his smaller buddy! What a relief! he bedded down just as it got dark and we made our way back to camp. At first light the day before the season we found him right where we had left him the night before. We kept our eyes on him all day as they grazed and bedded. With a few hours of light left we made the decision to sleep on the hill half way to the ram. The rest of my family made it to camp that afternoon as Johnny, Ken and I crossed the river and made our way closer the the rams. That night we put the ram to bed as my dad and another friend Tim watched from the original glassing point. We settled in under the stars with high hopes and lots of nerves!
Opening morning broke and I crawled to the spotting scope that was still set on the last place we’d seen the rams. He was still laying on the edge of the rim! It was a very challenging approach but after much strategizing we settled on a plan. As the rams fed we moved across the open flat and then out of sight under the rams. They were feeding across a couple draws and we knew we needed to cut them off. Just as we broke over the top we looked to our left and there was the small ram looking our way. They had covered way more ground than i imagined! I was as able to get cover behind a big rock and waited as the big ram cautiously made his way into sight. I felt the wind at my back and I knew it was now or never. It was a frontal shot but with a rest at 175 yards I felt confident. I squeezed the trigger and instantly heard those awesome words “you nailed him code!” Having those guys with me and my dad and Tim watching from the glassing point made the trip so much more amazing.
The rest of the trip was spent reliving the hunt, fishing and camping with the family. It was truly the hunt of a lifetime! The biologist aged him and 9 and scores him at 173
