NMPaul
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Barbary sheep hunting this year has had some ups and downs.
My wife got her sheep early in the season in Unit 30.
The following weekend my son missed what we both thought was a lay down shot. 230 yards off of packs. It was a big ram and a really good ram for public land.
We then did something we always wanted to. We paid to trespass on private land to access some land locked public land.
The first day out was very exciting. We saw 45 sheep. I missed a ram that day also.
That is 2 misses in a row. In the past, every time we found sheep we always had successful stalks and scored. The problem was finding sheep, but, this year we have been finding them and now had 2 misses under our belt.
We went out again last weekend. I have been trying to get Zach the shot. we found a herd of 30 sheep with several very very good rams. I call a good ram over 25 or 26". We blew the first stalk, then we ambushed them again at 150 yards, but, Zach was gun shy and did not take a shot because they were in a tight group and the big boys did not separate for a safe broadside shot. We found these sheep at 6:40 in the AM and finally at 11:00 am we ambushed them again at 180 yards with the wind right.
Earlier I saw 5 rams about 3/4 miles away on the side of a mountain walking away and I mentioned to Zach that they may have been the big rams in the herd getting away from the herd. Sure enough that is what happened when we got on them again the big rams had left. There was still a couple 24-25" rams in the herd of 25.
This whole time Khart was glassing from a mountain and most of the time watching the whole thing develop. The sheep and us would disappear and then we would reappear for him.
We ambushed them again at 180 yards and Zach was set on the bog pod and we watched them for a full 5 minutes before he finally shot. The shot was perfect,but, he had shot a 18" ewe.
We were devastated. I had paid good money to trespass on this private and with a sheep dead the money was spent and we were done. After all the sheep and rams we saw we ended up with a ewe and a 2 mile hike back to the truck with meat.
We named this hunt the "Epic Failure" hunt.
Zach and I waited almost an hour for Kevin to get to us and take some pics. By that time we were laughing about it.
It was a great day hunting , but, boy did we blow it.
My wife got her sheep early in the season in Unit 30.
The following weekend my son missed what we both thought was a lay down shot. 230 yards off of packs. It was a big ram and a really good ram for public land.
We then did something we always wanted to. We paid to trespass on private land to access some land locked public land.
The first day out was very exciting. We saw 45 sheep. I missed a ram that day also.
That is 2 misses in a row. In the past, every time we found sheep we always had successful stalks and scored. The problem was finding sheep, but, this year we have been finding them and now had 2 misses under our belt.
We went out again last weekend. I have been trying to get Zach the shot. we found a herd of 30 sheep with several very very good rams. I call a good ram over 25 or 26". We blew the first stalk, then we ambushed them again at 150 yards, but, Zach was gun shy and did not take a shot because they were in a tight group and the big boys did not separate for a safe broadside shot. We found these sheep at 6:40 in the AM and finally at 11:00 am we ambushed them again at 180 yards with the wind right.
Earlier I saw 5 rams about 3/4 miles away on the side of a mountain walking away and I mentioned to Zach that they may have been the big rams in the herd getting away from the herd. Sure enough that is what happened when we got on them again the big rams had left. There was still a couple 24-25" rams in the herd of 25.
This whole time Khart was glassing from a mountain and most of the time watching the whole thing develop. The sheep and us would disappear and then we would reappear for him.
We ambushed them again at 180 yards and Zach was set on the bog pod and we watched them for a full 5 minutes before he finally shot. The shot was perfect,but, he had shot a 18" ewe.
We were devastated. I had paid good money to trespass on this private and with a sheep dead the money was spent and we were done. After all the sheep and rams we saw we ended up with a ewe and a 2 mile hike back to the truck with meat.
We named this hunt the "Epic Failure" hunt.
Zach and I waited almost an hour for Kevin to get to us and take some pics. By that time we were laughing about it.
It was a great day hunting , but, boy did we blow it.
