Glassing for bighorns

TDIESEL · Jul 27, 2011

Wondering what others do as far as strategy for glassing bighorns, certain faces to start on ect.ect? I usually do a grid over the mountain side seems to work ok but always willing to learn more.
7mm wsm 600yrd. and closer checkmate

D13er · Jul 27, 2011

....they just appear...like magic....and....look for circles and M's.....their horns are what gives them away often. Look for the Mcdonalds golden arches...

JB

Zeke · Jul 28, 2011

Mr D13er sees the front-end while it always seems that I see the back-end. LOL.

The rump patch catches my eye especially at long range (even with desert sheep which have a less-pronounced "white" patch.

The key is to be in the right country and STAY on your bumm and let the glasses do the work.... first.

Zeke

TDIESEL · Jul 28, 2011

YA I killed my first in 02 and now getting ready for sept. but always can be better. It seems with deer and elk I glass south/east at first light and then move to north/west aroung 9 or so in the morning, but sheep I find don't normally follow that they just bed up where they are.Wondering if thats just my findings or if that is fairly common among other herds.
7mm wsm 600yrd. and closer checkmate

Zeke · Jul 28, 2011

It sounds like you're looking for WHERE and WHEN to look more than WHAT to look for.

They're totally different than deer and elk. With that in mind I'll pipe-off again. I have been surprised at the places that I've seen sheep (probably because I don't know enough). There are few hard-and-fast rules which apply to sheep. I guess I'm saying you could find them almost anywhere within their range (timber, rocks, meadows, by water etc)

The only key is keep looking!

Good luck,
Zeke

azbiggame · Jul 28, 2011

"Cherrie Pick" the ridge tops 1st and any other high spots --- They love holding the uper grounds,and feel safer doing this.After that You will find-em,almost any where in "Sheep Country",Good Luck ... Bruce & Silvergrand

TOPGUN · Jul 28, 2011

I think I see one, LOL!!!

one_dryboot · Jul 28, 2011

Man I can not wait until november!

TOOTHandTINE · Jul 28, 2011

Rams are where you find them !

That was a saying an old ram hunter used to say to me!

unfortunately there is no forsure recipe with them. I do know one thing for sure,like zeke said let your eyes do the walking for you. Spend the time glassing, look for the white bums and especially the round shape of their horns. I've seen sheep in places that you wouldn't expect to find them, so don't over look anywhere!

littlebighorn · Jul 28, 2011

Here is my 2 bits,
My bighorn sheep guide told me to look for a pair of white long-johns because that is what their butt markings looks like. I didn't see many that were trying to "moon" me. Otherwise they tend to blend into the country. I was surprised to find that many Wyoming bighorns are quite buff colored instead of the standard chocolate brown that I was looking for. I have noted that many Utah desert sheep are very gray and really stand out in red rock country. I thought I was very good at spotting game with 40 years of hunting experience, but my coke bottle glassed Wyoming guide spotted every ram we saw on my hunt before I did. (it kind of pissed me off!!) That is why you hire a guide if you can.

It has been my experience that sheep have some favored hang out spots, and if you know those spots you are in "fat city". But they also seem to move to different locations depending on the time of year, etc. Most of us don't have the good fortune to live in their back yards...another reason to hire a guide if you can.

kilowatt · Jul 28, 2011

GOOD SUPPLY OF OPTICS HELPS TOO.

Brian
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PleaseDear · Jul 28, 2011

When glassing into rocky crags and boulder's, on sunny days-- look for that golden glow in the rocks---most everytime that is the horns of a bedded Ram.

Robb

falloutwest · Jul 31, 2011

D13er offered up some of the best advice in the very first response, and that is, unlike any other big game animal, bighorns can appear and disappear "like magic". My biggest piece of advice is just because you have already glassed a spot, don't hestitate to look it over again......and again. In the heat of the day, focus on shady areas created by rock bluffs and outcroppings, that's where they will be bedded.