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Blacktail130
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Nov-26-06 AT 04:19PM (MST)[p]Well. That didn't work. Tried to post some picture's of my permit sheep and permit elk hunt this season. Back to the drawing board.
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HC
Guest
I've been wondering how your sheep hunt went! I was beginning to worry whether or not you found one! Looking forward to hearing about your sheep and your elk.
Mike
Mike
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Blacktail130
Guest
No luck yet. I tried to e-mail some to Kilowatt and to my work place without any luck. I recently changed my internet provider and my e-mail address and have had bunches of trouble since. I'll have to get on the phone tomorrow and have somebody to walk me thru my troubles.
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kirkl
Guest
Blacktail, troy sent me a couple sheep pics, i will post them for you.
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MrClyde
Guest
I keep checking to see them pics and stories, Hurry up would ya!!
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kirkl
Guest
Heres Blacktails 2 sheep pictures. Dandy ram.
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MrClyde
Guest
Way to go!! Congrats on a dandy ram! What unit did you draw?
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HC
Guest
Patrick! Man, that's a fine sheep! Let's here the story! Congratulations!
PleaseDear
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 10,578
Very nice Ram!!
Congrats
Robb
Congrats
Robb
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Warren
Guest
That is a fine, old ram. Lots of character.
K
kirkl
Guest
Man, whos that shady lookin character on the right.
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Blacktail130
Guest
FINALLY got some time to post some specifics about the hunt. First I'd like to say "thank you very much" to kilowatt and kirkl for posting some pictures and I'd like to thank Mule_Deer_Crazy for the Toutle Unit maps and info that he mailed (snailmail,my favorite) me for the elk hunt.
I started out early on the 30th of October for an 18 day "cast and blast" trip in my home state of Washington. I was planning on hunting Blacktail deer around Randle, Roosevelt elk in the Toutle unit, California bighorn sheep on Clemans Mt. and fishing for silver salmon on the Cowlitz.
I got to Randle a few hours after leaving home and spent an evening and the next day rattling for deer from a ground blind with no results. The visability and wind was right for me but, no deer. The next day I had planned to fish for silvers and set-up an elk camp for the regular "boys". Salmon season had ended with the last day of deer season so I didn't do any fishing. What I did do was spend the day looking for,claiming and setting up an elk camp for the regular boys/camp. Since I was getting to the area 4 days before anyone else (from elk camp) I would claim and setup a spot for them. Spent Wednesday setting up a spot and cutting a little bit of firewood. Normally I would hunt from this camp but since I had drawn a special Toutle elk tag I would have to hunt about a 100 miles away. Thursday morning I left for Toutle to scout for elk (opened Saturday). Pushed my bike in 8 miles to look the area over. All uphill. Rode it out like a rocket on the way out. Not too fast as it was dark on the way out and raining hard. Friday I went in from a different access but never got out of the Coweeman unit. Long ways to the Toutle. Saturday Weyco opened their gates and I drove in to the Toutle (21 miles) and parked on top of the 200 Rd. At daybreak I went and found a bunch of about 20 elk. Got to within 200 yards of the closest and watched for a bit. One 4pt, one 3pt and one spike with the bunch. Let them go. An hour later got into 9 elk with one spike. Let him go. After that, nothing the rest of the day. The wind and rain was as hard as I've seen here in 27 years (or as hard). I had to chuckle to myself that "how could the sky hold that much wind and rain?". Talked to a few folks that evening that were hunting the Toutle that didn't have a permit.Bad news. All the gates were open. I had hoped that some gates were closed and I could find Big Daddy-O behind one of them. That night I decided to take the first bull I could find the next day. Next morning just before legal shooting light I found a group of elk (love good optics, Leica binoc's) and got downwind of them and took a raghorn 4 pt. at 180 yards. One shot,double shoulder,10 yds and down. Didn't know what hit him. Clean and crisp. Got him broke down and loaded up and headed to Randle to regular elk camp. Wanted to talk to somebody I knew and wanted to sleep stretched all the way out. I had been sleeping in the backseat of my truck for 6 nights as there was nowhere to setup a camp besides an RV park. No public land in the area that I could find. All Weyco or private. Sunday night got to Randle elk camp and had a good time and good sleep. Monday headed over White Pass to the eastside for sheep. Got to the eastside and called home to check on things. Flooding at home. Since Troy (partner) wasn't gonna be over till Wednesday night and I didn't want to shoot a sheep without him being there I decided to head home for a couple of days and help out with my wifes family on moving cattle and gear due to the flooding. Stevens Pass was closed due to the rains so went over Snoqualmie. Nasty weather. Lots of rain and slides. Got the chores done. Wednesday morning headed back to the eastside for sheep. Setup camp off Mud Lk. Rd. Troy showed up that night. Thursday spent just looking at sheep to try and learn how to judge them. Saw lots of sheep. Troy spotted a couple of dandies. Watched them until dark from 620 yds. Wednesday went back to look over previously spotted sheep. No can do. Fog, snow and winds made it not feasible to go and "push 'em around". Thursday went back up and knocked around the hills till we found them. They were a tad over 600 yds. away. Went up around the knob we were on and came back thru a crease in the hill to within 367 yds. of them. They were bedded. Waited 20-30 minutes before the one we decided to take got up. He was one of about 20 sheep and the next to the last one to get up. 367 yds.,one shot, entered behind onside shoulder, exited in front of offside shoulder,25 yds. and down. Didn't know what hit him. Clean and crisp. He was one of 2 big sheep with the bunch and one of 2 of the biggest we saw out of many sheep over 3 days. The other one had larger bases but, he had uneven length horns. We took the prettiest. I had a great hunt and truely enjoyed sharing it with someone that knew the rarity of the tag and had great attitude and ambition throughout the hunt. Truely a once in a lifetime season. Words and pictures can't compare to whats in my head. I had hoped to upload pictures and describe each picture but, that didn't work out too well for me. Hope you enjoyed the story. Patrick.
I started out early on the 30th of October for an 18 day "cast and blast" trip in my home state of Washington. I was planning on hunting Blacktail deer around Randle, Roosevelt elk in the Toutle unit, California bighorn sheep on Clemans Mt. and fishing for silver salmon on the Cowlitz.
I got to Randle a few hours after leaving home and spent an evening and the next day rattling for deer from a ground blind with no results. The visability and wind was right for me but, no deer. The next day I had planned to fish for silvers and set-up an elk camp for the regular "boys". Salmon season had ended with the last day of deer season so I didn't do any fishing. What I did do was spend the day looking for,claiming and setting up an elk camp for the regular boys/camp. Since I was getting to the area 4 days before anyone else (from elk camp) I would claim and setup a spot for them. Spent Wednesday setting up a spot and cutting a little bit of firewood. Normally I would hunt from this camp but since I had drawn a special Toutle elk tag I would have to hunt about a 100 miles away. Thursday morning I left for Toutle to scout for elk (opened Saturday). Pushed my bike in 8 miles to look the area over. All uphill. Rode it out like a rocket on the way out. Not too fast as it was dark on the way out and raining hard. Friday I went in from a different access but never got out of the Coweeman unit. Long ways to the Toutle. Saturday Weyco opened their gates and I drove in to the Toutle (21 miles) and parked on top of the 200 Rd. At daybreak I went and found a bunch of about 20 elk. Got to within 200 yards of the closest and watched for a bit. One 4pt, one 3pt and one spike with the bunch. Let them go. An hour later got into 9 elk with one spike. Let him go. After that, nothing the rest of the day. The wind and rain was as hard as I've seen here in 27 years (or as hard). I had to chuckle to myself that "how could the sky hold that much wind and rain?". Talked to a few folks that evening that were hunting the Toutle that didn't have a permit.Bad news. All the gates were open. I had hoped that some gates were closed and I could find Big Daddy-O behind one of them. That night I decided to take the first bull I could find the next day. Next morning just before legal shooting light I found a group of elk (love good optics, Leica binoc's) and got downwind of them and took a raghorn 4 pt. at 180 yards. One shot,double shoulder,10 yds and down. Didn't know what hit him. Clean and crisp. Got him broke down and loaded up and headed to Randle to regular elk camp. Wanted to talk to somebody I knew and wanted to sleep stretched all the way out. I had been sleeping in the backseat of my truck for 6 nights as there was nowhere to setup a camp besides an RV park. No public land in the area that I could find. All Weyco or private. Sunday night got to Randle elk camp and had a good time and good sleep. Monday headed over White Pass to the eastside for sheep. Got to the eastside and called home to check on things. Flooding at home. Since Troy (partner) wasn't gonna be over till Wednesday night and I didn't want to shoot a sheep without him being there I decided to head home for a couple of days and help out with my wifes family on moving cattle and gear due to the flooding. Stevens Pass was closed due to the rains so went over Snoqualmie. Nasty weather. Lots of rain and slides. Got the chores done. Wednesday morning headed back to the eastside for sheep. Setup camp off Mud Lk. Rd. Troy showed up that night. Thursday spent just looking at sheep to try and learn how to judge them. Saw lots of sheep. Troy spotted a couple of dandies. Watched them until dark from 620 yds. Wednesday went back to look over previously spotted sheep. No can do. Fog, snow and winds made it not feasible to go and "push 'em around". Thursday went back up and knocked around the hills till we found them. They were a tad over 600 yds. away. Went up around the knob we were on and came back thru a crease in the hill to within 367 yds. of them. They were bedded. Waited 20-30 minutes before the one we decided to take got up. He was one of about 20 sheep and the next to the last one to get up. 367 yds.,one shot, entered behind onside shoulder, exited in front of offside shoulder,25 yds. and down. Didn't know what hit him. Clean and crisp. He was one of 2 big sheep with the bunch and one of 2 of the biggest we saw out of many sheep over 3 days. The other one had larger bases but, he had uneven length horns. We took the prettiest. I had a great hunt and truely enjoyed sharing it with someone that knew the rarity of the tag and had great attitude and ambition throughout the hunt. Truely a once in a lifetime season. Words and pictures can't compare to whats in my head. I had hoped to upload pictures and describe each picture but, that didn't work out too well for me. Hope you enjoyed the story. Patrick.
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HC
Guest
Patrick- Thanks for sharing your story! Great trophy!
Mike
Mike
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MrClyde
Guest
Sounds like you had a great time. Thanks for sharing your story and pics. Hopefully one day I will draw a sheep tag!!
ridgerunner
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,965
Great looking sheep, sounds like a great season for you.
littlebighorn
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 5,400
Thanks for the story and pics, Patrick. Most can only dream of having an 18 day "cast and blast" experience! But your smile tells it all. Congratulations! Great Ram!
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Blacktail130
Guest
Thanks for the replies folks. MrClyde, The unit was Clemans Mt. late. Craig, I had 10 sheep points and 7 elk points. Next year I hope all of you get drawn for your respective sheep choices. I'd rather see those that are "into" it get drawn over those that ain't. Again, thanks to all of you that helped,replied and shared. Patrick.
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Hornseeker
Guest
Congrats! YOu had an awesome season!
Ernie
Ernie
