scoot
09-28-2008, 03:37 PM
While the planned hunt for this year was for my hunting partner and I to Boat up the Tuchodi river Via River jet adventures. The first 14 days were set aside for our stone sheep hunt. The rest of the hunt was going to be dedicated to trying to fill my griz LEH and Elk hunting.
We were dropped off shortly after noon on September 2nd. By 830 that night we arrived where we had planned our spike camp to be. The hike in was rugged but very scenic. We did stop on the hike in for glassing opportunities. We did not see any wildlife on the hike in.
Day one of our hunt we were up at 5am and in our hunting area glassing by 730. Well, I set up my tripod and spotter, pulled various gear out of my pack and got ready for a good few hours of glassing. I put my bino’s up and in 15 seconds I say to Richard, “ram, two, three, ahhh EIGHT” SO, we sat and glassed the rams and glassed the rest of the area around us for a couple hours. Through the spotters we could not make any rams legal but we decided that 4 out of a final count of 13 were close. We began our stalk up. Rams still not in sight yet and 40 minutes later we are dropping our packs and getting ready for the final 150 yards of the stalk. We head over a crest and the rams had moved one draw closer to us. We were quiet enough they did not spook at all. We sat and glassed, each guy picked his ram. We double, triple and quadruple checked to make sure they are legal and decided on the 3-2-1.
Well, if my ram, half way between two and one didn’t turn for the Texas Heart. One shot went off and it was not mine. Richard pulled through with a beautiful very symmetrical 7.5 year ram. The day was still early and we were back in camp before dark.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt001.jpg
Day two, Richard spent working on his cape and a camp day for me with some glassing not far from camp.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt021.jpg
September 5th we covered a lot of ground by 1000 but the fog moved in and stayed all day and into that night. The morning of Sept 6 we made a stalk on some amazing rams, getting with 40 yards. One in specific was massive and was broomed off big time on both sides but killer mass.
OK so, September 7th. 820 am we spot one of the bands we spotted the previous day. We begin our stalk, trying to be as strategic as we could but keeping time in mind otherwise nightfall would catch us. We kept trying to close the gap and the rams kept moving further away. As we caught up we moved in and managed to get within 15-20 yards of 8 rams. It was perfect, the wind was in our favour and we were super quiet and slow moving in. This was one of the best highlights of the entire hunt. We laid there for over half an hour glassing the rams through the grass we were laying in. We had the excellent opportunity at 20 yard to watch two rams start to spar for several minutes. I can honestly say I was too close to score them. All I could fit in my bino’s at once was three rams heads. Finally a ram winded ups, they all stood up and walked down the hill. The stalk continued but the rams pushed into the woods. So with the day now pushing 4pm we gave the rams some room and waited to see if they would emerge on the other side of the wooded area. By 540 they did.
My partner and I both made the same ram I had my sights on the very first day legal again and our sheep hunt was complete.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt0615.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt074.jpg
I “wohood” for almost half an hour. The pack out was quite a tough one, over 5 hours in the dark, scaling a lot of very steep country. By September 10th we were back at the river, rams and camp packed out and began to celebrate my birthday.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt069.jpg
September 12 we headed further up river to start our Grizzly and elk hunt. Long story short, Elk were very quiet, did call some in close but I believe we were there too early and that portion of the hunt was not successful. One from our party shot a 50" bull moose. Luckily there were 5 of us to pack it out nearly 10 K's.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt097.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt116.jpg
Thanks very much to DeadDog for getting my hunting sheep and Kevin of Riverjet Adventures for a most excellent hunt. This was an experience one could never forget!
We were dropped off shortly after noon on September 2nd. By 830 that night we arrived where we had planned our spike camp to be. The hike in was rugged but very scenic. We did stop on the hike in for glassing opportunities. We did not see any wildlife on the hike in.
Day one of our hunt we were up at 5am and in our hunting area glassing by 730. Well, I set up my tripod and spotter, pulled various gear out of my pack and got ready for a good few hours of glassing. I put my bino’s up and in 15 seconds I say to Richard, “ram, two, three, ahhh EIGHT” SO, we sat and glassed the rams and glassed the rest of the area around us for a couple hours. Through the spotters we could not make any rams legal but we decided that 4 out of a final count of 13 were close. We began our stalk up. Rams still not in sight yet and 40 minutes later we are dropping our packs and getting ready for the final 150 yards of the stalk. We head over a crest and the rams had moved one draw closer to us. We were quiet enough they did not spook at all. We sat and glassed, each guy picked his ram. We double, triple and quadruple checked to make sure they are legal and decided on the 3-2-1.
Well, if my ram, half way between two and one didn’t turn for the Texas Heart. One shot went off and it was not mine. Richard pulled through with a beautiful very symmetrical 7.5 year ram. The day was still early and we were back in camp before dark.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt001.jpg
Day two, Richard spent working on his cape and a camp day for me with some glassing not far from camp.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt021.jpg
September 5th we covered a lot of ground by 1000 but the fog moved in and stayed all day and into that night. The morning of Sept 6 we made a stalk on some amazing rams, getting with 40 yards. One in specific was massive and was broomed off big time on both sides but killer mass.
OK so, September 7th. 820 am we spot one of the bands we spotted the previous day. We begin our stalk, trying to be as strategic as we could but keeping time in mind otherwise nightfall would catch us. We kept trying to close the gap and the rams kept moving further away. As we caught up we moved in and managed to get within 15-20 yards of 8 rams. It was perfect, the wind was in our favour and we were super quiet and slow moving in. This was one of the best highlights of the entire hunt. We laid there for over half an hour glassing the rams through the grass we were laying in. We had the excellent opportunity at 20 yard to watch two rams start to spar for several minutes. I can honestly say I was too close to score them. All I could fit in my bino’s at once was three rams heads. Finally a ram winded ups, they all stood up and walked down the hill. The stalk continued but the rams pushed into the woods. So with the day now pushing 4pm we gave the rams some room and waited to see if they would emerge on the other side of the wooded area. By 540 they did.
My partner and I both made the same ram I had my sights on the very first day legal again and our sheep hunt was complete.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt0615.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt074.jpg
I “wohood” for almost half an hour. The pack out was quite a tough one, over 5 hours in the dark, scaling a lot of very steep country. By September 10th we were back at the river, rams and camp packed out and began to celebrate my birthday.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt069.jpg
September 12 we headed further up river to start our Grizzly and elk hunt. Long story short, Elk were very quiet, did call some in close but I believe we were there too early and that portion of the hunt was not successful. One from our party shot a 50" bull moose. Luckily there were 5 of us to pack it out nearly 10 K's.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt097.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/2008%20sheep%20hunt/08sheephunt116.jpg
Thanks very much to DeadDog for getting my hunting sheep and Kevin of Riverjet Adventures for a most excellent hunt. This was an experience one could never forget!