Need help recovering ram

[Chrispryn]

Hi all.

Long time follower, first time poster.

Shot my first bighorn this week in Snowy Protecred Area. Good shot under 200 yards. Ram went legs up.

2 days searching in very steep terrain and we havnt found him. We had to leave the area when we ran out of food.

Desperately seeking help from anyone with dogs or any advice.

Thanks in advance

Chris

[Ltbullken]

Can you be more specific about "good shot" and "legs up"? Was he DRT, dropped and rolled downhill?

[Chrispryn]

Not sure what DRT means but i shot the ram and he got hit hard. Hard enough to flip him on his back. No sign of rolling or sliding down the hill. The grass is about a foot long and easily flattened. I would have seen a slide. Unless i shot this guy in the horn ( unlikely at that distance) he has a big hole in him.

Thanks

[Bugle M In]

Any Blood????

[Chrispryn]

Not that we found. I had 2 other guys in there with me yesterday. No blood and no slide.

[Ltbullken]

Not sure what DRT means but i shot the ram and he got hit hard. Hard enough to flip him on his back. No sign of rolling or sliding down the hill. The grass is about a foot long and easily flattened. I would have seen a slide. Unless i shot this guy in the horn ( unlikely at that distance) he has a big hole in him.

Thanks

DRT = 'dead right there'

[Blainer]

No blood is concerning. No raven on day 2? Dog is best bet. Long hike in before you shot?

[Ltbullken]

You could've hit the upper back, clipped the top of the spine which would account for the sudden collapse. But, as there are no major organs or arteries there, just muscle, he could've quickly recovered, got up and ran off. Did you check for tracks leading away from the location? Have you confirmed the zero on your rifle? Always possible the scope was bumped, etc.

[RiverOtter]

Any crevasses near where you shot your ram?

Pulled a Stone ram out of one this year. Had us baffled for a few minutes, as the spotter seen the tip over and roll, but the ram vanished from site a few yards later. Would have made an awesome 'As they lay' pic, but didn't think of it at the time.

[Bugle M In]

LT is making some good points....check your gun, check that it is hitting bang on.....
If you can't find dogs, then you ill be stuck waiting for Ravens or preds.
Sometimes, if you wounded something, it can take DAYS for it to die (if it does succumb to the shot).
So, sometimes, ravens and such won't be around for a week or worse....longer.
If they are wounded badly, but live for days, they will look for a "flat area" to move around on, and sometimes with
a lot of "cover" around or near them.
Just my experience on those situations (we all have gone thru that).