Originally Posted by
westcoast meds
Had a 3/4 curl draw a couple years ago. Pre scouted 2 weeks prior to the opening ( which coincided with the general full curl opening )and found 4 legal rams, 2 full curl, 1 absolute bruiser. They came right to within 300 yards of us as we watched them crack skulls down a valley right to within range. We felt pretty good with hopes of returning a couple weeks later for the opening.
We returned to find the local guides all over the place , Horses and fat rich american clients. At 8500 feet we crossed paths with a client and his guide. The guide asked us if we saw them ? we said Huh ? Guide : Their not here anymore ! We went in a couple days before the opening and pushed them back. Realizing now he was referring to the same sheep we told him we spotted them 2 weeks earlier.
We spent the next better part of a week glassing the only basins we could reach on foot ( very rugged country ) , up at dark and back at last light, only to have that rich fat american pass us on horseback with a full belly of steak n eggs.
A week after we returned unsuccessful the same guide we ran into sent out a picture of the bruiser Ram we had spotted 3 weeks earlier. We had no chance without horses. That horse was a trooper carrying that sausage stuffed american around those mountains.
Advice , There a guide outfitters on both sides of the Shulaps. They will know where the sheep are. If you are not paying them, their job is to keep you away from them so they can have a higher success rate for their clients. Horses are a must to compete. Also a few cans of beeferino ( horse exlax ) could be an asset if you can manage to slip them into the guide horses food source.
Good luck