Page 7 of 13 FirstFirst ... 56789 ... LastLast
Results 61 to 70 of 126

Thread: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

  1. #61
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)





    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  2. #62
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)





    October 6


    Excited to finally go on my first late season Stone sheep hunt, I was up early and ready for a decent hike for my sheep mountain. The hike wasn’t as difficult as my August hunt except for the portion where the rocks were round of decent size and that was painful on the ankles. After an intense hike I set up my camp in the last spruce trees and the wind was so strong I had to use the ropes to support the tent, that’s a first in my experience.





    I then re organised my pack of only the essential for hunting and went hiding along the creek to eat before glassing. Waiting for the water to boil I glassed where I wanted to go set up to glass the valley. To my surprise I quickly found some sheep low on the mountain, some ewes and a ram. Wow, excited I set up the spotting scope to finally only find two ewes and lambs. I was sure one sheep had horns big enough it had to be a ram, I was thinking "I’m not crazy I did see a ram". After a few minutes a ram came out of a low spot, he wasn’t legal but special with a broken left horn a few inches long only.

    After eating I made my way to a new spot to glass far away to not disturb the sheep. I only found those five sheep and it was fun to watch them and the ram that was following the ewes.



    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  3. #63
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)







    October 7

    I wanted to glass from a great spot deeper into the valley that gave the best view to find sheep but it was quite a long hike. Up very early I started my hike in the dark with the light of the moon without my flashlight so I wouldn’t scare any sheep and not long after the sun was up I was at my intended spot. I did take a quick break at first light and found the broken horn ram high up on a mountain.

    I set up on a small flat balcony with an amazing view overlooking the surrounding and the valley was so beautiful. A light rain started to fall when I heard some rocks falling across the valley in front of me at about 700-800 yards. It sure sounded like something was making the rocks fall, I started to glass that area and found a 5 or 6 years old ram. I watched him for about an hour in the rain without any movement of his part until he ran across the valley towards me when the rain started to fall heavily. I had enough of the rain too and the clouds in the horizon looked grey so I lay down with my rain cover on to sleep.




    At noon I woke up and the sun was trying to appear. Right away started to glass again and started to look for the ewes in case an other ram would be with them. They were not hard to find since two were light grey while the other two dark grey/brown. I was happy to find an other ram that was following them.


    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  4. #64
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)






    I was very motivated since it was apparent the rams were starting to search for ewes and anything was possible. I didn’t pay too much attention to that ram and started to glass to find what else was present in the valley at that point I glassed out half of the valley so my hopes were high. I located two caribou on a mountain at 2.5 km away. About 45 minutes later I found an other ram high up on a mountain at 1.5 km away, he sure did look good in my binos and it was time to check him with the spotting scope.




    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  5. #65
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    I continued to glass the whole valley all day but I kept a constant eye on that potential ram. Other pictures of that ram throughout the day. The day was very windy and it was tough to take good pictures with the spotting scope.






    I couldn’t quite tell if he was legal by curl but with a decent mass he was worth to a closer look. I had two problems preventing me to make a move, first the ewes and lamb with the non legal ram were right between him and me so it was impossible to make a move and risking to pushing them to the potential ram. Second the potential ram had a great view of the whole valley as well and he was feeding for an hour and would lay down for two so I was forced to take the tough decision to stay put.

    I kept glassing the valley and didn’t find any other sheep. Across the valley I put the non legal ram and the ewes to bed on my right while the potential ram was to my left more than half way up the mountain. I went back to the tent without my headlamp since the ram would have caught it and I didn’t want to scare him.



    October 8

    After seriously analysing the situation and my options, I was at the base of his mountain at first light. It didn’t take long and I located him feeding about 200 yards where I put him to bed. With a very strong wind I started to climb the mountain with the wind in my favour and I made sure to memorize some landmark.

    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  6. #66
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)




    I had for reference a small circle patch of yellow grass to get to. At which point I knew I would be higher and according to my gps about 400 yards away of the ram. After climbing for an hour in jeans and a nylon Under Armour shirt style I put some warm layers on since it was close to 0 C. For the first half of the climb I barely kept a view of the ram while he was feeding and for the last half I lost sight of him. From his behaviour of the previous day he was bedding right where he was feeding so I was confident he would maintain the same habit if he wasn’t spooked.

    When I started my stalk I didn’t really have an exact idea where he would be but I expected him to be bedded. At every step I carefully looked down, in front and up to locate the ram. Eventually as I was about to take an other step I was debating if I should glass a dark colour rock. THANK GOD I DID!! That rock was him looking in my direction, I sure didn’t make any noise there’s no way he smelled me since the wind as very strong in my face. He must had view of only the top of my head and I backup SLOWLY. I took off my backpack and got the spotting scope/tripod ready before I peeked over at him. Bedded he was facing away and down the valley, I moved in just enough to set up the scope and awkwardly sat down with my weight on only one leg and my right bum. It was very excited to finally be within shooting distance of a potentially legal ram on my third year hunting sheep and my fourth hardcore backpacking trip. The ram was at 180 yards 45 degree bellow me.



    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  7. #67
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    Even with the angle I wasn’t sure he was legal by curl but he sure had characteristics of a mature ram so I went on to age him. I lucked out on a ram that’s not the hardest to age but since I was facing his back I wasn’t able to see enough to age him. After 15 minutes he got up to stretch and turn around to bed again looking in my direction this time. I was in a very uncomfortable position and it was tough to keep my balance now add the fact a sheep was looking at me, I was stuck!!

    Now that I had the chance to see his left horn correctly (45 degree) I seriously analysed him, it was tough due to a strong wind that prevented the spotting scope of staying stable. After a few short but good look of his horn sideways I determined he was a 9.5 year old ram and I continuously trying to prove me right then wrong, I noticed a false annulus between the third and fourth year while aging him. After 45 minutes I took the tough decision to try harvesting him based on his age. It’s also at that moment my legs, back and neck started to really be tired with a serious neck pain, add to that a strong cold wind with few snow flakes. A great recipe to test my patience but having such an amazing animal right in front of my eyes was worth much worse pain! I had to wait for him to get up and feed to back out and complete my stalk.

    In the end I had to stay motionless for an hour and a quarter before I had my first chance at a ram. Nervous I was but focus and determine I slowly made my way to him. Before I made my stalk I made sure I knew where he was feeding first and I went on with only my rifle. In no time he was just over 150 yards away at maybe 30 degree bellow distracted feeding. I moved in a little closer without making any noise when he looked in my direction and everywhere too. After three good look toward me and the fact he started to slowly feed away I positioned myself for what was going to be the most memorable shot of my life.

    Perfectly broadside at about 150 yards he started to run away when I took my shot and lost sight of him within a few seconds. Confident in my shot but confused since he didn’t appear injured I had to go cut him off, I have a history of running animals after a perfect shot to find them dead not far away. He was in the middle of the picture bellow when I shot so I went running to intercept him on the other side of the small ridge. On the other side I could see for a good distance, I looked up and in front to find my ram I assumed would be running. He was no where to be seen and I couldn’t hear any rocks falling, very nervous I looked down since I didn’t want to let such a trophy get away. Relief I found the ram bedded in some big rocks 125-150 yards bellow. Once well position for a shot I yelled to get him to stand up so I wouldn’t shoot a rock. As soon as he was on his four legs I fired a second round in the lungs/shoulder blades and he drop instantly to roll down a short distance in some rocks.




    Excited I went back to get my backpack and then did my final approach to my new trophy. Well mine as long as he was legal, I’m no expert but for the past two years I’ve been doing a lot of studying on aging stone horns. Thanks to the members of this forum who shared their knowledge on the subject over the years, taxidermy shops and hunters with rams on their wall I felt confident in my ability to pull the trigger on a ram base on age alone. At the same time I would have never pulled the trigger based on age if I doubted his age or if he would have been a tough ram to age or with a lot of false annulus. I’ll admit I was anxious to hold him in my hands to confirm his age!!!

    I was very happy and relieved to confirm he him at 9.5 and that I was right with the false annulus. I took the time to clean him of any blood for all the pictures, had a mountain house lunch before starting all the required work. The backpack was extremely heavy going down the mountain, it must have been about 100 pounds, and I was thinking if I able haul out everything in one load. I estimated I had 15 to 20 pounds max of gear at the tent.

    As soon as I arrived at the tent rain started to fall and I worked on the cape and the skull inside the tent. I went to bed at 1am.



    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  8. #68
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)







    October 9


    When I woke up the rain was still going and I knew I had a miserable day ahead. With a very heavy backpack I hiked in the rain for the first half and in a snow storm to finish it. Brutal yes but done with a big smile in one load and back at the truck I was hungry for some chocolate. Back at base camp the remaining neighbour was happy for me and he came back later in the evening from the service station to inform me of the weather forecast, -17 overnight and -10 during the day, ouch.

    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  9. #69
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)







    October 10

    The body needed some rest and I woke up mid morning. With fresh snow on the ground I decided to cover some ground to hopefully find a grizzly track. In no time I did find grizzly tracks but they were followed by human foot print too. My neighbour who I didn’t know had a tag too was chasing that grizzly. Since he was the first one on it I left the area and it’s a question of respect too.

    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  10. #70
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    P.G.
    Posts
    2,629

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    wicked ram!! good pix!
    hard work pays off- good job!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •