Hobo Hunters chase Stone's

[mattmckay]

This is a story of four budget minded hunters who decided to chase Stone's.
Cast of characters:
myself- 46, moderate shape but a half to a pack a day smoker, pack and a half on the windup to this hunt, bought a couple of sheep tags in the past, saw ten bighorn rams last year but none legal. Killed some nice animals, all tasty but none on the wall
Stinky- I think 49, not in the best shape but adequate. Lifelong meat hunter. Many long hunts in the mountains and deep woods. Never hunted with a tent, usually a sheet of poly. A couple of Stone's under his belt many moons ago
Clint- not his real name. 57, commercial fisherman but more of what you would expect from a rangy cowboy. Actually 56, as his wife informed him after the hunt. Moose and mule deer hunter with a couple of Ashnola sheep hunts under his belt. One for two there
Sherpa- 20 new young hunter, with us having high hopes for using his strong young back
Keith- Pilot and owner of Ootsa air out of Dease lake. Real name and real nice guy, excellent pilot and very accommodating of our plan changes.


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Planning for this hunt started around this time last year with us getting some old information on a good sheep spot in a high sheep density area. The local guide outfitter would run one client out of the lake we would fly into and head up into the mountains every day on horseback looking for sheep. We planned on being up in sheep territory to get a jump on the guide and have the mornings to ourselves while the wrangler was chasing down the horses. I know this sounds naive to a lot of you sheep hunters and in hindsight it was.




The trip up to Dease sort of started with Stinky and I meeting Clint in Williams lake as we were in helping set up moose camp (high hopes there as the group had a crap load of LEH draws but that is another story). We slept that night in the rodeo grounds in Smithers as we were to hook up with Sherpa there the next day. I had parked my truck at a friends but Sherpa wasn't sure what to do with his car. I suggested parking it by the local RCMP detachment and telling them it was there but he ended up parking it in a place the locals try to sell vehicles and putting a sign with ridiculous price on it. Worked well but no phone calls. We ended up in Dease a day early and camped outside Keith's place.




Dease lake has a lot of mosquitoes. Sherpa had a tent and I had a tent. Clint and Stinky didn't. I had convinced Clint that we weren't going to need tents for this hunt, on Stinky's advice. Clint slept in the back of his truck next to the freezer we had brought. He and Stinky got bit. A lot.




Fortunately Keith had time the next day to fly us in early. He did warn us that he knew of another company that had flown in at least two groups to the same area we were going into. Keith's policy is one group to one area at a time only. There is a company flying in from the other direction who doesn't share the same policy and doesn't seem to feel telling his clients the truth about this matters. We weren't too impressed but we had made our plans and we were sticking to them.




The next day we flew into our lake and after unloading our gear we noticed two tents near the lake. Not clients of the outfitter and large enough for two people each. Not a good sign. Then before we left three hikers, not hunters, came along the trail, then horses with what looked like a wrangler and either an older guide or a guest. This place was busy. Nothing to do but hike into the hills.




Well the day was quite warm and we were out of shape but we slogged our way up the hill with many breaks in whatever shady spot we could find, preferably with a view of a basin or sheepy looking hillside. After many hours the slope lessened and we got above the tree line and got a good look at the valley. We broke from the trail to find a good spot to glass and have an extended break. Clint was the first to spot game seeing three goats high up one ridge. Stinky was next with two hunters hauling ass along the trail in the valley bottom. I'm not too sure who spotted the other two hiking the opposite direction. This place was REAL busy.




The two heading down the valley disappeared in the trees and never reappeared along the trail and the two heading up crested the saddle. We decided to skirt the valley to get a better view of one of the basins. Ground looked good for walking. It wasn't with a heavy pack. 6 hours after leaving the lake we made it to the saddle where one of the groups we saw were camped.




Our original plan was to hunt this area for a couple of days before pushing on. From what I had researched on google earth it looked like we could skirt these ridges and move deeper into the mountains. Directly across from us there was a ridge that I thought we could hike easily to spot the next valley from. I think a sheep could climb it but I don't think they would bother. To make it into the next valley we would have to drop 1000' and climb back up.




Surprisingly, one of the other hunters came right over for a chat and was real friendly straight up guy. The other guy 'T' wasn't too impressed we were there. Polite and he did warm up to us. D gave us the lowdown on what was going on. They were hunting the two prime basins there. The other two we saw were also hunting one from a different angle but going back to the lake the following day to hike up the next valley on the backside of the ridges. The valley beyond us had a guide in it who had been sitting there since before opening day. There was also a guide on the other side of the ridge and one that was on the other side of the lake somewhere. So far three guided hunters and eight residents. This place is busy. I had another smoke as my hopes dropped again.




We were exhausted and didn't know what to do. D & T were friendly and said it was ok if we camped there for the night. Sherpa set up his tent and the rest of us pulled out our tarps. Clint and I did the burrito tent and Stinky spread his out with four rocks and slept under it. I guess I forgot to tell you how unprepared we were, expecting fairly decent weather. Sherpa had it all, good tent, bag, mattress, compact high energy foods but us old timers didn't need all that. I did have a decent air mattress but I brought my old bag as we were planning on burning excess stuff at the end of the trip. I left my tent in the truck. You could almost see through Stinky's bag. He is tougher than average by a long shot and was packing a bit of insulation around the midsection but he was cold a few nights. In short this was the second long hunt where Stinky convinced me I didn't need a tent and the second time I regretted it. That night went very well though.

[mattmckay]

The following day we tried to leave D & T alone. Clint and I headed into the next valley where the guide was. When we rounded the corner we stopped to glass into the valley and a few minutes later we heard horses and along came the guide and guest. Long story short we told him about the eight hunters at the spot he wanted to check out and he told us about how they hadn't seen anything legal except opening day when they had an encounter with a couple small rams and a couple of resident hunters. No sheep were harmed. The guest was bored of staring at one valley for a week and wanted to see something new. They went back the way they came and we followed.




In the guides basin they were set up in a prime spot, sheltered with a great view. We passed around them and headed deeper in the valley. I wanted to explore the possibility of heading deeper in but the ridges were too high and we would have to lose too much elevation to get into the next valley. We did get to see which basins the guide was watching, or at least the one he wanted us to see. Then the thunder clouds rolled in. The guide and guest packed their gear and headed for camp. We weren't getting rained on but a couple of waves did hit our camp. Clint wanted to stick it out as long as possible so we watched thunder and lightning and rain showers all around but we stayed dry. Then it was heading for us so we high tailed it. We hardly got rained on at all but we had to head down into the buck brush and were soon soaked. Fortunately Sherpa didn't range far from camp and tidied and tucked everything in. It wasn't going to be a good night for a burrito tent. The whole walk back I was thinking on what I was going to do. We grabbed a couple of poles to build tents on the way back.


When we got back D was pretty worried about what we were going to do. He later confided that they were laying bets on how many of us were going to fit in Sherpas tent. I ended up with a pretty decent setup for a 10x12 tarp. I had a bed area big enough for most of my gear with a 6" lip around to keep water out and an overhang big enough for my pack and gun and Clint's gear. Clint had an 8x10 so didn't have enough tarp for an overhang for his pack. Sherpa was snug and dry. Weather got pretty crappy that night but we pulled it off.


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The next day we made the decision to head back towards the lake to a more sheltered spot and combine the three tarps into a more secure shelter. It got very crappy that night. I was awake half the night worried that our tarp tent was going to tear wide open. Sherpa was snug and dry. Our tent held and we were dry.




I decided to rebuild the tarp tent the next day to make it a little larger and more secure while the others ranged about. Stinky ranged about a hundred feet with his spotting scope. I think Clint and Sherpa headed into the next valley. I had just pulled our tent apart when Stinky came back to camp and said it was time to go. "What do you mean?" He said there were three sheep up the valley and one was legal. I had just ripped apart our shelter and the weather didn't look too promising so I was a little hesitant. He set up the spotting scope and showed me the sheep. They were about 1500-2000 yards up the valley and watching us, well watching me flopping the tarps about. We watched them for a while and decided one was close but we didn't think it was legal. Stinky would put a hit on them anyway and get closer. I would keep an eye on them and flop the tarps about to keep them distracted. The plan worked very well. They fed about the basin and kept watching me and Stinky got real close. Nothing legal. When Clint and Sherpa got back they moved in for a closer look too and got within 150 yards.




Weather was real mixed. It ranged from high 20's and sweltering to very cold, often over a short time period. Clint and I got snowed on for a bit one afternoon on a high ridge. Day six or seven it pissed hard all day. Did I mention none of us had full rain gear? Well Sherpa might have, I'm not sure. Stinky and I stayed under the tarp all day and watched the way we were facing. Clint went for a cruise and came back soaked.

[mattmckay]

The next day, August 11, Clint and I headed back into the guides valley. The third time for me and fourth for him. This walk was probably 15 km round trip and 3000' elevation change each way if you hiked the ridge. This time was going to be different. When we first rounded the corner and looked into the valley we saw the white patches of snow in the high basin in the back corner. Both of us were wondering and Clint mentioned it and told him I though it was probably the snow. At the next glassing spot it was confirmed three sheep and one looked heavy.


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We were probably 2km away still and you could tell it had weight. We were going to pursue that sheep! The trail dropped down for another 1000+ yards but when it broke out we crept along the creek to get back into the trees, crossed then hiked to near the tree line. The sheep were still at the edge of the cliffs below the high basin. The plan was for Clint to work up the valley bottom keeping close to the hillside and out of the sheeps view. I was to circle around and hike to the ridge above them and go from there. I dropped my pack and left my smokes. I had brought enough smokes for 12-13 a day and had been smoking a pack plus but I didn't want a smoke break to screw things up and if I had them I would have smoked them.




After a fairly gruelling hike up the boulder hill I was nearing the top. There was another 75-100 yards of very steep unstable boulders with cliffs on the left and an actively sloughing hillside to the right and a narrow sheep path in the middle. I consider myself pretty good in most conditions but I did have a bit of vertigo and I was scared. Several times I would put my gun down and test rocks and not like the results. I don't think I would take this path again but there wasn't a lot of choice to get where I wanted to go.




Following the trail I came out on a small saddle on the ridge and crept forward. I spotted the sheep high in the little basin right at the bottom of the slope in front of me. The big ram had his head on the ground napping. 536 yards, slope compensated, with a good wind in my face. Far too far for me to shoot but good conditions for sneaking closer. I thought he was legal but there was no way for me to confirm. I wanted that sheep. I had been communicating with Clint off and on with the radio. I let him know where I was and what I saw. We first spotted them right on the cliff edge from the basin to the lower valley. Clint was posted up 300 yards from the best downslope escape route and I was on the best, but not only, upslope escape route.




At this point my batteries started to die. I started to creep down the exposed slope. I could see their every move and felt confident with the wind that they wouldn't smell or hear me. Clint didn't like my move very much. He told me we should wait it out. I tried to tell him what I could see but I could only get one or two words in. When he started telling me that I wasn't using the radio properly the lack of nicotine started to get to me. It had been two or three hours since my last smoke. At one point I did smash my radio on the rocks but didn't break it. Meanwhile the sheep had gotten up to feed and were slowly making there way down towards Clint. When the sheep first got up I got a real good look at the big one. I was confident it was legal. I had closed to about 400-425 but without a good rest it was still to far for me. Even with a good rest it would be too far. I wanted 300.




Clint kept wanting to know what was going on but the only way I could even get a couple of words in was to turn my radio off for a couple of minutes. I finally gave up and turned it off. The sheep started moving down the basin quicker. They were still feeding off and on and one of the small ones walked into a snow patch and was eating snow. I was losing ground and they were over 800 yards away now.




When the sheep were about 3/4 they way down the basin the big one perked up and looked in the direction Clint was posted up. He was focused in Clint's direction, started walking fast then ran towards the low escape route. I turned my radio on and hollered 'ram coming, ram coming. Big one is first!' hoping it would work. The ram ran down in Clint's direction and stopped on the last flat spot before the cliffs and bang! goes Clint's gun. The ram takes off and looks like it might try to head up the cliffs so I try to scope out a route back up the ridge. I had dropped halfway down. The ram then circles and starts into the valley and Clint lets go another.




Ram down! Through broken radio and hand waving I figure out where he is. For some reason the radio seems to be working better :/ I work my way to the sheep while Clint tries to find my pack. Fortunately Stinky was on a ridge exposed to us so he gathered up Sherpa and headed our way to help. At no time did we see any sign of the guide. We figured out later that he had pulled camp and left sometime in the last two days.




As it turned out Clint hit the ram at the 300 mark and hit it well. My only route down was the same route the ram took and I soon picked up a massive blood trail. I knew where the sheep was but I followed the trail instead. Surprisingly after about 150 yards it dried up and I lost it. This was over exposed dry rock. I headed to where the ram was and about 10 yards away I found the blood again. The sheep had almost ran right into Clint and he dropped it at 30 yards. When I butchered the meat later I found a bullet fragment encased in scar tissue. Someone had shot the ram the previous year when it would have been barely legal. We later green scored it at 160" which would make it just shy of book after shrinkage. Aged 7 1/2.


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Before this we were worried about a skunk. We came in with high hopes with our group packing four sheep tags and at least one goat and caribou tag.




The next day Clint and I scraped, salted and turned the cape and cleaned the skull while the other boys hunted. Goats were seen every day and a couple of decent moose too. There was one bull that was high 50's to low 60's that Clint was tempted to keep an eye on and stalk opening day. He has been looking for a 50" bull for quite a while. The bull was down 1000' from camp so we would have had to pack it up and then down to the lake and pay for extra flights. After packing sheep up that hill it was 'f***' the moose.

[OutWest]

Awesome story fellas! Sounds like a fun group of guys. Congrats on a beauty ram!

[mattmckay]

From the trip into the valley before the one Clint got the sheep I had wanted to hike the ridge all the way around the valley so I could get a good view into all the basins on the other sides. We had only seen the other side of one side of the valley and I wanted to see them all. Stinky, Sherpa and I went in the following day with this in mind. Stinky was going to stay in the valley and watch the two prime basins and everything else and we were going to circumnavigate the valley. We quartered up the ridge so we could start at one end instead of hitting a prime small spot with a snow patch riddled with tracks. We followed the sheep trail along the ridge. The trail came very close to cliffs in a few spots and Sherpa didn't feel too comfortable continuing as the trail was headed into much steeper terrain. We decided I was going to continue on and he would glass across the valley and do spot checks back the way we had come.




Before I had left stinky came on the radio and told us he had a band of rams. They were situated on a ridge saddle between the mountain peak and the high ridge across the valley, on top of a pinnacle. Well not quite the very top but a 20' flat spot about 20' from the top. We could count five, stinky saw six, then seven. We saw eight. There were a lot of sheep in a very small area. One looked good to us but it was hard to tell with the binos from that distance. I was off. It took me an hour at least to climb the mountain and start coming down the far side.




When I came into sight of the sheep again it was obvious that one was legal. All any of us wanted was a legal sheep. I dreamed of finding one that was obvious. There was a sheep bedded down, looking right at me at about 1000-1200 yards that was obvious. Clint's was fairly obvious but I did spend a fair bit of time confirming it. This one was brain dead obvious. Probably 3" over the bridge. Now all I had to do was get close.




The sheep trail headed right down the open hillside in plain view, right along a razor saddle then up into the series of pinnacles of which the sheep were bedded down on one of the far ones. I wanted to skirt the mountainside and get low enough to put the ridge and pinnacles between us. I was pretty sure the sheep had already made me but the didn't seem too concerned. I ended up keeping as low as I could. Moving 5-10' at a time and checking the sheeps reaction. At one point three young rams got up from their beds a step down from the big boys and started to move off. I thought I was screwed with 800 yards to go but they looked up at the big boys and they weren't concerned so they bedded down again. I finally got low enough to put the ridge in between us. I had covered 6-800 yards exposed without scaring them off.




I dropped my pack and started to climb the first pinnacle to get a better view. This was after I turned my radio back on and contacted the boys and did a couple of jumping jacks to let them know where I was. There was a strong noisy crosswind there so there was no noise or smell issues. When I got to near the top of my pinnacle I had a very good look at the sheep. I had a quick glance over the edge too and decided not to bother looking that way again. There was so many horns there I couldn't count sheep. I think stinky was up to 11 or 12. I think I had six on top and three lower. He said there was one legal for sure. Range 209 yards and the big one was staring right at me.




I tried to get a good rest but it proved a bit difficult. I was basically lying on the razor edge with my feet a bit lower. I did get a steady spot but there was a boulder covering 90% of the front shoulder and boiler room and there was another sheep directly behind. I lied there for a while hoping my sheep would get up and give me a shot. Several of the other sheep got up and turned. One looked like it was probably legal. I'm not the most patient guy and I finally gave up, climbed down my pinnacle and skirted a couple others until I found another I could climb. It was pretty dicey stuff. More stable than where I chased Clint's sheep but 1000' down either side to the valley, mostly cliffs and scree.




Now I had a trophy ram in my sights at 180-190 yards. Buck fever was starting to get me. Back early in my hunter career my guru, hunter dog, aka Big Buck Jeff, nicknamed me wounded pride. Mostly for missing a black bear at 30-40 yards with my 30-30. Now I had a shot I had to make. He was still bedded down, nothing in front of him at this angle and nothing behind. I lined up for high boiler/spine and took the shot. All the sheep jumped up. I reacquired mine ready for another shot and blood was spewing from its mouth. I must have hit it high in the lungs. It did a slow walk around and keeled over, dead on top of the world! All the other sheep were still within 100-150 from there beds watching. When I moved towards my sheep they scattered.




The herd ended up going down into the far side basin and began to feed where I got a good count of them. There were thirteen left.




On many of my hikes I had been packing my iPad along with my google earth image so I could search out a route further in. We had decided we were not going to do this so I stopped bringing it. It was my only camera so I have no pictures of the rams or the spot they were bedded. Sherpa took a few from a distance a couple of days later.


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I shot from the left of the three pinnacles on the right. The sheep were bedded down around the first bump to the left from there across the little saddle.


When I got to my sheep I did a quick hand measurement for length. 39 pushing 40" on the right and slightly less on the left. 8.5 yrs old, very nice flair and way over the bridge. Shot placement, very poor. When we were unloading the truck in Dease I noticed my gun had galled from the top of the freezer down the side. Later when I was out shooting with Nog my gun was shooting high and left. About 12" off centre at 80 yards. At the 180 or so I shot the sheep from it was out about 2 feet. I had shot my sheep in the face and it had died of a massive nose bleed. Fortunately my 7-08 leaves a small hole.




Now I was stuck on a pinnacle that took all four limbs to get up to. I didn't think I could take a full pack back the route I came so I decided to go forward. The smartest move would have been to push the carcass down a steep draw about 50 yards further along (after capeing of course) but I couldn't get it down there by myself and there wasn't enough time for the other guys to get to me to help. Nothing to do but start cutting. Admittedly, other than being on the pinnacle It was a perfect spot to debone an animal, practically flat. Every time I threw a leg one off the edge it would start a minor landslide. When I was done I dragged the carcass off the other side so I wouldn't spoil the spot for others or the sheep.




The plan now was to hike the meat along the ridge until I found a spot to roll it down to the boys and then go back for the head and cape. Every spot that looked good from a distance looked bad when I got there so I kept walking. I finally found a spot I thought might work that started in a small ice patch. I radioed and confirmed the boys were watching and let it go. I had double bagged the meat and had my fingers crossed. The bag soon spun itself into a donut shape and about 30 yards down, the first small piece of meat came out a hole. At about 150 yards the back straps came loose and flung themselves down the slope. 50 yards later the hind quarters. I radioed Stinky. 'You get that?' 'Yup, on my way up'.




As it turned out it was about a kilometre back to the sheep. I went back, gathered up the head and cape and headed back to the meat. When I got to the launch point Stinky was about a quarter the way up the slope. He had been glassing near where Clint was posted up and had to hike up into the little basin. I picked up pieces of sheep as I slid down the slope. Bicep piece first then a backstrap over each shoulder. Then I balanced a hind quarter on each shoulder. Surprisingly there weren't little bits everywhere. Most of the small stuff stayed in the bag. After about 20' I dropped a hind and almost couldn't stand up again when I picked it up. Stinky wasn't too much further but I had told him to hide from the rocks I was kicking down the slope. I told him I couldn't do it and had to throw some meat. Down went the hind quarters and after a couple of throws I got to Stinky and he relieved me of the meat.




Sherpa had got ahold of Clint and he had showed up to help. Sherpa had suggested he bring headlamps but I told him not to bother as I was going to do this double time. After the meat fiasco we were ready to head back to camp at 8:30. We didn't arrive until 11:30. Headlamps would have been nice.


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Sorry for the long winded story. Buddies have been bugging me for a while to get this done and I'm headed to sea on another blackcod trip. As 'D' would say, "salt is cheap. Sheep hunting is hard". Well, being a greenhorn on a blackcod trip makes sheep hunting look easy.


my sheep was recently scored, five months after kill, at 161 5/8. 40" on the right and just shy on the left. We were green scoring it around 163


all in all I think we did pretty good. The rumor mill had three guided hunters and ten or eleven resident hunters with three sheep taken in the time period we were there.

[IronNoggin]

Brilliant!! http://bigshotsbc.ca/images/smilies/Pozitive.gif http://bigshotsbc.ca/images/smilies/Pozitive.gif

And about time you got around to posting this Buddy!

Pictures don't do them justice. Held and scored the larger one. Both Beauties! http://www.bcfishingreports.com/forums/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif

Nice to know it can still be done!

Betcha take a tent next time though... http://bigshotsbc.ca/images/smilies/wink.gif

Congrats!!!
Nog

[pg83]

Thanks for the pics and story! It's very refreshing to hear your honesty regarding your physical ability, preparation, and the shot itself. I commend you for that. Congrats on a couple dandy rams!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Sweet!
Not bad for a bunch of Kraft Dinner eaters!! ;-)
Love it!

Congrats!

SSS

[kennyj]

Awesome story!!! Congratulations on your 2 fine stone rams. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
kenny

[ryanb]

That's two great rams to go with an even greater story. Love that you boys got it done with only the "basics", you're obviously much tougher than I'll ever be.

[guest]

Great story and wow talk about perseverance ...... Way to go guys ! How rewarding to say the least. Those experiences are what drive the hard core bunch of Sheep and Goat hunters ...... Until you have done it, you can't decribe the feeling of success ......
congrats to you all !

CT

[untilthelastbeat]

Hahahaha one of the best stories iv read in a while. Had me laughin pretty hard. Nicely done those are some killer rams and im truely jealous. Cant wait to get out there this year

[uraarchr]

Great read .nice rams.

[Gone_Fishin_]

Wicked story and details, appreciate the effort you took to write this up. Makes me want to get into sheep hunting one day, amazing animals and great respect for anyone that goes after them.

[mattmckay]

Clint is pretty tough. The rest of us not so much. Btw 'T' isn't a 'T'. He is a 'K'. Sorry K.

On the way out Clint was hoping to chat with the guides. He saw them coming down the hill but when he went back to help me out they were nowhere in sight. They already knew about his ram as they talked when he was going back to base camp for more salt. Sherpa did talk to them and they asked how we did. He told them we got two. 'How good were they?' Sherpa said 'they looked pretty good to me'. Guides response was 'f***' and he stormed off. Pretty sure it was the guide that was posted up in the valley where we got both the sheep. They did have a pretty cool experience there. While they were posted up glassing a young billy walked up to the guide and licked his leg. They have pictures and video. The client showed us the pictures.

[pg83]

Some things are better left in the mountains!

That's pretty cool though

[Philcott]

Great shot of the ridge to show just what the terrain is like. Thanks for the story and pics.

[kootenaycarver]

Thanks for sharing your great story. There is a lot to be learned here for those "rookie" sheep hunters. PERSERVERANCE!!!!

[Confused]

Colt lake??? sure looks like it. been there before. lots of sheep, but there can be lots of people at times. One of those "secret" spots.

Good story!!

[budismyhorse]

if ya aint gonna be prepared .....ya better be tough.

couple nice rams.

thanks for sharing your story in such an honest way.

[Ride Red]

Very cool story. I've been caught without a tent up high too, went from a warm hike to sleet and high winds. Nothing like freezing your ass off all night, plus no sleep. Thanks for sharing the story. Can't wait till I get sheep off my bucket list too.

[greybark]

Truly enjoyed the Story and a great hunt . Great writing style !!!!
Cheers

[Blainer]

Absolutely a Fantastic share!
Great rams

[cantrap]

Great share, nice pics, beautiful rams!!

[Buck]

Great story... you have a great troop there.!!

[Skull Hunter]

A couple of excellent sheep there! Congrats. I recently heard that Keith won't be operating out of Dease this year, it's too bad he offered good service, although I think he'll still fly a bit for BC-Yukon air.

[.264winmag]

Priceless story, awesome read thanks for posting. Congrats on two very fine rams. The 40" is tough to find!
Definitely puts it in perspective when there's that much pressure and you guys still get er done, those rams are well deserved...

[Brian011]

Great story and great rams! Gets me excited for my first stone hunt this year!

[Tīɡ]

well done gents! great story and a big congrats!

[NorBC]

Awesome story fellas

[stonefever_14]

awesome adventure and great job on the rams as well

[325 wsm]

You have proven that the less prepeared you are the better the story. Great write up and 2 super rams…. congrats.

[Krico]

Very cool, beauty rams!

[digger dogger]

Good story, and some fine rams Matt!

[BCrams]

Great story!! Great rams and excellent perseverance!

[Roe]

Great read. Your honesty is very refreshing. Congratulations on a great adventure.

[huntcoop]

Some things are better left in the mountains!

What you mean?

[Busterpayton54]

"I took a quick glance over the edge and decided not to bother doing that again" hahahahha a

[mattmckay]

What you mean?

I think he is referring to the guide getting his 'leg' licked by a goat.

[ElectricDyck]

Ha ha great story! Congrats on the success!

[kitnayakwa77]

Awesome rams, way to get it done! Nice change to see guys keeping it real.

[decker9]

This is awesome! Thanks for posting. A couple beauty rams you guys took there! I did not mind the long wright up, I'm at work so got paid to read it, I'll be sure to put this hour of earnings into my sheep trip jar, maybe it will bring me good luck this year? Lol. thanks again! Cheers!

[DawsonCreedmoor]

Congrats on a couple awesome rams matt. You guys definitely earned them!

[mattmckay]

Thanks all. It was a fun trip. Quick question to all you sheep hunters. I don't own a spotting scope and, to be honest, I don't want to pack one. We did have one in camp but never packed it into the valley we got the sheep in. Has anyone considered packing a good quality camera instead? If so any suggestions? I would like to take a picture and zoom in for a closer look win the added bonus of the pictures. I could have taken some pretty awesome pics of the herd on that pinnacle. In a couple of hours I will be out of touch at sea for the next few weeks but I would love some ideas. Thanks in advance.

[guest]

A Spotting Scope IS A MUST for any one seriously pursuing SHEEP ........ as important as the weapon you use to try to harvest the animal.

Dont leave home with out one if your serious.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Actually that's not a crazy idea. I forgot my spotter on a trip to Kamloops and we went out to look for some sheep....but I did have my camera with me with a 30 optical zoom. Took a couple pics and zoomed in to have a better look.
You would have to be very careful about not running your batteries low as you could spend many hours behind 'spotter'(camera/videocamera).

A 60x spotter would definitely be better for aging a ram....but there are also times when taking a still off of some video footage and zooming in can help judge a curl.....especially if a ram turns his head and you 'think' you saw him break the bridge of his nose. On my camera I can take it frame-by-frame and snap a still-shot at the exact moment I need.

SSS

[Getbent]

Sweet...reminds me of a couple of guys I know...good luck on the B.cod.
Thanks for taking the time to put it up...

[ElliotMoose]

Excellent write up. No BS, the way it should be! A couple of fine, well earned rams fellas. Thanks for sharing

[boxhitch]

The power of the optics is directly related to the amount of boot leather necessary to confirm a target. If you don't have the scope or something else to zoom in on the action , it just means you have to get closer.
Like SSS says , you can spend a lot of time waiting for the right picture , even longer when the distance is far. The implements help dictate how the hunt goes on , not if. the if is the mental part.

Great story and hunt. No frills can still get it done. attago

[markomoose]

Great story Matt.I did a sheep hunt @ Toad River in 02 and can't wait to try it again.It tests a persons strength ,determination and will hunting. You guys rocked it!! Cheers Mark

[WKCotts]

Awesome story and a couple of great Rams! Cheers

[jeff341]

Wicked story, thanks for posting. Well done.

[.264winmag]

Had to read it again! True huntin story from true hunters. Makes me feel like a city boy with all my fancy shmancy gear. You guys are tough!

[Good Old Outdoors]

I had to read it twice, great read! I only recently became interested in backpacking style hunts for sheep and goats so this is exactly what I am here to read up on and learn as much as possible so I can do the same one year.

[HuntNmemories]

great story and awesome pics!! Throughly enjoyed your adventure, thanks for sharing, and congrats on your trophies and memories!!

[argyle1]

What a great hunt, and a great job of relating it. I love hearing good stories from real hunters rather than polished authors--thank you

[Argali]

A Spotting Scope IS A MUST for any one seriously pursuing SHEEP ........ as important as the weapon you use to try to harvest the animal. Dont leave home with out one if your serious.

A scope is nice but this is kind of an ironic statement when the guys in jeans, tarp, and binoculars come back with two beauties and the "serious" guide with horses, scopes, tents, and all the gear comes back with nothing. Who knows, mabye if they had been sitting around camp admiring expensive gear but too tired to pack it up the hill for the 4th time, they never would have got that last ram. Well done guys and thanks for the write-up and photos.

[40incher]

Boy, you must have pissed the guides off big time! Taking two beauty rams from under their nose ...

That's why they want us on LEH for Stones ..., they don't want any hard hunters to compete with!

Great story and pics. Do it again next year!!!

[avadad]

Good story. Thanks!

[hunter1947]

Goes to show that you don't need all the top notch stuff on a stone hunt thanks for sharing your story pictures and adventures congrats to the two of you on a well deserved hunt..

[Stew]

Colt lake??? sure looks like it. been there before. lots of sheep, but there can be lots of people at times. One of those "secret" spots.

Good story!!
Awesome story & some oustanding rams, congratulations!

Yes for sure that is Colt,(the secret is out) i've been a couple times in the nineties, was pretty quiet back then with pressure
I have heard Colt is very busy with hunters the last few years, and the outfitter is flying in new clients steadily.
I know a couple gents that were there last year, seems they said it was as busy as mattmckay said in his story.
Thanks for the good read mattmckay.

[sneg]

good write up congrats on hunt

[tomahawk]

Best story in many a year, great humour with the smokes and tarps/tents!! Congratulations to you all!!!

[mattmckay]

Well I got my Stone's mount back and I am very pleased. I chose Craig Stolle of Artistic Wildlife Creations in Campbell River. I declined "Clint's" suggestion of his mainland taxidermist partly as I could visit my sheep when I wanted (I took him on a Christmas trip to visit the family) but mostly on Hunter Dogs suggestion and many hours staring at his Big Buck of years past. It was a good choice for the beautiful job and timely return of my mount. I really want to get some pics of the two rams on the same wall but that might have to wait until next year. Hopefully I can remember how to post pics. If not, they will be coming shortly.

http://http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o787/mattmckay/IMGP4747_zpsgudq66ij.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/mattmckay/media/IMGP4747_zpsgudq66ij.jpg.html)

http://http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o787/mattmckay/IMGP4750_zpskyfuihmu.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/mattmckay/media/IMGP4750_zpskyfuihmu.jpg.html)
Face shot, as in where I shot it. In the face.
If you look very close there are some cut off hairs but if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't be able to tell that I shot it in the face.:oops:

New home

http://http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o787/mattmckay/IMGP4734_zpsv2fszgyr.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/mattmckay/media/IMGP4734_zpsv2fszgyr.jpg.html)

[mattmckay]

The collection

http://http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o787/mattmckay/IMGP4733_zpsjnnum2pa.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/mattmckay/media/IMGP4733_zpsjnnum2pa.jpg.html)

I wish all these were mine. Left to right
Hunter Dog's big blacktail buck
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?74520-Any-guesses
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?84973-My-Mount-Is-Finished-and-Out-There
Hunter Dog's other big blacktail buck
Ian Forbes's Stones from, probably 30 years ago. I offered to store it him.
The 3pt blacktail skull is my best.
The other sheep are Dall's from many years back courtesy of Iron Noggin, taxidermy my me
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?94253-First-Taxidermy-attempt-Full-body-Dall-sheep&highlight=dall

[charlie_horse]

Beauty mounts. Congrats on a wicked trophy

[boilerroom]

It's a beautiful animal - congrats!

A very impressive wall!

[scott_karana]

Loving the toy stuffed sheep with horns too!

[.264winmag]

Great job on a Beauty Ram!

[longwalk]

Wow! a record player and lots of vinyl.

[Liptugger]

Very Nice Matt

[Mtnhunter]

Great story Matt!

[cas-has-cars]

Nice Rams great story, Could only hope to right a story like that one day.