Dall Sheep Drooler!

[IronNoggin]

HiYa Folks,

A few pix taken a handful of years ago - spring as you can see from the shaggy coats. Several "Shooters" in this group, but one hardly notices any but the one:

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Dall_1_a.jpg

Typical All Directions Covered resting mode for these rams. Funny though, wearing whites and bent over at the waist, they very much assumed I was simply one of their own wandering in for a chat...

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Dall_2_a.jpg

At least for a while that is. One of the younger rams wandered up, and became cautious as to my presence. Made the rest jump up for a closer boo:

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Dall_3_a.jpg

Sorry for the inferior image quality. My Pa ran off with all my originals, had these scanned and Emailed from Idaho this morning (after I realized they were in fact gone...)

Anyone care to guess the Big Guy's measurements?? :mrgreen:

Cheers,
Nog

[Kody94]

HOLY FUDGE!! What a beaut..

45 to 47" is my guess. Dall sheep always mess me up by a couple inches.

[bridger]

is that the richardson mountains ram. great pics

[hillclimber]

where were these pics taken? i don't sheep hunt but i think i wanna try it now!!!:mrgreen:

[kootenayelkslayer]

is that the richardson mountains ram. great pics

There's the "Richardson mountains ram":

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q223/mikeb04/Sheep_Hunting_in_Alaska_Cover.jpg

Man IronNoggin', they sure do have some similarities... that ram above was supposed to be the new world record, I think he is dead by now. How long ago did you take those pictures if you don't mind me asking??
Of course, you could tell us the location...but i'm not expecting that!:wink:
Great pics, he sure is one hell of a ram!

[yama49]

One hell of a dall sheep there. thx for sharing

[BlacktailStalker]

What a beauty. It would be a treat just seeing that ram.

[srupp]

WOW!!!!!NOW THATS AMAZING..one in a lifetime...How do I make that my new screen saver??

Thanks Nog..

Hope to see you for a hali trip this summer

cheers
Steven:mrgreen:

[Buck Skin]

holy crap id like that on my wall

[leadpillproductions]

would even made it out of his bed bang dead

[325 wsm]

Pics taken on Mt. Goodenough in the NWT just north of the Dempster Hwy. Some suggest it was 50 inches in length and 15 inch bases. Wow eh!

[rifleman]

Pics taken on Mt. Goodenough in the NWT just north of the Dempster Hwy. Some suggest it was 50 inches in length and 15 inch bases. Wow eh!

you know where he is? when do we go!!!

[kootenayelkslayer]

Pics taken on Mt. Goodenough in the NWT just north of the Dempster Hwy. Some suggest it was 50 inches in length and 15 inch bases. Wow eh!


It's interesting that this ram was talked about so much, and people knew his whereabouts, but nobody ever shot him. But this is actually the first time I've seen anyone else with pictures of him.
He sure was a stud...I wonder where his horns are laying right now...?

[bruin]

I'd would've said pretty much the same Chris. I doubt he would be 50" but then again I've never seen a 50"!

[bighorn]

that is one nice looking ram,his curl looks deep so he could hit 50"

[MichaelB]

47/8?? Alway tough to tell exactly but what a beautiful ram. I love pictures like these. They remind me why there is no better place than BC (or Alaska).

[Caribou_lou]

Great pictures. What a beauty. I can't say I've seen a 50 incher before, but I have seen a 43 1/2. very similiar to this guy, he must be around 47.

[bruin]

Not saying he's a small ram by any means but the northern sheep tend to have smaller bodies (in my experience and I'm talking northern northern, not northern bc northern) and with a summer coat and skinny neck they can look alot bigger than they really are

[Rubberfist]

I dunno how a guy could only shoot that with a camera...increadible restraint!

[IronNoggin]

Man IronNoggin', they sure do have some similarities... that ram above was supposed to be the new world record, I think he is dead by now. How long ago did you take those pictures if you don't mind me asking??

VERY similar indeed! I do not know if they are the same animal though. I was aware of the one pictured on the cover of the book (pm sent in that regard) and where he called home. Can likely verify that by determining who the photo credit was given to for the cover shot...

If the one on the cover is the same one I am thinking of, he is certainly dead now. He was estimated to be about 15 years of age 17 years ago. When he disappeared off the radar, we all assumed he had winter-killed. A handfull of us scoured the relevant range, but we never found any sign of him, nor his carcass. May well be he simply died in an area we didn't survey. But... The fall before he did disappear, there were 2 unauthorized helicopter landings in that same area - both originating from Alaska. Would be tough to hide that fella, but it certainly makes one wonder!

The pix I took were just a ways North of where the one on the book cover lived. 16 years ago the pix were taken now. Although it may have been the same animal, I question that, as he would have had to abandon his home range and wander north a fair ways. If not the same animal, certainly shows there are some superb genetics at work in the area as a whole!


It's interesting that this ram was talked about so much, and people knew his whereabouts, but nobody ever shot him. But this is actually the first time I've seen anyone else with pictures of him. He sure was a stud...I wonder where his horns are laying right now...?

Simple really. The home area of both rams (again, perhaps the same one) was not open for any but local Inuit (Inuvialuit) and G'witchin (historically "Dene Lochuex") hunters at the time the photos were taken (16 and 17 years ago respectively). Although some of the better hunters amongst those groups were well aware of him, they expressed their desire to see him remain alive. "No good to eat", and "Damn fine Breeder" were common phrases that came up whenever he was being discussed.

Efforts were underway by the time I departed the region to open the area to a limited, guided hunting operation. I am uncertain if that was ever accomplished, but will make a call or two to find out. If so, I well know one of the better hunters/guides up there, so may have to make a pilgrimage back :mrgreen:

Hard to know just what happened to him. We did look earnestly for his carcass, to no avail. And there are the two mysterious chopper landings there to consider...


Not saying he's a small ram by any means but the northern sheep tend to have smaller bodies (in my experience and I'm talking northern northern, not northern bc northern) and with a summer coat and skinny neck they can look alot bigger than they really are

Actually I found something of the opposite regarding size. I hunted and saw several good rams taken out of Whitehorse back then, well south of the Richardson and Mackenzie Ranges. I also saw quite a handful from the two more northern hills, and I believe the northern animals were somewhat larger. I have not seen any Dalls in BC close up as of yet, so am uncertain how they might compare.

Regardless, he was a truly magnificent ram! The Inuvialuit hunters that accompanied me on my forays up there certainly understood my itch whenever we encountered him! Would have loved to put him on the wall alright! But, he did beat the odds as far as longevity goes, and I suspect passed his superb genetics down to a great many offspring that followed. One day I very much hope to get back there, and you can certainly bet I'll be looking for one of his sons or grandsons! :twisted:

Cheers,
Nog

[rifleman]

wow what a beatiful ram!!!! a little bit of marco polo sheep in him!!

[IronNoggin]

I am waiting for an original picture to come through and story behind it.

I'd be MIGHTY interested Chris!
Myself, accompanied by two very good local hunters (one Inuvialuit, the other G'witchin, both from Aklavik) looked VERY hard to find the one in the book's remains. Spent weeks and weeks at the task, whenever we could get time. All to no avail.
Never did hear anything further, and I was well connected with the local Wildlife Officers. So, I am waiting with bated breath to hear the outcome of your looking into it!

Cheers,
Nog

[olharley guy]

Howdy, that is one magnificent ram. On all the sheeps hunts I have been on I have never spotted a ram in that size group.
BUT-about 15 + years ago we were drooling over 2 rams that could be part of triplets to that one.
They were in the St.Elias range (Kluane park-no hunting) right on the Alaskan border-it was a great sight to witness. Later

[riflebuilder]

that is a hell of a ram. I am planning to go chase those boys next August in the YK. I hope to run ito his big brother.