Kamloops Sheep 2012

[coach]

This thread could take a while to put together. I took over 300 photos and videos of my extremely lucky friend's 3 day hunt..

Sit back, enjoy, and be patient. There will be a picture of a trophy ram at the end of this long tale..:smile:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3318.jpg

[ianwuzhere]

just put it at the beginning instead!!!!!

[Bighorn hunter]

looks like a slik compact tripod:) look forward to the adventure!

[Rackmastr]

Man this is gonna be good!!!

[coach]

looks like a slik compact tripod:) look forward to the adventure!

It's actually a Manfrotto with my blurrtex impact spotter on top of it. Tripod is great! :smile:

[Wrayzer]

And here we go.

[coach]

After meeting our hunting party, we found a pull out on the side of the road and started glassing the "zone" across Kamloops lake.

Nice to have camera with 140X zoom on it. (Click picture to view video)

Pay close attention to the location of these sheep. They are right above where we ultimately connected with them on Sunday..:smile:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_GlassingacrossKamloopslake.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=GlassingacrossKamloopslake.mp4)

[coach]

This place looks nice - but it's too much like work:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3316.jpg

Here's the lucky draw winner and his dad looking through a new bushnell spotter:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3321.jpg

[coach]

Let's just call the lucky hunter Daniel Boone from now on. His dad's a happy guy - we'll call him Smiles. Gonna make it easier to refer to them throughout the story..

[NaStY]

I really like the direction most of these threads are going these days. Almost makes me feel like im there............

[lorneparker1]

IS this guy is the winner of
??
6001 Kamloops Lake 3-29 A
Sept 15-Sept 30 Ram only 1 988.0:1

[d6dan]

IS this guy is the winner of
??
6001 Kamloops Lake 3-29 A
Sept 15-Sept 30 Ram only 1 988.0:1




Man Lorne.......Your a smart guy.:shock: Lets sit back and enjoy.

[coach]

After spotting several animals from across the lake, we decided to have a look at access from the Savona side. Boone had been scouting a fair amount from the Rosseau / Dewdrop area but hadn't been through all the way.

Along the road we ran into this small group of ewes and lambs: (Click picture to view video)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_TheHerdabovethelake.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=TheHerdabovethelake.mp4)

[Ourea]

Coach, of all the guys to assist on this draw hunt you are the one for a lot of reasons.
Great photography skills ( yes Dana gotta call you out as well...u've done some amazing photographic contributions, argueably the best )
Coach, you articulate the story well, see it from a neutral perspective, our perspective, you don't "sell" the experience for the sake of self promotion and personal gainl.
I am impressed with your analytical skills, ability to adapt to new challenges ( on okanagan elk at ur first go while so many struggle to even see one all season )
I think this thread will play out well as a result... VERY well.
I enjoyed you taking the time to share some of it with me while it was unfolding.

And to the successful hunter,....your dad there to share in this once in a life time hunt.....epic.
Congratulations to you all.
This just presses so many of the right buttons for me for a change.

I think HBC is going to be served up a big batch of what they crave. What this site should be all about.
Popcorn is ready, seat belt is on..........

[doubled]

Ourea - you said it perfectly. Sit back and enjoy the season folks. Bring it on Coach!!

[ufishifish2]

Damn. Wish I hadn't logged in to HBC tonight. Now I'm going to get nothing done until this thread ends with the epic money shot.

[Wackman]

Damn. Wish I hadn't logged in to HBC tonight. Now I'm going to get nothing done until this thread ends with the epic money shot.

Same here :-) have been checking back in on this thread for a couple hours now...

[coach]

The Kamloops area is home to a few nasty things: rattlesnakes and cactus are common. We spotted this guy on the road. First time I've seen one..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3339-1.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3341.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3337.jpg

[coach]

The snake was just over the line onto private land. We came around the next corner and spotted this guy. Would have been fun to stalk him with my bow - but he needs a few more years to mature.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3347.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3349.jpg

[scoutlt1]

I'm hooked dammit! Great story and pics...and looking forward to more....


Thx Coach!!

[coach]

IS this guy is the winner of
??
6001 Kamloops Lake 3-29 A
Sept 15-Sept 30 Ram only 1 988.0:1



Nice question, Lorne. I've introduced the characters. So that you don't need to refer to him as "THE GUY", The lucky winner's name (for HBC purposes) is Daniel Boone. I'll give a little perspective on how the draw went down and how I came to be involved in this hunt.

First off - Shootthesheep and I have been friends since back in the day at 108 Elementary School in 100 Mile House. As teens, we hunted the areas close to home and enjoyed some success on moose, deer and grouse. As adults, I somehow managed to miss a bunch of years of hunting while STS managed a trip or two per year. About 6 years ago, both of us moved to the Okanagan within a few months of each other. During that time, I've had more opportunity to hunt than he has, but we've had several good trips together and have introduced our own kids to the sport.

STS made a connection with Smiles through a part time job he works to supplement his income. Every year, STS goes over the LEH draws with Smiles and helps him to strategically put in for draws. A few years ago, Smiles drew the 8-11 November moose tag. I was lucky enough to be invited out with them and managed to spot a bull, which Smiles killed a few hundred yards below the road. :-(

This year, STS suggested a few draws for Daniel Boone to put in for, including (with absolutely zero expectations) the Kamloops sheep draw. Imagine our surprise when draw day rolled around, STS plugged the numbers into the computer, and we realized Boone had won this draw!

Through my friendship with STS and connection to Smiles through the moose hunt, I got invited along as chief photographer. It was a huge honor to be invited along on this once in a lifetime hunt!

[coach]

I'll talk more about the characters as we move along. I'm sure most of you just want to see some sheep. Here's a taster..

Spotted this group after making our way past Red Lake and worked our way in through the Rosseau / Dewdrop: (Click picture to see video)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_Ramsbeddedbelowtheroad.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=Ramsbeddedbelowtheroad.mp4)

[ianwuzhere]

thats a nice band of rams! good start for sure!

[coach]

I should note - these rams were spotted the day before the draw started and outside the zone of the draw.

Here's a few stills of the same group:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3375.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3373.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3374.jpg

[coach]

A good lesson for all of us: The obvious ones aren't always the only ones! (Click to view)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_Theobviousonesarentonlyones.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=Theobviousonesarentonlyones.mp4)

[lorneparker1]

Nice question, Lorne. I've introduced the characters. So that you don't need to refer to him as "THE GUY", The lucky winner's name (for HBC purposes) is Daniel Boone. I'll give a little perspective on how the draw went down and how I came to be involved in this hunt.

First off - Shootthesheep and I have been friends since back in the day at 108 Elementary School in 100 Mile House. As teens, we hunted the areas close to home and enjoyed some success on moose, deer and grouse. As adults, I somehow managed to miss a bunch of years of hunting while STS managed a trip or two per year. About 6 years ago, both of us moved to the Okanagan within a few months of each other. During that time, I've had more opportunity to hunt than he has, but we've had several good trips together and have introduced our own kids to the sport.

STS made a connection with Smiles through a part time job he works to supplement his income. Every year, STS goes over the LEH draws with Smiles and helps him to strategically put in for draws. A few years ago, Smiles drew the 8-11 November moose tag. I was lucky enough to be invited out with them and managed to spot a bull, which Smiles killed a few hundred yards below the road. :-(

This year, STS suggested a few draws for Daniel Boone to put in for, including (with absolutely zero expectations) the Kamloops sheep draw. Imagine our surprise when draw day rolled around, STS plugged the numbers into the computer, and we realized Boone had won this draw!

Through my friendship with STS and connection to Smiles through the moose hunt, I got invited along as chief photographer. It was a huge honor to be invited along on this once in a lifetime hunt!


Thats the kind of answer i was looking for.

No thanks to dan !! :P

Continue!

[coach]

I'm the first to admit - I've hunted a lot, but have no sheep experience. Boone and Smiles are new at it and Shoothesheep has experience - but not much with Cali's. The goal for day one was to scout, spot sheep, photograph and "inventory" them. As this is such a special draw we felt pressure to make sure we knew what we were looking at before choosing which ram to pull the trigger on. I had compiled a number of reference photos (thanks Dana for your threads early in the year!) but simply put - we hoped to see lots of rams in order to gain perspective.

We were in luck - there were rams everywhere. Our learning curve was pretty steep, like the rock face this guy was jumped up on..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3438.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3439.jpg

[coach]

(Click to view video)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_goodramstandsonrock.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=goodramstandsonrock.mp4)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3421.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3420.jpg

[Rackmastr]

Man oh man....there seems to be a PILE of sheep there.....and pretty damn cool experience for sure!!

I love the pics and the story so far Coach!

[coach]

Man oh man....there seems to be a PILE of sheep there.....and pretty damn cool experience for sure!!

I love the pics and the story so far Coach!

Thanks, Rackmastr! Tons of sheep there and incredible genetics. I believe the world record cali, shot recently in Washington, was a descendant of transplants from this herd. With only two draws per year, it truly is a very special area!

[coach]

This guy got our full attention:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3433.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3431.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3428.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3427.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3425.jpg

[BCbillies]

Was hanging out in Savona last Saturday and couldn't help but stare at those mountains across the lake . . . I informed the kids that I'd like to hunt sheep there one day! Little did I know that Coach and his team were putting the boots to those hills as I was dreaming . . . keep it comin!

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3422.jpg

[Wrayzer]

Awesome! I'll get to play catch up in the morning instead of hitting refresh every 10 minutes right now.

[coach]

Was hanging out in Savona last Saturday and couldn't help but stare at those mountains across the lake . . . I informed the kids that I'd like to hunt sheep there one day! Little did I know that Coach and his team were putting the boots to those hills as I was dreaming . . . keep in comin!

As a kid, I drove through there so many times while making the drive from 100 Mile to the big city of Kamloops to go shopping.. Ha ha. I've always thought Kamloops to Cache Creek ranks right up there as some of the most beautiful country in British Columbia. It's even nicer when you're hiking through it.:smile:

[coach]

Speaking of scenery:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3330.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3333.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3331.jpg

[The Dude]

More popcorn please!
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj313/Heliox18/Forum%20Ammo/popcorn.gif

[BCbillies]

As a kid, I drove through there so many times while making the drive from 100 Mile to the big city of Kamloops to go shopping.. Ha ha. I've always thought Kamloops to Cache Creek ranks right up there as some of the most beautiful country in British Columbia. It's even nicer when you're hiking through it.:smile:

It's a close second to the stretch between Smithers and Rupert where I spent the better part of the last 23 years. :wink: I'm just starting to explore the desert lands. Now back to the sheep hunt!!!

[coach]

Click to view: Told you I couldn't get enough of watching this ram..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_23rams.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=23rams.mp4)

[benttip]

very well put together post..very enjoyable//thanks

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3364.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3363.jpg

[Ourea]

Thanks, Rackmastr! Tons of sheep there and incredible genetics. I believe the world record cali, shot recently in Washington, was a descendant of transplants from this herd. With only two draws per year, it truly is a very special area!

Great job Coach. And thanks for calling out the fact that draws are an amazing component to wildlife management/hunter experience.....albeit not serving the endless push for hunter opportunity.
They serve to spawn hunter interest and excitement as we know these gems produce world class hunts and animals. You just experienced it first hand.......this thread is/will be concrete evidence of that fact and look forward to hearing it play out. These gems are good for our sport. All the opportunists take note.....preservation, conservation has it place, and this hunt is a shining example.
And Coach, I know you will will share with us your take of the experience with no agenda....whether you agree or disagee with my perspective.
Looking forward to your posts!

[coach]

We wound our way through some beautiful country, all the while spotting magnificent rams. Our goal was to make it as close to Rosseau Creek as possible and then set up camp. Through his scouting, Boone was aware that the road would get us very close to the eastern boundary of the draw zone.

About a kilometer from our destination, we encountered a severe washout. Full of optimism, we figured we could fill the road in and get the trucks through. An hour or so later, we made this lame attempt to get DB's truck through the nasty spot..

Click to view:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_aintgonnamakeit.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=aintgonnamakeit.mp4)

[coach]

Realizing our efforts were for nothing - we had a good laugh at our own expense, then set up our tents.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_timelost.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=timelost.mp4)

[coach]

We may not have made it as far as we would have liked, but it was a pretty damn nice spot to camp. The views were stunning.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3443.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3444.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/A64337A0.jpg

[coach]

A small campfire, a few beers, a great sunset, a few jokes and lots of talk about big horn rams had us California dreamin'..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3447.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3452.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3457.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/A6721B30.jpg

That's all I've got for tonight. Story to continue tomorrow..

[The Dude]

Wha an awesome cooler! Where do you get something cool like that??
:D :D :D

[Duk Dog]

Unreal, great read and pics so far. The diversity of terrain and habitat throughout BC is quite amazing.

[kennyj]

Awesome so far. Fantastic photos, can't wait for the rest.
kenny

[Tanya]

I love this thread!

[BlacktailStalker]

Well done coach looking forward to the end and everything in between

[odie1830]

more ! More! I need more!.

[coach]

more ! More! I need more!.

Patience, everyone. I've got a busy work day ahead of me. Likely won't get back to this thread until later this evening (unless I find time during a break). The good parts of the story are coming up. Please bear with me.

[whitetailsheds]

Another great start to a work day.....shhhhh.....thanks Coach!!! Great pics, and as mentioned several times already, what a diverse province to hunt in!!

[frenchbar]

good stuff sean ...coach of the year for sure!

[Rackmastr]

Patience, everyone. I've got a busy work day ahead of me. Likely won't get back to this thread until later this evening (unless I find time during a break). The good parts of the story are coming up. Please bear with me.

Coach...we demand you take a 'sick day' to go home and post this story and pics for us....haha.

I love this Coach...great story, great pics, some amazing and funny videos. Feels like we're right there with ya!

[Wackman]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3364.jpg

Now this looks familiar. I believe these to be the Peregrine bluffs :-)

[tuffteddyb]

this is soooo cool!!
thanks very much for sharing!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Me like.........

SSS

[markt308]

This is a fun thread

[coach]

Good news, boys! Moved an appointment from the afternoon to the morning and now I've got a little free time to continue this saga..

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Good news, boys! Moved an appointment from the afternoon to the morning and now I've got a little free time to continue this saga..

I seem to have received a nice pic of a kammy ram in my inbox. If you get too buy coach I can skip right to the end?!:wink:
J/K of course. I (as most on here) appreciate your effort and riveting presentation!

SSS

[The Dude]

Its a nice ram, but we'll be nice, and play along! :D

[coach]

Its a nice ram, but we'll be nice, and play along! :D

Man - I had no idea those pics were available anywhere. No point telling the story now. :-P

[Trekker]

Looking forward to the final result. One very lucky hunter indeed.

[coach]

Day one of the trip was in the books. We'd seen lots of rams and formed a pretty good opinion of what was a decent ram and what should be left alone for a future draw winner. Remember - the majority of the rams we had seen were outside the draw area, but we did spot some in the "zone" while glassing across the lake. Confidence was high that there would be some encounters in the morning..

[coach]

Up before the sun, it didn't take us long to get moving..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3465.jpg

Access to the draw area was via about a kilometer walk along the train tracks. We glassed as we moved, hoping to spot some white rumps up on the hill sides.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3468.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3470.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3471.jpg

[coach]

Rosseau Creek - the eastern boundary of the "zone". We're hunting, boys!!

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3467.jpg

[coach]

Anyone who's spend much time walking on railroad tracks know they're a pain in the ass. Didn't the inventor of railroad tracks factor in the average stride of a full grown male? They're always too close together for a full stride and too far apart for all but 7 foot giants. It didn't take long before the trail paralleling the tracks became much more appealing.

(Click picture to view video)
http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_Danwalkingalongfence.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=Danwalkingalongfence.mp4)

That was until Daniel Boone put his foot where he shouldn't have..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3480.jpg

[coach]

It didn't take long until we spotted our first rams of the day. The lower one in the picture was a bit unusual:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3469.jpg

We nicknamed him the Uni Ram and joked about how the taxi could do a pretty unique mount - maybe half the head sticking out of the wall. Figure it would be good for discount? It would definitely require less wall space:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3482.jpg

[coach]

The ram with Uni appeared young to us. We decided against making a play on him - but also thought the ridge he was on would be our best access to the adjacent ridges. Once the pair vacated the area, we pushed up the hill. The idea was to get up high and set up to glass down onto area where, hopefully, the sheep would be moving out to feed.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3476.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3477.jpg

[Rackmastr]

Man....this could be the coolest thread of 2012!!!

[coach]

Onward and upward we pushed..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3486.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3495.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3494.jpg

It was tough going, but as they say, "that's sheep hunting"..

[coach]

Unbelievably - I found this about half way up the hill.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3484.jpg

Nothing makes me more angry than people discarding their garbage in the wilderness. Might have to arrange another HBC cleanup crew..

[coach]

The higher up the hill we got, the better the views became:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3496.jpg

Shootthesheep ain't exactly built like a gazelle - but you'd be hard pressed to find a hill he won't try to conquer.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3491.jpg

The bursts got shorter as we went - but slow and steady often wins the race.

(Click to view video)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_BrianClimbing.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=BrianClimbing.mp4)

[coach]

Gotta work again! Story will continue sometime tonight..

[325]

Gotta work again! Story will continue sometime tonight..

Man you are way to committed to your work....screw work and keep posting, this is awesome!

[Good2bCanadian]

Great post Coach! Enjoying the story immensely !

Not gonna lie, I put in for the draw this year.
Next year I will get it.

[BigSlapper]

Outstanding thread Coach ! ... One of the better ones in HBC history for sure.
Question - in your trek, did you scare up any Chukar along the tracks or higher up?

[Jelvis]

I dig this thread about Kamloop's country sheeps.
Jel -- In "dah LOOPS" -- Beauty country eh -- I'm counting sheeps now -- when I sleeps

[proguide66]

I hope there's enough pics and video for this thread to last all season !

[coach]

Question - in your trek, did you scare up any Chukar along the tracks or higher up?

Yes - chukar population seems pretty healthy in this area. We saw the majority down low.

[Jelvis]

Their low cuz they eat the spilled grain off the r/r tracks

[monasheemountainman]

Sean, if you have time to talk about partridge, you have time to stop messing with our heads.

[limit time]

Tag to keep my page.

[Rattler]

Thoroughly enjoying this thread! Thanks for taking us along on this journey...

[sae]

That one horn ram would have made my wall , diff things are kinda trophies,

[bighornbob]

Their low cuz they eat the spilled grain off the r/r tracks
Once again you are few decades late on your info. That's how it used to be because rail cars had wooden floors. Now there made of steel and very little grain falls from the cars.

Bhb

[Loopy Hunter]

Great thread! This thread reminds me how spoiled I am living in Kamloops. I hike and bike those hills often. Spent many a hot summer day on that lake too. I am enjoying reading this thread while I am hole'd up in my honey hole waiting for tasty, region 7b ungulates to pass. It certainly helps pass the time.

[Ourea]

Once again you are few decades late on your info. That's how it used to be because rail cars had wooden floors. Now there made of steel and very little grain falls from the cars.

Bhb

Focus people!!!
As much as we all love chuckars, advancements in grain transportation and the likes......it's all about a WORLD CLASS SHEEP HUNT!!!!
And Jel...I don't think u r a few decades behind.
I think you're from the future....or another planet...or...or..or. (all good Jel )!!!!!

Now, back to SHEEP!

[coach]

Alright you mother chuckers.. stop bickering! Time to get on with the tale. Now where was I?

Oh yeah, we were hiking up the hill on day one of the draw - trying to get above the sheep where we could sit and glass. The going was getting pretty tough. Daniel Boone and Smiles looked like they were taking on a bit more than they bargained for:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_DanandMilesclimbing1.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=DanandMilesclimbing1.mp4)

[coach]

Click to view video

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_Dan%20and%20Miles%20climbing_zps53c77c04.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=Dan and Miles climbing_zps53c77c04.mp4)

[ianwuzhere]

and dennn...

[coach]

We reached an elevation where Daniel Boone, Smiles and Little Bro could sit and glass a large area. It was still early in the day and there was a good chance they could spot something on one of the adjacent hills (hopefully below them). Shootthesheep and I realized things were going to be pretty challenging if we pushed the guys too hard on the first morning. I think the big question you have to ask yourself when sheep hunting is: how many uphill stalks do you have in you in a day?

Rather than drag the boys any further up the hill, Shootthesheep and I decided to go higher up and scout the area further. With good cell phone coverage throughout the zone, we knew we could text the crew and formulate a plan if anything was spotted.

We found plenty of sign up above. Found a great spot to camp (just in case we live to 1000 and get this draw again) :smile:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3498.jpg

The view from the backside of the ridge was awesome - overlooking a deep ravine. We had actually spotted a very large ram from across the lake the day before in this exact location.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3499.jpg

[coach]

Family time.. story to continue later..

[Hillbros_96]

You are killing me here, enough of the family and work time.

[coach]

Shootthesheep and I enjoyed lunch from our perch up high then slowly worked our way back down the opposite side of the mountain from where we'd come up. Part way down, STS spotted a massive ran running away from us and into the ravine. We didn't see him pop out the other side and I didn't get the camera up in time for a picture. We think it was the big guy we'd seen from across the lake the day before. What we did confirm was that ravine was, in fact, an escape route. Duly noted..

The rest of the crew were ready to head back to camp and recharge for the afternoon.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3502.jpg

[coach]

With the other guys headed back to camp, we decided to work a little further out along the tracks in order to look up into that ravine from the bottom side. We never did spot that ram again - but really liked the look of the spot down below. Little did we know - our recon mission would pay dividends in the near future.

Along the route back to camp, I glanced up into the hills and spotted a white spot under some trees:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_Ram%20spotted%20while%20on%20way%20back%20for%2 0lunch_zps92b196ec.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=Ram spotted while on way back for lunch_zps92b196ec.mp4)

[coach]

NOTE: Somethings wrong with the edit function of this site. Forgot to put "click on picture to see video" on the last post. Hopefully everyone is getting it by now that the small, blurry pictures are videos and not pictures taken through my blurrtex impact spotter..

[coach]

Shootthesheep figured this ram was the one we'd seen with the Uni ram earlier in the day. I wasn't convinced so I texted the guys back at camp to let them know I had a ram spotted and told them to sit tight while I moved in for a closer look. STS sat back and surveyed the situation through his spotter. He'd left his cell phone in my truck - so I left mine with him and worked out some hand signals in case I wanted the guys to make their way back to our location.

[lorneparker1]

Family time.. story to continue later..

This is bullshit coach, get your priorities straight!

joking sir! great read.

Lorne

[coach]

After scrambling 900 yards up a ridge, down a hill and up another ridge, I realized STS was right - same sheep as the morning..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_Ram%20spotted%20while%20on%20way%20back%202_zps 0bdecbbe.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=Ram spotted while on way back 2_zps0bdecbbe.mp4)

[springpin]

Oh the suspense!!

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3506_zps4658ee2c.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3512_zps95d50001.jpg

Funny thing is - I watched this ram for quite a while, from a few different places/angles and couldn't spot Uni with him. When I got back to where STS was sitting we both watched as he got up and stretched his legs. Uni had been bedded right behind him the whole time. Kinda makes one think about the whole long range hunting concept.

[Ourea]

Shootthesheep figured this ram was the one we'd seen with the Uni ram earlier in the day. I wasn't convinced so I texted the guys back at camp to let them know I had a ram spotted and told them to sit tight while I moved in for a closer look. STS sat back and surveyed the situation through his spotter. He'd left his cell phone in my truck - so I left mine with him and worked out some hand signals in case I wanted the guys to make their way back to our location.


The beat goes on..... Great job Coach...enjoying the trickle down and flow of information of this world class hunt.

[Spy]

Good stuff !! How many days we going to be hunting sheep together ?

[coach]

We left our rams on the mountain and headed back to camp to recharge before the afternoon hunt..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_Brianonthetraintracks.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=Brianonthetraintracks.mp4)

Quite frankly, I prefer walking uphill through cactus and rattle snakes to walking railroad tracks..:sad:

[coach]

Back at camp, we were greeted by 25 (or so) Rams who were kind enough to watch over our stuff while we'd been out. :shock:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_Camp%20Rams%20everywhere_zps50f6490d.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=Camp Rams everywhere_zps50f6490d.mp4)

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3530_zps3c89b3b8.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3527_zpsc42461ad.jpg

lumpy pillow:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3525_zps2b2cc89e.jpg

[coach]

The evening hunt was pretty uneventful. I hiked to the far end of the area we liked, sat down and glassed this hillside. Nothing to report on this evening. Funny - 'cause a lot went down here the next day!

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/D2F26EA5.jpg

[coach]

I spotted one more ram on my way back to meet the guys. It was back in the spot STS and I had spooked one out of earlier in the day. That escape route seemed to be getting a lot of use.

Shootthesheep and Daniel Boone watched Uni and his buddy through the evening as well as another average sized solo ram. Just before dark, they managed to spot 4 big rams feeding along a ridge. I caught up with the guys and watched them bed down for the night. Confidence was high for the morning.

The sun set as we made our way back to camp.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3533_zpsa2b6c728.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3539_zps72245983.jpg

Full of hope for a successful day, we headed out a little before sunrise. I made a little video as I marched along the tracks:



As we approached Rosseau Creek, the sun was just starting to light up Tobiano.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3541_zps0ee7fd5d.jpg

[coach]

It didn't take long to spot the 4 rams we'd put to bed the night before. Unfortunately, they'd moved even higher. The wind direction was not good at all for us to make a stalk, and we were concerned about spending too much energy to get close to the sheep if we couldn't get into a decent shooting position. Instead of moving up on them, we decided to watch their behavior and scan the area for more rams.

It didn't take long to spot these two bedded on an accessible ridge.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3543_zpsf6565011.jpg

[coach]

I left the guys in position to make a stalk, then moved down the tracks for a better look. Sure enough, it was Uni and his buddy..

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3544_zpsb0b50cc9.jpg

[coach]

I worked my way back over to where the guys were stationed. While I'd been away, Daniel Boone and STS had a heart to heart about the situation. It turned out DB could afford a bit more time off during the month, but Smiles wasn't going to be able to get back over to Kamloops to hunt with him. As a late invitee to the party - I really didn't have an appreciation of just how special it was for DB to share this once in a lifetime hunt with his dad. To make a long story short, Daniel had made up his mind that the situation was just right for him to make a stalk and take this ram with his dad watching.

We all hunt for different reasons. Some of us for meat, some for trophies, some for internet glory and some for the experience of spending quality time in nature doing something we love with people we care about. I know about the importance of the last part of that sentence. Family and great experience trumps almost everything. Daniel told me how important this hunt was for him and Smiles and asked if I'd be upset if he took the smaller ram. My response was that I will never look unfavorably on a man for taking a legal animal by ethical means. Judging a person by the size of their ram would be akin to rating people by the type of clothes they wear. If killing this ram was going to mean a lot to Daniel and his father, I'd get him up the mountain and into position. I did think the ram was a little on the young side - but it certainly wasn't a lamb.

No sooner had we made up our mind to make a play on this twosome than they both got up and walked over a ridge into the draw I'd been watching the night before. We worked our way along the tracks and when we arrived below the sheep, they were feeding but moved around a corner in the rocks. Unsure if they'd left the draw or not, Daniel Boone and I made our way up the hill to see if we could get into position for a shot.

The sheep would have been behind the rocks in the top right corner of this picture.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3549_zps04e005ee.jpg

[swampdonkey]

Come on coach I'm riding this out with you tonight I'm at work and need some more reading and horn porn

[coach]

As we moved further up the hill, it became apparent that the sheep had moved out of the bowl and over the top of the hill. Rather than burn out our shooter, I asked him to wait where he was and I'd hike up and suss out the situation.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3552_zps6afe8c47.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3551_zpsf1287642.jpg

It was pretty steep going and my pack made it difficult to look up the mountain. The slippery surface was no piece of cake - but I was determined to get to the top.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3556_zpsbfc4a53a.jpg

[coach]

Come on coach I'm riding this out with you tonight I'm at work and need some more reading and horn porn

Sorry, buddy.. I've got a busy day tomorrow and Photobucket is taking forever to upload my videos. We're on day 3 of a 3 day hunt. There will be a ram killed by the end of this story - plus a bunch more pictures of the camp rams.

[Ovis17]

Ahhhh..... This is Big Boar all over again...lol.

[300H&H]

ATTN: All HBC Members....I say we go over to Coaches house...tie him to his computer and make him finish this story.

Who's with me ?

[coach]

I'll leave you guys with this video for the evening. Gotta get some sleep..

Click picture to play

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_Holy%20sheep%20shit_zps908152e4.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=Holy sheep shit_zps908152e4.mp4)

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3562_zpsc7587c1f.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3561_zpsaa53eaa4.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3554_zps00613bc1.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3560_zps9c3216b0.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3559_zpse979db22.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3558_zps9ecc7c7a.jpg

[The Dude]

Geez, how many Effin Rams LIVE there? And only two tags? Must be sheep heaven!

[coach]

I never did catch up to the sheep - but I did learn valuable lessons about the lay of the land. Those lessons would pay off later in the day..

Getting down the hill was a lot easier than going up: (Click to view video)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/th_Screeing_zps6baa5c97.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep%20videos/?action=view&current=Screeing_zps6baa5c97.mp4)

[coach]

Geez, how many Effin Rams LIVE there? And only two tags? Must be sheep heaven!

Funny - Outside the boundary there were rams all over the place. Inside the zone they were a little harder to find. Sheep heaven? Absolutely!! I have a new appreciation for just how special a once in a lifetime draw like this can be for the lucky hunter. What an incredible experience!

[swampdonkey]

Thought you where going to bed keep typing

[coach]

Speaking of sheep heaven - these guys were waiting for us 300 yards from camp when we got back for lunch:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3568_zpsc1f13e5e.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3597_zps9c8a1ab4.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3594_zps15375bd2.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3588_zpse7560cd8.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3576_zpse5d74607.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3590_zpsaa524ea3.jpg

[Wackman]

Rise and shine coach! 5 hrs of sleep is plenty :-) we have a ram to kill...

[coach]

Don't worry - it'll get posted today. I'm surprised nobody has commented on any of the individual rams do far. Anyone got a favorite in the "camp" herd? Any guesses on score / ages? This thing is supposed to be interactive.

While back in camp for a mid day break, I reviewed a bunch of the videos on my camera. If you care to go back to the first video on this thread you can play along at home. Notice there were three rams in that group an look at the hanging rock below them. You can compare that to where Daniel and I hiked up on Sunday morning. Interesting - 'cause in the time we spent Saturday to Sunday mid-day we hadn't seen that group of three.

[The Dude]

I'm kinda diggin that heavy beamed, Roman-nosed bruiser in the last two pics. That would be MY choice! :D

[Rackmastr]

Don't worry - it'll get posted today. I'm surprised nobody has commented on any of the individual rams do far. Anyone got a favorite in the "camp" herd? Any guesses on score / ages? This thing is supposed to be interactive.

While back in camp for a mid day break, I reviewed a bunch of the videos on my camera. If you care to go back to the first video on this thread you can play along at home. Notice there were three rams in that group an look at the hanging rock below them. You can compare that to where Daniel and I hiked up on Sunday morning. Interesting - 'cause in the time we spent Saturday to Sunday mid-day we hadn't seen that group of three.

Ya....those last 3 pics are two rams that started to make my eyebrow lift a bit....especially after hearing that Daniel Boone had made the decision to try and shoot one with his Dad there. I'm really not sure of the 'trophy' quality that a person can get out of that zone, but just seeing that many sheep is pretty awesome. And that ram that you've just posted sure makes me wonder if he's still walkin around today. Guess we'll find out soon!!!

[coach]

Ya....those last 3 pics are two rams that started to make my eyebrow lift a bit....especially after hearing that Daniel Boone had made the decision to try and shoot one with his Dad there. I'm really not sure of the 'trophy' quality that a person can get out of that zone, but just seeing that many sheep is pretty awesome. And that ram that you've just posted sure makes me wonder if he's still walkin around today. Guess we'll find out soon!!!

That ram was a bruiser! Unfortunately for us - a kilometer out of the draw area. He should be around for whoever drew the November tag..

Not sure if it's the same on as this (posted earlier)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3434.jpg

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3428.jpg

As stated at the beginning of the thread, trophy quality in this zone is as good as it gets for Calis. Made it tough for us as novice sheep hunters. A lot of them looked like trophies.

[The Dude]

That last pic reminds me of when I had long, curly hair past my shoulders...... *sigh*

[coach]

Gotta get to work now. Will finish this story sometime this morning..

[Mr. Dean]

Where's all the big rams???

[Rackmastr]

Pretty awesome coach....and ya those rams are some studs.

Wow....what a tag.

[Walkntalk]

Great story Coach!

Thanks for that. As a new hunter (going into my 3rd season), I haven't put in for LEH yet. Some freinds have called me "idiot", but I have wanted to do a sheep hunt and am saving my 1st entry for that. For proximity & quantity of Rams, along with that country I think I am gonna try my hand for that entry next year!

I drove the deadman / vidette this summer ... GAWD, makes you proud to be Canadian and a BC boy!

Thanks again for this beauty thread!

WnT

[kennyj]

Great job Coach! Not just with the cameras. Those guys were very lucky to have you along.
kenny

[fester]

I love this story and look forward to the rest. Thanks for taking the time to post.

[coach]

Great story Coach!

Thanks for that. As a new hunter (going into my 3rd season), I haven't put in for LEH yet. Some freinds have called me "idiot", but I have wanted to do a sheep hunt and am saving my 1st entry for that. For proximity & quantity of Rams, along with that country I think I am gonna try my hand for that entry next year!

I drove the deadman / vidette this summer ... GAWD, makes you proud to be Canadian and a BC boy!

Thanks again for this beauty thread!

WnT

Good luck in the draw! I was acutely aware that at 1000:1, this was indeed a once in a lifetime hunt to be part of. Odds are, I'll never know another successful draw winner - but I'll be putting my name in every year just in case.

It's incredible to have a draw like this where the lucky winner can enjoy a hunt in a truly world class area with no competition. I'm all about hunter recruitment and opportunity but really like the fact this draw is kept as is. It's my understanding that transplants from this herd are helping sheep populations in many different areas.

A SPECIAL experience indeed and an honor to be invited along!:smile:

[coach]

Here we go: Final chapter!

I tried to post this video earlier but couldn't seem to edit a post to put it in. It was taken on the morning of the final day as we made our way along the train tracks toward the zone boundary at Rosseau Creek:

Click to view
http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/th_Railroad%20tracks%20-%20price%20you%20gotta%20pay_zps0e15acb6.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/?action=view&current=Railroad tracks - price you gotta pay_zps0e15acb6.mp4)

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Good luck in the draw! I was acutely aware that at 1000:1, this was indeed a once in a lifetime hunt to be part of. Odds are, I'll never know another successful draw winner - but I'll be putting my name in every year just in case.

It's incredible to have a draw like this where the lucky winner can enjoy a hunt in a truly world class area with no competition. I'm all about hunter recruitment and opportunity but really like the fact this draw is kept as is. It's my understanding that transplants from this herd are helping sheep populations in many different areas.

A SPECIAL experience indeed and an honor to be invited along!:smile:

You can better your odds by buying only 3 special sheep permits(it does depend on the total # of applications entered). It does cost a bit more but to some it's more than worth it. And you can hunt this same area...right through the rutt.

SSS

[coach]

Suddenly getting a lot of PM's. You guys want me to finish this story or not?? Gotta teach another golf lesson in an hour. Give me a chance and I'll get this done before then. :smile:

[proguide66]

This thread is wicked ! I cant help but wonder why the 'railroad nazis' on here havent blown a gasket for you 'tresspassing' on the tracks yet as they did to me last spring for videoing walking on some tracks after a bear for 200 yrds,lmao!:razz:
Hope no one got hit by the train , :lol:

Kinda cant wait for the ending , but kinda dont want this to end !

[coach]

Daniel Boone was feeling a little low after watching so many rams feeding above us where we camped - but only Uni, his buddy, another small ram and and the group of four up high inside the zone. I did my best to keep spirits high - including a pretty funny impersonation of a delirious birdwatcher that Shootthesheep has on his camera. I'll post that up when I get it from him.

Anyway, the afternoon plan was to head along the tracks and set up below where the group of four had been hanging out. They were a LONG way up, but we would make a play on them if conditions looked like we'd be able to get close. STS and Daniel were already discussing other days that they'd be able to get back out before the draw ended on September 30th. Unfortunately, neither I nor Smiles would be able to take that time off.

When we got to our viewing spot, STS decided he'd hike closer to the ridge the foursome had been hanging out on - partly to figure out a route up if the sheep showed and partly for future reference should they be making another trip. I parked my butt on a rock (a lot better than sitting on cactus). Smiles and Little Bro picked their own spot and Daniel Boone moved back down the tracks to glass another area.

Immediately after I sat down, I glassed up into the area where Uni and his buddy had gone in the morning. It didn't take long until I spotted a group of sheep up top - exactly where they'd been when we glassed across the lake on the Friday! I whistled to Daniel, who stopped and looked right at me. I put three fingers up and pointed toward the ridge they were feeding on. Assuming DB was watching them too, I got the blurrtex set up on the tripod and went to work assessing these guys. For once, the focus seemed to actually work on my spotter. I couldn't believe what I was seeing - three mature rams were moving off the plain up above and moved over the hill right into the bowl we'd seen the sheep in during the morning. It was the exact spot I'd been sitting the night before and was about 2 kilometers away. If they stayed in the bowl - we had a very good chance of connecting.

Extremely excited, I turned around to relay what I'd seen to Daniel and he was nowhere to be found! I ran back to Smiles and asked him where Daniel had gone. He wasn't really sure - but thought maybe he'd followed Shootthesheep. WTF??!!?? Time was of the essence and I couldn't find the shooter! I called STS on his cell. No answer! More WTF's!! Worried we'd blow our chance, I ran back to where I though Daniel Boone might be an called out loud, "Daniel!!". Eventually, I spotted him way across the field at the base of the hill STS had gone up. I covered the 200 yards to where he was standing pretty damn quickly. "We've got 3 mature rams moving down into the bowl we lost them above this morning! We gotta move! I'll pack your gun, whatever it takes, let's just get our asses in gear!"

[coach]

Daniel was good with packing his own gun. I grabbed my pack, spotter and tripod and we made haste along the tracks, periodically stopping to glass the sheep. At one point, I saw them running down the bowl toward us. Two moved behind a ridge and out of site while the third stayed up high. I realized later they were running because it was so steep and slippery, it was probably the best way for them to get down. They were running right down the face I'd hiked up in the morning. I knew there was a pretty good canyon between the bowl they were in and the next ridge. It was tough to decide whether they were going to run up to that ridge or stay in the bowl. We decided to stay low and peek into the bowl first. The canyon is the same one used as an escape route be a couple of other rams I talked about earlier. I figured if they'd gone up, we could always make our way back out of their sight and make a different play on them.

Steadily, we made our way along the tracks. As we neared the edge of the canyon and bowl we slowed right down. I asked Daniel what he'd like to use as a rest, then suggested it would be best for me to take my pack off and let him use that. I set my camera up on my tripod as we walked. Before rounding the corner to look into the area I though they were going to be, we stopped so that Daniel Boone could catch his breath. He gave me the "all good" and we quietly moved along. As we rounded the corner, I looked up into the canyon - nothing there.. I looked to the top of the bowl - "Sheep! Moving down toward us" It looked like a small ram. I kept looking up the hill when Daniel whispered, "They're right there! Right by the tracks!" They'd obviously moved down to the lake for a drink and were in the process of moving back up the hill.

Video camera started rolling..

I realize it took a long time to get to this point. Enjoy! (Oh, and sorry about the jittery video)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/The%20official%20video/th_Kamloops%20Sheep%20Hunt%202012_zps8655693a.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/The%20official%20video/?action=view&current=Kamloops Sheep Hunt 2012_zps8655693a.mp4)

[coach]

Success! Daniel Boone got to share his hunt with his father and younger brother! Things couldn't have worked out better. How's this for a happy family?!:smile:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3621.jpg

[ace76]

this is getting good!!!!!

[MB_Boy]

Awesome work guys....a great effort and thanks so much Coach for "taking us along".

What a great experience for Father/Son(s) to be able to share as well....VERY glad they got to finish off the experience with both present.

[coach]

Shootthesheep and I have been hunting together our whole lives. As great an experience as this was for the Boone family - the two of us got quite a thrill out of it too. What an honor to be invited to participate. What an incredible draw! What a hunt!!

(Think I'm pumped?)

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3630.jpg

[coach]

For me - it's not ever about score. Age was important - but the experience was really everything. For those interested, the taxidermist aged the ram at 10 1/2 and very unofficially around 160. I think we did the draw justice. I'm still waiting for the official numbers from the Compulsory Inspection.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3626.jpg

[ace76]

I typed that last comment before the last pics were up. Anyway congrats bud that is a beauty sheep , trophy of a lifetime . I was in suspense the whole time.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Congrats to all involved!!!
He's a beauty!

Do you have any close up pics of the horns??

SSS

[Daniel Boone]

I want to thank Coach for his great filming and doing a great job of telling the story. I had the hunt of a lifetime and am so lucky to have experienced it with my dad and brother and a couple good friends. I have a whole new respect for these animals that they dance around such rough terrain with ease! I am grateful to have this experience and I wish all luck in the future and hope some of you get to experience what I did on this incredible hunt! Cheers Daniel Boone.

[Crawfy42]

Awesome job to everyone involved on this hunt. Great ram!

[coach]

For those of you who grew impatient with how long it took to tell this story, the pics have been on my other thread since before I started this thread. :smile:

[coach]

Maybe railroad tracks aren't so bad after all:

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/th_Walking%20the%20tracks%20in%20the%20dark_zpsf45 006e8.jpg (http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/?action=view&current=Walking the tracks in the dark_zpsf45006e8.mp4)

[bisonhunter]

That's just awesome! Thanks for the ride.

[Mr. Dean]

and baleeee baleeee baleee, That's All Folks!

[325]

Beauty ram!

[kennyj]

Thanks again Coach. That was as good as any hunting story I've ever read on this forum. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great job on the video and photos.
kenny

[coach]

Congrats to all involved!!!
He's a beauty!

Do you have any close up pics of the horns??

SSS


Thanks, SSS! No close up of the horns - sorry. CI is next week. Will update when I have accurate info.

[laredo318]

Thanks for taking us along!
What a rush, just reading...can't imagine being there.
Thanks again!!!

[doubled]

Holy crap Coach!!!! Awesome job on a wicked tale!!! Well worth the 17 pages of reading!!! Thank you very much!!!

[kootenayelkslayer]

Sweeeeeet, beautiful ram.

[Wild Images]

Nice, justice done for sure, awesome tail great result

[ramron]

Very nice ram. Looks more like 170.

[whitetailsheds]

Great thread coach!! Thanks for sharing it....congrats to all involved. Had my first experience at being camera man in Aug for a Stone hunt in the Yukon rather than hunting them myself. Packing that camera you're as every bit involved....and them some....thanks for capturing it on film for all to see and experience!!

[sakofinnlight]

Props to you Coach for this thread. Felt like I was right with you guys on this. Living in Kamloops and being in the bush hunting and fishing virtually every day off, seeing exactly where you guys were was very cool as ive seen the country first hand. Congrats Daniel on a beautiful Cali!!

[Brian011]

Congrats! Definitely a hunt of a lifetime!

[swampdonkey]

foThanks coach for taking us along sorry for bugging last night it was a great read and I needed something to get me through the night

[coach]

Thanks for all the kind comments, guys. It was a fun story to share.

..Cheers!

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Snapbucket/1D6DD1E4_zpsc2e8edc1.jpg

[silvertipp]

dam what a story and great pics,these guys dont know how lucky they are,and i dont just mean getting the tag,to have a guy like you along to capture this hunt on vidio is truly a gift
i wish i could have done the same on my sons ram hunt last year
nice job coach and congrats to everone involved

[Ride]

Great job to all. Beauty ram!

[Ajsawden]

Great Story, Great Pictures, Unforgettable hunt!! Congrats to all involved. It's also nice to see 19 pages of positive feedback :razz:. It's that much more enjoyable when there are no bad apples.

You available next year for camera/guiding? I haven't won the 649 lottery yet so I'm sure I've been saving that luck to get this draw next year!

[Good2bCanadian]

Congrats Daniel! Good job guys.

[Grousedaddy]

Great story and pics , god i love living in Kamloops hope its me on that hill one day.....

[scoutlt1]

Congrats on a nice Ram.
Great story, awesome job Coach on everything....thanks for takin' us along on a fun ride!

[Blainer]

Absolutely Fantastic!
Thank you

[proguide66]

That thread got me SOO jacked up..stuffing my backpack a 3 day alpine blacktail hunt ( in 45 min) as I watched the ending...sa weeet !

[goathead]

wow what A great story!coach you did A great job on the photos and video had me hanging the whole time.congrats DB on your amazing hunt

thanks for sharing

[Hammerhead]

Congrats to all involved on a memory of a life time. Great job on the story, pics and video and thanks for sharing the experience.
HH

[Hillbros_96]

Congrats DB, even better that coach was with you to preserve the memories for as long as the digital age is around.

[835]

Great thread Coach!
That was a fun read. I saved it untill i heard you got to the kill shot! Way to wrap it up with the final video...
Congrats Danny Boone! on a great sheep!

Love it

[dana]

Good job boys! I can't wait till I get that draw.

[springpin]

Wow! Nice Ram. A Huge congrats!

[willydog]

awsome story guys thanks for sharing!!!

[Ovis17]

Congrats to the lucky hunter on a fine trophy. Sounds like a great time with good friends......................

[Jelvis]

I'm nah hot trying to rain on your parade, or make it sound like a charade, but congratulations and way to go. You won it, you did it, leh ram the main ticket. But wait, please there is a bigger one than that on the hill, we saw it, full curl and a quarter, thickist, most massive cali ram anyone could see, in the wilds of Kamloops Hills.
For the first ram, it's a dandy. Wow! Congratulations again .. Kamloops Ram -- 3-29. The coach rocks Kamloops :shock:
Let's hear it for coach, hunters, put those hands together, coach of the year, AWARDS.
in "Dah-LOOPS!" The Home of Monster Cali Rams - You won't believe it ----> the coach <-- of the Year so far -->

[guest]

Thanks for sharing this terrific LEH draw with us all.

Congrats to the hunter and good on the others that helped ....... way to go Coach on the story, pic's and vid

CT

[Wrayzer]

Had to pause just before the kill shot to change a diaper, pretty sure its on backwards and on the wrong end of the baby I was moving so fast to get back.
Awesome Sean, you really told it and showed it making it feel like we were there.
Now lets go get that Bull!

[coach]

Awesome Sean, now lets go get that Bull!

Im ready! Gotta get more stuff for my booner season thread.

[lovemywinchester]

Looks like a great time Coach. Thanks for posting that. Kamloops is an amazing place to live for a hunter and seeing guys come here and have an adventure like that is very cool.

[riflebuilder]

Great ram thanks for taking us all along. Almost felt like I was there

[coach]

Looks like a great time Coach. Thanks for posting that. Kamloops is an amazing place to live for a hunter and seeing guys come here and have an adventure like that is very cool.

Thanks, LMW! I know you hunt that area. I was tempted to shoot you a pm but we were lucky to have help from the CO, a previous draw winner and a legendary sheep hunter. Great to have the support of so many people!

[lovemywinchester]

Thanks, LMW! I know you hunt that area. I was tempted to shoot you a pm but we were lucky to have help from the CO, a previous draw winner and a legendary sheep hunter. Great to have the support of so many people!

Probably good thing you didn't. I would have been tagging along the whole time, lol. Not sure if I missed it in the thread but did you guys see any big deer out there while glassing?

[coach]

Probably good thing you didn't. I would have been tagging along the whole time, lol. Not sure if I missed it in the thread but did you guys see any big deer out there while glassing?

It looks like great mulie country and I'm sure they'd be around later in the season - but remarkably, we didn't see a single deer on the trip.

[Jelvis]

Your computer skills are fantastic, thanks for the great video/photo, in the Hills of Kamloops Sheep Country - 3-29
Mighty fine, she's real fine our 3-29, you gave all of us a look see, pro style.
Tanks a Million
Jelly-vis-with the coach, of the year, so far, we got the east koots boys and girls with megga vidz a coming ........

[Elk-Aholic]

Congrats to the whole sheep hunting crew and on your successes in both harvesting an amazing animal, but more importantly, spending it with great family and friends! That's what it's all about. Looks like you got the cake and were able to eat it too! Fantastic photos and video's of the whole trip Coach, job well done as we all know how hard it is to truely capture the moment. Well worth the wait. Congrats again!

[whitetail2009]

Great job guys! awsome video footage. Seeing you walk on the tracks brought back some memories, about 30+ years ago i had the privilage to ride in one of those red speeder cars on the track, with my uncle Bill who worked for CN. We went from Kamloops almost to Savona and back. I remember that there was this old Hermit that lived along the side of the tracks in a old shack,there was wood and stuff all over. Uncle Bill would check on him every once in while and bring him coffee and doughnuts. He was a neat old man. Apparently rumor had it that he had a lot of money and gold coins buried in what he called the Riverbank, as he did not trust real banks. Maybe Jelvis or other hunters from kamloops might of heard of this guy. this was 30 years ago, and he was old then ,so he is prob dead already. just thought i'd share my story.

[NorthIslander]

Thanks for the awesome story and video Coach you need to make a documentary and get it onto one of the outdoor shows on TV,very cool stuff ,lots of hard work and you obviously enjoy doing it.

[bcmulie]

Awesome ram and even better story. Congratulations to everyone involved.

bcmulie

[Glenny]

Good job. Spectacaler countree!

[Tenacious Billy]

You are the envy of many hunters!! Nice story and a beauty ram to finish it off with.

[Robson]

Congrats on a beauty ram . Awesome story Coach. Nice work.

[Bearen 09]

Awesome story and great ram. Really enjoyed coming along. Thanks.

[coach]

Daniel Boone just texted me from the taxidermist. An extremely knowledgeable sheep hunter was there and measured the ram. Unofficial score is now 169 2/8. He didn't age it. That will happen next week with the CI.

The experience means a lot more than score to me - but the guy with the experience said, "That's a f**k of a ram!"

[BromBones]

For some reason I started singing to the tune of the old Daniel Boone tv series,

'Daniel Boone shot a ram
He shot a biiiiiiiiiiggggg ram...'

Haha. Nice ram and good job relating the story, coach.

[open-sights]

Well done Dan, I know how tough it is to hang out with Coach, you did very well!

[Gilmore]

Wow what a story!! Nicely told Coach and congrats to the hunter!

[mark]

Awesome thread coach! Nice to be a part of an experience of a lifetime!

[1899]

Thanks for the fantastic story and pictures. This is a top notch thread! Congratulations to all of you.

[tomahawk]

Great story that made us feel like we were with you, beautiful pictures, once in a lifetime ram! Doesnt get any better then that! Thanks for sharing Coach!

[Rattler]

Beauty ram! Thanks for taking the time to write up this hunt. Very well done!

[ElectricDyck]

Awesome pics! Thanks

[Darksith]

great story, aewsome ram congrats all around

[bosca]

Great shots...great narration...Being from the area I must say you did us proud coach.
Congratulations to all on once in life time experience.

[BCbillies]

Well done and congrats to the team . . . kinda felt like I was almost there! You guys infected by the sheep bug now?

[coach]

You guys infected by the sheep bug now?

i know I am! Gotta admit there may not be any place where the sheep are of the quality and quantity of what we just experienced but that northern trip Shootthesheep and I have been talking about for far too many years has a much better chance of actually happening now.

[Mik]

Awesome story coach. great pictures/videos. Congrats to all on this hunt. Thanks for taking the time to post

[shelg]

Great thread....thanks for the story!

[coach]

Daniel Boone texted me today after the Compulsory Inspection of his ram. Official age was 9 1/2.

[358mag]

i know I am! Gotta admit there may not be any place where the sheep are of the quality and quantity of what we just experienced but that northern trip Shootthesheep and I have been talking about for far too many years has a much better chance of actually happening now.
Dont wait any longer Coach get out there and do a Northern Sheep hunt ASAP because you just cant do just one northern sheep hunt it gets in your blood and as you get older them mountain seems to get a lot taller !!!

[BiG Boar]

Just found this thread for the first time! Well done! Too bad I didn't get to sit through any of the suspense....
Heck of a ram, once in a life time for sure. Good job to all involved, I think I would have held onto that tag for some time though. Pretty incredible place.

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3373.jpg

[coach]

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy154/coach108/Kamloops%20sheep/IMG_3438-1.jpg

[srupp]

WELL DONE!, an incredible ram...still some amazing rams up there...

Thanks Coach exellent photos and read

Steven

[Jagermeister]

'Tis good. "My nipples are tingling." JAPM!:lol: Profound statement.

[coach]

I received a text from Daniel Boone today. Sheep has now been officially scored at 170 3/8.

[BChunter]

Better late to reply than never. Thanks for sharing your excellent hunt! I've watched sheep here for roughly 20 years. Absolutely an awesome hunt on LEH and a well earned trophy. Even the taxidermist will enjoy fondling these exceptional horns!

[lovemywinchester]

What is considered the starting score for cranker sheep status?

[coach]

What is considered the starting score for cranker sheep status?

My understanding is that anything over 170 2/8 is cranker status for a Cali..:-D






In all seriousness, I am curious about the answer LMW. Apparently 150" is minimum for a "book" Cali and world record is a little over 193. I believe book minimum for a Rocky is 180". Boone and Crockett doesn't differentiate between the two species. I think Daniel's ram will rank fairly high as a Cali - although I'm well aware there are sheep over 180 in that herd. I'd like to know what the sheep experts have to say.

[Jelvis]

Hey hunters it's all about big rams this coming season, let's take another look at this fantastic thread by coach.
This is a great thread on the LEH Kamloops Lake any ram Cali sheep MU 3-29 done by coach at Kamloops lake
A true hunt of a life time right here in our own B.C. south central interior.
Let's not forget this opportunity the world would die for in our LEH system of hunting B.C.
Take a look back in this world class thread by coach

[sizedoes matter]

awesome thx

[coach]

Maybe Srupp can show this thread to the young hunter who just harvested a nice Kamloops ram. Pretty much all positive comments here. No reason not to post this year's story. :-D

[srupp]

will do coach..just spent 2 hours going over your epic adventure....one point is that 170 2/8 is the start of a cranker cali...sniff sniff my 1985 Nemiah ram only went 167 5/5 lol..I certainly will ask.
....Steven

[huntcoop]

Even reading it for the second time gets the 'ol blood pumping, Coach, when the lotto gods throw me a bone I'm calling you to tag along!

[coach]

Even reading it for the second time gets the 'ol blood pumping, Coach, when the lotto gods throw me a bone I'm calling you to tag along!

Thanks, 'Coop. Re reading it last night brought a lot of fond memories pouring back. Oh - and quite frankly, the only reason I wrote this thing was so that some other lucky draw winner would invite me along..:-D

[835]

I put in for that tag this year because of this thread...lol...
Coach, if i win im callin ya on it!

[boxhitch]

Who got the Kamloops Lake draw this year?

[Tim Tam Slam]

Thanks for his coach! 6 years later and this tale is still being read!

congrats Boone!

[Crazy_Farmer]

Who got the Kamloops Lake draw this year?

My wife hahaha...... true story lol

[f350ps]

My wife hahaha...... true story lol
I knew you'd come sniffin' ya dog! :) k