The mountains are calling.

[ryry4]

Monday morning is the day that I head to beautiful northern B.C. for my stone sheep hunt. The days are feeling way too long right now. Hopefully we are blessed with good weather and I'm able to shoot straight :-D

I'll be sure to share some pictures with y'all when I get back to the desert.

[quadrakid]

Hope you have a great trip,be safe and take pics

[ryry4]

I will for sure.

[decker9]

Good luck!! We fly out on the 10th, lookin forward to all the mountain story's coming up!

[BromBones]

Good luck and have a safe trip.

I leave on the 9th. Gonna be a long week.

[elkhunterette]

Good Luck!

[ryry4]

Good luck!! We fly out on the 10th, lookin forward to all the mountain story's coming up!

Good luck to you also, Decker.

[ryry4]

Good luck and have a safe trip.

I leave on the 9th. Gonna be a long week.

Same to you!

[Jelvis]

If you hear the mountains calling you, get the H out there lol hey ha, go as soon as you can imho good luck The Call of the wild.

[shallowH2O]

good luck to you. leaving with the jet boat on the 10th, gonna be way too long of week

[Displaced Nova Scotian]

Best of luck to you all, can't wait to read some stories when you're back. Hoping to learn a few things in my preparation for next years stone sheep hunt!

[Everett]

Good luck leave something for the rest of us. We have to wait to fly till the 17th and man I itching to get going. Just getting the new truck ready for the dash to Watson Lake.

[325]

Good luck to all those chasing Stone's this year!! I'll be waiting to read your epic hunt reports!

[ryry4]

Well I made it back home, sore, sun burned, bug bit and sitting on top of the world!!

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e215/ryan5096/P8200113_zps0e5c9355.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/ryan5096/media/P8200113_zps0e5c9355.jpg.html)

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e215/ryan5096/P8200104_zps05050b39.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/ryan5096/media/P8200104_zps05050b39.jpg.html)

I was able to take a ram on the ninth day. I couldn't be happier. This is #3 of 4 for me.

[Darksith]

nice looking sheep, man he is wide...congrats. I am very jealous...o

[decker9]

Hellova ram!! Good job!!

[Rackmastr]

Great ram for sure...very unique looking!! Big wide flaring deep curl!!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Nice mature ram!! Congrats!!

SSS

[ryanb]

Beauty ram. Real neat wide curl. Thanks for sharing.

[guest]

Congrats to you your hard work pays off ! Good to see an older Ram too.

CT

[sheep.elk.moose fanatic]

Nice ram ,, congrats

[Ltbullken]

Good luck, be safe.

[Mik]

Congrats on a beauty ram.

[Hillbros_96]

Congrats, it is a wonderful ram.

[ryry4]

Thanks guys.

[Displaced Nova Scotian]

What a wide Stone! That is incredible; the final sheep, a Dall or what is it you need to get?

Best of luck man.

[r106]

Congrats and Great ram. I'm a rookie at aging sheep but my guess is 9.5? am I close.

[skid]

wow looks good, can't wait till I get to head out. Those pics get me excited!

[ryry4]

Congrats and Great ram. I'm a rookie at aging sheep but my guess is 9.5? am I close.

We had him at 12.5.

[ryry4]

What a wide Stone! That is incredible; the final sheep, a Dall or what is it you need to get?

Best of luck man.

I need a bighorn to finish it off. I seem to be a bit snake bit with them. I should have two by now but stupidity and bad luck have won both times.

[r106]

We had him at 12.5.

haha I was way off. That sheep is a beauty

[kennyg826]

Best of luck. Be safe

[Abashai]

Nice ram! Is there a story for those of us who have to live vicariously through others experiences? :D

[ryry4]

Nice ram! Is there a story for those of us who have to live vicariously through others experiences? :D

Here you go:

The evolution of a mountain hunter.

I've got an uncle that has hunted the world. His house has mounts of lions, leopards, water buffalo, cape buffalo and everything in between. He's been and avid hunter since he was able to work a bolt action. Him and a close cousin of mine are who got me into big game hunting. When I was a kid and to this day when I walk into his trophy room there is one mount that grabs my attention every time. It's his bighorn that he took in 1975. A beautiful full curl ram with dark horns. When I was a kid I'd stare at that sheep and I decided then, that is what I wanted to hunt. Over that past 15 years it's been a steep learning curve and I should have two bighorns but stupidity and poor luck have left me batting .000 on them.

In 2007 I decided that I wanted to hunt mountain goats. I booked a hunt in B.C. as getting a tag in Alberta is slim pickings. I learned a lot on that hunt. Like "good" boots for hunting whitetail deer doesn't necessarily equate to good boots for climbing mountains. We prevailed and I got this 9" billy.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e215/ryan5096/18759_102467186450004_100000601688328_63559_644566 8_n.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/ryan5096/media/18759_102467186450004_100000601688328_63559_644566 8_n.jpg.html)

[ryry4]

In 2009, after the sudden passing of my dad I decided having a bucket list was a stupid idea and I informed my beautiful, loving wife that I was going to the NWT to hunt dalls. She gave me here blessing and I was fortunate enough to take this fine September ram.



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[ryry4]

At this point I was not even considering going for a slam, but sometimes things just fall into place. Paying retail for a desert and stone rams is enough to mortgage a new house. I was content with hunting bighorns in Alberta.

I started to apply in the US for desert sheep and to my amazement drew a desert sheep tag in Nevada on my second year applying. Two friends from Alberta joined me on this hunt and we were successful, taking this grand old warrior.



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[ryry4]

Sometimes things in life just seem to fall into place. I was able to work a deal on a hunt for stones that I could afford, and with the blessing of my wife I was headed north.

Day 5 and no legal rams spotted. Bug bitten and sun burned.



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[ryry4]

Day 9 of 10, pay dirt



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[ryry4]

Back to the cabin after a long and heavy hike out



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MMMMMMMM, yummy



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This was by far the hardest hunt I've ever done, and we were rewarded with a 12.5 year old ram, 38" on the long horn that greened out at 165".

[riflebuilder]

Great Ram and good story thanks

[srupp]

ABSOLUTLEY AWESOME CONGRADULATIONS.....Steven

[Abashai]

Fantastic! Thanks so much for the tale and great pictures!

[ryry4]

Fantastic! Thanks so much for the tale and great pictures!

No problem.

[r106]

Good luck on completing your slam. You'll have to post it on here once it's complete

[ryry4]

Good luck on completing your slam. You'll have to post it on here once it's complete

I will for sure.

[yama49]

Awesome ram, first glance can tell you, hes an old mature ram..

[Displaced Nova Scotian]

I need a bighorn to finish it off. I seem to be a bit snake bit with them. I should have two by now but stupidity and bad luck have won both times.

Thanks for the story and pictures, I am just starting this year to chase these guys and have full on sheep fever. You've added to it with great pictures! Bighorn ram to finish it off will be the icing on the cake:-D

[Rattler]

Awesome ram, congratulations! Are you going to lifesize him?

Thanks for sharing...

[ryry4]

Awesome ram, congratulations! Are you going to lifesize him?

Thanks for sharing...

Shoulder mount. There would have been mutiny on the mountain if I would have taken a life size cape. :-D

[alpinetreker]

Good luck with your hunt