MacMtnHunter
08-11-2013, 03:58 PM
August 1st - The opener! 530am sharp, downed some oatmeal and dawned the packs and made the trek back to the basin. On ariving there my dad spotted a couple ewes and lambs bedded on the ridge. We settled in behind a big rock directly across from where we had been seeing the rams. After about an hour we were starting to wonder if the rams would ever show up, then up higher on the ridge where the boys had been the day before appeared the three rams! After some qucik inspections we decided that the two bigger rams were legal and we should make a play on them. As the words were coming out of my mouth a CRANKER ram that we had yet to see appeared on the ridge and stirred things up a little bit sending rams in every direction! We quickly settle back in and resumed watching the rams. The larger of the three rams started to feed across the basin directly towards us... things started to heat up a little and as the ram approached 325yards I urged my father to move forward to a small rock outcrop with me and take the shot before the ram fed out of site down into the basin. We moved quickly to the rocks and got set up. With sheep everywhere around the ram and him constantly moving it was hard to get a good broadside shot. I could hear heavy breathing next to me and I looked over and my father was shaking pretty good. "Dad! Pull your sh*t together and get focussed on the shot, the ram is going to feed to within 300 yards of us and we aren't getting any closer!" After getting my dad a little better set up I ranged the ram and 298yards, the ram turned broadside and he took the shot. The first shot was bad, too far back to put him down for good and the ram took off down into the basin. We hightailed it to the last sighting of the ram and quickly located him on the hill about 200 yards across from us. One fast shot and the ram was down for good!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/521926_10153100687795445_1558413471_n.jpg
We collected the rest of the crew and made our way over to the ram.... what a stunning experience walking up on such a beautiful animal! After a few hugs and many pictures the caping and processing began. In all the may-lay of the shot and rams moving everywhere on the ridge my wife and friend had got a better look at the CRANKER ram! Wide and twisty were a couple words I heard when they were describing it to me. Knowing that there were two more legal rams still on the mountain everyone was urging me to get my stuff and head up the ridge to pursue the other rams! After much hesitation knowing that I would have to leave the old guys to do the heavy packing they persuaded me to go for it.
My wife and I grabbed our stuff and quickly make our way back up the hill and onto the ridge. We were tired already and it took some motivation to make our way another 1km plus up to the top and back down to where the rams had gone out of sight. Once we crested the top on the mountain we learned that there were not just 1 ridge but 3 larger ones with a bunch of smaller rock piles all inter-twined. We dropped our packs and made a best guess as to where the sheep might be bedded and started down the mountain to try and get a better look. After about an hour and a half of stalking all over the mountain looking over bluffs and down cliffs we were just about to give up. We slid over a small rock knife ridge and I just happened to look back downhill and noticed the back of a set of horns! We were right on top of the rams and had just crossed above them, luckily not spooking them! We had a quick look and I set out on my own from there.
The rams were just over 100 yards away from us and there was a nice depression and a small rock pile separating us about 25 yards uphill from the rams. After a painstaking stalk I peared over the rocks to see only 2 rams... the small half curl and the smallest of the legal rams. After a quick inspection through my binos I decided that I should take this ram knowing that I might not get another chance at a ram on the trip. I slowly slicked the safety off on my rifle, rose up just above the rocks to see the rams stand and turn to look at me. I steadied and took the shot... the ram did not even move! What the hell! How could I miss at 25yards? I jacked another shell in a and rose up a bit more, at this point the rams turned to run over a cliff and I shot again. This time I was sure I hit him but still could not tell.
I watched the rams run down the cliff and out onto the shale and then across a flat and stop. At this point I was freaking out! I could see no sign of a hit and decided that I needed to get a finishing shot into the ram. I ran down the shale and got set up on a rock that was 300yards of the rams. Typically this wold be an easy shot with a little compensation for angle but the wind was blowing so hard that I hesitated and decided not to shoot. At that point my wife came running down and said "you drilled him, he's dead"! Still looking at the standing sheep I could not see any sign of a hit. I guess with the wind blowing so hard I couldn't hear the hit or see anything when they took off, but my wife saw the hit and definite blood running down his legs as he ran across the shale.
Watching the rams for a few more minutes it was clear that he was sick and expiring fast. Once the ram put his head down it was clear he was done for good and we made our way down to him. How amazing, just 5 hours after the first shot on my fathers ram I had a ram dow! After all the planning and preparation I was in shock that we had accomplished what we had set out to do! I could not believe it! The bad part, we had to hike right back to the top of the mountain to retrieve our packs before we could even get going on our sheep! Luckily my wife had her camera and we snapped a few photos of the ram and had a few hugs and highfives. At tha point from across the basin the boys had just finished up caching the meat and threw a spotter on us. RAM DOWN! they shouted and highfived!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/971786_10153100592185445_545461038_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/556725_10153100688550445_1209896991_n.jpg
Coming down the mountain with or bags the boys got to the ram just before us and were sitting there in disbelief! After many photos again we began with the work. After all that we made it back to the top of the basin and cached the meat and it was 1100pm. We decided that instead of heading back to camp we would stay the night on the mountain in a shelter between two boulder. Luckily some geologists had left some firewood up on the mountain a couple years prior for us which made the cool night a little better.
Dawning heavy packs first think in the morning we made out way back to camp where we made a few quick calls to mom, friends and the pilot to come pick us up the next day. We now had our work cut out for us. We loaded all but what we would need in camp for the night up in our bags and set out for the lake. After a few wrong turns, falls and twisted knees we made it to the lake to cache our gear. Then we started the daunting task of climbing back up into the basin. With lighter packs and a gps track we made it up in record time! After all that work we were bagged, had a few hot chocolates and hit the sacks! The next morning (August 3rd - which seemed like a continuation of the last day and a half) we loaded our light packs and headed for the beach. After a quicker trip down we got our stuff together there and waited for the plane.
Enjoying a couple cold beers we had stashed in the creek before we headed up we recounted the story... what a great time that I will bever forget. Even though I didn't get the biggest ram on the mountain I couldn't be happier with the sheep that I got. WHAT A TROPHY! I am so pleased that I got to go hunting let alone sheep hunting one more year with my dad and he got a dandy ram of his own to boot! To all you sheep hunters and aspiring sheep hunters out there... Keep it up! Even if you have yet to bag a ram keep up the pursuit! It is a great expereince to put your hands on a set of sheet horns and trips like this make memories that you can never forget! Thanks to all who enjoy the story and my pictures! Hope to see some stories from you guys maybe this year or in years to come to keep fueling my fire for sheep hunting!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/73543_10153100689305445_825748727_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/20181_10153100594285445_2021513208_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/521926_10153100687795445_1558413471_n.jpg
We collected the rest of the crew and made our way over to the ram.... what a stunning experience walking up on such a beautiful animal! After a few hugs and many pictures the caping and processing began. In all the may-lay of the shot and rams moving everywhere on the ridge my wife and friend had got a better look at the CRANKER ram! Wide and twisty were a couple words I heard when they were describing it to me. Knowing that there were two more legal rams still on the mountain everyone was urging me to get my stuff and head up the ridge to pursue the other rams! After much hesitation knowing that I would have to leave the old guys to do the heavy packing they persuaded me to go for it.
My wife and I grabbed our stuff and quickly make our way back up the hill and onto the ridge. We were tired already and it took some motivation to make our way another 1km plus up to the top and back down to where the rams had gone out of sight. Once we crested the top on the mountain we learned that there were not just 1 ridge but 3 larger ones with a bunch of smaller rock piles all inter-twined. We dropped our packs and made a best guess as to where the sheep might be bedded and started down the mountain to try and get a better look. After about an hour and a half of stalking all over the mountain looking over bluffs and down cliffs we were just about to give up. We slid over a small rock knife ridge and I just happened to look back downhill and noticed the back of a set of horns! We were right on top of the rams and had just crossed above them, luckily not spooking them! We had a quick look and I set out on my own from there.
The rams were just over 100 yards away from us and there was a nice depression and a small rock pile separating us about 25 yards uphill from the rams. After a painstaking stalk I peared over the rocks to see only 2 rams... the small half curl and the smallest of the legal rams. After a quick inspection through my binos I decided that I should take this ram knowing that I might not get another chance at a ram on the trip. I slowly slicked the safety off on my rifle, rose up just above the rocks to see the rams stand and turn to look at me. I steadied and took the shot... the ram did not even move! What the hell! How could I miss at 25yards? I jacked another shell in a and rose up a bit more, at this point the rams turned to run over a cliff and I shot again. This time I was sure I hit him but still could not tell.
I watched the rams run down the cliff and out onto the shale and then across a flat and stop. At this point I was freaking out! I could see no sign of a hit and decided that I needed to get a finishing shot into the ram. I ran down the shale and got set up on a rock that was 300yards of the rams. Typically this wold be an easy shot with a little compensation for angle but the wind was blowing so hard that I hesitated and decided not to shoot. At that point my wife came running down and said "you drilled him, he's dead"! Still looking at the standing sheep I could not see any sign of a hit. I guess with the wind blowing so hard I couldn't hear the hit or see anything when they took off, but my wife saw the hit and definite blood running down his legs as he ran across the shale.
Watching the rams for a few more minutes it was clear that he was sick and expiring fast. Once the ram put his head down it was clear he was done for good and we made our way down to him. How amazing, just 5 hours after the first shot on my fathers ram I had a ram dow! After all the planning and preparation I was in shock that we had accomplished what we had set out to do! I could not believe it! The bad part, we had to hike right back to the top of the mountain to retrieve our packs before we could even get going on our sheep! Luckily my wife had her camera and we snapped a few photos of the ram and had a few hugs and highfives. At tha point from across the basin the boys had just finished up caching the meat and threw a spotter on us. RAM DOWN! they shouted and highfived!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/971786_10153100592185445_545461038_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/556725_10153100688550445_1209896991_n.jpg
Coming down the mountain with or bags the boys got to the ram just before us and were sitting there in disbelief! After many photos again we began with the work. After all that we made it back to the top of the basin and cached the meat and it was 1100pm. We decided that instead of heading back to camp we would stay the night on the mountain in a shelter between two boulder. Luckily some geologists had left some firewood up on the mountain a couple years prior for us which made the cool night a little better.
Dawning heavy packs first think in the morning we made out way back to camp where we made a few quick calls to mom, friends and the pilot to come pick us up the next day. We now had our work cut out for us. We loaded all but what we would need in camp for the night up in our bags and set out for the lake. After a few wrong turns, falls and twisted knees we made it to the lake to cache our gear. Then we started the daunting task of climbing back up into the basin. With lighter packs and a gps track we made it up in record time! After all that work we were bagged, had a few hot chocolates and hit the sacks! The next morning (August 3rd - which seemed like a continuation of the last day and a half) we loaded our light packs and headed for the beach. After a quicker trip down we got our stuff together there and waited for the plane.
Enjoying a couple cold beers we had stashed in the creek before we headed up we recounted the story... what a great time that I will bever forget. Even though I didn't get the biggest ram on the mountain I couldn't be happier with the sheep that I got. WHAT A TROPHY! I am so pleased that I got to go hunting let alone sheep hunting one more year with my dad and he got a dandy ram of his own to boot! To all you sheep hunters and aspiring sheep hunters out there... Keep it up! Even if you have yet to bag a ram keep up the pursuit! It is a great expereince to put your hands on a set of sheet horns and trips like this make memories that you can never forget! Thanks to all who enjoy the story and my pictures! Hope to see some stories from you guys maybe this year or in years to come to keep fueling my fire for sheep hunting!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/73543_10153100689305445_825748727_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/20181_10153100594285445_2021513208_n.jpg