Stone sheep success

[spear]

It started two years ago when I started weighing my current hunting gear and backpacking equip. Although I never made it north that year, I spent the weeks and months studying ageing rams, sheep hunting tactics, ultralight gear and stone habitat. Fast forward to last Oct, a very good piece of advice by a fellow HBCer led me to Kevin Willis at Riverjet Adventures. Let me say that I have not been encouraged or asked to say anything in regards to Kevin or his business. Im sure anyone who knows Kevin will confirm this but he is as honest and hardworking individual you can find in the outdoors. He's a genuine mountain man, a professional business man and just a dam good guy, and he's SHEEP BONKERS. Over a few months of brief phone conversations, a lot of sage advice from some veteran sheep/elk hunters I booked a ride up the Tuchodi for myself and my good friend Dallas. I'll keep this short as I can. Three days in it was Dallas day to shoot, we had flipped for it earlier in the hunt. We were chased down the mountain at mid day by a thunder/lightning storm, so at 4pm we were surprise to see a few rams skylined further south on the ridge. We were tired but mounted a charge back up top, by 7pm we had found a few banana rams feeding in a chute and noticed 4 good looing rams bedded up the top end. We crept back over the edge, closed the distance and crested the peak with the rams bedded down 40-50 yards away and 50 feet below us. After 45 min with the spotter fixed on the largest ram, I finally had confirmation he was over the bridge, despite counting him at 9.5 years old ( we are rookies and didn't feel great about shooting a ram on age alone) "shoot him Dallas"....silence. Dallas didn't have a clear shot with the ram quartering hard away he only had a small amount of neck available. Dallas told me if I could get a shot, take it. Let me say this, Dallas lives and hunts with an integrity second to none. I asked if he was sure and he had no hesitation,"shoot him". I settled my crosshair on the shoulder of the ram and touched one off. The ram never made it a yard, we quietly celebrated and then went to work with the sun setting at the top of the world. Many thanks to Dallas for helping me fill a "lifetime" tag. We already started making plans for next years hunt, good luck to everyone else chasing stones this year and in the future. http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/936cc38a-ca14-4760-aebb-7af18351ddf8_zpsf3ce41e0.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/936cc38a-ca14-4760-aebb-7af18351ddf8_zpsf3ce41e0.jpg.html) All smiles with my first stone, truly a team effort.http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/DSCN2016_zps486f3e69.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/DSCN2016_zps486f3e69.jpg.html)http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/cb6a73af-5f59-4761-9b2c-40d715824000_zps8894b188.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/cb6a73af-5f59-4761-9b2c-40d715824000_zps8894b188.jpg.html)Found a lot of these around too, plety of elk and moose sign and sheds but only two cow elk spotted the entire trip.http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/DSCN1959_zps0d888e37.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/DSCN1959_zps0d888e37.jpg.html)

[coach]

Awesome adventure. Congratulations and thanks for posting your story.

[kayjayess]

Congratulations on a great Stone's Sheep. A trophy you will forever remember. Great job to shoot such a beauty ram. Did you guys head out right after that or did Dallas get another chance for a ram?

[Buck]

Congrats I'm hopeing to accomplish the same soon.

[ram hunter]

Congrats on your hunt nice ram cheers all around.

[bcbooner]

Well done Guys ,nice to see all the hard work pay off.

[decker9]

Awesome stuff!! Still looking for my first ram, big congrats on yours!!

[Grousedaddy]

Nice Ram!!

[swampthing]

Taking a sheep is a great acomplishment for a hunter. Having a great partner is another great accomplishment. Looks like a great trip.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Congrats on a fine ram, Spear!!!

Sounds like you and Dallas have the makings for a great partnership for many years to come!

SSS

[Wild Images]

Well done, pretty ram !
Hooked for life ??

[ydouask]

Well done Team Spear/Dallas ! Your story has some most important information for Sheep hunters... when you finally find them, don't dally, even if it is the "end" of the day and you've already done a big climb. They may not be there tomorrow ! Congratulations !

[Bisonfirst]

Nice ram Spear! Good job!

[sheep.elk.moose fanatic]

Congrats on a fine ram!

[Blainer]

Great share!!

[325]

Great ram. Congratulations!! How far of a hike off the river was he?

[rem338win]

That is a freaking hole!
Great ram and great story guys. And you owe him the pass up on the next 360 elk you see. ;)

[Bobfl]

grteat job, congrats

[spear]

I definitely owe Dallas now, I can't pull the trigger on a ram until he does next year.
we worked pretty hard for another 4 days to get another ram but couldn't find agood one.

[proguide66]

Pretty exciting !!!! love the adrenaline of the first timers!! hard to guess , 37" ??

[huntcoop]

Well done, beauty!

[srupp]

extremely well done, and true sportsmanship...enjoyed the accounting...yes Mr Willis is all you said and more...good choice..great results.

cheers
Steven

[ncurrie]

That is way too cool! Congratulations!!

[835]

It sure takes dedication to get this picture!
Good on ya man!

http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/936cc38a-ca14-4760-aebb-7af18351ddf8_zpsf3ce41e0.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/936cc38a-ca14-4760-aebb-7af18351ddf8_zpsf3ce41e0.jpg.html)

[whitetailsheds]

Very nice...congrats and thanks for posting!

[markt308]

awesome photos and congrats on such a sweet hunt

[BlacktailStalker]

Sounds like you have a good hunting partnership, good deal and congrats to you both.

[pg83]

Thanks for the story and pics. Great job to both of you and looking forward to next years story.

[MacMtnHunter]

Congrats man that is so wicked. Would love to see some more pics of the trip. Haven't seen too many posts about successful sheep hunts this year... Good job!

[kennyj]

Very, very nice! Thats a beautiful ram. Way to get er done.
kenny

[Displaced Nova Scotian]

Incredible pictures and so nice for your friend to let you take the shot! Did you sneak him on the plane or are you getting it shipped down to the Island?

[ryanb]

Nicely done. A big thanks for sharing your success with us. It would be nice if more people were willing to share.

[IslandmanDan]

Awesome. I want one so bad....Good onya boys.
IMD

[Rackem]

Beautiful, congratulations! Thanks for sharing.

[358mag]

Great stuff nothing like walking up to your first stone's Sheep congrads Thanks for the story + pictures .

[islander7mm]

So stoked you guys were successful. Can't wait to see those horns in person.

[untilthelastbeat]

niiiiice buddy congrats on the stone ram! not gonna lie.. a little jealous right now!

[avadad]

Congratulations Spear! Sounds like an Epic hunt. That's quite the exit hole...Barnes TTSX by any chance?

[kennyg826]

Congrats on a beautiful animal and a great hunt!

[hunter1947]

Very nice stone sheep you got on your hunt the story was very nice to hear and pictures are great ,,congrats to you and thanks for sharing all..

[trigger]

Awesome ram. Congrats. Now that's a true friend right there.

[moose2]

Congratulations on your first ram they are a well earned trophy and you will re-live this hunt every time you look at on the wall. Good luck with the rest of your season.
Mike

[Darksith]

Right on boys, congrats and high fives. Looks like a lot of hard work, and the more I read/hear the more I think I am going to be contacting riverjet one year soon. Looks like amazing country, couldnt be happier for you guys. Thanks for sharing

[NovemberBravo]

Great job! Congratulations on a great ram:-D:-D. Me and my dad just got back from an elk hunt up the tuchodi. Sadly neither of us connected but it was great trip in some beautiful country and we are already planning for next year. We went up with Kevin too and I have to say he is a great guy and he knows the area and river really well.

[Fosey]

Thanks for sharing and congragulations. I am totally envious of every one going up North and take my hat off to all of you.

[Mik]

Congratulations. Thats true friendship. I have been on a few goat hunts with similar situations, and still hunt with the same partners to this day. Thanks for sharing the story. Would love to see more pics :)

[1980skywalker]

Good job Andy way to get er done, scratch that one of the bucket list!