Desert bighorn Sheep hunt in unit 10 California
- Thread starter baboltin
- Start date
Hey I’m the one that made the original post and I think I did share the pictures and maybe the details of the hunt if I didn’t I should have but I’m pretty sure it’s on a different post. Did you draw unit 10? Newberry/Ord/Rodman ?
We showed up the day before the season it started pouring rain while we were driving to our camp location, luckily it stopped raining as we got there to set up our camp, the storm pushed the rams off the top of the mountains that night. Opening morning came fast with tons of excitement but we all knew this was going to be a tough hunt with a 82 year old man as a tag holder that suffered a stroke a couple years before and had a difficult time hiking. The evening before opener we got a game plan according to our scouting tactics and knowledge. We decided that we would split up and locate rams that may have got pushed around due to the storm. Opening morning first light I spotted two ewes and a small ram (sub legal) at the location I went and glassed, the hunter and his son drove a canyon that connected from the ord mountain range and the newberry mountain range. They didn’t come across anything, the other individual that was helping during the hunt checked the backside of the mountain that I was glassing and found a very respectable ram but that ram was by himself and didn’t stick around long, we believe this ram ended up getting shot by another hunter a day after we were able to get our hunter a ram. Then I was able to spot 4 rams together with one that really stuck out from the rest so I called the Hunter over to make a game plan and that’s what we did we got him into about 500 yards of the ram but the rams feed away faster then we could move him into position and we couldn’t get him a good enough rest and he didn’t feel comfortable to shoot at that distance.
After the stock on this band of rams it was almost the end of the day and the hunter was tired from the stock and needed to relax and get his energy for the next day.
Picture Day one glassing the whole mountain side while The storm was cleaning
.
After the stock on this band of rams it was almost the end of the day and the hunter was tired from the stock and needed to relax and get his energy for the next day.
Picture Day one glassing the whole mountain side while The storm was cleaning
.
Last edited by a moderator:
Day 2
We went ahead and made the choice to stay together and that we were going to check the area out of that single ram that was spotted the day before. After glassing that area and trying to find the ram we weren’t able to find any rams in that location, then a storm blew in and fogged out the mountain, so we were weathered out and decided to go back to camp and enjoy the rest of the day and plan for the next day.
.
We went ahead and made the choice to stay together and that we were going to check the area out of that single ram that was spotted the day before. After glassing that area and trying to find the ram we weren’t able to find any rams in that location, then a storm blew in and fogged out the mountain, so we were weathered out and decided to go back to camp and enjoy the rest of the day and plan for the next day.
.
Last edited by a moderator:
Day 3
We had a game plan of hunting the area that the band of 4 rams were spotted on opener but then a guiding outfit was hunting the same area with 19 guides and we didn’t want to have to compete or deal with that so we decided to stay away from that mess which sucked because they killed the ram we are almost certain was the ram that was spotted on opener that we tried to put a stock on since they killed it with three other rams and only a 1/4 mile from where we put a stock on the rams on opener. That ram ended up going low 170s ram and was a beautiful ram. Much the less we made the best out of a crummy situation and were able to find a beautiful book ram and so the stock and plan was on . We made a game plan and was able to find a old mining road, to close the distance once we got up to that we started the stock while having some one stay back and keep an eye on the ram, the unfortunate part was the 82 year old hunter could only move about 100 yards every hour and half and would loose his energy extremely fast. He closed the distance about 300 yards, over hours of hiking and moving forward just to get so exhausted to have to turn around and stop the stock, we got him back to the side by side and he had to rest the rest of the day.
.
We had a game plan of hunting the area that the band of 4 rams were spotted on opener but then a guiding outfit was hunting the same area with 19 guides and we didn’t want to have to compete or deal with that so we decided to stay away from that mess which sucked because they killed the ram we are almost certain was the ram that was spotted on opener that we tried to put a stock on since they killed it with three other rams and only a 1/4 mile from where we put a stock on the rams on opener. That ram ended up going low 170s ram and was a beautiful ram. Much the less we made the best out of a crummy situation and were able to find a beautiful book ram and so the stock and plan was on . We made a game plan and was able to find a old mining road, to close the distance once we got up to that we started the stock while having some one stay back and keep an eye on the ram, the unfortunate part was the 82 year old hunter could only move about 100 yards every hour and half and would loose his energy extremely fast. He closed the distance about 300 yards, over hours of hiking and moving forward just to get so exhausted to have to turn around and stop the stock, we got him back to the side by side and he had to rest the rest of the day.
.
Last edited by a moderator:
Day 4
We went back in to where we wanted to go the day before which was against my wishes since I knew the area would be blown out after 19 guys ran all over it. We did how so ever spot a ram that walked over a ridge and was never seen we never even got a great view to see if it was a legal ram or not. The area the ram was we couldn’t get the hunter into it anyway, so we decided to go glass a different area and spotted another ram at the very top of a peak which was another ram we weren’t able to get the hunter on to. We then went ahead and moved back over to where we put the stock on the ram the day before and crazy enough as we were glassing a ram walked over a saddle seen us stood there and then turned and went back over the Hunter wasn’t fast enough and couldn’t get set up and this ram wasn’t sure what we were but was gone. Then that set us up for a game plan the next morning.
We went back in to where we wanted to go the day before which was against my wishes since I knew the area would be blown out after 19 guys ran all over it. We did how so ever spot a ram that walked over a ridge and was never seen we never even got a great view to see if it was a legal ram or not. The area the ram was we couldn’t get the hunter into it anyway, so we decided to go glass a different area and spotted another ram at the very top of a peak which was another ram we weren’t able to get the hunter on to. We then went ahead and moved back over to where we put the stock on the ram the day before and crazy enough as we were glassing a ram walked over a saddle seen us stood there and then turned and went back over the Hunter wasn’t fast enough and couldn’t get set up and this ram wasn’t sure what we were but was gone. Then that set us up for a game plan the next morning.
Day 5
So the next morning we knew what the plan was get there super early get to where that ram wanted to cross and be set up Ready and waiting since the hunter took too long to get set up and sheep don’t play games. So that’s exactly what we did and the ram did exactly what we thought peaked out from around a rock and seen us but unfortunately where we had the hunter was a little too far forward and with him set up and needing a chair to shoot from, he couldn’t see the ram that we could... that ram got tired of dealing with us and seeing us and took off and left. At that moment we were all down and starting to wonder if we were going to be able to make this dream happen for an 82 year old man.
With us all at an All time low we went back to camp to make a sandwich and a new game plan. So we knew of some more mining roads that hadn’t got any hunting pressure yet from our scouting and would put our hunter nearly to the peak of the mountains.The rule that was agreed upon the night before was no matter where or when we stop or however long we are glassing the Hunter gets out and has the help from his son and gets ready in case a ram steps out of no where like what happened the day before.
So we all decided to head that way and so we would ride to a point and glass and so we did that a couple times and then at one point we stopped and glassed and glassed a couple more times and then when we were getting ready to leave and I was discussing with the other individual that was helping what we should we do now, a ram stood up from behind a rock. I could see in his eyes he seen something so I turned around seen the ram confirmed it was legal as he was running side hill on the mountain the hunter was already ready to go, all he had to do was find the ram in the scope and that’s what he did. Then he shot and I seen blood and knew he was hit and then the ram went into a rock cut and I was thinking man I hope this ram is dead because if it takes off we are screwed since the hunter won’t be able to chase him. So we could see the ram but I wanted to give it 15-20 minutes and have him stay on the rifle.
During that time we got ready to go retrieve the ram for him and pictures. We got there to the ram and knew that the old man did his job once he got behind the rifle and placed a perfect shot. The ram went down hill maybe 20 feet before dying. After we got the ram to him and celebrated as well as pictures we went back to camp and enjoyed the night.
So the next morning we knew what the plan was get there super early get to where that ram wanted to cross and be set up Ready and waiting since the hunter took too long to get set up and sheep don’t play games. So that’s exactly what we did and the ram did exactly what we thought peaked out from around a rock and seen us but unfortunately where we had the hunter was a little too far forward and with him set up and needing a chair to shoot from, he couldn’t see the ram that we could... that ram got tired of dealing with us and seeing us and took off and left. At that moment we were all down and starting to wonder if we were going to be able to make this dream happen for an 82 year old man.
With us all at an All time low we went back to camp to make a sandwich and a new game plan. So we knew of some more mining roads that hadn’t got any hunting pressure yet from our scouting and would put our hunter nearly to the peak of the mountains.The rule that was agreed upon the night before was no matter where or when we stop or however long we are glassing the Hunter gets out and has the help from his son and gets ready in case a ram steps out of no where like what happened the day before.
So we all decided to head that way and so we would ride to a point and glass and so we did that a couple times and then at one point we stopped and glassed and glassed a couple more times and then when we were getting ready to leave and I was discussing with the other individual that was helping what we should we do now, a ram stood up from behind a rock. I could see in his eyes he seen something so I turned around seen the ram confirmed it was legal as he was running side hill on the mountain the hunter was already ready to go, all he had to do was find the ram in the scope and that’s what he did. Then he shot and I seen blood and knew he was hit and then the ram went into a rock cut and I was thinking man I hope this ram is dead because if it takes off we are screwed since the hunter won’t be able to chase him. So we could see the ram but I wanted to give it 15-20 minutes and have him stay on the rifle.
During that time we got ready to go retrieve the ram for him and pictures. We got there to the ram and knew that the old man did his job once he got behind the rifle and placed a perfect shot. The ram went down hill maybe 20 feet before dying. After we got the ram to him and celebrated as well as pictures we went back to camp and enjoyed the night.
The ram 13 1/2 year old ram single horn / broken horn old warrior. Great ram to take out of the herd and a proud happy hunter!
.
.
Attachments
Last edited by a moderator:
Pictures from that night !
The next day was bitter sweet for it to be over and be heading home but it’s what we went there to do!
.
The next day was bitter sweet for it to be over and be heading home but it’s what we went there to do!
.
Last edited by a moderator:
