Cool hunting pic
Wild Sheep
Definitely the coolest picture ever taken of me hunting.
Desert bighorn sheep in Nevada. No filters were special effects whatsoever. What makes the picture even better is it was taken by two other hunters a mile away. It was opening day and I was there very early. These guys came over the ridge and saw my truck and backed off and did not go after my target ram even though they also spotted it the day before. Very few hunters would’ve done this.
This picture was taken a few seconds before I Took a shot at a different Ram below me. I I knew there were quite a few sheep around but I had no idea any were this close.
That really cool Don. You should frame that.
How's the hunt going?
Yes please keep us posted! Awesome pic!
Awesome pic Don! Good luck on your hunt!
Cool photo, for sure!
Better yet would be a story with photos of the hunt!
Looks like you are on top of the world in that photo. Great timing to get a pic like that.
Great to hear there are still some super sportsmen out there, sort of expect that from a sheep hunter though ! Apparently they must have connected with you later in order to get this photo to you. Certainly a photo that will be as cherished as any trophy animal you may ever take. I have been applying for a Desert Bighorn tag in Nevada for 7 years now and hope to draw one before I am too old to hunt them.
Only about 500 people in the world each year get to hunt desert bighorn sheep. Despite my name being entered into the draw in Nevada 65 times my eyes were only 2212 to 1 to get a permit. I did.
I came out a week early to scout for the biggest ram I could find. Two mornings I woke up and the bottom half of my sleeping bag was frozen.
2days before opening day I found him.
opening day and last night we couldn’t find him.
I got a lot of help from a great guy who came down for 4 days to help me out. He estimated this ram at 155. He was the biggest ram we found and the largest ram taken in the last 3 years was 158.
Sorry for the delay but my girlfriend laid down the law and insisted I be home in Ohio for Thanksgiving. I guess she didn’t understand how rare a dessert sheep tag is!
Never had one, but i bet a dessert sheep is some dang sweet eating....;^)
Great pictures keep it coming when you can,
Not that it is my business, but perhaps this "girlfriend" should be "ex-girlfriend".
Yikes red eye home. Helping a guy cow elk hunt in WY in 2 weeks. Not going to make it back to nv.
10 minutes after sunrise after looking over 20 or 30 sheep and not seeing him I spotted a big ram coming interview 300 yards below me
I was pretty sure it was him and after five minutes of looking at him through the spotting scope and five minutes of waiting for the perfect shot and changing positions once I squeeze the trigger as calm as I could
I must that I had a lot of help from a great guy who came down for four days out of the kindness of his heart to help me out with the hunt. Without him I would not have been able to judge the difference between a lot of the Rams I was seeing.
Very awesome Photo for sure!
Anywho...I don't care what you shot it with, I just want to see a dead ram pic!
With ya Brotsky. Would really love to see a dead desert ram with a bow, tho...
It's all good. Xbow hunters are the latest misunderstood human subset. In fact, they've just been accepted into a much larger protective coalition. It will now be known as LGBTX. Don't you dare make a disparaging remark about xbows. You'll rue the day!
Brotsky asked:
"Anywho...I don't care what you shot it with, I just want to see a dead ram pic! "The OP typed on 11/22:
"Yikes red eye home. Helping a guy cow elk hunt in WY in 2 weeks. Not going to make it back to nv."I'm very curious too, but that post makes it sound like the OP is done and didn't get a ram.
I believe the Nevada season dates in most units are 11/20 thru 12/20 with a few variations with some late and early hunts in some units. But I never heard what unit he drew.
Hell, I would tell the guy in WY to get and take care of his own cow and get my butt back down there and get a ram! With my longbow!
If I had a cow elk tag with the time off and my buddy had a once-in-a -lifetime desert sheep tag, you can bet your boots you know where I would be with my optics and hunting gear!
Desert sheep tags are few and far between. Not sure that I would come off the mountain for a girlfriend, wife, job, or much else besides a significant medical emergency (mine) or maybe a very close relative's funeral.
Sorry but cow elk tags are dirt cheap, fairly easy hunts, and you can get a whole pile of them in multiple states every year if you want...
Treeline +1....if I had a sheep tag the only ways I'd come off the mountain is with a sheep, dead, or at the end of the last day! Everything else be damned!
Am I missing something here? Who leaves a Desert Bighorn hunt to help a buddy with a cow elk hunt? We need some answers...:)
Not sure where this thread got derailed. I live in Nevada, had some spare time, and went to help Don out on his sheep hunt. He killed a really nice ram for the unit on the first morning. We located and watched that ram for a couple days before the season opened. There was never any false pretense about killing it with anything but a rifle. There have been many sheep pictures and stories about rifle hunts on this site including guys who proclaimed they would shoot one with their bow and ended shooting one the first day with a rifle. A desert bighorn hunt is a rare treat. A person's choice of weapon should not be an issue.
I don't know where the problem with the guy above started but would suggest that it be buried or at least dealt with somewhere besides Bowsite.
BTW, I am not a guide but have been on many sheep hunts. My purpose in going was to have the opportunity to go on another sheep hunt and to help a fellow Bowsiter, nothing more.
Awesome...Congrats...Let's see some pics then!
What cartridge is a good sheep getter, Don?
All this time I thought Don's last name was Vathome. LOL
Agreed with respect to the feud, NVGoat.
We all need to stick together as hunters (rifle, bow, crossbow, spear, knife, rock, etc). Perhaps some of the feuding should be taken off the public forums.
This site is open to anyone with a focus on archery.
I do enjoy good hunting stories and there have been many rifle stories here on the Bowsite over the years.
I really love to read about tough bowhunts, though! Have had 4 sheep tags over the years and managed to kill one with my bow. Taking a sheep with a bow is definitely tough. Always little nuggets of knowledge in the archery stories that can make or break the next tough bowhunt that someone goes on be it sheep, elk, deer or any other critter we chase.
Perhaps an up-front notice that this would be a rifle sheep hunt story would have helped?
Don, congratulations on your ram!
I have no problem with whatever weapon used. That is a cool picture!!
Did not someone recently shoot a moose with a firearm on a quick hunt? Many accolades were sent his way. I don't see the difference here. Congrats, especially on an accomplishment most of us will never do, or even be able to do. Just move on and let it go.
Good on you nvgoat!
I too help out year in--year out on Rocky Ram hunts here in my home state over by Flaming Gorge Lake.
There is something very satisfying about helping others out.
Good luck, Robb
Gd on U Robb - - Tht's always a grt thing to do - - helping others whn needed! Those R Ram hunts are hard enuf without the help, especially by FGL. Think about your R R hunt in 03' with the bow, that was a tuff deal.
Nice work!
I have a similar issue with a guy on another forum. Leaving is just what the cyber-bullies want.
Like DonV, I am amazed at how many support them. If you defend yourself or push back, many see you as the problem. I have come to the realization that, if it’s not happening to them, most really don’t care. I don’t know the players or the details with this particular situation. I do see Robb basically trolling DonV for no real purpose on this and other threads - which tells me enough. Other people post rifle sheep on here fairly regularly. I have done it myself. No one gives them grief about it. Anyone without an agenda would never crap on another man’s hunt - especially one as special as a desert sheep hunt.
It amazes me how otherwise credible people can tell multiple lies about someone on internet forums, and the majority of people will believe the lies.
Karma, sooner or later that behavior catches up to you. Conduct yourself in a way you will not have to defend at the Gates, and the rest will work itself out.
Both of you have shared hunts I will never take. Hope both of you continue to do so.
Don, Please Post the Pics!
Beautiful ram. Congratulations!
Congrats on your ram Don! Beautiful animal!
That's awesome. What a great critter. Congrats!
Congratulations on your Ram Don! Thanks for sharing the pics! Good on you nvgoat for helping out! Way cool!
There we go! Great ram, great hunt. Congrats...
Great ram, and I don't care if it was shot with a rifle, but the thread turned into a personal pissing contest. This kind of stuff has no business on here in my opinion. What could have been a great story and pics turned into about the worst thread I've ever read on here. Please keep your personal feuds to yourselves!
Congratulations! Great looking ram, Don.
I like sheep threads don't care about the weapon used or the BS. Congrats! Nice ram! Sandbrew
Having the opportunity to hunt and harvest a Desert is a dream come true...any method. Enjoy the memories and the ram! Congrats!
Great job Don!
That is such a pipe dream of a hunt for so many of us.
Again congrats
Have you cooked any of the backstraps or tenderloins yet? If you need help, I can be there in 2-3 hours......as long as there is a medallion or two for me!!
They are an incredible animal. Congratulations Don.
Like smarba I would like to know if this was ever intended to be a bowhunt. If not, then maybe state it up front. If the ram was shot on the first morning of a 30 day season then my guess is that it never was a bowhunt.
The terrain in the background of the photo would be challenging with a bow for sure. That is a beautiful ram.
Not a bad Ram at all.
congrats
Congratulations on your great looking ram. Also, thank you very much for loaning me your Wyoming Chip very gracious of you. It came in very handy.
Congrats on a decent ram Don! Pretty special to draw a NV tag and bring one home!
I still have very vivid and fond memories of drawing a Desert Bighorn tag in NV and my bowhunt way back in '91!
