Archery Desert Bighorn
Wild Sheep
This year I was lucky in the NV draw and drew a Desert Sheep tag. With a successful archery Stone's Sheep under my belt in August I was hopeful to make it 2 for 2.
We left Reno and arrived at the hunt unit after a 4 hour drive and headed for the mountain. After glassing for a short period I found a shooter sheep and the first stalk was on. I was able to stay out of view by using a deep gully and closed the distance from more than a mile to a few hundred yards before I ran out of cover. Although the sheep saw me it didn't seem too concerned but I figured as soon as I went out of sight it would spook. After walking a few feet out of its sight I stopped for a few minutes and then went back to check. As suspected the sheep had spooked. We decided to check out another area but when I started my truck it was obvious at least one of the batteries was causing problems. It smelled of sulfuric acid and was pretty warm so we called it a day and headed into town.
We got lucky and found a parts store with the correct battery and with the truck fixed we headed back to a new spot on day 2. After glassing for a couple hours we'd only turned up 1 small ram we moved up the long wash to better see into the canyons that came off the long sidehill. After glassing for a short period of time I spotted 7 sheep at a spring. The were pretty nervous but after 30 minutes most had drank and they moved away and started milling around so I decided to try a stalk. I'd only covered about 1/4 of the two miles before the sheep moved up the mountain and into a bad spot for a stalk so I headed back to my dad at our glassing spot.
A short while later 3 more sheep came into water and they were also really nervous, so much so they never watered. I'd seen enough so I strapped my Double Bull to my pack, my dad grabbed a blind chair and we headed up to the spring. Upon arriving I found the reason the sheep we so spooky; a lion killed ram lamb. I was wishing I'd bought a lion tag but needed to focus on sheep. I set up the blind while my 77 year old dad headed back to the truck. A short 30 minutes later a decent ram approached the spring and although he spooked from swirling winds he didn't seem bothered at all by the just set blind. 90 minutes later 3 more rams approached the spring. Three hung up 100 yards out while a nice high 150's ram hung up a 65 yards. He stood there for 30 minutes looking things over and trying to make sure the cat wasn't around. Although he looked at the blind he wasn't bothered by it and after a while he moved within 50 yards and bedded. Shortly after he laid down one of the other three rams moved right to the tank and got a good long drink. He was a small 6 year old but he convinced the bigger ram that the spring was safe. The bigger ram came to drink and stood broadside at 35 yards but there was a bigger ram that might break 160 behind him. That ram also came in and drank followed by a ram lamb. I had two nice rams at under 40 yards the second day of a sheep hunt and was thinking how freaking cool it was to be this close to these magnificent animals!
Fortunately for these sheep they just weren't what I was looking for so I let them pass. Yes, I had a 160 class DBHS broadside at 35 yards and didn't shoot. Seriously, this really happened... I was freaking covered up by Desert Bighorns and figured it was just a matter of time before the hunt would come to an end. I wish my dad had decided to to stay at the blind but he doesn't like walking with a head lamp so he opted to head back to the truck.
Maybe 30 minutes after the rams left I heard animals walking on the huge boulders right behind the blind. They seemed to spook and I heard a sheep's alarm "wheeze/bark" for the first time in over 50 days of sheep hunting for myself and others. I thought the jig was up but after a while I heard the sheep again. I peeked out a side window and saw a ewe on a big house size boulder 30 yards out. She stood there for 30 minutes looking things over then moved off. A short while later I again heard sheep approaching. There were two ewes and a real nice ram. The sheep alternately approached the water and I decided to try to end the hunt. I was able to come to full draw multiple times but before I'd get the shot off the target sheep would either move for other sheep would move behind the one I wanted to shoot.
After several false starts I finally had the shot I was looking for at a mostly calm, drinking, broadside Desert Sheep right at 40 yards. I drew, settled my 40 yard pin tight to the sheep's shoulder and started my back tension. A short while later I was truly surprised when the release went off and the arrow was on its way toward a beautiful Desert Sheep! The shot felt good and unlike the Stone Ram I shot at in August this arrow seemed to go toward the sheep at hyper speed.
Great job tilzbow! We need photos ;) Dave
Keep it coming and please- lots and lots of pics!!!!
Here we go again!!! Holy cats what a year!!!
Mark
Ok let's see some pix and what happened
I assume this is a ewe tag you have?
Wow, congratulations on a great accomplishment. Can't wait for picture and much more detail.
Immediately I heard bone smash and the sheep took off with my arrow hanging out of its crease. It only went 50 yards before piling up and my special 2014 sheep hunts were over! Upon further inspection I'd penetrated through the shoulder on my side, broke the shoulder on the off side and the arrow broke off on the off side. I was so pumped up I had to walk around and calm down before getting out the knife and going to work. I couldn't get a cell signal and my radio's battery was dead so I had no way to tell my dad the good news.
This was the same unit he'd hunted DBHS in back in the late 70's and the same general area he and I had unusuccesfully hunted during his hunt. I was only 15 at the time and he was younger than I am now.
I finally got to work, caped the trophy out, loaded the broken down sheep in my pack and went back to get the blind and the heavy Hunt More chair. It was now 2 hours past dark but I was able to carry everything back to the truck and was very happy to see my dad had driven the truck about half way up the rough road so I'd only have to pack all this stuff about a mile in the dark. We were back in town and had it all on ice by 10:00.
This will have me checking in extra today!
Congratulation Tilz. Way to go. What an awesome event. Great control, holding out for the ram you wanted. Patience and resolve, two great qualities you possess.
Looking forward to seeing the photos.
Oops, foolish me! NV has a few units with way too sheep so they decided to open up some ewe hunts. The biologist I talked to told me there are over 400 ewes on the mountain we were hunting and then35 tags they gave out wouldn't make much of dent. Most ranges in NV that can take sheep have them and other range would create conflict with domestic sheep. He said due to hard work of the Dept., of Wildlife and guys like Kyle, WSF, NBU and the Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn the ranchers have been working with them to reduce conflict so they didn't want to transplant sheep to an area that may create conflict.in addition they've found sheep in this unit with a form of pneumonia but for some reason it hasn't cuased a die off. Regardless he and others felt population reduction via controlled harvest is the best option at this time. Compared to 35 years ago the population in this area is incredible and they've also handed out 15 ram tags over two seasons.
How in the world do 2 readers get the impression this was a ewe tag?!
Congrats Tilz, can't wait to see photos.
Did you take any live photos of the sheep that watered prior to the one you shot?
Carl
Congrats "ewe" did it again!
"How in the world do 2 readers get the impression this was a ewe tag?!"
Lots of hints in his posts.
Congrats again, Tilzbow! Looks like a blast.
Amazing! I bet this has you itching for a ram tag now.
Cleverly written...lol.
Congratulations on your Desert Bighorn Sheep.
Scott, A huge congrats on your second sheep of 2014! Crazy to "have to pass" a 160 DBH ram at 35 yards! Restraint! Wow!
Very nicely done!
Mark
One of the three finest wild game meals that I ever ate, was the backstraps from MadTrapper's Desert Bighorn ram. You are in for a real treat!!!
Congrats! Sweet write up and sweeter trophy! Mike
Congrats and good write up!
"yes, I had a 160 class DBHS broadside at 35 yards and didn't shoot."
That would mean he passed up a near B&C ram........ I may be dumb, but I'm not a dumb-ass. Nobody does that.
Ah yes, Tilz tricked ME LOL.
Congrats!
No live photos of other sheep?
Carl
You had me going. Congrats!
Guys,
It all happened so fast I didn't even think to dig the camera out until after the big rams came in. Wish I wouldve gotten some pics....
The tenderloins are going to be tasty tonight!
Scott
Kyle,
I got the glasses warmed up and the scoring skills refreshed. Time to kill a ram with you!
Congrats again. Great writing and a great year
Scott,
Sorry for the delayed reply. I was in a WSF board meeting all day, then raced home for our annual WSF/NBU/NDOW reception and BBQ here at the house.
No better nor more passionate conservationists in the world than WSF and the people from our chapters and affiliates.
Nicely done, and well written! Congrats!!!
Funny, but when I saw your post here yesterday, I was sitting in a WSF board meeting listening to Kevin Hurley, our conservation director, review our new ewe hunting policy.
Good for you!
I still have my Mont. ewe tag to fill after two trips already.
Congrats
Good luck, Robb
Congrats Scott! You have had a great year!
One man wrecking crew! You are on a roll, awesome!
Are they planning to issue ewe tags again in 2015?
