Colorado Archery Sheep Season - Round 1
Wild Sheep
Many of the first round archery only sheep units closed yesterday.
What is the report on the take?
I've heard of one in S-9, one in S-39, and one in S-49.
Anything else in these units or others like 35, 32, 12 or others?
Ramhunter
I know of one taken in S32
Did you count the picture of the ram posted in the S32 first season discussion that was not killed in S32?
Any pics of these sheep and the unit?
not the first round but my dec. sheep. seen the other taken and it was a good one also.
Great Ram Bowaddict. Congratulations. Would love to read the story.
Wow, great ram. I was wondering how that hunt was going along with Waterton.
Not much to tell...got on them just after daybreak. Passed several nice rams to get to this one. Stayed with them for 3 hours until I could get a shot through the ewes.
And here's the other December archery ram. Had an amazing time chasing these guys. Kinda sad it's over!
I second that jay, nice job again!
Thanks Brad! Take good care of Hoss. You chose wisely :)
I actually got sent a pic of the Waterton ram also. It was a great ram too. I'd post it, but I don't have permission or even know the hunter.
2 Dandy Rams right there!
Congrats you guys
Good luck, Robb
Congrats to you both...on two great rams!!!
Any more pics and details of the hunts?
Mark
Wow. Great work guys. Congrats.
Both of those rams are great! Congratulations, guys!
Congrats on two great rams!
Beautiful rams guys. Big congrats.
Two amazing rams. Colorado sure does have some nice ones, it still haunts me that I was unable to fill my tag when I had it.
Awesome rams guys!!! CONGRATS!!!
we scored him at 186 4/8 gross...Colorado has some nice sheep out there!
A couple of great rams, guys. Congratulations!
CONGRATS to both of you! Def two great rams for sure!! Just gotta love that mass! CO does have great rams for whoever can draw a tag.
I'd scouted during the summer and found this ram (picture). I really had my heart set on him. He's likely a super old ram, with a busted up nose, and chunks out of his horns, but I was really hoping to find him. After the rams moved up with the ewes, I never saw him again.
I scouted several days a week all of November. I counted 30 to 40 rams in the unit, but could not locate him again. The whole time I was checking every full curl ram I could find for the huge missing chunk on the right horn. He never showed up. He looks super old, I'm starting to wonder if a lion got him earlier in the fall.
After Brad filled his tag on opening morning, I chased another big ram, not as big as the one Brad killed but definitely the next biggest in the unit, for a couple of days. Had a shot on him opening day, and my string caught on my sleeve and I shot under him. I was wearing a heavier coat than usual due to the wind that morning, and hadn't even thought about it catching. I had the same ram at full draw several more times the next couple of days, but could not get him to step from the ewes he was with for a clear shot.
On the third day, I had to work in the morning, so I went down for an afternoon hunt. I got there and found the entire herd together except for five or six smaller rams that I spotted on the fringes. Luckily, they were bedded just below a small 15 foot cliff that allowed me to be right on top of them without them being overly concerned. The closest sheep were 50 yards out. The ram I wanted was just out of range, but they were starting to get up and chase ewes. Within about 2 hours,it was mayhem. There were rams butting heads and chasing ewes in and out of the herd in every direction. As they chased ewes, they would momentarily be closer to me, unless the ewe bolted back into the herd. In all the confusion, I lost track of the ram I was after. A ram that looked close to full curl chased a ewe towards me and then turned broadside at 35 yards. I knew he wasn't the biggest one I was looking for, but he was too big for me to pass on. My shot was back a little bit and through the liver. I feel stupid now, but I didn't realize how far forward the lungs and shoulder blades are on a sheep. He went about 20 yards and laid down. Through my binoculars, I could see where my arrow had passed through. Not realizing how far forward the lungs are, I thought he was done. I took my time, went and got my pack, organized my gear, and then peaked back over the hill. His head was still up. I couldn't believe it. I was going to try and put another arrow in him, but when I got within range he got up and headed lower onto private property. I watched him bed on the ledge of a cliff right at dark. The access to the ledge was icy and snow covered. I was hunting alone, and decided it wasn't worth risking my neck to try and get to him in the dark, plus, if he wasn't dead, I couldn't pursue him lower on the private property.
I returned at daybreak, and he was 10 feet lower from where I left him. When he died, he rolled over, but luckily caught up on a small tree. Otherwise, he would have fallen a couple hundred feet and I'd be picking up pieces. The magpies, which are on fully healthy sheep non-stop, had already got his left eye when I got to him at first light. He's not the biggest I saw, but I'm thrilled to have got it done.
What a roller coaster ride of emotions. I'm so grateful that I got the chance to hunt them, but it truly sucks that I probably won't get another chance.
At CPW getting his state tag drilled into the horn.
Great stories, great endings and great rams!
Thanks for posting up guys!
Mark
Unbelievable. CONGRATS! Maybe I missed it, what unit were you hunting in and what part of the season (date)were they taken?
They were taken late season which runs 12/1 to 12/15. Unit is S34.
So yes, just last week, I think I still smell like sheep...but I'm doing my best to keep the experience going!
Congratulations on 2 great sheep!
Thanks Jay. Any reason you selected the late season?
The rut. I just remember reading a lot of governor's tag stories about the big boys staying hidden until they decide to go chase tail. I guess, kinda like every other species we hunt. :)
SJ, I saw a harvested full curl with a softball sized chunk missing out of the back of his right horn last week at a taxidermists. Was supposed to have come from that area somewhere...maybe a different unit.
Great rams guys and thanks for sharing your hunt. Glad you had a great hunt.
BTW you took my tag! LOL!
Quinn..... I promise, I won't do it again! At least not for another 8 years :)
Great Rams guys. Congrats!
Quinn... im out also for a while, think I'll try the desert sheep draw now. The hunt was a blast though!
Mercy, those are tremendous rams. Congratulations.
Been hoping for that tag myself. I thought there was only one tag down there last year. How did two tags get issued? I checked the drawing stats and it only shows one tag issued as well.
Sorry, I was looking at the 1st hunt in 34. One tag for it and 2 for the 2nd hunt.
Jay, that ram may have been shot during the 1st hunt.
It actually was. I had talked to the DOW biologist after the early season and she wasn't able to see the large chunk out of his horn in the check in photos, but after I sent her all the photos I had, she was able to identify him.
I'm just glad he was taken legally and isn't rotting buried under a tree from a lion kill.
Awesome Rams!
I saw a photo of the waterton ram, killed on day two with a selfmade recurve, 180+ ram!
Non residents can't hunt the rut and they can't hunt S34. Bummer.
Only if they get the auction tag or raffle tag.
Beautiful rams, congrats to the bowhunters!
Awesome. Congrats fellas.
Anyone have a picture to share of the Waterton Canyon ram hoot mentioned?
Not positive that's him, but this is the pic a friend showed me. He got it from a friend of a friend, so who knows. The story about being taken with a recurve makes me believe it probably is.
That is it, although I saw a different picture, but same deal, a friend of mine knows/hunts with him so he had a few more details, but I don't know the hunter personally and don't have a copy of the photo...
That's another dandy ram!! Thanks for posting the pic
Anyone that knows the lucky hunter that took the waterton ram have him get a hold of me. I have great fall time photos of his ram from last year! Scars on the nose all match up perfectly.
Congrats to the rams above, makes an aspiring sheep tag holder like myself dream big.
to bad the hunt in the future is postponed
Bowaddict is that a power pole in the background? If so maybe you didn't have a bad pack!
it's an old mining scar, had something to do with that. But no it was not a terrible pack-out, had much worse elk pack trips!!!
Which hunt has been suspended? Waterton? whats the reason? Just curious
Word has it that ram from Waterton was a "Gong show". Lets not forget, that's a pretty populated area.
FYI, it's what I heard.
Proposed sheep license numbers are posted on the Commission page for approval next week, if anyone is interested.
