So Long
Contributors to this thread:Wild Sheep
From: DL
06-Dec-17
Leaving early tomorrow for The Cadys east of Barstow for my sheep hunt. If you’re interested in seeing pictures of the area during the hunt I’ll post them on the CF since it’s a rifle hunt. The reports from the field have not been good so far. No rain so far and there is little forage. Where they normally are this time of year there is not even any sign of sheep. Yesterday a black ram was spotted. Terry said he has seen some grey ones but this one looked black. I’m wondering if he is a melanistic ram or just dark grey? Very broomed off though. If he is indeed a melanistic ram he’s in trouble. I like unique animals. The Cadys don’t have the huge rams other areas do, just the genetics there. The one thing about California desert hunts are that the sheep live on islands in the desert. So in that 75x125 mile area those sheep are there. So long.
From: HUNT MAN
06-Dec-17
Best of luck. Can’t wait to see the photos ! Hunt
From: kota-man
06-Dec-17
Bring on the pics!
From: WV Mountaineer
06-Dec-17
Yes, please post them.
From: Bowboy
06-Dec-17
Good luck!
From: Jaquomo
06-Dec-17
Yep, please put them on here! The CF is poisonous. Good luck!
From: Treeline
07-Dec-17
What’s the CF?
Would love to see pictures. Any chance you might try with your bow?
From: Medicinemann
07-Dec-17
Good luck! Loesshillsarcher is also leaving tomorrow (actually today, since it is after midnight) for his Arizona Bighorn bowhunt....now I have TWO people to cheer for!!!!
From: Orion
07-Dec-17
Best of luck on your hunt. I put in for that hunt due to its proximity. You are only an hour or two east of me. Hope you find that black ram.
From: DL
07-Dec-17
Treeline my shoulders are shot. After I roofed my house last spring I can’t draw either of my bows. Been to PT but still bad. 28 years of Being on my feet as a truck and equipment mechanic took its toll on most of my joints. Not going to let it stop me from hunting though. $408. For a sheep tag!! Pretty sweet deal. Keep putting in for those draws, dreams do come true.
From: StickFlicker
07-Dec-17
Jake,
Where does Loeshills have a tag in Arizona?
From: Treeline
07-Dec-17
Totally understand that one, DL! Had shoulder surgery a few years back and couldn't draw a hunting weight bow for over a year! When I finally could, I was working in South America with very limited hunting opportunities. Ended up losing a number of years of hunting due to injury and work.
Good Luck and I hope you get a great ram!!!
I think I figured it out: CF = Community Forum...
I have over 20 points in multiple states for various species. Sheep and other high demand tags don't show up in the mail box very often. The cost associated with going to places where you can just purchase a tag for them is way out of my price range. Never expected to be sitting here at this age and not have gone on a number of those hunts. I know how age and injury can creep up on a guy and you go when you finally get one of those awesome tags. Get after them come hell or high water!
From: Medicinemann
07-Dec-17
Marvin, 27/28
From: Mad Trapper
07-Dec-17
Ned who?????
From: NvaGvUp
07-Dec-17
Good luck!
From: Heat
07-Dec-17
Best of Luck on your hunt! Hope to see the results on here or the CF, either works for me. I too am guilty of posting my rifle sheep hunt back in 2010 but somehow avoided most of the flaming that can go on with that kind of thread.
LOL, Tom!
From: osage
07-Dec-17
How many years of applying before you drew the tag?
From: The last savage
07-Dec-17
Good luck!!!!
From: Zackman
07-Dec-17
Good luck on your desert tag! Does this mean we won’t be getting daily Facebook updates on Bowsite while your gone? :)
Keep us all posted if possible. Shot a good one!
From: Bigpizzaman
07-Dec-17
YES!! Good Luck!!
From: DL
08-Dec-17
4 guides have been out 4 days looking for sheep and last night was the first ones that were spotted. All the normal haunts where they should be were empty of any sheep or any sign. Sphere we are glassing the mountains 1.5 miles away.
From: DL
09-Dec-17
Within 10 minutes of setting up this morning 4 nice rams were spotted. One was black but broken off so bad it was questionable if he was legal. Beautiful ram that would have scored well had he not been broken off. The other rams went over the mountain. So we headed down the road a mile and spotted two rams. One young one and a older ram. So a plan was laid out and we drove a mile further down to start a stalk. The round knolls in the distance we had to go around so we wouldn’t be seen. The rams got up and decided to side hill away from us. They ended up over a mile away further from us and several drainages away. We walk for over a mile across the sand then started climbing up through Tallis and lava rock. I was shedding clothes as the temps started climbing. Sometimes is was on all fours climbing uphill. About every 10-20 feet there would be a scraggly Bush about 12-18” high. I wore knee pads but crawling became unbearable after awhile. I will admit that I’m no longer abable put any kind of close stalk whatsoever in country like this. Nothing to hide behind at all and every step has to be planned because of loose rock.
From: DL
09-Dec-17
We’re headed up higher and into steeper country. We still haven’t seen where the sheep are. We know they are in this one draw we think but don’t know if they’ve moved. We start taking peeks over the edges to locate them. We are no 5 hours into this stalk and still no sight. He headed up higher and took another look. Still no rams but was told if they are on the other side it would be a 350-400 yd shot. I chose to go to the guides custom rifle that was super accurate at ranges I hadn’t used my gun. More looks, no rams and up higher we went. Finally they were spotted. 208 ydswe belly crawled the last 10 yds. Got the gun in position and started scooting into position on my elbows on lava rock. I was in a real uncomfortable position when they said they are up and moving up hill. Now panic was setting in. I couldn’t see them, I was uncomfortable and was not up high enough to get the gun in position. Pulled up a few inches more and I can’t find them in the scope. Open both eyes to see them one of the guides said and I have them. The ram stopped and looked back. I touched the trigger and the ram jumped. They said you broke his leg shoot again. The ram head a few steps up hill and looked like he was hit bad. He then stood straight up on his hind legs for several seconds and collapsed. So a six hour stalk was done. Me knees and legs were spent. We sat down and ate our lunches and relaxed. Sorry but I forgot to jump up and down and scream Booyah and smoked him. Hand shakes and slaps on the backs we me thanking the guides for making this happen. Honestly had I gone out by myself it would have taken me weeks to ever even find a ram or more likely none at all. They were in and area with hardly any vegetation and no water.
From: DL
09-Dec-17
Now getting to him was not easy either. Steep steep sidehilling. Here he is. And old rugged warrior. 9-10, 15 1/2 inch bases and I forgot the other measurements but will have him done tomorrow. 170-171 green score
From: Orion
09-Dec-17
You had a great hunt! Congrats on the fine ram. That is a dream hunt for me, and I imagine most of us on here.
From: Orion
09-Dec-17
From: Paul@thefort
09-Dec-17
Wild Sheep are great and you earned that one. Congrats. Paul
From: AZ~Rich
09-Dec-17
DL Congrats on a fine Desert Ram! How are you thinking to mount him.?
From: Treeline
09-Dec-17
Dave, that is a magnificent old trophy desert ram! That is a great desert sheep from anywhere and it sounds like an awesome ram for that particular unit.
Congratulations!
Thank you for sharing your hunt with us.
From: BULELK1
09-Dec-17
Damn Nice Ram DL
Hope your knees fair A-okay
Congrats
Good luck, Robb
From: Bou'bound
09-Dec-17
now that is a story that worked out great. well done and thanks for sharing. way to go
From: Bowboy
09-Dec-17
Congrats on a great ram.
From: Lee
09-Dec-17
Wow! I was reading along about you getting ready to go and bam! It's over! Great looking ram - congrats!! Lee
From: IdyllwildArcher
09-Dec-17
Grats Dave! Beautiful ram. I'm happy for you.
From: PeteO
09-Dec-17
That's awesome the 3 years i was stationed there i applied. That would be my dream hunt!
From: DL
09-Dec-17
Now came the part that my knees did not like, down hill to the truck that was beyond the dry lake bed. Once we hit lower elevation it got a lot better because the lava rocks diminished in size. Finally got to the truck and everyone toasted a cold beer. Keep putting in for those draws everyone. Miracles do happen.
From: Medicinemann
09-Dec-17
Have you cooked any of the backstraps yet?
From: DL
09-Dec-17
The Marines were celebrating Too. They were firing off salvos of something that was impressive. I’m going to do a full body mount on him. It’s the least I can do for such an impressive animal. Impressive to me is the fact they can survive in this hostile environment. It’s not just his size it’s the grit these critters have. When it’s 125 degrees in July and August they are rutting. The only other living thing I saw out there was a couple flys and a honeybee. There were a few tracks of rodents out there but nothing else. That one dang fly had to find it’s way into my Gatorade doing the back stroke. Here’s a tip I heard for any future hunts. Get close and get two blocks of wood and smack them together like rams butting heads. Apparently that’s a greeting when a new ram comes around. They but heads like we would hand shake.
From: Heat
09-Dec-17
Very nice! That is a really good ram. Glad you were able to make it down in one piece with your ram. Thanks for sharing!
From: kota-man
09-Dec-17
Congrats...Great ram
From: bowbender77
09-Dec-17
Job well done ! Congrats.
From: trkyslr
09-Dec-17
Nice ram! Glad you got it done.
From: BigOk
09-Dec-17
Congrats sir!!
From: The last savage
09-Dec-17
Great hunt!!! Congratulations....
From: HUNT MAN
09-Dec-17
Congrats
From: Bigpizzaman
09-Dec-17
Congrats!!!!
From: Ron Niziolek
09-Dec-17
Congrats on a great ram!
From: DL
10-Dec-17
Thanks everyone. The Cadys issue the most tags but if you’re determined to bowhunt don’t choose the Cadys. Trying to get into rifle range without making noise is tough enough in that garbled lava rock. I would have carpet on my soles. Socks are going to be useless in in that lava rock. I have a new pair of camo with that grey canvas like seat knees and cuffs. Ripped holes in my seat giving me a new bung hole. Do your research on the zones you apply for. Some are definitely easier than others and if you happen to get any early winter rain you might have a chance in the flat sand dune areas that has plenty of brush to make a stalk. It would be like hunting mule deer in the sage. That is unless some idiots on motorcycles or quads decide to chase them. We saw signs of that. They’re supposed to stay on designated roads.
From: otcWill
10-Dec-17
Congrats and thanks for posting!
From: wild1
10-Dec-17
Very cool looking ram! Congratulations!
From: SBH
10-Dec-17
Awesome!
From: Kurt
11-Dec-17
Excellent ram! Congratulations!
From: Mad Trapper
11-Dec-17
Outstanding ram. CONGRATS!
From: XbowfromNY
11-Dec-17
Awesome animal- congrats.
From: Zackman
11-Dec-17
Great ram. Congrats!
From: APauls
11-Dec-17
Very cool. Congratulations, both on the tag and working to your personal physical limitations to success. Thanks for sharing. very happy for you.
From: Shrewski
22-Dec-17
That’s a great ram. I’m in everywhere for Deserts but California.
Anybody know how Ned is doing in AZ?
From: Shug
22-Dec-17
Congratulations
From: Jaquomo
22-Dec-17
Beautiful ram and thanks for sharing an adventure most of us will never experience!
From: ELKMAN
22-Dec-17
Awesome! Congrats!
From: Paul@thefort
22-Dec-17
Dave, the next time you go on one of those tough hunts, slip on a pair of knee sleeves as shown in the picture. Your knees will thank you a bunch. Not only will they hold your knees together but they will protect them while crawling. Paul
From: dakotaduner
22-Dec-17
Congratulations Dave. Way to make it happen. Merry Christmas to you.
From: DL
22-Dec-17
Paul I had knee pads on. My knee that I need to protect pad came out of its pocket and was down at my ankle. Those you are showing would definitely be better.
From: Ned mobile
22-Dec-17
Who makes those knee sleeves Paul???
From: Scar Finga
22-Dec-17
Congratulations on a wonderful trophy!!!!!
From: Buffalo1
22-Dec-17
A really neat adventure. Congrats on a beautiful ram. Well earned !!
From: orionsbrother
22-Dec-17
Nice ram!! Congratulations!
