elkmuzzleloader
Active Member
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- 772
I was able to help my buddies son tag out his very first big game animal Sept 5th. He drew the youth Rhodes Canyon Oryx hunt. After a very rainy night and a slight delay that morning we made it on range by 1 and the hunt was on. We headed out and got on a road that no one else had been on yet. We immediately saw oryx and the hunt was on. It took the hunter a few tries to get his nerves under control and get it all figured out. However after 4 blown stalks we spotted a nice bull cross the road right in front of us. He went out to the north about a 1/4 mile and we were able to find our way to him. The hunter was able to keep it under control and get his first shot of the hunt. The bull dropped in his tracks and he had harvested his first big game animal. A 37" bull. I have not gotten permission to post his pics.
On Saturday the 6th I decided I would try to harvest my first Barbary sheep again. This was my 10th trip out this year. We left the house at about 2 pm and made our way to the area we were going to hunt. The rain had made the roads a complete mess so I found a place to unload the quad and finish the trip to our hunting area. We made it out there on the quad with only a little bit of slipping and sliding. Now the hike to our glassing area began. This was not as easy as usual due to the mud and wet grass but we made it there and began what I thought would be a very mundane glassing session as usual. I glassed the cliffs to start off with but before I could finish my cousin tells me he found the sheep. Sure enough at about 1600 yards there they are. It is to far to tell if there are any good rams in the bunch through my 10 power binos. We set up my rifle on the bipod and turn the Vortex up to 16. We are in for the schlock of our sheep hunting careers. There are 3 rams all about the same size. We figure they are right about 30".
We make our plans to close the distance. We leave one person on the glassing point to watch the sheep and keep us pointed in the right direction. We then drop off the edge and make our way to the next ridge below us. We loose sight of the sheep as soon as we drop off and don't get a good look at them again until we reach the next ridge. We are now 600 yards away and the sheep still have no clue we are there. I know I can't shoot that far as I have never shot beyond 300. I want to set up my rifle on the bipod and get a good look though. They were feeding towards us and we had good cover so if they continued I wanted to be ready to make a shot when they closed the distance. While Im opening the bipd it pulls the screw stud out of my rifle stock. I have no way to elevate the rifle above the grass now. We left our packs at the top to make the stalk easier.
I notice a very large rock about 200 yards away, however there is no cover between me and the rock. I decide Im going to have to try it. I crawl the 200 yards to the rock successfully with out being detected. Im still in shock that I was able to crab crawl that far with out being seen. I get to my rock and it is not going to work as it was taller then I thought and to steep to lay on to make the shot. I look around and see that I can step down to the side of it and lean against it. I look around the rock and noticed that only one ram was left. I start to get very anxious thinking Im going to loose the only ram i have ever seen let alone had the chance to harvest. The range finder read 438 LOS and 399 compensated. I dial 5 MOA up on the Vortex scope, step down to the side of the rock and lean against it. The ram is feeding and very calm but facing straight away from me. I get very nervous that he is going to walk right off the edge and be gone. He then turns slightly to the left and I put the cross hairs far back in the body and pull the trigger. I only had my trigger hand on the rifle due to the angle I was shooting from so the rifle jumps and I loose all sight picture. I then hear a sound I have never heard before. The meat report. I am over come with joy at this point but worried that Im going to have to track my ram. My cousin is now screaming telling me that he's down. I look through the scope again and see a hung wagon wheel sticking up in the grass.
Im instantly overcome with joy and accomplishment. A dream 5 years in the making has become a reality. The hit was perfect and the ram dropped instantly. It is amazing what great equipment and practice will do for you in the field. I harvested my ram at 530. It took 30 mins to get to him and then lots of pics were taken and the real work began. The pack out started at 730, at 1145 we reached the quad, the truck at 1230 and the house at 245. It was worth every second of it.
On Saturday the 6th I decided I would try to harvest my first Barbary sheep again. This was my 10th trip out this year. We left the house at about 2 pm and made our way to the area we were going to hunt. The rain had made the roads a complete mess so I found a place to unload the quad and finish the trip to our hunting area. We made it out there on the quad with only a little bit of slipping and sliding. Now the hike to our glassing area began. This was not as easy as usual due to the mud and wet grass but we made it there and began what I thought would be a very mundane glassing session as usual. I glassed the cliffs to start off with but before I could finish my cousin tells me he found the sheep. Sure enough at about 1600 yards there they are. It is to far to tell if there are any good rams in the bunch through my 10 power binos. We set up my rifle on the bipod and turn the Vortex up to 16. We are in for the schlock of our sheep hunting careers. There are 3 rams all about the same size. We figure they are right about 30".
We make our plans to close the distance. We leave one person on the glassing point to watch the sheep and keep us pointed in the right direction. We then drop off the edge and make our way to the next ridge below us. We loose sight of the sheep as soon as we drop off and don't get a good look at them again until we reach the next ridge. We are now 600 yards away and the sheep still have no clue we are there. I know I can't shoot that far as I have never shot beyond 300. I want to set up my rifle on the bipod and get a good look though. They were feeding towards us and we had good cover so if they continued I wanted to be ready to make a shot when they closed the distance. While Im opening the bipd it pulls the screw stud out of my rifle stock. I have no way to elevate the rifle above the grass now. We left our packs at the top to make the stalk easier.
I notice a very large rock about 200 yards away, however there is no cover between me and the rock. I decide Im going to have to try it. I crawl the 200 yards to the rock successfully with out being detected. Im still in shock that I was able to crab crawl that far with out being seen. I get to my rock and it is not going to work as it was taller then I thought and to steep to lay on to make the shot. I look around and see that I can step down to the side of it and lean against it. I look around the rock and noticed that only one ram was left. I start to get very anxious thinking Im going to loose the only ram i have ever seen let alone had the chance to harvest. The range finder read 438 LOS and 399 compensated. I dial 5 MOA up on the Vortex scope, step down to the side of the rock and lean against it. The ram is feeding and very calm but facing straight away from me. I get very nervous that he is going to walk right off the edge and be gone. He then turns slightly to the left and I put the cross hairs far back in the body and pull the trigger. I only had my trigger hand on the rifle due to the angle I was shooting from so the rifle jumps and I loose all sight picture. I then hear a sound I have never heard before. The meat report. I am over come with joy at this point but worried that Im going to have to track my ram. My cousin is now screaming telling me that he's down. I look through the scope again and see a hung wagon wheel sticking up in the grass.
Im instantly overcome with joy and accomplishment. A dream 5 years in the making has become a reality. The hit was perfect and the ram dropped instantly. It is amazing what great equipment and practice will do for you in the field. I harvested my ram at 530. It took 30 mins to get to him and then lots of pics were taken and the real work began. The pack out started at 730, at 1145 we reached the quad, the truck at 1230 and the house at 245. It was worth every second of it.
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