My OIL Rio Grande Gorge BH sheep

nmwapiti · Oct 21, 2018

Bittersweet moment to punch this tag with almost 3 months left to hunt and the rut just starting to kick in but I probably wasn?t going to have much more opportunity to get out there. Life gets in the way sometimes.
So I glassed this ram up yesterday from about a mile away and saw he was pretty wide. I passed him up and kept going north to an area a friend said he had seen a few rams earlier in the week.
Spent the afternoon looking for the rams my friend had seen to no avail so I started heading back south.
As I was approaching the area I had seen this ram earlier in the day, I was looking to the area I had seen him. Nothing. Then I saw movement to my right, there he was up on the hill with two other rams- they had gone into the pi?ons to bed for the afternoon and were just getting up. I got a real good close up of him and decided he was a shooter, I loved his width and that he flared out.
They spooked up and over the hill so I went around the hill about a 1/4 mile and cut them off as they were headed down to the gorge.
40 yard shot.
He went about 100 yards and piled up. Getting it done with a bow made it that much more special. So blessed to have drawn this tag, New Mexico truly is one of the best states for hunting opportunity.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2018/91631f87cbe6c42fc4d1b8531195a188c66c0.jpeg

ElkHunterNM · Oct 21, 2018

>Bittersweet moment to punch this tag
>with almost 3 months left
>to hunt and the rut
>just starting to kick in
>but I probably wasn?t going
>to have much more opportunity
>to get out there. Life
>gets in the way sometimes.
>
>So I glassed this ram up
>yesterday from about a mile
>away and saw he was
>pretty wide. I passed him
>up and kept going north
>to an area a friend
>said he had seen a
>few rams earlier in the
>week.
>Spent the afternoon looking for the
>rams my friend had seen
>to no avail so I
>started heading back south.
>As I was approaching the area
>I had seen this ram
>earlier in the day, I
>was looking to the area
>I had seen him. Nothing.
>Then I saw movement to
>my right, there he was
>up on the hill with
>two other rams- they had
>gone into the pi?ons to
>bed for the afternoon and
>were just getting up. I
>got a real good close
>up of him and decided
>he was a shooter, I
>loved his width and that
>he flared out.
>They spooked up and over the
>hill so I went around
>the hill about a 1/4
>mile and cut them off
>as they were headed down
>to the gorge.
>40 yard shot.
>He went about 100 yards and
>piled up. Getting it done
>with a bow made it
>that much more special.
>So blessed to have drawn
>this tag, New Mexico truly
>is one of the best
>states for hunting opportunity.
>
>http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2018/91631f87cbe6c42fc4d1b8531195a188c66c0.jpeg

cosmic_cowboy · Oct 21, 2018

Congrats very nice Ram. And beautiful Pic... pretty close to my place.
Jack

muleybeast · Oct 21, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Oct-21-18 AT 10:39AM (MST)[p]Wow. What a beast of a ram. Super wide. Very nice photo as well. That backdrop is amazing. Congrats.

joesikora · Oct 21, 2018

Congrats Brother thats one heck of a Ram!

Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora

twdjr · Oct 21, 2018

Congrats on a very nice Ram!

iccyman001 · Oct 21, 2018

Well done!!!!!!
Fine job with the bow too. Congrats!

mozey · Oct 21, 2018

I'll be honest: I don't know how you found the discipline to pass the first time. You must be crazy.

Tremendous ram--much congrats.

ixsolracxi · Oct 21, 2018

congrats on a beautiful ram, with a bow!!!

RioHuntNutt · Oct 22, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-18 AT 09:23AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-22-18 AT 09:21?AM (MST)

Beautiful ram, congrats Louie ,that is a great ram hunted hard with archer and applaud your effort .So many people were watching ,listening and waiting as this hunt infolded and am pretty happy for you.Well done , way to hunt and thanks for sharing it all with us...It truly was a pleasure getting to assist in measuring this ram ...Imperial will bring him back to life with the master work they do...

BTW, This ram width ,not total score but "width" will put this ram in the top 10 in the world all time for rocky mtn sheep.

Gator · Oct 22, 2018

Dang he is a pretty one for sure.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

nmwapiti · Oct 22, 2018

>Beautiful ram, congrats Louie ,that is
>a great ram hunted hard
>with archer and applaud your
>effort .So many people were
>watching ,listening and waiting as
>this hunt infolded and am
>pretty happy for you.Well done
>, way to hunt and
>thanks for sharing it all
>with us...It truly was a
>pleasure getting to assist in
>measuring this ram ...Imperial will
>bring him back to life
>with the master work they
>do...
>
>BTW, This ram width ,not total
>score but "width" will put
>this ram in the top
>10 in the world all
>time for rocky mtn sheep.
>
Thanks Rio, nice to finally meet you too. When I saw this rams width, I just could not pass him up. He?s very unique I think and will be one of my most treasured memories. Making top 10 for width is just icing on the cake!

NMPaul · Oct 22, 2018

so awesome you scored with your bow and DIY. Great job. You did it right Louie.

jessbad · Oct 24, 2018

Louie thats an awesome ram! Congrats!

live4muleys · Oct 24, 2018

Congrats on an awesome ram. I like the wide ones. Makes it even sweeter with the bow.

TineMaster · Oct 24, 2018

Beauty!

littlemonster · Oct 24, 2018

Very impressive, was able to see it in person at Imperial! Congrats on a awesome trophy.

3DSancho · Oct 24, 2018

Congrats on an awesome ram!!! Have you heard of any of the other 2 tags getting filled? Glad you got him with your bow!! Killed mine with my bow back in September!!! If you don't mind me asking, what does he score?

straightshooter · Oct 25, 2018

I am going to hunt in November 3D , God willing. I'm hoping to catch the rut - hope the weather holds!!

straightshooter · Oct 25, 2018

I know the bittersweet feeling NMwapiti. Second guessing a little maybe. But we folks take our hats off to you bow and arrow guys. That's really hunting and totally skill! You have a well deserved trophy - awesome ram. Thanks for keeping us posted with all the details and pictures! Felt like we were out there with you! Wish me luck in November on my same OIL bighorn hunt!