Our biggest ram yet
- Thread starter NMPaul
- Start date
Phantom Hunter
Very Active Member
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Looks like an old warrior. Way to go!
5yearcoueshunter
Active Member
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Wow,amazing Ram! Congrats to you and Zach! We need details.
Travis
Travis
NMhunter4life
Active Member
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- 106
Congratulations, That is a nice one!
tailgunner
Active Member
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- 486
Nice one congrats .
littlemonster
Active Member
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- 219
Great looking sheep Paul. Zach did a heck of a job. Congrats brother.
NMPaul
Moderator
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- 8,105
Here is a recap.
We got to our best sheep spot right as the sun was breaking the horizon.
Had some problems with snow flurries, fog, but, could have been lots worse.
We worked our way up to the top of the string of mountains that formed a ridge that would take us deep into the range. Between flurries we were able to glass pretty well. About 2.5 hours into it Zach says, I figured we would have seen something by now. The words just got out when I pick up a herd of sheep about 2 miles away with my 15 powers. Zach got the spotting scope on them, but, we still could not figure out if there was a shooter in there.
Barbary are hard as hell to judge, and at long distances even harder.
I wanted to cry when I saw how far away they were. We had finally gotten to the top of the spine of the range, and now we would have to go all the way down and part of the way up the other side. We talked and decided that we needed to make sure we looked over everything to the north since we had not spent as much time glassing that.
Now I was desperate to find something closer. I was glassing my ass off. Nothing.. After 20 minutes I knew that a plan was needed to get a better look at those sheep. All they were doing was getting higher up the other side. No matter what we were at least an hour and a half away from them. I still held out hope that we would find something closer.
I asked Zach if he wanted to follow this range and then go down, or go down now and go up the wash. He looked at me like I was stupid. Go down now is way quicker. I was still hoping to find something closer, but, I knew he was right.
Off the side we went. I use 2 hiking poles. I am sure they have saved me many broken bones, and head injuries. Once in the bottom, we worked our way up the wash.
We found a spot that we could glass them up again at 1000 yards. We found them, and we both noticed a fairly wide sheep that stood out from the other sheep. We have been here before though. A small ram will look good amongst ewes. We knew that it was a shooter (bigger than 24?) . We have 8 Barbary we have taken, but, we have never gotten past that 25? mark.
We now had lots of sweat and time invested in this stalk, so we went into ninja mode. We lost sight of them at a bend in the wash. We estimate that the hill in front of us, if we climb it, we may be in shooting distance of the sheep.
We climb the hill and peek over. Sure enough, they are almost the same level that we are about 440 yards away. The snow is flurrying now, and that gives us a little more cover, but, we also lose track of them on and off. We have a good position, but, Zach wants to get to a smaller hill that would put us about 120 yards away. I think it is a bad idea. He has made much further shots.
The sheep were feeding towards us on the opposite side so I convinced Zach to stay put. Sometimes the snow would blow sideways, and sometimes come straight down.
After about 20 minutes Zach was getting an itchy trigger finger. They were now at 380 yards, and we could pick a time the wind was not blowing. I had them in them in the 15 powers and I gave Zach the green light. Just tell me before you shoot. Because of his lack of confidence in the gun I told him hold center mass. If he gut shot him, that ram would still be up the side of the mountain, and there would be time to put a couple more in him.
I had been watching these 5 rams now at about 400 yards in my 15s and I knew that this ram was better than any we had ever got. In fact a couple of the other rams may be better also. There was also a herd of ewes and lambs about 400 yards from the rams on the same hill side.
Zach told me he was gonna shoot, I had my fingers in my ears and was dialed in with my 15s on the bog pod. KAPOWW!!!!! \
It looked like someone kicked that ram in the guts.
He started running down and across the mountain. Zach got one more shot off KAPOWW!!!! a clean miss as I watched rocks spray behind the ram. He went behind the small hill. The other 4 rams went a few hundred yards up the hill and stopped looking down. A good sign. Mr. Big was not with them.
The ewes are also up the hill looking down. Nobody had seen us yet.
I offer to stay and glass, to make sure he does not make a move, but, Zach wants me to go with him. Off we go, the other sheep see us and they are off to the races to the top of them mountain. We have to go up a small mountain, and I fall behind. I take a breath and get this pic of Zach silhouetted on the hill above me. He goes over the top and I hear him whoop. I get him on the radio and he says ram down. Another shot KAPOWW!!! And he gets on the radio and says ram dead. I huff and puff over the hill and get these pics.
Some pack out pics
A peanut butter and Jelly while our hands were still clean.
We got to our best sheep spot right as the sun was breaking the horizon.
Had some problems with snow flurries, fog, but, could have been lots worse.
We worked our way up to the top of the string of mountains that formed a ridge that would take us deep into the range. Between flurries we were able to glass pretty well. About 2.5 hours into it Zach says, I figured we would have seen something by now. The words just got out when I pick up a herd of sheep about 2 miles away with my 15 powers. Zach got the spotting scope on them, but, we still could not figure out if there was a shooter in there.
Barbary are hard as hell to judge, and at long distances even harder.
I wanted to cry when I saw how far away they were. We had finally gotten to the top of the spine of the range, and now we would have to go all the way down and part of the way up the other side. We talked and decided that we needed to make sure we looked over everything to the north since we had not spent as much time glassing that.
Now I was desperate to find something closer. I was glassing my ass off. Nothing.. After 20 minutes I knew that a plan was needed to get a better look at those sheep. All they were doing was getting higher up the other side. No matter what we were at least an hour and a half away from them. I still held out hope that we would find something closer.
I asked Zach if he wanted to follow this range and then go down, or go down now and go up the wash. He looked at me like I was stupid. Go down now is way quicker. I was still hoping to find something closer, but, I knew he was right.
Off the side we went. I use 2 hiking poles. I am sure they have saved me many broken bones, and head injuries. Once in the bottom, we worked our way up the wash.
We found a spot that we could glass them up again at 1000 yards. We found them, and we both noticed a fairly wide sheep that stood out from the other sheep. We have been here before though. A small ram will look good amongst ewes. We knew that it was a shooter (bigger than 24?) . We have 8 Barbary we have taken, but, we have never gotten past that 25? mark.
We now had lots of sweat and time invested in this stalk, so we went into ninja mode. We lost sight of them at a bend in the wash. We estimate that the hill in front of us, if we climb it, we may be in shooting distance of the sheep.
We climb the hill and peek over. Sure enough, they are almost the same level that we are about 440 yards away. The snow is flurrying now, and that gives us a little more cover, but, we also lose track of them on and off. We have a good position, but, Zach wants to get to a smaller hill that would put us about 120 yards away. I think it is a bad idea. He has made much further shots.
The sheep were feeding towards us on the opposite side so I convinced Zach to stay put. Sometimes the snow would blow sideways, and sometimes come straight down.
After about 20 minutes Zach was getting an itchy trigger finger. They were now at 380 yards, and we could pick a time the wind was not blowing. I had them in them in the 15 powers and I gave Zach the green light. Just tell me before you shoot. Because of his lack of confidence in the gun I told him hold center mass. If he gut shot him, that ram would still be up the side of the mountain, and there would be time to put a couple more in him.
I had been watching these 5 rams now at about 400 yards in my 15s and I knew that this ram was better than any we had ever got. In fact a couple of the other rams may be better also. There was also a herd of ewes and lambs about 400 yards from the rams on the same hill side.
Zach told me he was gonna shoot, I had my fingers in my ears and was dialed in with my 15s on the bog pod. KAPOWW!!!!! \
It looked like someone kicked that ram in the guts.
He started running down and across the mountain. Zach got one more shot off KAPOWW!!!! a clean miss as I watched rocks spray behind the ram. He went behind the small hill. The other 4 rams went a few hundred yards up the hill and stopped looking down. A good sign. Mr. Big was not with them.
The ewes are also up the hill looking down. Nobody had seen us yet.
I offer to stay and glass, to make sure he does not make a move, but, Zach wants me to go with him. Off we go, the other sheep see us and they are off to the races to the top of them mountain. We have to go up a small mountain, and I fall behind. I take a breath and get this pic of Zach silhouetted on the hill above me. He goes over the top and I hear him whoop. I get him on the radio and he says ram down. Another shot KAPOWW!!! And he gets on the radio and says ram dead. I huff and puff over the hill and get these pics.
Some pack out pics
A peanut butter and Jelly while our hands were still clean.
crazeymaez
Very Active Member
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- 1,513
Congats to the both of you.You guys make a deadly team.
biggamehunter35
Active Member
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- 260
Congrats that is One HECK OF A RAM!!!!!! Congrats to both of you guys!!!! Great write up!!!!
cosmic_cowboy
Very Active Member
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- 1,010
Wow VERY nice guys...Congrats to Zack You guys get it done again!
Jack
Jack
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