NM Desert Bighorn

[mozey]

Not the record bighorn that everyone wants to see, but I was very blessed to be able to take a gorgeous desert ram:

I've never ever considered going for the grand slam, but now that I've got this one I'm going to have to seriously consider actually going for it. Maybe doable if I put off retirement until I'm 80. Going to be fun!

 

[Ltsheets]

Beauty Mozey and a great ram for the area! I'm having the same mental battle about the slam and I don't even have a ram under my belt yet!

 

[NMhntr727]

Great Ram especially for the Fra Cristobal. Go for the slam! I'm like you LTSHEETS and I too have never got a sheep. Nothing wrong with dreaming! ?

 

[unclebuck]

Nothing wrong with that. That's a beautiful ram. I to will be going on my first sheep hunt this December in Nevada. Can't wait. Congratulations!

 

[BIGJOHNT]

I am glad to see you posted it here. Congrats again !

 

[PleaseDear]

Not a bad Ram at all.

congrats

Robb

 

[cbeard]

Beautiful ram!

I drew a desert tag in AZ in 2014 and took a nice ram. I had my Stone from what I thought was a bucket list one-time hunt in 2006.

So I am in your same spot. Just got back from a successful Dall hunt.

One more to go. 17 points for a rocky in several states. Just need a little more lucky dust to fall on me....

 

[dogdoc]

Nice!

 

[littlebighorn]

Mosey,
Congratulations on that heavy based desert, but one sheep hunt is seldom enough. The Fever does crazy things to our minds...kinda like a drug.
After a successful Rocky hunt I did exactly what you propose and postponed retirement to keep hunting sheep. That was 10 years ago. I now have all but a Stone and in a few weeks I am headed to BC for a second try to complete the slam/Full Curl. I'm 68 years old and pushing my physical limits for mountain hunting. But my passion is still strong and so I keep forging on to complete that dream.
I have been a long time admirer of Jack O' Connor and he was 72 when he finally stopped sheep hunting. That gives me motivation to keep going. I hope you can do the same thing.

 

[nmtaxi]

Congrats Mozey!

 

[mozey]

littlebighorn--best of luck on your quest--I hope to be seeing your stone on here in a few weeks.

The older I get, the harder it is to stay in shape, but at 68, you're and inspiration. My hunting mentor who went with me on this desert hunt is 68 too, and he's still able to get up and down those mountains pretty well. I'm 55 and was planning on retiring when I turn 60, but now (wife willing), I may work a couple more years so I can try for a dall and a stone. I'm still not sure what it will take to get a rocky. I have a lot to get educated about still. Thank you for all of your insights and encouragement.

 

[Zeke]

>littlebighorn--best of luck on your quest--I
>hope to be seeing your
>stone on here in a
>few weeks.
>
>The older I get, the harder
>it is to stay in
>shape, but at 68, you're
>and inspiration. My hunting
>mentor who went with me
>on this desert hunt is
>68 too, and he's still
>able to get up and
>down those mountains pretty well.
> I'm 55 and was
>planning on retiring when I
>turn 60, but now (wife
>willing), I may work a
>couple more years so I
>can try for a dall
>and a stone. I'm
>still not sure what it
>will take to get a
>rocky. I have a
>lot to get educated about
>still. Thank you for
>all of your insights and
>encouragement.


Don't let LBH fool you. The calendar might say he's 68 but the guy can still out-move and out-shoot most guys.

The sheep bug doesn't bite everyone as hard as others. I don't know who is more blessed. I've sacrificed comfort, time and treasure for wild sheep hunting but it has been worth it to me.

Fine trophy ram, mozey!!!

Zeke
#livelikezac

 

[bowhunt]

Congratulations!
That is a FINE ram.

 

[ltho98]

Nice ram!

At how many yards did you make the shot?

 

[mozey]

After waiting for him to get clear of his ewes, my first shot was through his neck at a steep angled 175 yards, which dropped him. As we were hiking up to where he went down, despite being unable to lift his head, he got back to his feet. My follow-up (through his heart) was at 125 yards. Bullets were 150-grain TTSX out of my 300WSM; both passed through.

 

[ltho98]

Oh thats excellent!

My hunt is in the Ladrones in December and i'm curious of how spooky desert bighorns are. From what i've been told is that they are as wary as antelope. Was that your experience?

 

[mozey]

Whoa--much congrats to you on drawing the LaDrones. From what I've been hearing, you have a real good opportunity to flirt with the state record. Have you been able to do any scouting yet?

Comparing my Armendaris hunt to the antelope hunts I've done, I would say it's a little harder to get inside 400 yards on antelope than it is for bighorns. Bighorns inhabit more rugged terrain that can be used to conceal your stalk. But because the LaDrones are public land it wouldn't surprise me if the bighorns are more skiddish there.

I saw this particular ram first on a scouting trip seven weeks earlier, and then again the night before my hunt, and I made the decision to go after him on opening morning. He had a harem of a dozen ewes. At first light on opening morning, I spotted a group of sheep feeding up a ridge about a mile from where we had last seen him. When we first started up the mountain after them, I wasn't even sure it was the same ram. But by the time we closed the distance to 600 yards, I knew it was him. We watched the entire group feed through a saddle and drop out of sight. The wind was in my face, so I picked a point to sneak over that was about 100 yards up the ridge from where they had crossed. When we peeked over they were directly below us at about 40 yards. However, I could not get a clear shot at him while his ewes were either directly in front of or behind him. They busted me as I tried to get to a better vantage point, and they all ran straight up the same ridge that we were all on. Right before they topped over, they all stopped to take a look back, giving me the clear shot opportunity that I needed.

 

[cbeard]

As said above, I would say that while sheep certainly may be as wary as pronghorn - their habitat generally allows for closer shots. But I will add that each ram I have taken has required a substantial climb to get in position above him.

IMO once you are in range on a ram - the odds are heavily in your favor of getting him provided you are a passable shot. Much moreso than say, elk or whitetail. The tricky parts are finding a good ram and getting in that position.

 

[ltho98]

>Whoa--much congrats to you on drawing
>the LaDrones. From what
>I've been hearing, you have
>a real good opportunity to
>flirt with the state record.
>Have you been able to
>do any scouting yet?
>
>Comparing my Armendaris hunt to the
>antelope hunts I've done, I
>would say it's a little
>harder to get inside 400
>yards on antelope than it
>is for bighorns. Bighorns
>inhabit more rugged terrain that
>can be used to conceal
>your stalk. But because
>the LaDrones are public land
>it wouldn't surprise me if
>the bighorns are more skiddish
>there.
>
>I saw this particular ram first
>on a scouting trip seven
>weeks earlier, and then again
>the night before my hunt,
>and I made the decision
>to go after him on
>opening morning. He had
>a harem of a dozen
>ewes. At first light
>on opening morning, I spotted
>a group of sheep feeding
>up a ridge about a
>mile from where we had
>last seen him. When
>we first started up the
>mountain after them, I wasn't
>even sure it was the
>same ram. But by
>the time we closed the
>distance to 600 yards, I
>knew it was him.
>We watched the entire group
>feed through a saddle and
>drop out of sight. The
>wind was in my face,
>so I picked a point
>to sneak over that was
>about 100 yards up the
>ridge from where they had
>crossed. When we peeked over
>they were directly below us
>at about 40 yards.
>However, I could not get
>a clear shot at him
>while his ewes were either
>directly in front of or
>behind him. They busted me
>as I tried to get
>to a better vantage point,
>and they all ran straight
>up the same ridge that
>we were all on.
>Right before they topped over,
>they all stopped to take
>a look back, giving me
>the clear shot opportunity that
>I needed.


The governor's tag just harvested one out of there a few weeks ago with a 186 ram. I have no doubt that was the largest in the unit. All the scouting i've done so far I haven't seen any. But i've also been gearing up for my other hunts. Come mid october every weekend is dedicated to sheep.

That stalk sounds awesome. 40 yards? Man, if you had the right opportunity you could have stuck it with an arrow.

Good job!

 

[eldorado]

Beautiful ram.

Eldorado

 

[nmarchr]

from what i've seen on the sheep that inhabit the areas around the Ladrones, you can walk up to one and touch it. getting within firearm distance shouldn't be too difficult, hell getting with archery range shouldn't be too difficult. good luck, looking forward to pics.

 

[tsbret]

Hey man congratulations, any mature desert ram is a big deal IMHO.... way to go! I have my Stone and points for RM and desert, even at 62 I'm not giving up yet, the spirit is willing even if the body loses a step... ;-)