Paying It Forward....

raftfreak · Dec 11, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Dec-11-12 AT 07:43PM (MST)[p]Well, I guess it's time to pay it forward...
I'm primarily just a lurker, mainly i love hearing sheep stories & seeing the pics. So I thought I had better post my OIL hunt pics, it was an awesome experience.

Goal was to access sheep country from the river without bumping into any other hunters. Mission accomplished, plus i harvested a nice sheep to boot...

The pic w/ the snow, was taken when I had gotten home.

raftfreak · Dec 11, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Dec-11-12 AT 07:56PM (MST)[p]OKAY, now to post pic.... doesn't want to play
Little help here...

nvborn · Dec 11, 2012

Congratulations on a GREAT ram! That is really something to be proud of.

What state?

nfh · Dec 11, 2012

Ram is a beast, congrads!!!

TOPGUN · Dec 12, 2012

Wow, that is a great ram---Congrats!!!

treedagain · Dec 12, 2012

looks good to me....any field photos???

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littlebighorn · Dec 12, 2012

Nice ram Raftguy!
You obviously like rivers and were somehow able to combine two passions on your OIL hunt.
Most hunters will only be able to live a sheep hunt vicariously so if you really want to "Pay it forward" you can tell us the story and post more pics! LOL

Congratulations

huntin50 · Dec 12, 2012

Congrats on a great RAM! I'm guessing a MT ram?

kilbuc · Dec 12, 2012

Congrats..great ram and one to be proud of. Tell us more, we never get tired of successful sheep hunts.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"

kk · Dec 12, 2012

Great Ram, Congrats.

raftfreak · Dec 12, 2012

As you ALL KNOW- The only proper way to tell ANY epic hunting adventure is around a campfire, in a comfortable camp chair, with a cold drink (of your choice), along with my main hunting buddy (which I thank dearly) and a good three hours allotted to tell this adventure.... but some highlights are:

Utah Rocky Mtn Bighorn
1st full week of November
Raft Trip- 85 miles, 8 days, 2 rafts
Saw 58 sheep/ 20+ rams
Set up base camp each afternoon, hunted key canyons each evening and morning. I bumped this ram coming out of a canyon, I chased him around to the next, of course to me its going to be a box canyon, but to the two rams they just went straight up. Well fortunately, he stopped to take a breather..
Used ropes for assist getting to him and getting him out. Took half a day to process him and next day, a half day to pack him out. Dropped the horns (pack strap broke) 50ft off a cliff, cracked the horns (but still intact).
Did have a major wind & rain storm (gusts of 50mph) on the trip out. The last day of the trip ended in a snow storm

Would do the trip again in a heart beat.............
to me it was epic

Sorry about the sideways photos, not sure how to correct.
They were fine before I uploaded.....

I have tons of pics, if you guys are really bored (at work)...

raftfreak · Dec 12, 2012

Paying It Forward...again

Like I mentioned, I am mainly a lurker...
however, I did contact and got help from KK and OneDryBoot from last years hunt & posts, who I would like to thank. As you all know, the MMers on this site are great to help out those in quest of guidance. Please continue to pay it forward for others in need of help.

I would also like to thank the UT DWR and their sheep biologists.
They were very hopeful with questions that I had.

To be honest, I thought the increase in tags were a little steep.
I am here to report that the sheep herd upriver is HEALTHY.
(shshshs....please keep this part a secret.......shshshs, but we saw 3 sheep a lot bigger then this one).

one_dryboot · Dec 12, 2012

Holy cow Raftfreak...

I would say you earned that ram! That is some steep nasty country. Congrats on a great ram! I sent you a P.M.

raftfreak · Dec 12, 2012

Paying It Forward...again

SORRY... one more thing, on the HEALTHY UTAH SHEEP HERD
This is only a 6 1/2 year old ram, boy it sure has good genetics..........

PLUS I also have a hunter ethics question...
Are you supposed to wait til they are finished before you shoot? What would you do?

treedagain · Dec 12, 2012

thanks for the field pics, looks like you had a epic hunt....you did great

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greyghost · Dec 12, 2012

By all means, let him finish. Great job and congratulations. It is apparent you earned it.

ibow4it2 · Dec 12, 2012

Beautiful country, fantastic ram and some Sheep Porn.....doesn't get any better than that my friends.

Lv2hnt · Dec 12, 2012

Now that's an adventure! Nice ram and well-earned ...

Lv2hnt

"Every man dies --- not every man really lives."

TOPGUN · Dec 13, 2012

Wow, what a way to hunt them and some great pictures! Congratulations on a great ram!

littlebighorn · Dec 13, 2012

Nice "paying it forward" pictures and story!
It appears you did it right Raftguy! Certainly an adventure that you will hold close to the vest.
As far as shooting or not...if he is worth shooting, then you need to let him "pay it forward" before you dump him! LOL.
Great Job

PleaseDear · Dec 13, 2012

This is one of the coolest hunt trips I have read/seen on here in a very long time.

How unique of an idea.

Dandy Ram down too.

Thanks! for sharing,

Robb

whitewaterfreak · Dec 17, 2012

More interesting PICS

Rafting Desolation Canyon

If you know Indian Rock Art- this is where I hunted................
pictoglyphs were made thousands of years ago, this panel had 4 sheep
I killed my sheep within 500 yds of this pictoglyph.
Is that eerie or what?

This is NOT a black sheep.
Curious, when do moose antlers fall off?
Date is 11/10/12, I thought most antlered animals kept them through winter.

utswell · Dec 21, 2012

To Raftf.....Great post. Great story-book hunt adventure.
I'm glad it turned out so well. Just wish I could have been
along on this one.

To the board, this was a multi-year hunt with planning and
preparation culminating this year in a wonderful way.
You can hunt every year, just have the tag once.

tthorpe13 · Dec 21, 2012

Did you see that moose along the Green?

littlebighorn · Dec 21, 2012

Moose are early "droppers" Generally in November. Antelope also shed their sheaths early as well.

whitewaterfreak · Dec 28, 2012

Yes, moose was on the lower Green, above town. I heard there were two, male & female. BUT may have been the same moose, just that the bull had dropped its horns.