C
Chubs
Guest
I drew the San Juan Lockhart desert sheep tag and I'm looking for any insight into the unit/hunt that anyone is willing to provide. Thanks in advance...
treedagain
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 6,566
LAST EDITED ON Jun-22-15 AT 08:18PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jun-22-15 AT 08:16?PM (MST)
I will add to Zekes post
are you going to share pics? LOL
are you willing to pass up rams until you find one that is the right age class?
are you looking for the classic 1st post answer....give me EXACT locations or will you earn it....I have helped more than a couple guys on my sheep unit...one that expected everything and even though I did give him good info he screwed it up because he thought he knew more than me....you don't hunt sheep by trying to walk them down...same year a MM guy reached out mid season for help for his dad,they had hunted hard and needed a push in the right direction, after 1 email and phone call they knew everything I had on the unit, true hunters start to finish. after a couple trips he killed a slammer ram for the unit...he earned it, he also payed it forward and put the 1st guy on a smaller ram he had passed up earler in the hunt, he almost messed that one up also
I know on my planning/scouting/hunting I am sure more than one sheep hunter looked at his phone or inbox and shook there heads when I asked yet another question.....LOL...but I can say they never said go here or there, glass off this point, but when I would get back from yet another scouting trip (over 20 days)and fired off an email or hit send on my cell phone they would let me know what they thought of my latest game plan. I can vividly remember sitting in the harbor freight parking lot just before the hunt started and having a MM friend give me a pep talk that Vince Lombardi would have been proud of. my point is there is no free handouts at least where I was concerned. but I feel I earned the help I got by helping myself and never taking or expecting a shortcut. a lot of people own a part of that ram, more than a few I never have met in person.
I wish I had info for you on this unit. but I will say that the tag you have is very special and if you treat it with the respect/effort it deserves I have no doubt you will make us all proud.
I will add to Zekes post
are you going to share pics? LOL
are you willing to pass up rams until you find one that is the right age class?
are you looking for the classic 1st post answer....give me EXACT locations or will you earn it....I have helped more than a couple guys on my sheep unit...one that expected everything and even though I did give him good info he screwed it up because he thought he knew more than me....you don't hunt sheep by trying to walk them down...same year a MM guy reached out mid season for help for his dad,they had hunted hard and needed a push in the right direction, after 1 email and phone call they knew everything I had on the unit, true hunters start to finish. after a couple trips he killed a slammer ram for the unit...he earned it, he also payed it forward and put the 1st guy on a smaller ram he had passed up earler in the hunt, he almost messed that one up also
I know on my planning/scouting/hunting I am sure more than one sheep hunter looked at his phone or inbox and shook there heads when I asked yet another question.....LOL...but I can say they never said go here or there, glass off this point, but when I would get back from yet another scouting trip (over 20 days)and fired off an email or hit send on my cell phone they would let me know what they thought of my latest game plan. I can vividly remember sitting in the harbor freight parking lot just before the hunt started and having a MM friend give me a pep talk that Vince Lombardi would have been proud of. my point is there is no free handouts at least where I was concerned. but I feel I earned the help I got by helping myself and never taking or expecting a shortcut. a lot of people own a part of that ram, more than a few I never have met in person.
I wish I had info for you on this unit. but I will say that the tag you have is very special and if you treat it with the respect/effort it deserves I have no doubt you will make us all proud.
Zeke
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 10,605
+1
What he ^^^^ said.
Oh, and yes, I have hunted the Lockhart. It's a magical place and the scenery is unsurpassed anywhere in the world, IMHO. It IS sheep country and the sheep are 100% Utah sheep, as far as I know.
The sheep in that unit are not the biggest that the State has to offer but with that said, my friend guided a hunter to a B&C ram (or near B&C) and my friend's daughter shot a great ram and I was a small part of that experience too.
Zeke
What he ^^^^ said.
Oh, and yes, I have hunted the Lockhart. It's a magical place and the scenery is unsurpassed anywhere in the world, IMHO. It IS sheep country and the sheep are 100% Utah sheep, as far as I know.
The sheep in that unit are not the biggest that the State has to offer but with that said, my friend guided a hunter to a B&C ram (or near B&C) and my friend's daughter shot a great ram and I was a small part of that experience too.
Zeke
C
Chubs
Guest
Thanks for the replies-
I was certainly not looking for a 1 answer "here's where the sheep are" kind of thing, more just info I could layer in with what I've already learned, what size of ram i could reasonably expect to see, later in the season is better etc. My biggest concern is taking the right ram and I will put in whatever amount of time/effort this requires to do it right. I do know what a special tag this is, how special any sheep tag is.
The running joke in my family has been, "how many deseret sheep points will dad have when he dies"... Now the joke will have to be how many rocky points i guess. Anyway, I tagged along with a friend some 15 years ago or so on a desert sheep hunt (different unit) that he purchased at auction so he could finish his slam and his guide on that hunt, as it turns out, knows the Lockhart unit probably better than anyone and I have enlisted his services... It seems Zeke and I have a mutual friend.
I'm super excited to hunt sheep and to share the experience with a group of really great people.
Chubs
I was certainly not looking for a 1 answer "here's where the sheep are" kind of thing, more just info I could layer in with what I've already learned, what size of ram i could reasonably expect to see, later in the season is better etc. My biggest concern is taking the right ram and I will put in whatever amount of time/effort this requires to do it right. I do know what a special tag this is, how special any sheep tag is.
The running joke in my family has been, "how many deseret sheep points will dad have when he dies"... Now the joke will have to be how many rocky points i guess. Anyway, I tagged along with a friend some 15 years ago or so on a desert sheep hunt (different unit) that he purchased at auction so he could finish his slam and his guide on that hunt, as it turns out, knows the Lockhart unit probably better than anyone and I have enlisted his services... It seems Zeke and I have a mutual friend.
I'm super excited to hunt sheep and to share the experience with a group of really great people.
Chubs
treedagain
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 6,566
I think you did the right thing by going guided. It will be the hunt of a lifetime. Good luck
C
Chubs
Guest
bluejay-
Thanks for the prompt to get back on here with the update. I had a fantastic hunt with the help of some really great people, to whom I'm forever grateful. And to Zekes' comment earlier in the thread, I would have to agree that the Lockhart is a magical place with scenery second to none.
Anyway, it rained every day during the hunt with hours spent in the tent planning and planning some more. We knew of a ram from a couple of years ago that was a keeper then, and we had reason to believe was still alive, so we were hopeful that we could find him. After many days/hours of glassing we found the ram we were looking for. He was with another ram, they were head butting and testing each other although it was easy to tell which ram we were after. A pleasure to just watch and take it all in. As it turned out, we weren't able to seal the deal at that point so it was back to camp and a sleepless night.
After a long morning and a bunch more glassing, we were able to relocate the ram and the hunt was on. It took a fair amount of walking to get into position but it all came together and I was able to harvest a trophy that I never thought I would have the opportunity to hunt. DWR aged him at 13 years old and scored him at 159".
Again, many thanks to all who made this possible!
Chubs
PS- Congrats on your awesome ram bluejay!
Thanks for the prompt to get back on here with the update. I had a fantastic hunt with the help of some really great people, to whom I'm forever grateful. And to Zekes' comment earlier in the thread, I would have to agree that the Lockhart is a magical place with scenery second to none.
Anyway, it rained every day during the hunt with hours spent in the tent planning and planning some more. We knew of a ram from a couple of years ago that was a keeper then, and we had reason to believe was still alive, so we were hopeful that we could find him. After many days/hours of glassing we found the ram we were looking for. He was with another ram, they were head butting and testing each other although it was easy to tell which ram we were after. A pleasure to just watch and take it all in. As it turned out, we weren't able to seal the deal at that point so it was back to camp and a sleepless night.
After a long morning and a bunch more glassing, we were able to relocate the ram and the hunt was on. It took a fair amount of walking to get into position but it all came together and I was able to harvest a trophy that I never thought I would have the opportunity to hunt. DWR aged him at 13 years old and scored him at 159".
Again, many thanks to all who made this possible!
Chubs
PS- Congrats on your awesome ram bluejay!
Chubs,
I knew you would make it out with a great ram. That unit makes some terrific rams. Congratulations on an old brute. I hope you didn't mind me pushing on you a little to update us sheep nuts on your hunt. I'm still green at being a sheep nut, but I'm in. When did you harvest your ram? Beautiful specimen.
Thanks for your kind words.
Bluejay
I knew you would make it out with a great ram. That unit makes some terrific rams. Congratulations on an old brute. I hope you didn't mind me pushing on you a little to update us sheep nuts on your hunt. I'm still green at being a sheep nut, but I'm in. When did you harvest your ram? Beautiful specimen.
Thanks for your kind words.
Bluejay
treedagain
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 6,566
What a perfect end to your OIL hunt. He is a great old ram.congrads
littlebighorn
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 5,348
LAST EDITED ON Nov-16-15 AT 01:41PM (MST)[p]Great ram Chubs
It is especially cool that you found an old fart.
He is a classy ram for sure and it sounds as though you got your money's worth.
Well done!
It is especially cool that you found an old fart.
He is a classy ram for sure and it sounds as though you got your money's worth.
Well done!
sjhgraysage
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 2,290
Congrats! Nice pics by the way!
R
ramsniper
Guest
Congrats on the trophy of a lifetime Chubs. It was well earned. I have never been on such a rainy sheep hunt. 1" of rain in the frying pan 6 out of the 8 mornings we were there! But you never let it dampen your spirits, and the clouds finally parted and let the sun shine on those beautiful horns on the last day. Your ram is still one of my all time favorites.....the shape, uniqueness, the history of that ram, and the old age certainly set it apart. Not to mention the ride in to recover the prize was a prize in and of itself.
Horns>antlers
Horns>antlers
Bambistew
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,959
Really nice ram. Congrats!
You should have someone else age it, because I think the DWR is off by about 4 years. It looks like there are a few false annuli that they may have counted? The age rings are quite easy to see especially on the face on shot. The first easy to see ring starting at the tip, is year 3. I can't see any more than 9 years in any of the pictures. 9 years is still an old sheep.
Accurate age records are quite valuable. Having biologists who know how to age sheep accurately are also valuable.
You should have someone else age it, because I think the DWR is off by about 4 years. It looks like there are a few false annuli that they may have counted? The age rings are quite easy to see especially on the face on shot. The first easy to see ring starting at the tip, is year 3. I can't see any more than 9 years in any of the pictures. 9 years is still an old sheep.
Accurate age records are quite valuable. Having biologists who know how to age sheep accurately are also valuable.
