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Old 11-24-2020, 08:49 PM
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C-Lublinkhof C-Lublinkhof is offline
 
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Default 2020 Sheep

On Oct 27, 2020 I decided to go mule deer hunting as I had managed to pick up an undersubscribed tag in the mountains west of Nordegg. It was a pretty mild day, around 0C with two inches of snow on the trail in. I had fairly minimal equipment in my pack and was in a rush to get in there due to sleeping in a bit. This would come back to bite me later!

I made good time headed into my mule deer spot. It is about a 5km hike in to where the creek bed opens up, and one of the few areas accessible for day hikes where there is some open feeding/bedding areas in this zone. I was surprised to see 4 bighorn sheep ewes bedded just off the main trail on some finger ridges that dropped down to the creek bottom. After watching them for a bit and glassing the other ridges for deer, I continued on my way.

I took my time glassing the creek bottom before heading down the final descent into the bottom. I didn’t see anything bedded, but I could see fresh tracks in the snow with my Binos. Despite taking my time glassing and moving slowly along the creek bottom, I still managed to blow out three Mule does that saw me first. Those deer have sharp eyes! There is not a ton of cover down in there so I was fairly certain the buck I was looking for was not there. I set up a trail cam and had some lunch while I glassed the openings I could see on the slopes from the creek bed.

After a couple hours of glassing I decided to head back out for the day and to go glass for sheep in another area I had hiked into several times that year. On the way out I gained most of the elevation out of the creek bottom when I stopped for a breather. Something caught my eye on the mountain across the creek. I popped out my binos and sure enough there were some ewes feeding on a grassy slope about 1.5-2km away. I decided to see if there was anything interesting up there so I got out my spotting scope. I noticed more ewes were beginning to feed out from behind an outcrop of rock. I was just getting ready to pack up and continue on when I looked up to the top of the mountain and noticed a ram! Now I was getting excited. He was slowly feeding downhill so I couldn’t get a good look at him, but he looked heavier than most of the immature rams I had seen that season! Then his friend came out of the trees and stopped on a rock outcrop at the top of the mountain. This was a good Ram! I was certain he was legal right away. Now I was excited!

I packed up my gear and hustled back down to the creek bottom. There was no good place to cross the creek so I just plowed through getting a wet right boot in the process. Time to start the bushwhacking! I had planned my ascent before I headed down. I would have to drop back down to the bottom and follow the creek upstream a bit before I would be able to get up the opposite side bank. Once I got up the bank I would have a fairly steep ascent before the ground started to level off. Then I could swing back around and head in a downstream direction towards where the ridge climb would be a bit less sheer. I made good time crossing the creek and getting up the steep opposite bank. When I got close to the bottom of the ridge I came out into a clearing with lots of mule deer sign. I was looking at some rubs and then turned to glass up at the rams. Damn the big one was staring right at me! I couldn’t believe it, as I was still close to 1500ft of elevation below him and almost a kilometer away! I watched as he turned and disappeared into the trees with the smaller ram following him. My heart fell instantly.

I settled back on some thick moss back in the trees where I would be hidden. I watched that mountain top for 45 minutes with bated breath. Then the smaller ram popped back out! I hadn’t really paid attention to this guy before because I was entranced by the big bugger! Now that I studied him he looked legal. Game on! I kept to the trees as I hustled towards the ridge. The ascent was grueling with 6inches to 12 inches of snow and wet rocks. I fell on my face many times while trying to climb up that ridge. Eventually I did get to the last of the trees. I crept along the side of the ridge being careful not to spook the ewes that were above me while I closed distance on the Ram. When I got to 400 yards I popped out my spotter again and got to a position where I could study the ram. As this was my first time seeing a legal ram, I wanted to be damn sure he was legal! After 45 minutes of watching him feed I was confident this was my sheep. Time to make my move!

Dropping further down the face of the ridge out of sight of the ram I hustled towards him. The ewes had fed over the ridge, so I no longer had to worry about spooking them. I dropped my pack and continued on with just my rifle. I got to a rocky outcrop 200 meters from the ram and crawled around the side of it. I watched him through my rifle scope, but could not get steady. Damn looks like I would have to run back and grab my pack for a rest! Lesson learned… Keep your pack handy. The wind was beginning to pick up now and thick flakes started falling. I began to worry I may have a blizzard on my hands. As I crept back into my shooting position and got my rest set on my pack, I ranged the sheep at 198m. Now breathe. I settled in behind my rifle and calmed my heartbeat. I dryfired once to make sure I wasn’t flinching. It felt good. I was calm and had a good squeeze. I loaded a round in my 270wsm, breathed out, and squeezed the trigger. I watched the round hit the ram behind the shoulder double lung. He hardly flinched! He just stood there. I was worried he would run into an area I would not be able to access, so I decided to put him down. A shot in the shoulder should drop him right? Boy was I wrong. I shot him a second time and he immediately turned and sprinted straight downhill. I could see he was not using his left leg, and i knew he wouldn't go far.

The shakes hit me as soon as he disappeared from sight. It was like the worst case of buck fever I’ve ever had, combined with emotion. I was choked up. Had I really just killed a Bighorn ram?! This was an animal on my bucket list that I was not sure I would ever harvest in my entire life let alone in my first two years of sheep hunting! I lay there over my rifle for a bit just absorbing what had happened while I got my shakes under control and did some breathing exercises. There was also a fear eating a pit in my stomach. I couldn’t help but worry that I had shot a short sheep. Even though I was certain he was a good ram, I still had this fear churning away up until I got my hands on him.

It was time to go take a look at my Ram! I headed over towards the last place I had seen him. Uh oh. No ram in sight. I found the spot he had been standing when I shot him and could see the blood trail headed down the mountain. I followed it the edge of a cliff. My heart dropped as I peaked over the side of this 75-100ft cliff. Could I even get to my ram? What kind of condition would he be in? I knew the smartest thing would be to head back to where I had climbed up the ridge and descend there. Then I could try to get under him and make my way up. It was rapidly getting dark though and I worried I wouldn’t find him. As I came up with a plan I moved to the side of the cliff and it looked like I could descend the side, then the descent looked ok from that point. I started straight down the side of the cliff.

I quickly realized my mistake. After dropping about fifty feet I slipped and fell ten feet before I caught myself on a rock. I couldn’t go back now. I could also see a jagged rock that was smeared with blood where my sheep had impacted below.

Working my way down that cliff face was the scariest experience of my life. The rocks were slick with wet snow, and other spots were windswept hard snow that would break through randomly with no warning. When I got to the bottom of that first cliff there was only one way across. A six foot section of smooth rock that had wet snow on it. It was steep enough that I knew I would fall if I tried to walk across. There was a tree on the other side with branches reaching out across the rocks. It looked like the only way would be to jump and catch the branches. Praying that the branches would hold, I took a leap of faith. I caught a branch and made it across as my feet slipped out from under me. I fell and slid down the sheer face I hadn’t seen from the other side. I bounced off a tree and was thrown against another tree that I managed to catch a hold of. I watched as my trigger stick sailed off into oblivion over a fifty foot cliff I wasn’t even aware was below where I had jumped.

After a lot of shaking and swearing I worked up the courage to continue down the mountain. I was getting close to the tree line but it was still stupid steep. I made my way down through a combination of inching along, falling, and sliding over rocks. When I got to the trees I saw that there was a tree at the bottom of a 50ft cliff with a broken branch smeared in blood and guts. I was starting to suspect my sheep was going to be in rough shape. I was just thankful I hadn’t taken the same fall. Once I got to the trees I could slow my falls by catching myself on branches and sliding towards trees I knew would stop me. Eventually after about a 400ft elevation drop I found my ram. It was incredible to see the damage his horn had done to the tree on his fall. A 8 inch diameter tree was cracked and had a large chunk missing. He was wedged into some thick branches under the spruce tree. It took me 5 minutes of pushing, pulling and swearing before I finally got him freed up. He immediately flipped over and started sliding again. I followed him sliding on my butt down the hill and using the ram to cushion impacts against trees. Eventually after what seemed like an hour but was probably minutes of sliding we found a somewhat level spot I could work on.

It was sunset and I finally had my hands on my ram and could get a look at him! What a beautiful animal. That late season ram had a thick coat that seemed 4 inches deep around his neck! It broke my heart to see the damage the fall had wrought. The initial fall he looked to have gone face first into that rock. His jaw and nose were broken. One lower jawbone was sticking out sideways through his cheek. The tree with the broken branch he had hit had ripped him open from hip to neck up his left side. It was heartbreaking to see that much damage on such a majestic creature. I may have shed a tear. As has become a tradition for me, I got the beer out of my pack and enjoyed a beer with the ram while I absorbed the experience and darkness fell.

I texted my brother from my Inreach that I had downed a ram and he offered to come help pack it out. I knew that I would have to hustle to get the sheep broken down so that I wouldn’t keep him waiting to long. I still had a lot of ground to cover to get down the rest of the mountain and to the creek bottom where we planned to meet. I opened my pack to grab my headlamp and my heart fell. I had left my headlamp in the truck! Always double check your equipment before a hunt. I quartered out the sheep and got him loaded in game bags and then loaded into my pack by light of my cell phone flashlight held between my teeth or wedged in the front pocket of my jacket. I thanked my stars that I had my charger bank and cord to keep my phone charged up through the process. It was pretty terrible light to work with, so between my hack job and the damage from the fall I was sad to deem the cape unsalvageable.

Getting that loaded up pack on, I knew I was in for a world of hurt! I estimate my pack weight was around 130-140lbs. I had some extra gear in my pack, and I didn’t debone the quarters. Looking back it would have been worth taking the extra time to bone out the meat(if you're going to be dumb, ya gotta be tough). That descent down the mountain was the hardest thing physically and mentally I’ve ever done. I lost the quarter I had strapped to the front of my pack within ten minutes, so I carried a hind quarter in one hand and my phone in the other for light the rest of the packout. Snow depth ranged from 6 inches to 2 feet as I tripped my way over blowdown and rocks. I fell more times than I could keep track of. I was now soaked from falling into and sliding through the snow. It was about 10:30 pm before I made it to the final steep descent dropping down the creek bank. I intended to slowly walk down holding onto branches to keep myself upright. This plan went out the window in the first ten feet as my feet went out from under me and I slid at high speed pretty well to the bottom. I was scraped and bruised from hitting trees and branches on the slide. I could already feel a lump forming on my forehead where i decided to slow myself down by catching a tree with my face. After laying there for a bit questioning my sanity I finally got the strength to stand. My pack felt way to light. With a sinking feeling I dropped my pack and saw I had lost the ram’s head somewhere on my fall. Crawling the 100 feet back up to him was brutal. Then I repeated my high speed slide through the trees back down to my pack picking up a couple more scrapes. I loaded my pack back up and dropped the last 30 feet to the creek bottom and splashed across.

Being soaked from head to toe and the temperature rapidly dropping, I knew I would have to keep moving or risk hypothermia. At this point I started to holler for my brother as I had expected him to be there. Looking back, I didn’t give him a lot of information to find me! He was hiking blindly into an area he had never been, in the dark, and with no device to communicate. Now I was starting to worry for his safety. I trudged across the creek bottom and got to the bank on the other side. As I started to ascend it, I noticed a very fresh set of grizzly tracks headed the opposite direction on the trail through the snow. Great! Here I was at midnight, covered in sheep blood and carrying 120 lbs of sheep with a grizz in the vicinity. I increased the rate and volume that I was hollering for my bro! I plodded my way up the hill completely beat. I had to stop every hundred yards and collapse on the side of the trail I was so tired. Just as I finally reached to top of the last hill I heard him answer. What a relief! I dropped my pack and did some jumping jacks to stay warm as he walked up to me. I couldn’t resist giving him a big hug as I knew now the worst was over. I loaded most of the sheep into his pack while I kept one quarter and the neck/backstrap/trim meat. We made good time that last 4km back to the truck, but it was still close to 2am by the time we got back. The drive home I could not get warm enough with my wet clothes stripped off and heat/heated seat cranked!

I’ll always remember this hunt as the scariest and toughest thing I had done in my life. My GPS said I put on 25kms that day! Already the memories of the hardships are fading and I’m planning my next sheep hunt two years from now(maybe not solo in the winter though…). I now understand the power of the mountains and how amazing these animals are, to not only survive but thrive in those brutal places. We are certainly fortunate here in Alberta to have the opportunity to hunt sheep without having to shell out a ton of cash or wait 20 years for a draw. If You’re willing to put in the sweat equity you can have one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. I know my writing is inadequate to describe my experience, but I hope you enjoyed reading it! I only have two regrets with this experience, so I’ll pass on my advice so that you won’t have the same regrets. Firstly take more pictures! Sadly I did not get any with my sheep on the mountain. I should have taken a video or set a timer. Secondly, save the cape! I have been advised that a taxidermist may have been able to salvage it. They can do amazing work.

I must thank my brother for the rescue out there helping me pack that sheep at the end. I was pretty pathetic by the time he found me. I also have to thank my wife! Our daughter Eleanor arrived Sept. 1 and she still put up with letting me hunt most of this fall. She is an amazingly patient woman who held down the fort while I was off galivanting.
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Old 11-24-2020, 08:52 PM
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C-Lublinkhof C-Lublinkhof is offline
 
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Old 11-24-2020, 09:15 PM
super mario super mario is offline
 
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Congrats
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Old 11-24-2020, 09:23 PM
colt45 colt45 is offline
 
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Congrats on making it back alive and in one piece
Great ram
Great story
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Old 11-24-2020, 09:24 PM
Somehunter Somehunter is offline
 
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I really enjoyed the read. Great write up . Congrats !!!
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Old 11-24-2020, 09:29 PM
Lost Arrow Lost Arrow is offline
 
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Default Congrats!

What an outstanding post-good on you and congrats on experiencing such a grueling yet rewarding hunt. That one will never be forgotten. I love these stories on how hard work pays off. You cowboyed up and are to be commended. Just glad to hear you didn't get beat up any worse than you did.
Best wishes!
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Old 11-24-2020, 09:33 PM
freeride freeride is offline
 
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Great write up!

Thanks for sharing
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Old 11-24-2020, 09:36 PM
Gboe8 Gboe8 is offline
 
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I really enjoyed the story. Sounds like an amazing hunt. The harder it gets the more I seem to enjoy it and think about the hunt after. Sounds like a hunt you will never forget! Congrats!
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Old 11-24-2020, 09:38 PM
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Great write up; thanks for taking the time to post it. Glad you made it out in one piece.
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Old 11-24-2020, 09:46 PM
Howard Hutchinson Howard Hutchinson is offline
 
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What a story you've to with your trophy. Son of a gun, its a wonder how those critter survive in that environment. Crazy as heck.

I wonder how many fall to their death over the course of a year? Especially during the rut.

Good on you for closing your tag on one and striking one off you list. Thank you
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Old 11-24-2020, 10:25 PM
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You are a tough bugger. Congrats on the great accomplishment. Next time you will know what to expect 😜
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Old 11-25-2020, 06:40 AM
Redneck 7 Redneck 7 is offline
 
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Thanks for the read! I liked it, you took a beating and you’re gonna be laughing at that story for the years to come.
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Old 11-25-2020, 07:41 AM
bagwan bagwan is online now
 
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Excellent story!!! Congrats
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Old 11-25-2020, 08:05 AM
KazIce KazIce is offline
 
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Amazing write up and awesome Ram. Wow, what an adventure.


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Old 11-25-2020, 08:17 AM
livinthedream livinthedream is online now
 
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WOW! Awesome story. You had me glued to my chair. You sheep hunter's are a crazy bunch! Congrats on your accomplishment and by the way, your writing cannot be, by any stretch of the imagination, described as "inadequate". Quite the contrary! One of the best writeups on the AO forum, ever!
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Old 11-25-2020, 08:49 AM
wildwoods wildwoods is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by livinthedream View Post
WOW! Awesome story. You had me glued to my chair. You sheep hunter's are a crazy bunch! Congrats on your accomplishment and by the way, your writing cannot be, by any stretch of the imagination, described as "inadequate". Quite the contrary! One of the best writeups on the AO forum, ever!
Agreed. The write up was amazing. I was right there with you!

You should submit this to AO magazine to get published under "reader submitted stories". Congrats on the ram. We share the same experience this year on nailing our first rams. That is a great feeling!
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Old 11-25-2020, 08:52 AM
Simplefarmer Simplefarmer is offline
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Excellent write up and Ram, congrats !

Jim
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Old 11-25-2020, 11:11 AM
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Great story, Incredible 1st Ram!!!
Congrats!!

Thanks for sharing
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Old 11-25-2020, 11:51 AM
tony d tony d is offline
 
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awesome congrats
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Old 11-25-2020, 11:56 AM
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Excellent write up and Ram, congrats !

Jim
Totally!
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Old 11-25-2020, 12:17 PM
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Great writeup. My guts were churning reading your story. Congratulations on your ram.
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Old 11-25-2020, 02:13 PM
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What an awesome read!!! Appreciate you taking the time and sharing with us. Congrats on a well well earned hunt. Sublime!
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Old 11-25-2020, 03:53 PM
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He didn’t fall?!? Inconceivable!

Great story. I especially like the admission of a lot of swearing haha.
Now you get to take a season to scout that big one and get him in two seasons
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Old 11-25-2020, 07:54 PM
Bluedog Bluedog is offline
 
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Great story, brings back some memories, super nice Ram congratulations
two thumbs up 👍🏼 👍🏼
Bluedog
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Old 11-25-2020, 09:11 PM
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Great story and write up congrats
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Old 11-25-2020, 09:12 PM
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Great play by play adventure story!
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Old 11-25-2020, 09:28 PM
RandyBoBandy RandyBoBandy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wildwoods View Post
Agreed. The write up was amazing. I was right there with you!

You should submit this to AO magazine to get published under "reader submitted stories". Congrats on the ram. We share the same experience this year on nailing our first rams. That is a great feeling!
This
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Old 11-26-2020, 07:37 AM
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Excellent ram and a great story to boot, well done!

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Old 11-26-2020, 07:53 AM
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What a story, great looking ram. That is some experience you went through in one day capped off with success. Congrats!
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Old 11-26-2020, 08:33 AM
Kawibunga Kawibunga is offline
 
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HARDCORE!! Congrats, and excellent job on the write up as well!
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