dallen
Lil-Rokslider
Well, after six days in the hills, with about 47 miles logged over 30,000 vertical feet, the rewards were granted. Initially, I was unsure about our being able to hunt together this year, with all the waiting of word on what college would look like for her. Eventually, it all settled out for her to be attending Boise State in a couple of days (so she'll be looking to expand her hunting horizons...). Mal was also lucky enough to be one of the winners of the Tok Management tags this year. Our only problem with the hunt, was the dates available. The season started on the 10th. We had to be flying from here to Boise on the 14th. That left us with three days, plus one walk out day to get it done. We got it done, and have a day to spare.
Our sheep story began on the 7th. I wanted to get to the area we had selected early, so that we could try and pin some rams down. I decided against a fly in hunt due to the time constraints, so we did a 4 wheeler plus walk in hunt. Well, plans and reality don't always come together. We got to our base camp on the 7th, but it was raining like a dog and the clouds were hanging down at about 2500 feet. Couldn't see nothing.
We stayed in base camp that day, and headed up the valley the morning of the 8th. The clouds had lifted a bit, and we could see the location we wanted to put our spike camp. After a long uphill walk, we finally arrived at our little spot....in a freakin snow storm! We quickly set up our camp and got situated for the night. Next morning we wake up to a cold, but fair day. We searched the area around our camp and seen nothing. So, we made the decision to move spike camp to another part of the valley. After a move of several miles, we found spike camp number two. It was a little bowl, about a third of the way up a valley wall. Had water and some seriously beat in sheep trails.
We did some looking, with some ewes and lambs spotted, but no rams. Oh well, there goes having one tied down for opening morning. Morning of the 10th breaks with partly cloudy skies and a wind. We spent most of the 10th hunting from our new location. Found tons of sheep sign, but no rams spotted. Morning of the 11th breaks in a fairly sunny, but still cold and breezy. We left camp and headed up toward a ridge that had a lot of sign on it. We got about a mile from camp, and noticed a group of three rams moving down the valley from spike camp one toward us. Two were definitely sub legal rams, but the lead one had some promise. We watched as those rams walked right through our spike camp. Literally right through it. They spooked as they did so, and ran toward us. We were set up for a shot just waiting. I looked at the lead ram with the spotter and was sure he was a 7 year old, but was really close to full. The rams eventually passed above us at about 80 yards, and I had to make the call that he was just not what he needed to be. If he wasn't full, it was probably lacking by about an 8th of an inch. We spent the rest of the day looking with no other rams spotted.
Morning of the 12th breaks with hurricane force winds and nasty torrential rains....at least thats the way it sounded from inside the tent. I laid in my bag, well after my alarm went off, contemplating how much I really wanted to get out of my bag and into that weather. After a little bit, something in my head just told be to get up and get moving. I got up, put on the rain gear and starting the morning ritual, boiling water for coffee and a meal of biscuits and gravy. I looked up a the head of the valley and seen 4 white dots that appeared to be heading our way. I told Mal she should get dressed just in case they turned out to be something worth going after. As I watched the 4 white dots, I starting seeing more and more white dots crest the ridge of that far bowl (spike camp one) and move into our valley. The sheep were definitely moving today. Mal got out of the tent and was dressed. I told her that it was a false alarm, as all I had seen moving toward us was ewes and lambs. As we turned to go back to our coffee, we heard a rock fall on the hillside right above camp. We both turned, and to our complete shock, were looking at two rams about 120 yards from camp standing there looking at us. Mal got on the gun, and I quickly looked them over. Right away, I looked at the size of the horns and the mass they had and knew he was an older ram. I told Mal to shoot the lead ram. She got on him and took the shot......I seen the rocks behind him explode but there was absolutely no reaction, I told her to shoot again, just as he sort of sat on his but, then went up and over and started rolling down the hill toward us. I reached over to Mal and gave her a great big victory hug and also a thank you to the Lord who I know had to be smiling on us at that moment. We took lots of pictures and then packed him back to camp. A whopping 107 yard pack. Broke camp and were on the road back home about 7 hours later.
We go to the airport tonight, heading to Boise. I both dread this, and am excited for her at the same time. I suppose its what all dads feel when they send their daughters off to college. One thing I do know, is that we will be hunting sheep and other mountain animals in the coming years. She said that her goal is to achieve a sheep grand slam in the future. I have no doubts that she'll achieve that if she puts her mind to it. She's got to be the toughest eighteen year old girl that I know. And she's got the sheep disease....
Our sheep story began on the 7th. I wanted to get to the area we had selected early, so that we could try and pin some rams down. I decided against a fly in hunt due to the time constraints, so we did a 4 wheeler plus walk in hunt. Well, plans and reality don't always come together. We got to our base camp on the 7th, but it was raining like a dog and the clouds were hanging down at about 2500 feet. Couldn't see nothing.
We stayed in base camp that day, and headed up the valley the morning of the 8th. The clouds had lifted a bit, and we could see the location we wanted to put our spike camp. After a long uphill walk, we finally arrived at our little spot....in a freakin snow storm! We quickly set up our camp and got situated for the night. Next morning we wake up to a cold, but fair day. We searched the area around our camp and seen nothing. So, we made the decision to move spike camp to another part of the valley. After a move of several miles, we found spike camp number two. It was a little bowl, about a third of the way up a valley wall. Had water and some seriously beat in sheep trails.
We did some looking, with some ewes and lambs spotted, but no rams. Oh well, there goes having one tied down for opening morning. Morning of the 10th breaks with partly cloudy skies and a wind. We spent most of the 10th hunting from our new location. Found tons of sheep sign, but no rams spotted. Morning of the 11th breaks in a fairly sunny, but still cold and breezy. We left camp and headed up toward a ridge that had a lot of sign on it. We got about a mile from camp, and noticed a group of three rams moving down the valley from spike camp one toward us. Two were definitely sub legal rams, but the lead one had some promise. We watched as those rams walked right through our spike camp. Literally right through it. They spooked as they did so, and ran toward us. We were set up for a shot just waiting. I looked at the lead ram with the spotter and was sure he was a 7 year old, but was really close to full. The rams eventually passed above us at about 80 yards, and I had to make the call that he was just not what he needed to be. If he wasn't full, it was probably lacking by about an 8th of an inch. We spent the rest of the day looking with no other rams spotted.
Morning of the 12th breaks with hurricane force winds and nasty torrential rains....at least thats the way it sounded from inside the tent. I laid in my bag, well after my alarm went off, contemplating how much I really wanted to get out of my bag and into that weather. After a little bit, something in my head just told be to get up and get moving. I got up, put on the rain gear and starting the morning ritual, boiling water for coffee and a meal of biscuits and gravy. I looked up a the head of the valley and seen 4 white dots that appeared to be heading our way. I told Mal she should get dressed just in case they turned out to be something worth going after. As I watched the 4 white dots, I starting seeing more and more white dots crest the ridge of that far bowl (spike camp one) and move into our valley. The sheep were definitely moving today. Mal got out of the tent and was dressed. I told her that it was a false alarm, as all I had seen moving toward us was ewes and lambs. As we turned to go back to our coffee, we heard a rock fall on the hillside right above camp. We both turned, and to our complete shock, were looking at two rams about 120 yards from camp standing there looking at us. Mal got on the gun, and I quickly looked them over. Right away, I looked at the size of the horns and the mass they had and knew he was an older ram. I told Mal to shoot the lead ram. She got on him and took the shot......I seen the rocks behind him explode but there was absolutely no reaction, I told her to shoot again, just as he sort of sat on his but, then went up and over and started rolling down the hill toward us. I reached over to Mal and gave her a great big victory hug and also a thank you to the Lord who I know had to be smiling on us at that moment. We took lots of pictures and then packed him back to camp. A whopping 107 yard pack. Broke camp and were on the road back home about 7 hours later.
We go to the airport tonight, heading to Boise. I both dread this, and am excited for her at the same time. I suppose its what all dads feel when they send their daughters off to college. One thing I do know, is that we will be hunting sheep and other mountain animals in the coming years. She said that her goal is to achieve a sheep grand slam in the future. I have no doubts that she'll achieve that if she puts her mind to it. She's got to be the toughest eighteen year old girl that I know. And she's got the sheep disease....
