Well my bighorn season opened Aug. 6. I hunted hard for 8 1/2 days and only saw sheep 2 days. Closest I got was 60-70 yds. Nobody I've heard of in the unit has been seeing too many rams. Tough going so far but beautiful scenery, lots of elk, some moose, deer and antelope, hours upon hours of glassing, lots of miles up and down and good weather so far. Can't complain about an opportunity to hunt sheep. I will be going out again late next week solo for the end of the season. Here are a few pics (finally) from part 1 of the hunt.
Base camp
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1328.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1326.jpg)
a few elk
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1322.jpg)
a couple more elk
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1324.jpg)
Colotrad/Steve on our first climb to the top
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1329.jpg)
More pics
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1330.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1332.jpg)
It was getting below freezing at night above 11,500'
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1334.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1335.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1337.jpg)
more pics
lots of glassing
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1339.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1342.jpg)
the cliffs of death
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1344.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1345.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1347.jpg)
more
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1351.jpg)
more glassing
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1357.jpg)
SHEEP!!! the only ones we saw on two different days
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1359.jpg)
this is where they bedded one day
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1361.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1362.jpg)
still more
spike camp
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1365.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1366.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1369.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1371.jpg)
an old miner's shack at about 13,500'
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1373.jpg)
A couple more
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1374.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1377.jpg)
glassing in the mosquitos
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/kadbow/IMG_1380.jpg)
Fantastic !!
Thanks for taking us along.
This are great keep it coming
Awesome pictures sir! Good luck on the rest of your hunt!
Wonderful pictures, thank you for taking the time to share your hunting. I wish you the best of luck for the remainder of the season.
Awesome Pics, Thanks from the boys out east to see such wonderful country.......Bobby
Fantastic country! Looks like sore lungs to this flatlander!
Glenn
QuoteOriginally posted by Robert Cunfer:
Awesome Pics, Thanks from the boys out east to see such wonderful country.......Bobby
+1!
QuoteOriginally posted by Robert Cunfer:
Awesome Pics, Thanks from the boys out east to see such wonderful country.......Bobby
+1!
Great pics of some beautiful country!
Good luck next week.
Bisch
Mark,
You are in beautiful country with great weather. There certainly are a lot of elk up there. Sheep hunting is about as challenging as it gets, and doing it with traditional bows makes your odds of shooting a sheep about as good as the odds of drawing the tag to begin with. As JFK said, there are some things we do "because they are hard," and sheep hunting with a longbow is definitely one of those things!
I wish you the best on your continuing odyssey for the elusive ram. Enjoy the time in the wild places, because that is the true joy of hunting.
Allan
Great photos Mark - thanks for sharin'!
Hang tough Bud - you will find those Rams!
Enjoy the journey!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
Maybe this is your week,thanks for the pics.
Great looking country.
Best of luck to you this coming week! Regardless of the outcome, more pics. Never tire of pics of sheep country.
Travis
Great pictures. I need oxigen just looking at them. Good luck on your next try.
Thanks for sharing your hunt. Those are some great pictures. Good luck on the rest of your season.
Fantastic!! Thanks for sharing that with us, and good luck on the next part of your hunt. I'm sure pulling for you!
Awsome pics and good luck!
Fantastic.....
thank you for taking the time to share your trip with the gang.
Beautiful country, thanks for sharing it with us.
Good stuff Mark, good luck next week!
Great pics Mark and good luck on the rest of the hunt. I'll keep watching and pulling for you!
Thanks for taking the time to post! Good luck next week!
Nathan
Man, that's some awesome country, trade you for florida any day :D
Thanks for posting those :)
MK
Looks like alot of legs in that first pic...Shanks? If thats you under the shirt being scared of Skeeters you done packed on some pounds ;) Be carefull up there its a long ways down. Persistance will meet opportunity and luck will prevail. Good luck God bless plus take lots more PICTURES!!
Seymour
When you're up there do ya feel like the king of the world and your bow a fit companion for the adventure? ;)
Congratulations! Good luck, have fun and keep us posted.
Whip, that X2 is working out great. Butts that is Steve and Shanks in the first pic, Steve won't appreciate your comment about the skeeter pic but we had to put on layers to keep from getting munched alive.
Spectacular! You have pro photog talent. Beautiful country & animals! Thanks. Best luck.
Mark-- Great pics!!! Am waiting for the Great One. Eric and EC got their antelope on opening day! First timer for EC 17yrs old. I will be back up there in a few days. Scott is there until Sunday. Go get after those Rams!!! Good Luck for a easy pack out. Dick
Rick (Butts) I was up there for two days with Mark and Steve. The sheep just aren't cooperating and are making themselves very scarce. It is huge country up there and they can be difficult to locate. Mark has been hunting hard and I hope his luck changes. Jim
Thanks for posting and reminding me of what I am missing this year:) LOL! Keep the pics coming. Good luck on your next trip up.
Jim -- Seeing that picture of the ram in your avatar shows me you know something about sheep hunting! Congratulations on that one. It's a beauty. Hopefully Mark can find that sort of success too. Did you post the story of your sheep somewhere? If so, could you point me to the post, and, if not, could you write something and tell us about your experience?
Mark -- I have an Eberlestock X2 pack also and really like it. I used it for my elk hunting last year, and the only complaint I had was that it started squeaking where the straps contacted the metal frame. Glen Eberle wraps friction tape around the portions of the frame where the straps are and has stopped the noise, so that problem is fixed. I recently bought the new Kuiu Icon pack frame and both the 3000 and 6000 packs that attach to it. I have a feeling I am really going to like the Kuiu frame and packs, especially in situations like yours where going uphill with substantial loads is required. There are some of the carrying options that Glen has designed that Jason has not yet started producing for the Kuiu packs, but I know Jason is working on them. Maybe the weather will get a little "worse" and drive the sheep to lower altitudes by the time you get back up there into the mountains. Please remind us where you are hunting -- I assume somewhere on the western slopes.
Allan
Allan,
If I recall correctly, the story of Jim's ram was in TBM a few years back. It is from the same unit I am hunting.
Mark,
I edited the post above and directed it in part to you.
Allan
Pulling for you my friend. The one time that I went sheep hunting we had a pretty hard time getting in the rams as well. But you will find them and the peices will fall together.
Good luck.
I am deeply moved by your story and pictures.
Thank you so much for sharing a hunt that folks like me will never get a chance at.
I appreciate it so very much!!
God bless,Mudd
Nice pictures.
Wow Beautiful Country. Great Pics
There is nothing better than sheep country and sheep hunting.
Three pieces of equipment that I have been extremely pleased with on this hunt are the Eberlestock X2 pack, my Assolo Sasslong boots (very comfortable and good support) and my Vortex Viper 10x42 binocs. The X2 seems to be the perfect size as you do need to carry a good range of gear to survive if needed. Temps were ranging to below freezing in the mornings (yes there was frost on Aug 6) to the 80s at lower elev and afternoons. Below freezing with 35-40 mph winds above timberline is chilly. The sun is also very intense at high altitude. I didn't put sunscreen on my hands the first few days and with the exposure they got glassing I ended up getting blisters from sunburn. It is very different hunting than deer or elk hunting.
Nothing like sheep country! Thanks for the update and good luck on round 2.
Great photos! Thanks for sharing! Good luck on round two!
That is some beautiful country for sure, thanks for the pics and good luck next trip!
Beautiful, thanks for sharing. Good luck with the rest of your hunt.
:thumbsup: Good luck!
:wavey: :notworthy: Good Luck Mark!
hunt hard mate. looks like great scenery.
forgive my ignorance but can non residents get over the counter sheep tags in colorado? or is there a ballot that non residents can enter?
it would be great to hunt sheep oneday.
best of luck!
Mark-Great pics, keep up the faith, at least you're out amongst them! Good luck on your next hunt!
Clint-You have to put into the draw in Colorado, resident or non-resident. There are archery only hunts though, which improve your odds a little. I think the only state that has over the counter sheep tags is Montana and these units have very few sheep, but there are a few around.
This working stuff is killing me, only a couple more days until I get out again.
Mark, nothing will ever take the place of persistence! I can't think of anything better than taking your ram on the LAST day of the season...you get precious few days of life to be sheep hunting and I made sure to enjoy EVERY one; ram or no ram. I think the deer season started the weekend before my S12 tag ran out, but I did not find that to be an issue. Not sure how it comes in for you, but keep at and keep positive.
Pullin' for you :thumbsup:
Mark, Excellent photos! Thanks for keeping us flatlanders updated....we all wish you the best of luck!
Been waiting for this Mark - Appreciate all the pictures. Really pulling for you on this one, and hope you get into some heavy sheep action on your next outing.
Some absolute gorgous country you were in, and again thanks for taking us along. Best of luck when you get back at it!
Steve, I am a little jealous you got to tag along.....Good on ya for giving lots of support!
Good Luck mark! Pulling for you here as well.
Thank You for sharing the photos and hunt challenges! Awesome! Maxx.
Very cool. Not sure I will ever hunt sheep, but do think it would be awesome.
So thanks for taking me with you.
Beautiful country and great pictures! Good luck with the rest of your hunt!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Very cool Mark! I am looking forward to following the rest of your hunt. Hope you arrow a big old roman nosed ram!!!
The gear you're carrying in your pack isn't really all that heavy...it's the rest of us you're dragging along that's adding the weight. Thanks and good luck!
WOW that is beautiful, almost never want to leave a place like that.
Simply fantastic pics. Thanks for sharing them and good luck the rest of the way!
sheep are not easy with any weapon, but when I was in Alaska I love going up after them. If I could only have one more hunt, I would have to flip a coin, on elk or sheep. I mean hell they both love the same steep mountains, just no dead fall to trip, stumble and fall over. Love it up there. Thanks for sharing.
Kelly
How did you turn out this season Mark? What is the rest of the story?
Awesome scenery!
Very Nice photos. Beautiful scenery. Out of curiosity what gps unit were you using?
It was a great learning opportunity for me to tag along with Mark. I learned how badly I needed to be in better shape, how badly my legs could shake after a hard day with 1500 foot elevation gains and drops, and how I had lost my high altitude lungs (I grew up near here at 10,200 feet). This was my old stomping grounds and it was awesome being back above timberline.
Mark kicked my butt up and down those hills, so I guess I deserve that "FAT" comment from Rick. Hopefully I can put all this new found knowledge to use if/when I ever draw my sheep tag.
Thanks for sharing!
I added part II in another post.