Three big horn rams � all giants and one larger even than the other two � were first spotted by guide F.H �Bert� Riggall in 1917, at the end of a hunt where other rams were taken.

Rigall did not encounter the three rams again until 1920 when he was guiding two college freshmen, Meridan Bennet and Martin Bovey. Bennet got first shot per a straw-draw. After a half day wait and stalk, the rams eluded from an up-hill to a down-hill location, and still wrapped in his sling for an uphill shot, Bennet had no time to alter his now awkward sling position. He fired and missed with his first shot, and his second and third and fourth at the now running rams. As the first two disappeared, he connected on the last ram with his last cartridge at over 300 yards. It was the �smallest� of the three at 42� outside length and a 16 1/8� base circumference.

It was not until 1922 that Rigall again found the remaining two giants, and one of his hunters killed the second largest ram. It measured 43� with a base of 16 5/8�.

In September, 1924, Martin Bovey, now a college senior, again hunted with Bert Rigall. They hunted for over a week without sighting the giant they were after, and Bovey had to return for the start of school by September 15th. Rigall began to think the old ram would likely die ignomiously from a wolf or bear as effects of age would soon prevent grazing, weakening it for predators. Maybe it was already gone.

Then, on September 12th, Riggall thought he saw a horn with his 8X Zeiss binocular, high above the crest of Mt. O�Rourke in the High Rocks Mountain Range where the three had always been. After � hour, Rigall saw the horn move, and the ram started to feed down the mountain. Rigall and Bovey moved too.

Using a rifle and cartridge seen as clearly inadequate by today�s long range �hunting� crowd, and after a 7 year long fair chase, the largest of the three Rocky Mountain Big Horn rams was taken. It topped the Boone and Crockett world record book for 41 years (1924 -1965).

Hunter: Martin Bovey
Guide: F.H. �Bert� Riggall
Place: High Rock Mountain Range, near Oyster Creek, on the Alberta-British
Columbia border
Date: September 12, 1924
Score: 207 2/8 (46� outer curl and 17� circumference)
Rifle: Savage Model 99K, 250/3000 caliber, Lyman 48 peep sight and gold bead
front, 87 grain bullet
Range: 200 yards; 2 shots (both fatal hits)
[The Bovey ram was not recognized as #1 until B&C scoring was revised circ. 1951. It was ultimately displaced in 1965 by the 208 1/8 ram shot by Fred Weiller in 1911, as the Weiller ram was never scored until 1965�Fred Weiller killed his ram within 40 miles of the Bovey ram.]

*As taken from �The Three Musketeers� in A Treasury of Outdoor Life�, 1975, pp. 191-201.

A great story............little different than using a helicopter to get a full curl ram in the NWT.

Tangozulu:

I decided this story deserved re-telling in light of today's flawed, lazy, gutless, and dishonorable hunting practices.

Wouldn't it be great to have a guide like Bert Riggall, someone who got the job done regardless of the money involved...

and money is why I will never get to go sheep hunting, so this is as good as it gets for me.

Fairly large paint stroke, that may or may not be right, and there was probably more dishonorable hunting done in the old days, then many realize.


Another good read re: doing it the old way.

"Slim Moore: Alaska Master Guide" by Jim Rearden

Bert Rigall was the real deal.his daughter Doris wrote a book about their life in the mountains.I new her briefly she died about 10 tears ago.

I think there are a lot of true sheep hunters still around, not everyone uses helicopters or shoots sheep at 2000 yards..In fact most do it just like Bert did it IMO...At least the ones I send do. I don't agree with shooting animals at extended ranges like that as too many are wounded and the use of helicopters is not my cup of tea either.

I also know that most sheep are shot at under 200 yards, that one can get closer if he works at it, and I would not hesitate to hunt sheep with 99 Savage in 250-3000..I have not hunted sheep with the 250/3000, but I have shot a world of deer and a few elk with it..I did shoot a sheep with my 25-35 Win SRC, on our ranch in Mexico many years ago. Shot a bear with it also..

In Berts Days, Outfitters were mostly ranchers trying to make some pocket money. In a sence they were non-profesion. The hunters mostly wanted an adventure. I have a lot of respect for both in those days.
Todays "profesional" outfitters and "celebrity" hunters have pretty much destroyed hunting as the grand old tradition use to be conducted.I have little respect for most outfitters and none for those that only hunt private land. Most couldn't find any public land wildlife if they were chained to it. Ditto the hunters that frequent these outfits. Celeb hunters are all ego
and greed.
Just the way I feel.
Keep it fair chase, OTC on public land......and take your kids.

Hate to burst your bubble, but outfitting even in the old days usually was not an easy or inexpensive business venture and many of the clients that went on those 30day adventures were in many cases the Drs., Lawyers and Indian Chiefs of their day.

Even then the average Joe, unless he had true dedication and was willing to sacrifice or lived where the sheep lived didn't get to go.

Oh no bubbles getting busted......no doubt the guys with Outfitters has a few dollars but they also took the tirme to suffer a bit. No supercub to spot game or get you out if you didn't like the bugs. If you had a heart attack you probably died.You had to suffer a bit without the cell phone and GPS. Non guided resident hunter weren't the enemy from an outfitters pespective...........just company if you managed to meet. I see many guided hunters are out of camp the day after the ram tagged these days............don't/can't take the wheather/bugs or lack of a shower.

Perhaps you should read some of the campfire members adventures, before you make such generalizations. Some may think we are special, but I doubt it.

I know lots of sheep hunters, guess I've killed a few myself, though on my own ticket.
Few these days will mention the Jet Ranger parked in camp or care that their ram has already been located by the outfitter with his cub. It was outfitters that lobbied for the use of helicopters.......not the res hunters.

I know sheep hunts have always been expensive, I applied a few times in the mid-1980s (no tags drawn) then guide prices went straight up in the 1990s.....out of my league. And , hunting limited quota areas with a season closure anytime....NO THANKS.

Wyoming and Montana really stacked their draw for out-of-stater(me) units as every unit was limited/close anytime, and license fees were 5-6x cost of state residents.

What occupations do these sheep hunters have, anyway, to pay for this stuff? I would like to know what they do for a living? Annual incomes? Can you sponsor a survey here on their incomes??!! Ha

Lots of 'regular' guys are hunting sheep, they just have different priorities than most.

That said, I'm sure the grand slammers, as a group, have a higher than average income.

Tangozulu

If you have not read the book I mentioned-Slim Moore, etc-I think you would enjoy it.

What I would have liked to have seen would have been the 30day hunts with pretty much of what a place like Alaska has to offer. If the weather was bad, take a break and go at it another day. He often hunted off of horses and you could get a feel for the country along with the hunt.

From the read, the animals were definitely more abundant and accessible.

Things have changed no doubt.

If you have a couple sheep, done on your own, you have my congratulations.

Well I know I'm lucky to live in sheep country so it gives me more options than just writing a check. Besides the check would bounce if I had to deal with the bankers our local outfitters have become.
I was born in bighorn country, then moved to dall country and finally to sheep hunters paridise. The only jurisdiction with unlimited OTC bighorn and thinhorn sheep.
I did this before marriage, kids or a career as I had the bug pretty hard. Today I can still get a tag for 50 bucks but don't have the time to do it right so will waite till the kids are a bit older and maybe help get them a ram instead, if we still can.
Right now our outfitters are pushing hard to get residend hunters put on draw accross the board. They feel killing most of the sheep isn't good enough and want to sell even more hunts. I assure you more supply will not bring down the price. There guys just have big dollar signes in their eyes.
I guess I just hate the business that hunting has become.

I definately am up for a good sheep book. Thanks for the suggestion. They are few and far between. I certainly have no intension of dissing any of my fello hunters. I just have hunting in my soul, it sure is no hobby and wonder why my kids will not likely be able to enjoy what I was able too. Hard not to be emotional about it sometimes. My bro just send me pics today of a Bighorn his hunt partner tagged a few weeks ago in Alberta.............resident guys, just carpenters but dedicated. Sure got the blood stirring again for sure.

Can't use helicopters in Alaska for hunting. Come on up and try it as you wish it to be...

Yep,no helicopters here.

Buckeye,I live here (in sheep country)because I like to hunt.I don't hunt just because I happen to be here.I was born and raised on the east coast not in Alaska.I live a very modest lifestyle and do not make alot of money.

Bottom line,you want to sheep hunt you will find a way to do it.

Well the airplane and the Helicopter made what was a 30 or 40 day pack trip an 10 hunt now. There is nothing wrong with using these modes of transportation. In the 1917 to 1924 period, you really needed a lot of money and a lot of time in order to hunt sheep. You don't need as much time but you do need money, the good thing is that most professions will pay reasonably well enough that with a little planing it can be affordable. The problem is the demand, since there are a lot more hunters that can afford to go than in the early part of the last century. I know quite a few guys that have hunted a lot, one is a furnace mechanic, he is not a rifle horse, has the same two he bought 40 years ago and lives a very modest lifestyle, yet he has hunted all over North America and a good bit of Africa as well. Like trapper J says is spot on. The Idea that big game hunting is a poor mans sport is a lie, always has been. You pay a lot for your hunting and its not just in dollars.

Of course aircraft (fixwing)should be allowed to access areas. Too often planes are used tro locate game.Especially in Alaska. Even with a waite period this is still cheating in my book. Rams at rest may stay in an area for weeks. I work with helicpters on a dailey bases, believe me a sheep hunt is guaranteed when they are applied to the tools available for hunting.I will never condone their use and will always steer hunters away from using an NWT outfiter untill this rule is changed back.

Broad brush, deft strokes...

Problem there or just maligning the profession in general?

There are lots of good prople that are also outfitters.
Thats not the point. I feel the endless comercialization of hunting has started a race to the bottom in hunting ethics.
One of the biggest draws to immigrants to North America was the fact that fish and wildlife belonged to the people and not some monarchy. The last thing I would want to see is hunting as practiced in Europe become the standard in North America. Unfortunately we are well down that road now.

All:

Thanks for the discussion.

Yes, hunters will find a way to pay for it if they really want it...

I just decided by the late 80's that the guide fees in particular would be a moral embarrassment at $4-6,000 [1985] if I disclosed paying those sums...so I quit applying when I got a refunded $900 desert big horn tag application fee back from Nevada in 1985, and I bought a much needed new pick-up [with a bank loan].

I do have a custom 7x57 Sako that I had a big horn sheep engraved on the floor plate...so I can dream on that.

While I can understand the sentiment, I do not see the connection between the two as linear as you do. In fact, I see the opposite quite often.



Broad brush again - main difference is that MOST (not all) european countires a have a system that bases the hunting right to land ownership/stewardship. Wildlife does not belong to anyone.
That in itself has not yet anything to do with commercialism and / or ethics.

I do not think you know to much about hunting in Europe.

If you are interested lets discuss the issue point by point - not broad brushes from 'real' hunting over helicopters, guides, general hunting systems and ethics.

Point 1 could be:

Commercialisation of hunting and hunting ethics - exclusive or beneficial?

Point 2 could be:

Freedom to hunt - Can all hunt anything anytime?

Point 3 could be:

Hunting systems: Does 'Patent hunting' or 'Area hunting' best protect resources while maintaining interests of Point 2?

Just some quick thoughts to straighten the discussion - against Locos advice, I locked on before my morning coffee.

This thread started as a sheep hunting topic. Today sheep hunting is one of the last hunting expieriences that can only be had on public land. Most sheep perhaps with the exception of desert sheep live on vast tracts of Public Land. Public Land is the rock on which North American hunting has evolved. Having vast tracts of public owned land and public owned wildlife has always been the keestone that has kept our hunting availalble to all and less exclusuve than Europe.
In Europe the land owner has simply replaced the monarchy...........not much of an improvement over peasant days. When wildlife is managed by the landowner, management goals would be very different than when managed for the public. Also I have no idea how large prdetors would survive by having a new management scheme in place every time a bear crossed a fence. This may explain why there are none.
The first bear to arrive in germany in a 150 years was shot for killing a chicken I believe............not a very good system for improving wildlife diversity.
Commercialization has undermined this system immensly over the past few decades.
Texas style hunting was always an anomoly and developed entirely due to a complete lack of public land. While land owners may not own the wildlife they do control access to it. In fact by fencing their properties they have managed to find a way to remove a public resource and make it their own. Our local outfitters are lobbying hard to do the same by increasing their quotas on sheep. In order to do this they would have to remove tags from the resident hunters. Outfitters are also leaning on air taxi operators to keep resident hunter out of their areas which happen to be public land based. Finally outfitters mastered the air spotting and hunting methods simply because it improves thd bottom line. The quicker you can get a hunt over the lower your overhead. Just a good business practise but detremental to my hunting expierience.

I don't know where you get your information about desert sheep hunting, but your wrong about desert sheep not being found on public land. Almost all of it is. The only exceptions I know of are indian lands and they don't have many sheep compared to the public lands.
Desert sheep hunting isn't that expensive, if you have the tag. It does require the ability to get around in the desert and some ability to find them. You aren't required in most areas to have a guide. Heck, when you go to the mandatory orientation meeting, chances are very good you'll be told where to find the rams. On top of that, the seasons are often quite long. E

quote=Eremicus] I don't know where you get your information about desert sheep hunting, but your wrong about desert sheep not being found on public land. Almost all of it is. The only exceptions I know of are indian lands and they don't have many sheep compared to the public lands.
Desert sheep hunting isn't that expensive, if you have the tag. It does require the ability to get around in the desert and some ability to find them. You aren't required in most areas to have a guide. Heck, when you go to the mandatory orientation meeting, chances are very good you'll be told where to find the rams. On top of that, the seasons are often quite long. E
[/quote]

I assume most desert sheep are on public land but am suggesting that more desert sheep may be on private land than some other species. For instance, not a single stone sheep occurs on private land but I know of many California Bighorn (poor mans desert sheep) that roam on private land for parts of the year.

TZ,

sorry for being persistent. You points and beef are clear:

1) you belive public access hunting is to better from a conservational point of view than land owner hunting.

2) you believe all commercial hunting to the same - broad brush.

Your example of europe is flawed - the bear (bruno) was shot on public land (forest service) by government employees after a political decision - which was and is very much debated.

Our hunting system, while linking hunting rights to land titles, is very much different from your private property rights -

here is how: By law, any piece of land that is not 'appeased' (fence around a house) very strict definition) HAS to be hunted.

There is a hunter/group on every spare meter of Germany responsible - how does that fit with your angst?

To go back to the sheep hunting - I just this Fall guided three Dall Sheep hunters to three dall sheep rams. Two took their rams 1 and two days over their booked time - at No extra charge.

We are not business men, as you can see by that, we are hunters and guides. Client satisfaction has been #1 concern in the outfit I work for for now the 49 season. How does that go with your angst?

We really are not on different sides here - I totally understand where you are coming from, by beg to differ on the generalizations.

Thanks.

I guess my firmest belief is that wildlife does and should belong to the public. I too own land (though not very extensive) and game such as grouse,moose and bears are frequently visitors. At no time does it occur to me that this is somehow MY moose.
I also have many friends who guide (such as yourself) and I live in a small town home to 6 large outfitters. The hunting business is getting larger and larger. Many outfitts are now becoming syndicates with concessions all over the world. I'm sure your boss got paid for the hunts provided..........that does make you a participant of the hunting business.
I believe far more Europeans wish to hunt North America than vise versa.Perhaps that fact alone could suggest that we offer a better hunting expierience and our current system is worth preserving. BTY Locally it seems German hunters prefer moose and bear over sheep.

I have started in on comments several times on this thread, but I just don't think I'll say much more than I'm a sheep hunter, and proud of it. You get it or you just don't.
Don

I made multiple trips to my hunting unit. I spent 18 days total looking for my Ram. It took 14 days before I even saw a ram. A lot of those days alone learning the country and learning how to spot sheep. I had several offers from guides offering to take me out for $5,000. I didn't have the money and I felt I was a good enough hunter to figure it out myself.

As I talked to other sheep hunters after my hunt, I've learned that I was not that different from many others. Maybe affluent hunters who can afford to buy tags at the various auctions can afford guides and not afford the extra time. But there are a lot of folks who are lucky enough to draw a tag and have to do the hunt themselves. The only way to learn how to hunt sheep, is to go spend the time on the mountain.

The year after my hunt, I went with a friend to help him with his hunt. With all the lessons I learned on my hunt, I was able to help my friend harvest a great ram the first day we hunted. So who had the better hunt? My friend who shot a much better trophey than I in one day or me, who got to spend 18 days in the desert?

TZ,

forgive me if I now back out of the discussion.

You say

as if members of this regulated profession that I am very much a part of, both in germany and in AK, are syndicated mobsters.

I leave you to your paranoia.

As to the comparison of the hunting systems Germany / North America -

Wildlife belongs to no one by law in Germany. Anyone who is elgible to hunt (qualifications apply) finds ample opportunity to do so.

Comparing percentages of cross atlantic travels between two countries as different in size and landmass as North America and Germany and as different in hunting culture and participants (22 Mio vs. 300.000) is quite flawed.

BTW - I have passed no judgement on which system is 'better', just wondered how much you really know about the one you use as a scarecrow.

Take care.

tz

Hmmm only took me 27 years of applying to get a tag here in WY. Once in a lifetime tag for me. Will never get the chance to hunt sheep again unless I draw a tag in the lower 48. Can't afford dall or stone sheep. Worked my butt off to get in the best shape I could. Yes I hired an outfitter mainly for his horses and knowledge of the area as due to my job I did not have time to scout the area. Also since this was my ONLY chance at this long awaited tag I wanted to use his knowledge. BTW I got within 30 yds of my ram. I let him walk out to 80 yds to wait for him to turn his head so I could make sure it was the right one. This was on public land. The rifle I used was a 7mm RM with a 6x scope which I put together in the early 90's in hopes of drawing a sheep tag.

I take exception to your broad brush remarks. That is all I have to say.

A friend of mine drew a Buffalo tag a few years ago. It's also a Once-in-a-Lifetime tag. He went down and hunted. He never saw a buffalo. Each night a guide would troll past his campsite hauing out a buffalo that he had guided a client to that day. After several days of this, my friend realizing that he only had 1 day left to hunt, hired the guide and paid the $2000 he wanted for his fee.

The next morning they went out, he was doubled up with a second tag holder. The guide lead them directly to the herd of buffalo, both men harvested their animals. the guide worked his tail off to get all the meat, hide and heads off the mountain for his customers. So in this case the guides knowledge was key to filling a once in a lifetime tag. The guides work ethic was just important after the kill at getting the animal off the mountai. My friend was so impressed with the guide, that he has since hired him to help take a trophey elk and a trophy cougar.

So I do believe their are guides who earn their keep. Who spend the time on the mountain to learn about the game they hunt. But I personally prefer to try to do it on my own.

I guess I wonder how you would feel as a resident of Wyoming if the state GAVE most of the sheep tags to the outfitters, to do as they please. Also lets make clear these sheep live on public land.
This would end 27 years of waiting for a tag, you would only need to contact an outfitter and write a check for 27K and off you go sheep hunting. Sounds like a win win to me.
This is the agenda being pushed by the British Columbia Guide Otfitter Association. They have full time paid lobbiest and the resident joe is just busy making a living to push back as hard. I am not paranoid, just hate being robbed.

I was wrong, I have a few more comments.

I don't care it hey reside on public or private land, the "wildlife" is not owned by anyone.

That is why we fought that program back in the 80's and 90's. There was even a law suit filed to do such a thing and it was defeated in court. Get the bug out of your system. you are preaching to the choir here. IF you THINK I am for giving the licenses to the outfitters you could not be more wrong.

Pay $27K for a hunt, I don't think so. I saved long and hard for the sheep hunt I did get to go on. I even questioned paying as much as I did and it was NOHWERE near that amount. But in retrospect it was worth every penny I spent as I will never get to do it again!

Instead of trying to pick an argument here, I suggest you get proactive on your gripe where you live. The excuse of being too busy making a living doesn't fly with me, not if you have time to sit at a computer to post here and hunt.

That might be in places like Canada, but, down here, in Kalifornia and Nevada, the California Bighorn live on public land almost w/o exception.
BTW, they are not desert sheep. E

Well sure not trying to pick an argument with you or anyone else. I don't suppose we have to aggree on everything in here either. I'm just contributing my take on where the business of sheep hunting is trying to take us......... from my perspective and local. In this jurisdiction, wildlife legaly belongs to the public.
I firmly believe that commercialization of hunting is going to be the death of the sport as we know and knew it. I only hope my kids will be able to enjoy as much of access to their birthright as I have had.
BYW, I am doing more than bitching on the internet. I know talk is cheap while the Outfitters Association works very much behind closed doors. It will take more than a few tweets to save my sport from a complete sell out to comercial interests.

Perhaps not considered so by the B and C, but in his sheep bible "Great arc of Wild Sheep" James Clark seems to leave that determination a bit grey.
I have never seen a bighorn sheep with the long pointy ears like the desert except in California Bighorns. I'm sure their are other differences and similarities and I am no biologist..just a hunter.
BTW...........almost all the Cali Bighorns in the USA are decendents from British Columbia reintroductions.

My apologies. It seemd to me that you were.



I agree with you on this.



While I believe there is a need/use for outfitters and a right for them to do business, I do NOT feel the states or provinces owes them anything (licenses or a means to make a living). We fought the license issued directly to outfitters tooth and nail. After all the letters I wrote I was surprised I could hire one when the time came. My sheep outfitter and I discussed this very issue. He was dead set against the state providing licenses directly to outfitters too. He felt that the association needed to do a better job of policing its own ranks. We both agreed the program was noting more than welfare assistance....

On that positive note, I'm off to bed. Enjoy the fire.

Hell of a stone ram.....

tangozulu and other B.C. residents,

If you reduce the # of non-resident sheep hunters by limiting the # of permits issued to GOABC for Stone Sheep/Dall/Bighorn, we're much better off in the long-term. They're taking out the best genetics and not incentivised to manage the sheep only the numbers of sheep. Some are pilaging the lands of our collective animals for the almighty $$$$$.$$!

They then accuse the wolves of very poor trophy sheep quality and fewer sheep and we all listen and agree...hmmmm!?

Furthermore, many B.C. guides and outfitters use SALT LICKS to attract sheep for their hunters; while no illegal, it is not ethical as there are very few sources of natural salt way in the mountains. They use hundreds of pounds of the stuff (left over at end of season from salting the capes of other animals)!

Finally, we need to look at ourselves as partly to blame! Very few of us have the courage to do that! Many of us work in dirty industries: Metals and Mining, Pulp and Paper, or else are not giving back to the environment. We are destroying our habitat and providing easier access to remote areas where both hunters and wolves can have a simpler time to kill more animals. We are all part of the problem!

Solution:
Form a strong sportsmen coalition, get involved in government to take control of GOAB and put them in their place.
Limit # of permits given to guides/outfitters
Donate $$$$ to help conserve sheep hunting
Write your minister, MNA, MP and tell them about what's going on with GOAB
Encourage your employer to give more to the environment
Start a <insert your company here> conservation fund for sheep
Be more selective in your sheep hunting and skip a few years when you shoot a cranker
Shoot/trap wolves
Use environmentally friendly products
Be a Canadian!

P.S. awesome sheep. Congratulations and let's hope it isn't the last one...

If you really cared about wild sheep, you'd not go to bed, but you'd help do something to keep sheep up on the mountain.

Oh I'll get right on it...........maybe I'll just send the check to you?
Or maybe to the RMEF so they can buy another ranch I will never be able to hunt on?I am amazed that there is such an endless supply of outfits that seem to think I owe them some cash for something. Most of our sheep herds are in goods shape with access to tags being a far bigger concern than any lack of sheep. I have belonged to many different organizations over the years, many if not most, seem to do very little with my contributions.
My X-mas money is going to the Salvation Army.
As far as helpng sheep stay on the mountain, I'll buy another tag.

Off to bed again.........

Mr. brooksrange;
I care enough about our local herd of California�s that I�ve volunteered time for transplant work, habitat enhancement projects and have been a team leader for an annual inventory of the herd for more than 2 decades.

Having said that, in those 20+ years, I've found that I do need to sleep sometimes. Without adequate sleep I get first quite cranky and then become as my family puts it, �unfit for human consumption.�

Perhaps Mr. tangozulu suffers from the same weakness I do and needs to sleep once in awhile as well?

Here�s hoping you have a good sleep tonight sir.

Regards,
Dwayne

And same to you.
cheers

I moved to SW Montana in the late 70's. At that time there were unlimited bighorn sheep tags in most, if not all, of the sheep units just north of Yellowstone Park. I think the resident cost was less than $25. And most of the units did not kill their quota of rams each year.

I bought a tag every year and would go into a sheep area for a few days every season, but didn't seriously hunt them.

Then, in the mid 80's, things worked out, and I killed 3 rams in 4 years. Actually, the third year I passed on two legal rams (at 30 yds). Another (guided) hunter wounded and lost one of those rams. I later tracked and finished the ram, and gave it to the hunter that originally wounded it.

All of my bighorn sheep hunts were DIY on public (National Forest) land, and most were solo hunts with just me and my backpack or me, my golden retriever, and my horses.

Then, in the 90's, sheep hunting became more popular, some sheep herds declined, license costs went up, licenses and seasons became more restricted, and many units closed.

I kick myself for not taking sheep hunting more seriously in the early 80's. Today, those opportunities are gone, and every year the mountains get steeper and higher.

As for the use of aircraft, here in Montana, it is illegal to spot sheep from an aircraft and hunt in the same day, or to have a spotter in an aircraft guide hunters on the ground to sheep. Alaska also has similar aircraft laws.

In 1989, an outfitter friend told me of a cancellation Dall sheep hunt in the Mackenzie Mountains of Canada's Northwest Territories. That was my first ever guided hunt and my guide and I flew individually in a Super Cub from base camp to a "flat" spot on top of a mountain. We then backpacked another 3 miles to the site of our spike camp. I killed my ram another 3-4 miles beyond our spike camp. We then backpacked my ram and our camp the 7 and 3 miles back to the mountain top where the super cub picked us up.

That definitely was not a phone call "Come out, I've got your ram spotted" hunt, or a spot from the air, land, shoot your ram, and fly out hunt.

My outfitter friend called me again in 2001 about a Stone sheep cancellation for $11,000, but I was in the middle of a super nasty divorce and had to pass. I'll never see an opportunity like that again.

Do your hunt NOW. You may not be able or the opportunity may not exist in the future.

Tang,
I've been on three sheep hunts (AK, BC and NWT) and two mountain goat hunts. I live in Texas. The only way I'm able to do these type of hunts is with an outfitter.
Are you suggesting I'm not doing REAL hunting b/c I've employed an outfitter? Or b/c I spent BIG bucks to do it?
Both hunts in Canada, we flew to camp via an Otter. Both times we waited two days to hunt b/c we'd leave that area and travel by horse to the various spike camps. Then backpack up the mountains. My Stone took 14 days. My Dall took 3.
My outfitter in NWT (Redstone) was a straight and ethical outfitter. My Alaska outfitter (Ram Creek Outfitters) I wouldn't trust to tie my shoes. Worst experience I ever had. And I do believe he (Bill Burwell - owner) tried spotting sheep since he flew over our area, called the guide and then it was decided that we move to a new area. I left that hunt early with no sheep I was so disgusted.

My personal feelings on the sheep hunters I've met are the most ethical and high quality hunters out there.
Sure, some get up on the mountains with helos. While I don't condone it, I don't see much of an advantage since they've blown all the sheep off the mountain with the racket the rotors make.

The gist I get from your comments is you'd like to see sheep hunting done the old way. Well, welcome to 2010 (almost). You can walk out your back door and go after them. I've got a few thousand miles I have to go just to get to sheep territory. And I'm bringing my 300wsm with 4x50 Swaro scope also.

I too was able to hunt back in the golden age, something I know was a blessing. My hat is off to you sir.

My hat is off to you also, because you expected your outfitter to supply an ethical hunt. We as hunters need to push outfitters to maintain high ethics. It is because many sheep hunters do not ask enough questions as to how the hunt is conducted and what real expectations are that we are on race to the bottom as far as sheep hunting expieriences go. Only as consumers can we slow the outfitting business from reducing the hunting expierience further.

My compliments to all the fine sportsmen here, and especially tangozulu, for this discussion reinforcing the ethics of fair chase hunting by hunter AND guides, and the personal responsibility of both hunter and guide to assure a humane kill.

That lesson, and hard work, were the themes of the Bovey ram story that inspired me to re-tell it and post it here; it was first published in OL in 1955 and most people have never read it.

Hunting today, real hunting, is supposed to be just this way....and by God, some hunters today actually do get it!

I hope you will find the way to live your dream.
Cheers and Good luck
If you like the white ones, here one more.

Rest assured....there are still plenty of us out there that do it right and believe in doing it right....and I'm talking about guides and outfitters as well.

very nice........thanks for sharing

Packing out a bighorn ram from one of Montana's "unlimited" areas where anyone in the world can come and hunt....on their own without an outfitter.

My good friend and hunting companion, Al Klassen from Whitehorse, Yukon and I pose with a ram he shot in the Northwest Territories in 1991. Al is a legendary sheep hunter and guide who has personally been in on over 100 ram kills. He is the epitome of an old school ram hunter....

Is that the same guy that killed the huge elk in the Yukon?

Results of a hunt Al and I made deep into the Ragged Range of the Northwest Territories in 1990...after a bushwhack up the mountain of over 7000 verticle feet, we found rams. Rams that had never been hunted before....ever! It was a time and place that I will never forget and we savored the moment because we knew it wouldnt last....how true that was...

Same guy...

That's a dandy ram. Nice to see.