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Day 7
My feet hurt, right big toe was getting numb as it sometimes does on hard hunts. I slept in a little and got rolling a bit after dawn. I decided to take the ATV up the creek of Founders, getting different views of the same ridge I was on yesterday, but further up valley, with new views of the next cliff on the north side of Founders. The lower end had some good pinnacles that rounded around with a lake basin on the back side. The far end was like 13,600 feet with some sheepy looking stuff here and there. Figured it would be an exploration day. And if I saw nothing new or exciting I’d pack up and hunt the other side of the divide.

Puttering along the new stuff at 9am, about 45 minutes down the trail from camp, I got a break in the timber above and glassed to my north. To the south was the ridge I climbed onto yesterday.

I look up with the binos and there’s a ram peeking over the top of a rock! Plus two more sheep below him about half a mile away, what seemed like straight up the mountain. I scramble off the 4wheeler and grab the big spotter, but I knew damn well I’d be willing to shoot that ram at this point. First impression was heavy bases and unbroomed tips with the 12x binos . So probably in the 5/8 curl or so range.

But he was gone by the time I got the scope up. But there was nowhere for him to go. It was all barren open slope. Did he come down into the timber? Was he just feeding in the willows? I doubt he baled over the top already. There were a few boulders jutting out, but they weren’t very big, I should see him any second now.

Well either way. Start climbing. So up and up I went to timberline at 12,000 feet. About 750 feet above where I left the ATV with still hundred more feet to go to where I last saw him. But I have no cover left.

There! No that’s a deer. A damn big one at that. Do I sit down. It’s now 10am. I hadn’t seen any sheep all week from mid morning to late afternoon. Did they bed down somewhere? I’m 400 yards from where I last saw him. Should I just charge up the hill and spook them? I’d probably have a shot as there wasn’t much cover they could get to. No, that’s stupid. Be smarter than that.

Just then, a ram was standing in the big boulder where I first saw the ram and two other sheep. And then he was gone! Surely all three were bedded just behind the boulder. This was a different ram, definitely younger and not a shooter. I’m certain that makes for two rams. Was the deer something I mistook for another ram for a half mile away? I doubt it. Their body shapes are very different, even if the color is similar.

So now what? Wait 4-6 more hours for them to get up? I already climbed 750 feet. I’m probably within range if they feed down below the boulders and if I get a little bit higher. Or do I try to find a way around to the ridge above for a 100 yard shot and better view of the rams.

I saw a cairn on top of the ridge. I wonder, is ther access up there? Looks like the ATV trail ties in with an alpine road at the pass. That puts me 1.2 miles away on Onx and close enough in altitude for the top of the ridge. Piss on waiting I’m making my move.

Sheep bedded somewhere in the boulders above.



Back down 750 feet. To the ATV. Up and up the trail to the Jeep road. Then straight up the mountain. Hey wait, where was the road I was looking for? Seemed like what I wanted went through a mining claim and isn’t an open road. Well, another spur seems to go a little further from here. You’re committed now…

Now I’m at 13,200 feet. And the next spur I wanted is closed too. That one went through some tundra and the scree, but unnecessarily seemed to gain altitude that I didn’t need. Th ridge above the rams was 12.700ish. I don’t need to go up to 13,500. I’ll go around on foot. Through a half mile of scree.


Then through some nice open tundra, and then the ridge.




Son of gun. Thought we weren’t doing this again…
Shoulda be easier than yesterday . But just don’t fall on either side.




But we are hunting now. Rifle in hand. 3 points of contact rule still applies. Just shift gun hand so you can grab rocks. Hands and knees when it narrows. Peek over the sides. Onx says that boulder is still further in front of you.
There’s sheep trails here Mark, but you’re not a sheep. You have a family. Don’t die. Don’t fall. Don’t get hurt. Don’t have to peek all the way over the edge. They should be out front somewhere.

What’s that stupid looking stump doing up here?
Holy crap! Sheep! With friends! They’re still sleeping!