philthy57
FNG
Hey everyone! Here's the story about the sheep I got in December, 2016. I found out I was drawn for Unit 19, which is the White Sands Missile Range/San Andres NWR. We had to go through the typical government background checks and of course, there was very little info about previous hunts since they'd only been hunting sheep for about the previous 4 years or so. Hey, it's still a sheep tag! The hunt was scheduled for 12/14/16 to 1/1/17 and there were 4 of us drawn (about 22 tags statewide!). We did a 2 day scouting trip in July and that was about the only scouting we were allowed to do. Pretty much relied on the hunt manager's reports on the aerial survey conducted in October before the hunt, etc.
At the Tuesday evening briefing on the 13th, we drew numbers and I got unit 4 (Gardner and Onate Peaks)which is the first year it's been hunted. It took until about lunchtime to find any sheep on opening day in Dead Man Canyon. A couple half curls (one at 304 yards on the same level as the truck!) and a full curl that was 500 yards from the truck. It may have gone 160, so we passed. Thursday was a non-hunting day because of secret squirrel stuff (missile launch) on the range.
Friday the 16th dawned with howling winds (seriously). Spotted one big guy way at the top of Gardner and another one on Onate, but both were a little too much to chase. Went back to Dead Man that afternoon and my friend Jerome spotted 4 rams within a couple of minutes of stopping. 3 were really good, so we decided to put on a stalk and went 800 yards up a side canyon. Another few hundred up the hill for a 400 yard shot. Because of the wind I missed low and the ram we picked started grazing again within a couple minutes! We went for broke and climbed a little more to get us within 300 yards compensated (334 actual). Almost a 3/4 facing away and I took the shot. Entered about halfway back on the ribs and exited just behind the far shoulder. 40 yards later, he wobbled and went down. We had to hurry up the hill to make sure he was anchored, took a couple pics and worked our way down the mountain to leave him for the next day since we were supposed to be off the mountain before dark. The sheep hunting program there is still pretty new and the Army powers to be didn't want any chances of anyone getting hurt/a hunter lost in the dark, etc. We retired to our camp at Aguirre Springs campground for a couple or three sips of MaCallan 12 year old scotch and dinner.
Woke up Saturday to winds that were gusting 60+ and it was absolutely brutal getting back up to him. After a few more pics, we decided to move him down to a wider shelf for skinning. While the sheep was being moved, it took out my best friend, sending him down the hill! Luckily, he only went 50 or so yards and stopped before going over a cliff. We spent that night at Mountain View hospital in Las Cruces getting him patched up. Broken left elbow, sprained right ankle and wrist, cut on his forehead requiring stitches. The really cool thing was the remaining 2 hunters called in on the radio and they were wanting to suspend their hunts to help get Ian off the mountain. We hunters truly are amazing people!
I got back to Aguirre Springs campground around midnight and my friend Mike Root met me at the gate since in typical BLM fashion they lock the gate at dark. Picked up Ian at the hospital the next morning around 8, went to Walmart and got him some house shoes since his boots didn't fit, and went to Game and Fish where he was scored at 172 6/8. They sealed the horns (I got to pick the seal number and went with 0777 lol). After the 60 day drying period, he scored the same with Boone and Crockett and made the life-time book. Without a doubt, this has been an experience of a lifetime and there's nothing that compares to wrapping your hands around the horns of such a majestic animal. Humbling beyond belief!
Imperial taxidermy in Santa Fe, NM is doing a life-size mount and it should be done by February 1st or so. Can't wait to get him back!
Phil
At the Tuesday evening briefing on the 13th, we drew numbers and I got unit 4 (Gardner and Onate Peaks)which is the first year it's been hunted. It took until about lunchtime to find any sheep on opening day in Dead Man Canyon. A couple half curls (one at 304 yards on the same level as the truck!) and a full curl that was 500 yards from the truck. It may have gone 160, so we passed. Thursday was a non-hunting day because of secret squirrel stuff (missile launch) on the range.
Friday the 16th dawned with howling winds (seriously). Spotted one big guy way at the top of Gardner and another one on Onate, but both were a little too much to chase. Went back to Dead Man that afternoon and my friend Jerome spotted 4 rams within a couple of minutes of stopping. 3 were really good, so we decided to put on a stalk and went 800 yards up a side canyon. Another few hundred up the hill for a 400 yard shot. Because of the wind I missed low and the ram we picked started grazing again within a couple minutes! We went for broke and climbed a little more to get us within 300 yards compensated (334 actual). Almost a 3/4 facing away and I took the shot. Entered about halfway back on the ribs and exited just behind the far shoulder. 40 yards later, he wobbled and went down. We had to hurry up the hill to make sure he was anchored, took a couple pics and worked our way down the mountain to leave him for the next day since we were supposed to be off the mountain before dark. The sheep hunting program there is still pretty new and the Army powers to be didn't want any chances of anyone getting hurt/a hunter lost in the dark, etc. We retired to our camp at Aguirre Springs campground for a couple or three sips of MaCallan 12 year old scotch and dinner.
Woke up Saturday to winds that were gusting 60+ and it was absolutely brutal getting back up to him. After a few more pics, we decided to move him down to a wider shelf for skinning. While the sheep was being moved, it took out my best friend, sending him down the hill! Luckily, he only went 50 or so yards and stopped before going over a cliff. We spent that night at Mountain View hospital in Las Cruces getting him patched up. Broken left elbow, sprained right ankle and wrist, cut on his forehead requiring stitches. The really cool thing was the remaining 2 hunters called in on the radio and they were wanting to suspend their hunts to help get Ian off the mountain. We hunters truly are amazing people!
I got back to Aguirre Springs campground around midnight and my friend Mike Root met me at the gate since in typical BLM fashion they lock the gate at dark. Picked up Ian at the hospital the next morning around 8, went to Walmart and got him some house shoes since his boots didn't fit, and went to Game and Fish where he was scored at 172 6/8. They sealed the horns (I got to pick the seal number and went with 0777 lol). After the 60 day drying period, he scored the same with Boone and Crockett and made the life-time book. Without a doubt, this has been an experience of a lifetime and there's nothing that compares to wrapping your hands around the horns of such a majestic animal. Humbling beyond belief!
Imperial taxidermy in Santa Fe, NM is doing a life-size mount and it should be done by February 1st or so. Can't wait to get him back!
Phil
