A Chugach Ram Tale!

[Snyd]

First off congrats on an epic adventure. About the ram. By reading your post I was under the impression that the fall busted off the horn/cone, no? If not, you guys spotted the one horned ram and went after him? Just curious. I've seen em busted off about 6 inches from the base and have held other similar horns but haven't seen one like this. Pretty cool actually. Every ram is so unique and the horns can tell stories that's for sure.

I love the pic of the rams in the snow.

 

[Elkmasterwyo]

Thanks snyd, yes he was broken before the kill. Being the last afternoon of the last day I elected to go after him, knowing he was without 1 horn. Those rams in the snow, we sat and watched em for a couple of hours and it was a real neat thing to be able to just sit and watch rams being rams.

 

[muleman]

I love your unique ram, congrats. You are right keep him exactly how you took him. I purposely harvested a mountain goat that I knew had one horn worn down and I still had several days available to hunt with a lot of other symmetrical goats available.

 

[Gwoodak]

Right on. Great story and adventure. Crazy one horned ram. It's amazing that it survived all that time missing the eye. Sounded like one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Broken guns, broken horn, and badass hunt.

 

[mossyhorn]

Crazy Ram! Looks like a recent wound. What did Fish and game say when you sealed him?

 

[Alaskan89]

That ram is so full of character and toughness at the same time and at 10 years old means he didn't let his missing eye affect his survivability, congrats to you on a fine ram!!

 

[docdb]

Wow, what an adventure! Congratulations!

 

[bizyrok]

Boy you really stuck it out to end - good for you - a lesson to us all. Did that broken bolt forewarn you of a broken horned ram? Maybe too much coffee here. But that had to be one helluva fall for that rifle barrel to be driven with enough force to shear off the bolt. Wonder if it fell off the escalator ramp going into the plane or catapult off a cart being towed at high speed.
Good idea someone had with keeping a bolt separate but I wonder if TSA would take a loose bolt out of a checked bag. I suppose you could wrap the bolt in something - even a silicone cloth - to be used later. I'd be concerned of my scope too!
Anyway, thanks for sharing your hunt - it was an epic event!

 

[Elkmasterwyo]

Boy you really stuck it out to end - good for you - a lesson to us all. Did that broken bolt forewarn you of a broken horned ram? Maybe too much coffee here. But that had to be one helluva fall for that rifle barrel to be driven with enough force to shear off the bolt. Wonder if it fell off the escalator ramp going into the plane or catapult off a cart being towed at high speed.
Good idea someone had with keeping a bolt separate but I wonder if TSA would take a loose bolt out of a checked bag. I suppose you could wrap the bolt in something - even a silicone cloth - to be used later. I'd be concerned of my scope too!
Anyway, thanks for sharing your hunt - it was an epic event!

Thank you! When I was at the claims department, the lady said "gee, I wonder what happened"? I said it looks like to me you guys dropped it from 36,000', she did not see the humor in that comment

 

[JustOneMoreShot]

Epic hunt congrats on a really cool ram. One to be proud of for sure! The airlines can be absolute hell on baggage. I hope to never open my case and see something like that!

 

[Zackman]

Great pics and story!

 

[Elkmasterwyo]

Crazy Ram! Looks like a recent wound. What did Fish and game say when you sealed him?

They asked where the other horn was, I told them he didn't have one, they said huh, wonder what happened. That's about all they said

 

[mmw194287]

Great ram and thanks for sharing the story and photos.

I had Alaska airlines break the rear-leaf sight off of my 45-70 one time--snapped the metal clean in half. I don't know that I could've done the same damage with a pair of pliars, but they managed to pull it off while the rifle was in a locked case. I still wonder how they managed to do that...

 

[Elkmasterwyo]

Great ram and thanks for sharing the story and photos.

I had Alaska airlines break the rear-leaf sight off of my 45-70 one time--snapped the metal clean in half. I don't know that I could've done the same damage with a pair of pliars, but they managed to pull it off while the rifle was in a locked case. I still wonder how they managed to do that...

It almost makes a guy wonder if the tsa guys don't do something with them .........

 

[HJ Handy]

What a unique ram, for a unique experience. Awesome trip. Too bad about your rifle, good to hear it all worked out in the end though, which is the most important part of the whole trip.

 

[Muledeernv]

Awesome ram very unique congrats. Thanks for all the great pics

 

[Jason Snyder]

What a great write up and some outstanding photos. Congratulations on a very unique and well earned trophy. That is just so cool.

Thumbs up to you and your brother in law.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Great write up and pics!!!

One horned ram is a trophy with in its self. Think of the dominance he had to be fighting that much

 

[FullCurlAK]

With regards to the breakage of the bolt and the rear sight...

The cargo hold is not heated and the temperature changes very aggressively as the plane ascends and descends. This aggressive freeze / thaw cycle is causing brittle fracture of the metal. (The speed of the exterior temperature changes of the metal relative to the interior (core) temperature of the metal is changing so fast that the metal is expanding and contracting at the exterior surface at a much greater rate than the interior and any imperfection in the metal (or the joint of the two metals in the case of the rear sight) are being exposed as brittle fracture failure.) Normal gradual temperature changes would not manifest this brittle fracture process.

 

[ScottH]

Thanks for sharing your story and pics of a great hunt!