Finally!

[wyosteve]

After 23 years of applying my friend drew his Wyoming nonresident sheep license. Rode 24 miles into the Thorofare and got this ram! Oh, and he’s 83 years old!! Congratulations Dan!!

 

[Movi]

 

[Big338]

That’s awesome !! Congratulations and job well done.

 

[jdinville3]

what a lifetime achievement and amazing adventure! Congrats to your buddy and I hope it was everything he ever dreamed of. I hope my tail can still get it done at 83!

 

[mtnwrunner]

Simply incredible. Let's have a story!!

Randy

 

[ReddingArcher]

How freaking cool! I’d love to hear the story too.

 

[Rob5589]

Getting it done at 83?! Awesome and congrats!

 

[wyosteve]

I'll get the story from him and relay. He just got out of the mountains yesterday. He's a hunting machine. Turkey in Missouri and bear in Newfoundland this spring. This ram. Then he drew a Nevada mule deer tag and heads there the end of October. Then he an I are doing an aoudad hunt in West Texas in January! I'm quite a bit younger and hustle to keep up with him!

 

[ChrisAU]

Nice! Gives me hope at 34 that I may one day get to go sheep hunting

 

[Gadjet]

Incredible! Congratulations!!

 

[RCL]

Simply awesome!
Congratulations.

 

[canner]

Congrats Dan ! Maybe there is a chance I may still draw a Wyoming sheep tag.

 

[wildhorsetrail]

Great! I admire his persistence

 

[CHL]

Sounds like your buddy is flat out living right! Congrats to him.

 

[wyosteve]

OK, so as the late Paul Harvey would say, 'the rest of the story'. I first met Dan and his wife 5 or 6 years ago at the Sheep Show in Reno when we were at the same table for one of the functions. Since I'm from Wyoming he wondered if I knew an outfitter he could use if he drew his sheep license. He knew he was getting close on the preference point pool. I told him about an outfitter friend of mine in Cody and he made contact.

Fast forward--he arrived in Cody the middle of last week to get ready for the ride into camp on September 9th. The ride to camp is 24 miles and a solid 7 hours. It crosses the infamous Deer Creek Pass. The last half mile or so up to the pass will give a 'pucker' factor especially the first time in. The trail is not much wider than a horse with an almost straight down drop off on one side for several hundred feet. The bottom has bones from some unfortunate mules/horses that became grizzly fodder. It was foggy on the ride in so he didn't get to appreciate the pass like he did coming out.

They made it to camp with no issues. The next day after several hours of glassing, they found a group of 3 rams, including the one he took. Fortunately, they could ride a good ways up the mountain before having to stalk. They were at about 10,500 ft. elevation. For the gun gurus, Dan was using a Weatherby Backcountry ti in 6.5 RPM with 140 grain Nosler Partitions which he hand loaded. I didn't ask him about the load specifics. He used a Leupold CDS scope with the CDS set for his load. The ram was 275 yds. out so he dialed in. One shot did the job, except before the ram toppled over, it went off the edge of the rocks/cliff. It's final location was such that it would have been tough, if not unsafe, for Dan to try and get down, so the guides got down and retrieved the ram.

He spent a couple days relaxing and taking care of the cape before riding out. The ride out was uneventful and he got back to Cody late Monday.

Wyo. Game and Fish aged the ram at 10 years and a rough green score was 164 and change. He said the trip was one of the top 5, if not the top, hunting experiences he's ever had. Other than being a bit stiff from the horses, he came through in great shape and is now headed back to Missouri to get ready for the Nevada mule deer hunt. (fwiw, I also have a Weatherby Backcountry ti in 6.5 RPM and he and I both intend to use them on the aoudad hunt in January).

Just a tidbit--to get into shape for the hunt, he did a lot of walking and bike riding and said he felt good for the majority of the hunt.