Stone Sheep down

[Justin Crossley]

Really nice ram! How about that story!?!?

 

[Huntr]

Awesome ram! Congratulations.

 

[7mag.]

Wow, nice ram. Congrats. I would also like to hear the story.

 

[realunlucky]

Beautiful ram can't wait to hear some details

 

[mtnwrunner]

Man. that is a stud of a ram---congrats. I'd like to hear all about the trip and the Lancasters.
If I won the lotto, a stone would be my number 1 choice.


Randy

 

[Muledeernv]

Awesome ram, congrats

 

[Bughalli]

Wow, great ram!! Congrats!

 

[sdr]

This hunt started 2 years ago while Clay Lancaster, my hunting partner Bo and I were at dinner after the sheep show talking about our upcoming Dall hunt. We talked about getting the grand slam completed and Clay quoted us a price for a Stone hunt that sounded good considering we had a few cocktails and a couple bottles of wine down. We shook hands on the deal and I immediately started to sweat. Holy crap, did I just commit to a very expensive hunt?
July 30, 2013
I flew into Whitehorse Yukon and then a 4 hour drive south to get to the float plane that took us in to the main camp. After staying in a nice cabin for 2 days waiting for the season to open, we rode horses in for 6.5 hours to get to hunting area where we stayed in a real small but comfortable cabin. On the way in we glassed several basins and didn't see anything other that mountain goat nannies. Day 2 found us riding in for another few hours to find a good place to glass. The weather was pretty hot with a lot of bugs so we concentrated our glassing to the very tops of ridges assuming the sheep would be bedded high. After just a moments of glassing my guide, Jason Nutini, spotted sheep on the skyline a couple miles away. There were 5 rams but only 1 shooter. He felt is was too risky to ride the horses to the bottom of the mountain so the stalk started. The sheep were in a horrible spot for a stalk and I didn't think we could pull it off. The plan was to walk straight up the mountain below the rams hoping to keep some rocks between us. at 400 yards I started to set up but Jason said to keep going and see how close we can get. I am really getting nervous now because they have to hear my huffing and puffing and wheezing trying to get my fat ass up that hill.
Finally at 150 yards the ram stood up and stared us down off of his rocky perch. I threw the snipe pod up to get on him but the approach is so steep that I start sliding down the hill. The ram had seen enough and started to leave just as I caught a rock with my foot and sent a 180 grain Barnes into his shoulder. Lights out.
We caped him out for a full mount and ate sheep for the next couple days waiting for a float plane to pick me up for an early trip home.
This was a great trip and I am over the moon happy with that ram. The Lancasters run a great operation and I couldn't recommend them more.

 

[sdr]

Gear List that helped me on my hunt.

Clothing
Kuiu Attack pants and Guide Jacket: These have been on 3 good sheep hunts, mountain goat hunt, several mule deer hunts and antelope and they are still going strong.
Under armor scent control shirt and hat. I love this baseball cap as it works like a sweatband and the sweat is wicked to the top of the hat and evaporates.

Boots: Lowa SheepHunters. Second pair of these and for my feet they work great.
Socks: SmartWool. I do like them but they pill up fast and after reading this site so much I will be getting different socks.

Pack: Bikini Frame and T1 pack. This was too much pack for a horseback hunt but was very comfortable and can carry much more than I can

Optics:
bino: Swaro EL Range 10x42. I really like these with the integrated angle compensation. For mountain hunting they are a little heavy but I don't have to screw around with binos and a range finder and figure out my angles and distance. One touch and I know how far the animal is and how far I need to hold for. My first set up on the sheep showed something like 400 yards but aim for 320. That is worth the weight for me.

spotting scope: 20x60x65 ATM Swaro. I like this scope but wish I would have waited for the ATX as my friends scope looks more clear than mine.

Tripod: Barney's Sports carbon fiber lightweight tripod. This is a nice sturdy lightweight tripod but I don't like pistol grips. Hopefully they will come out with a lightweight pan head soon.

Bino Harness: Kuiu. this worked well. I have the large and it is a little tight for the EL Range 10x42. I think it will stretch just a little and will work great. My only problem with them is while trotting on the horse they bounced open a couple times. Other than that the Kuiu is a good harness.

Gun: GA Precision .300 Remington Ultra Mag with 180 grain Barnes TTSX. Sheep don't need this much killing but it is what i am comfortable with it and I know when I touch the trigger there is no blood trail or looking into another basin for my animal. I have shot 7 pound antelope (red duiker, oribi, steinbok) with this and they are full mount in my house and I have shot 2300 pound antelope (cape eland) which got flattened. I am a fan of fast .30's
Scope: Swaro Z5 3.5x18.

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

Thanks for posting, great story and hunt! I've watched some of the Lancaster's videos good stuff.

 

[TXCO]

Great sheep!! Congrats!

Thanks for the details

 

[realunlucky]

Thanks for adding the story and yes that's a smoker of a ram

 

[tstowater]

Sdr: NIce sheep. The Lancasters appear to be great people and I talked to Cam about going to NWT to hunt Dalls. Great guy, he would have been a blast to hunt with. Nice gear setup, but I could see the pack as presenting a problem with a horseback hunt.

Did this finish your slam or what do you have left?

 

[sdr]

Did this finish your slam or what do you have left?[/QUOTE]

I need a Rocky to finish up the slam. I have my fingers crossed for a draw next year.

Thanks for all the nice comments.

 

[Falcon]

sdr:

Congrats on your stone ram.
He is a beauty, and has everything!

More pics please!

 

[Matt W.]

Nice ram. I'd like to see a few of those wander into Eastern AK someday.. : )

 

[SHACKBC]

Gawd am I lucky to live in B.C. or I would NEVER afford such a hunt, nice ram, great looking cape on him too. Looks to be about 38" ?

 

[tstowater]

Looks to be about 38" ?

I would bet 38+ unless I am missing something. It is definitely a nice sheep.

 

[sdr]

38 on the dot. 38 x 14 1/18 That puts it 159 and change.

 

[ol490]

Thanks for posting and congratulations. That is a great ram.