The Last Ram

[Snyd]

Ok fellas. This is a long one and will come in a few posts. Here goes.

First some background to bring some perspective...
~~~
I was 43 when it all started back in 2003 when my wifey's best friend married Jay. Jay and I had only known each other for a short time when he called me one day and asked me if I'd like to join him on a Sheep Hunt. He had drawn DCUA DS204 which is one of a few coveted Dall Sheep hunts here in Alaska. Since he drew the tag he was to be the only shooter. I'd never sheep hunted but had always wanted to. I was no stranger to mountains and backpacking, this was a no brainer, I jumped at the chance. His draw tag allowed the use of motorized vehicles. But, in my friends "hardcore born and raised" Alaskan Outdoorsman fashion, the plan was to walk in two days before the motorized season started to get there before the motors. It ended up being seven miles on bikes, then eight miles of flattish trekking, and then up a few more miles. Close to 20 miles one way before we pitched the tent in sheep country. He got his ram and I got bit by the sheep hunting bug.... bad. My wife still holds him responsible for all the money this has cost us! But the journey has been priceless! As we donned our heavy, sheep laden packs and started to step off the Mountain I looked around and said to Jay, "I hate to leave" to which he replied... "Well you can't stay here forever, you just gotta keep comin' back"... and he turned and walked down the mountain with sheep horns donning his old, gigantic Barneys Frontier Gear pack. That moment stuck. Since that day I've been "comin back".

For the 2005 season my buddy Shane and I put in for DCUA DS203, the non-motorized/no pack animals hunt. We drew the partner hunt! First time either of us had put in. We did the 15+ mile bikes, carts, backpack up to Sheep Country thing. We got two first rams on that hunt. Awesome.

Over the years I've been on about fifteen sheep hunts. Gutted, packed and ate off ten rams I think it is. Lowered the boom on four of them and was next to my partners on the others when they pulled the trigger. I cherish the memories of each of those hunts.Before I go further, three things to note...

One: A few years back I got into Handgun Hunting with revolvers. As opposed to what I call "short barreled rifles" with a sawed off stock chambered in a rifle caliber. I'v'e been able to get a few critters with my pistols. I haven't packed or used a rifle on any hunt for about ten years now with one exception. A sheep hunt back in 2015 with Jay and I killed a nice Broomer with the Kimber 325wsm. I've been on a quest to get a ram with one of my pistols for a few years now. I had packed only a pistol on two previous sheep hunts. Found a legal ram on one hunt but couldn't close the the gap. My buddy shot him at 270yds with his 270. Only legal ram we saw on that hunt.

Two: I'm the kind of hunter that will shoot the first legal one of whatever it is I'm hunting. I see the opportunity for the harvest as a Blessing. I don't wait for a bigger one. Some guys do, that's fine, it's just not me. In the back of my mind I'd always thought that if I ever got a ram up in that 38/40 inch category I'd go ahead and get a shoulder mount done. I've always done Euro mounts on my rams and sold the capes. I did however get some custom made Dall Sheep horn grips made for my custom 500L Revolver from one of them. But I don't have a mount.

Three: I've also always hunted early August and been out of the Sheep Mountains before my Birthday which is Aug 20. In the back of my mind I always thought it would be cool to get a ram on my Birthday.

 

[Snyd]

For the 2021 season I drew the coveted DCUA DS203 tag again! This was going to be my third handgun attempt for a ram. I had planned on going in early, Aug 8th, like always, this year with a buddy that drew the same hunt in 2020. But mid/late June rolled around and life happened, he wasn't going to be able to make it. I scrambled to find a partner that could take twelve days off of work and family life on such short notice. Not much time left to get in sheep shape for a hunt like this either. I contacted an old friend/sheep/goat hunter that I'd lost touch with somewhat over the years. He jumped at the chance, provided his wife agreed. He's hunted DCUA a few times. He's a family man with two kids, a job, only so much time off a year, etc. I was asking Roy and his wife and kids for a lot. I have her to thank as much as anyone for this hunt for her enthusiastic support. It turned out Roy couldn't go early so we headed in on the 14th with 12 days of food. Enough to get us through the end of the season. It looked like I was gonna be in the Sheep Mountains on my Birthday unless we tagged out early! Cool!

8/14/21 We got dropped off on one of the two "secret highways", haha, on August 14th and began our trek into Sheep Country. Along the way in we came across a couple bikes/carts stashed away. So we knew there were two hunters ahead of us. Later that day we ran into them coming out with a ram! Cool! Good for them! We all had a nice talk in the drizzle. They had covered some serious ground the previous week, hadn't seen many rams and only the one legal one which they got. They both had tags. I had poured over the map of the area and had a couple routes in mind to get to where I thought I wanted to go. These guys confirmed a couple things and were a great help. (You two Rokslide Forum lurkers know who you are if you’re reading this! Thanks for the info on the terrain!) We pitched the tent that night just above brush line.

8/15/21 We scoped out the land and decided on a destination and a route. One that I had had in mind that was confirmed by the guys coming out. We got up in a little somewhat protected saddle mid-day at about 4300ft, water all around and on the edge of where we wanted to hunt. We pitched my Hilleberg Tarra, ate and headed up with light packs to scope out the edge of our Happy Hunting grounds. We saw some Ewes and Banana rams. Off to a start! We're in Sheep Country!

8/16/21 We woke up to socked-in drizzle but it lifted by mid morning, off we went. When we got out of our little protected area the wind was brutal, all day long. Probably sustained 35-40 gusting to 50+ anyway. We found a sub-legal with the spotter hiding in the rocks. We kept hiking around, found a nice rock outcropping, got out of the wind and had a Banana and a .75 walk up to within 93 yards. Great pistol range!

We headed back to the tent that evening, popped over the ridge in the brutal wind, looked down to see the bright red Hilleberg and I instantly had that sickening feeling in my gut that takes your breath away. At that moment before I could say anything my buddy says... "Where's the tent?!?!?!".... I say... "you gotta be $hittin me...". The tent was gone! GONE! WHAT!! Now what? Is the hunt over? No chance at a handgun ram? No gear/food? Survival mode? All we could see Roys white KUIU bag he'd left in the vestibule with some misc stuff in it.

I then have another gut wrenching, kick myself in the butt, beat head against a rock moment….I did not rock the tent stakes!!! ARGH! Are you kidding me! I’ve had this expedition grade tent for 15ish years. I bought it for Sheep Hunting and have spent well over a hundred nights it in the Sheep Mountain's. I’ve left it in brutal wind before for days. And I always, always, always rock all the stakes with heavy rocks. A rookie mistake that could cost us the hunt AND put us in survival mode. Unbelievable.

Thoughts race through my mind...I have a cliff bar and a snickers in my pack. My buddy has about the same. All the rest of my food was left in a bag in the tent along with our sleeping bags. Are we gonna have to go into survival mode and bug out? We’re two days from the highway. We head down and find some items we had left in the vestibules. We had stuff scattered around and we gathered it up. The wind was just crazy. Blow you over type wind. We found eleven mountain house Roy had left in his vestibule, the Reactor stove, extra fuel and the water pump, a spork and cup and I think a few Cliff Bars and all the tent stakes. Ok, we have some food, fuel and water but no shelter. We head down wind to go over into the steep drainage where we hope we can see the bright red Hilleberg. But no way, we were more exposed to the wind and in real danger of getting blown over the edge. We literally dropped to our hands and knees and crawled away back into the wind. We come up with a plan to hike back up a somewhat protected drainage, cross over, split up, circle around so we could each get good vantage points to look up and down the drainage from the other side to hopefully spot the tent.

 

[Snyd]

“There it is!!” I holler. I see it down in the steep narrow drainage hung up in the rocks. We get down there, the wind is whipping but not as bad. Fortunately one of guy lines got caught in the rocks and kept it from tumbling down into no man’s land. Roy hung on to the tent while I untangled the mess hoping to find food and sleeping bags instead of a tent full of feathers and no food!

There was an “L” shaped tear/hole in the floor of the tent about 18x18 inches. I started pulling out whatever I could get my hands on and stuffed it in our packs while Roy hung on to the battered tent. My food bag yes! Intact sleeping bags yes! Sleeping pads. Misc items like Roys expensive retainer. We pulled the three poles that were still in the tent. Two of them were broken, one bent up but intact. One was missing. We stuffed it in all in our packs.

We scrambled across the rocks and down to a narrow little protected spot. Time to regroup, assess the situation and come up with a plan. We found a flattish spot, did a little excavating and assembled a siwash shelter out of the tattered Hilleberg, slammed down a mtn house and crawled in for the night, exhausted. Whew, what a day! Fortunately it wasn’t raining that bad or snowing. That would come later!

8/17/21 We woke to socked in but mostly dry weather. We went back and found the “gear trail “ through the rocks. Roy found the other busted up pole and pieces and we found some odds and ends. In the end we lost one of Roys socks, his bowl/cup and a stuff sack. Not bad considering what could have been.

We packed up all our pieces and parts and headed up to find a new spot for Sheep Camp 2021. The Hilleberg had an extra pole section and a pole repair sleeve that we used to repair some poles but we needed one more sleeve/pole splint. After some trial and error Roys chapstick tube and some duct tape did the trick. We restored the structure of the tent, a little duct tape here and there and we had tent again! A tattered and somewhat leaky tent but we were back in the game! As it turned out that day of regrouping was socked in all day. We wouldn’t have been able to hunt that day.

We are convinced that what saved this hunt was the strong, 4 Season Hilleberg Tarra with its tough fabric, double wall construction and four 10mm poles. We were amazed (and fortunate) that it wasn’t totally shredded. It was definitely worth it’s 8.5 lbs and price tag. I love that tent.

 

[Snyd]

8/18/21 We wake up to water dripping on our heads and slushy snow on the tent and socked in. It was strange to have water coming in the Tarra. That tent has been in brutal rain, water running under the floor and has never leaked a drop. Sheep or moose hunting. By mid morning we get a weather break and head off looking for a ram! Wind has died down. I could actually shoot now. Weather is good. We’re Sheep Hunting again!

We take our time and head further back to new terrain for us. Find a good vantage point and start glassing. After a few hours we spot a band of rams! ten of em, feeding in the grassy rocks about a mile+ away. I get the spotter on em. There’s a legal ram! A full curl, no brainer shoot that sucker ram! Roy takes a look and spots a bigger one. I never did see him. In the ideal route for a stalk there are two banana rams that would bust us for sure. There’s another possible route but also risky, longer and it’s getting late in the day.

I tell Roy I think we should leave 'em be overnight. They aren’t going anywhere. We’ve got almost a week left, no other hunting pressure and the weather is looking better. I don't want to rush this and shag ‘em out. We decide to back out, head back to the tent with the plan of getting up at dark thirty and beat feet back to RamRocks.

8/19/21 Again we wake to water dripping on our heads and slushy snow on the tent. It's spitting rain/snow and socked in. But, by mid morning we get a break! Off to RamRocks we go! The clouds part, the sun comes out, no wind, perfect! After three miles we get back to our vantage point to where we can see RamRocks a mile away. No rams. We work our way over there, crawling around in stealth mode. We look over, down and across the backside and start seeing rams. For a few hours we watch seven sub legals feed around and do their ram stuff. They have only moved about 800yds from where they were the evening before. Where are the other three and the two legal rams? We wait and wait. Finally we see the other three! But they are feeding, moving in the rocks. We can’t see horns. Finally we get a view of one. He’s the full curl we had in the spotter the day before. He’s 700 yds out. Sun is shining, no wind that would affect a longer shot. It’s go time!

Roy says "GO!, I'll stay here." I take off in “crawl mode” with my binos, rangefinder and the Freedom Arms Model 83 454 Casull. The "Swiss Watch" of revolvers. The Flagship FA revolver designed and built specifically for the 454 Casull cartridge by Wayne Baker and Dick Casull in 1983. It’s topped with a 4X Leupold Scope, loaded with my hand-loads. A 240gr Hornady XTP mag bullet over a case full of H110 at 1900fps from the 7.5" barrel FA. All of it nice and tidy in a custom made leather Von Ringler Wyoming Combination Holster carried Shoulder/Bandolier style.

Ideally I’d like to be within 100yds for a shot but I know I can put a cylinder full on a paper plate at 150yds. My absolute max under perfect conditions…”it’s now or never no way to get closer” shot would be 175yds. I’ve practiced.

 

[Snyd]

As I crawl/move through the rocks I can see my ram periodically feeding along. I’m avoiding being busted by the smaller rams that are scattered around, having to slither my way down and around through the rocks. I don’t see the other bigger ram. Then my ram lays down. I keep moving in, ranged him a few times. I remember saying to myself at some point around 250-300yds “he’d be dead if I had the Kimber 325 wsm!” But this is now the fun part, the stalk. I need to get closer, I still have terrain I can work with. Then, above and beyond my ram the bigger one pops up! I see him from the neck up sky-lined on the ridge looking proud, surveying his domain. Wow, beauty. I have no shot yet at my ram and no way to go after the bigger one. Mine is laying down broadside and now I’ve got BigBoy looking down in my direction. I need to play this right to get a shot. I work my way to some rocks but I can’t get any closer, I range my ram, 165yds oofta… I want another 50-60 yds but it’s impossible. This is it, it’s a “now or never can’t get any closer” shot. The FA 454 and load is plenty capable, I’ve killed 9" paper plates at that range, there is no wind and light is favorable. I’m crouched in between two big rocks in a tight “v” opening/cut. Forearms wedged for the best rest I can get. I have a clear shoulder/ribs shot slightly uphill. I pop in the ear plugs, cock the hammer and let one fly. He doesn't move. I must have shot over the top of him. I shoot again he stands up and takes a few steps forward and then stops l must have hit below him. I have to readjust my body position and quickly find a new rest and shoot again. I felt pretty good about the shot. The ram jumped turned away from my direction ran over a rise out of sight. The adrenaline is pumping. Did I miss? Did I wound him? Did he jump over the rise lung shot and fall over dead? I didn't hear a wallop but I had my ear plugs in. There is a banana ram looking over in the direction to where he went, he is just standing there looking, then walks that way.

I reload three rounds and begin working my way up in that direction hoping to find a dead ram but thoughts are racing through my mind. Did I just blow my chance at a handgun ram? Will we see these rams again? At least we still have a few more days left in the hunt... All of the sudden up and towards my right are all ten rams less than a 100yds out! They are flocked up tight and moving as one like a school of fish…or a flock of sheep! Left, right, left, right. Then they stop and are all looking right at me, we are frozen. Of course the two legal rams are in the middle of the younger rams using them as cannon fodder like they do. The one I shot at looks plenty healthy. About 10-20ish yards in front of me to my right a little bit is a rock a little bigger than a refrigerator. I am able to slowly take one step to my right and crouch halfway down and I am out of sight of the rams behind the rock. I quickly scoot up behind the rock, pull my pistol and slide around the left edge of it, standing, leaning on my right arm and I look at the rams through my scope trying to get a shot. I get on the one I had shot at and can tell l missed him clean but I can’t get a clear shot because of the cannon fodder rams! The bigger one is beyond him to the right a little and more protected. The rams are skittish now, moving and looking like they are ready to bolt, then it was like time stood still and there was a “parting of the rams” giving me a clear shot at the bigger ram quartering towards me! BANG! The Freedom rang and the ram spun up and around swapping ends and hit the ground as if he was hit with a 300 Weatherby. l stood there amazed, surprised, elated, you name it. I just killed a ram with my FA 454 on a DCUA walk-in hunt. Unbelievable. From the time I saw the ten rams flocked up to the time I pulled trigger had to have been less than a minute. It all happened so fast. I go up to the ram, the sun is shining, he’s on flat grassy ground, it’s 6 pm, we’re four miles from the tent, 16ish miles from the "secret highway."

Meanwhile my buddy Roy is watching the whole thing through the spotter. He was zoomed in on the bigger ram when I pulled the trigger. Of course he was elated as well and felt he had a front row seat watching the whole thing unfold. He came over with the packs, we soaked in the whole thing, gave thanks to the Lord, caped and broke down the ram. Roy asked how far the shot was. I didn’t know. So I ranged back to the rock I was leaning against when I shot. 71 yds. A chip shot for the FA 454.

Darkness fell on our way back to the tent with the ram and the weather came in. I plopped my butt next to the tent as it was starting to rain/snow. I looked at my watch, it was 12:05am August 20th, my 61st Birthday. We got a Birthday Ram. Wow.

 

[Snyd]

8/20/21 We wake up to water dripping on our heads and slushy snow on the tent. Of course! Weather was nasty. Cold, rain/snow and wind. We had not boned out the quarters at the kill site so we unhooked and pushed back the inner tent in the Hilleberg giving us a large floorless shelter for boning and getting set for the 2 day trek out.

I fired up the stove to heat water for ramen noodles and then Roy asked me for the lighter. I thought, “ What does he need that for? He doesn’t smoke. Maybe he’s melting para-cord or something.” Then he turns around with a Snickers bar with Birthday candle in it and sang me Happy Birthday! It was awesome. He confessed that he was hoping we didn't tag out before my Birthday so he could do it!

We got packed up and headed out in crappy wet cold weather. We beat feet that day and got out of the storm that had brewed. The weather chased us all the way but we made it down to nicer climes totally spent after a full day of pushing it hard.

8/21/21 By this time everything has been wet for a few days. We pack up the tent and have a good laugh. The inside of the tent and all our gear was wet but under the tent it was dry! We messaged my friend Bob and he meets us at the "secret highway" a few hours later. That night we are in warm dry beds with our wifey’s.

 

[Snyd]

Back to the evening of August 19th when we got the ram.... As we were heading back to the tent I reflected on the years of sheep hunting I'd been able to do. Each time I left the mountains I'd always take a moment to look and reflect and realize that one day would be the last day I was ever in the Sheep Mountains. That a lot can happen in life that could dictate when that day would come. That it might not be by my choice, that I could never "keep goin back" as Jay said. That possibility always brought a measure of sadness but I knew it would be a reality someday. Leading up to this hunt I wondered if it would be the last one, in the back of my mind I thought perhaps...maybe if...if I got one with my pistol...maybe. And now, there I was, on one hunt, in one day, I was able to experience three aspects of Sheep Hunting I had hoped for. I killed a 38-40" class Ram, with my Pistol, on my Birthday. (Well 6 hrs before but close enough!). I knew this was it. The Last Ram. For me this was the Apogee, the absolute ultimate I could experience in Sheep Hunting. I had an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.

The next day as we turned to head out of the Sheep Mountains, I once again took a moment to look and reflect but this time I did not wonder if it was my last day in the Sheep Mountains chasing rams, I knew it was, I made the choice on my own terms from a place of confident finality. Of pure joy and adoration of the Mountains and the Sheep and all I've been able to experience. No sadness, no wondering if life would throw me a curve and keep from "comin' back". Even the Hilleberg Tarra had fulfilled its purpose and was now done with its journey. Everything just came together. I left the Sheep Mountains that day wanting for nothing. Having experienced more than I could ever have imagined that day back in '03 when Jay said..."Well you can't stay here forever, you just gotta keep comin back".

A note of thanks... For me Sheep Hunting has been a "we" thing. I've never been a solo Sheep Hunter. I could never have been able to experience all I have without the great hunting partners over the years. Jay, Shane, Roland, Andy, Bob and Roy. I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and I cherish each and every one of those hunts we had together. I thank the Lord for the opportunity and the Blessing of the Mountains and the Sheep. And of course I thank my beautiful Bride, Barbara.

The Last Ram is at the taxidermist as I type this. He's 38.5x38, 13.25x13 bases, 11 years old. When I walked in to F&G to get him plugged the first thing they did was point to the 2-3 year growth and said “2013.” I said “huh." Turns out that was a bad year for DCUA sheep, short growth year. They said he was 2 inches short that year because of it. Wow, he could have been a 40" DCUA ram. They've been tracking this stuff, interesting. Joe Want* was one of them there gathering and studying sheep data. He plugged The Last Ram. Another fitting end.

*Joe Want is a retired, 40+ year Alaskan Bear and Sheep guide.

UPDATE: One year later back from the Taxidermist:

 

[thinhorn_AK]

That’s incredible. Very cool!

 

[back country]

What an adventure! What a way to hang things up for the last time and ‘go out’ on such a high note…Incredible!

Seriously, thank you for sharing. Lots of wisdom in this story.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Thebigbaby]

Great story man. Thanks for sharing!

 

[canner]

Congrats on taking a great ram with a hand gun and sharing your experience with us.

 

[BAKPAKR]

That is a great ram and a great story. Congrats!

 

[PRC_GUY]

I really enjoy reading your writing about your hunting stories, thank you for sharing.

 

[Agross]

What a great write up and read. Congratulations, and to do it with a pistol!

 

[RCL]

Great ram and write up.
Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Lvthntitall]

Thanks for sharing

 

[woods89]

Well done, and beautiful ram!

 

[Iceman82]

Fantastic write up. I truly hope my career can end just like that. You are the type of outdoorsman that I looked up to and admired when I was a kid.
Unfortunately today we are not revered in the same way. I too cherish my time in the mountains, woods, and God's County and I pick my hunting partners very carefully.
I am heading back to Alaska in August for another sheep hunt (first one in the Wrangells).
God Bless you and thank you for sharing.

 

[Lukeandcod]

Congratulations, thank you for sharing your journey! Fantastic ram!

 

[ReddingArcher]

Wow! What a write up thank you for sharing that. I think we all aspire to go out on top on our own terms when we finally hang it up. Thanks again!