Bighorn Sheep Hunting Articles
Hunting Preparations That Help Insure Post-Kill Success
Typical hunters spend months in preparation for that moment when a coveted big game animal is in their sights. Many of these same hunters, however, give little thought to what they will need to do after they have killed a dream animal. That's unfortunate, because what happens after the kill can determine whether a hunt becomes a cherished lifetime memory or a recurring nightmare. The list of potential problems that can occur after an animal is down is nearly limitless.
Retrieving Game
Thank goodness for snow and a downhill pull! Effortlessly tugging the rope, my toboggan slid as though it were self-propelled. Ankle-deep, the powdery white stuff was a blessing. Fortuitous indeed, I'd brought my sled and it's a good thing. Not long before, I'd been hiding in my blind. Overcast skies kept things dark for a few minutes longer than usual. As daylight finally illuminated my surroundings I heard the welcome sounds of a buck grunting in the trees nearby. This would be my last deer hunt of the season. I'd decided to take the first deer that presented a shot.
Surviving Mother Nature: Remember the FSFS Rule
Have you ever been in a survival situation? Most of us have not. Would you know how to survive in the wilderness in a crisis? Believe it or not, most of us would not. With the advent of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) we've been lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that we can escape any predicament by following our handy little electronic devices to safety. While basic wilderness survival skills were commonly learned by generations before us, recent generations are much less savvy in this regard. As hunters, our activities often take us into remote areas. It behooves us to learn the essential skills required to survive if we ever find ourselves stranded in the wild.
Why I Hunt
We all have our reasons to hunt. Perhaps the first reason, historically anyway, is for food. But there are other reasons, or more reasons to hunt, as well, especially since most of us can deal with the 'food' part at the local grocery store. So here are my reasons to hunt. Some may overlap with yours, some may not, and you may have other reasons. And my reasons might change. Feel free to comment, you may have a different order of reasons.
Judging Distance
Accurately judging distance is the first step toward proper shot placement. Instinctive or calculated, bowhunters rely on it for close range shooting. Gun hunters count on their ability to estimate longer distances. Over time we all learn our own tricks for calculating distance but with the advent of laser rangefinders many of us won't leave home without them. Regardless of how you go about it, determining yardage can make or break your hunt.
Lighten the Load: New Approach to Dressing Big Game
The following method of handling big game has evolved over several years. It was originally motivated by the necessity to extract animals from rugged terrain, sometimes miles from the nearest road. It has since become 'standard operating procedure', whether distant from our vehicles, or right next to. The method has also evolved as such to produce premium-tasting table fare. Basically we 'de-meat' our animals in the field. We do it to produce a minimum of weight carried out, and we do it in a way that best 'cares' for the meat itself.
The Scoring Game
What is it about antler mass that gets hunters so worked up? I've gotta admit, I too fall victim to the bottom line score now and again. So prominent is the numbers game that it frequently defines our hunting success.
White Ghost Of The Mountains
In the space between forests and sky, between earth and the heavens, is a place where dreams come true and memories are etched indelibly on the mind of the hunter. It's a remote land. Extremes of weather and the pitch of the terrain have made it unsuitable for human habitation and Nature, realizing that the severity would support no more than a handful of species, has singled out a select few to become the denizens of the mountain slopes. And so, as the eagle rules the skies, the white sheep of the mountains is master of the high places.
Scent Detection - How Does it Work?
Have you ever experienced sitting absolutely still in the woods when a nice buck starts your way and suddenly he stops, sniffs the air, then stamps his feet and the next thing you see is the white flag bounding at hyper speed in the opposite direction? Alternatively, after miles of hiking and climbing, did you spy a trophy bull elk and after crawling through the briars and bushes for what seemed eternity, to see it simply disappear when you poked your head out of the scrub? What happened?
Planning a Do-it-Yourself Bighorn Sheep Hunt
A bighorn sheep hunt is a dream for many hunters. Indeed, in the mind of this hunter, bighorn sheep hunting is the ultimate. While at our leisure sitting next to the fireplace or while lying in bed at night we may dream and think of hunting sheep, the actual "doing" of it is not to be taken lightly.
What Trophy Should Really Mean
When we hunt we must work hard, we obey the law, we are ethical, and we are reverent. Every animal taken - young or old, buck or doe - is a "trophy". They are gifts of the land.
Preparing for a Bighorn Hunt
I'm fortunate enough to live less than two hours from some of the best bighorn hunting in the world. Hence, I've pursued sheep a number of years now, and over this course I have developed a few opinions pertaining to gear selection I feel is invaluable to anyone considering a bighorn hunt.
Bighorn Hunting the Rockies: A Full Curl Dream
Unless you've done it, it's tough to comprehend. I speak of hunting bighorns, arguably the true monarch of the Rocky Mountains. Among all North American game species, they exemplify the essence of majesty. Few creatures can survive where they thrive. Amid scrambling talus slopes, at altitudes that cause most mortals to gasp, bighorn rams are indeed a sight to behold.