The next best thing...

One of my greatest lifetime dreams is to one day hunt bighorn sheep. Through efforts from sportsman groups, bighorn sheep have been reestablished on their traditional range throughout the west and for the most part their populations have responded well. Today, every western state has been able to manage huntable populations of sheep, however, the demand to hunt these sheep are much, much higher than the supply. State agencies are very conservative when allocating tags for bighorn rams only allowing one ot two tags per 100-200 sheep. Typically, to draw a sheep tag you need to invest lots of years applying into the public draw and some luck. 

Well, I have never drawn a sheep tag after years of putting in various states, and I hardly expect to with odds as bad as 1:2,000...I may never fulfill my lifetime dream. This year, I convinced good buddy Tyler Berry, from Utah, to apply for hunting tags in Oregon once again. This would be his third year applying for Oregon tags. In June when the 2010 draw results where posted online I wasn't surprised to see that I drew a decent deer tag, but Emily and I both struck out for sheep...again. I called Tyler to have him check his results...he wasn't near a computer so he had me look it up for him. My heart skipped a beat and I nearly fell out of my chair when this screen appeared.

That is a screen very few hunters are lucky enoughy to see in a lifetime. Of course, Tyler didn't believe me when I told him we was successful at drwing his sheep tag, probably because we're both pranksters and this is the perfect prank to play on a buddy...he is at your mercy when you have his draw results in front of you and he pleads for your honesty and no joking. I lost my voice screaming to Tyler over the phone that this is for reals. A knock on my office door distracted me from the excitement. It was my  neighbor from the next business over asking if everything was okay, he can hear all the jumpin up and down and muffled screaming through 4 insulated walls.

Tyler drawing the Oregon tag is the next best thing to me having my own bighorn tag; let me explain. Tyler has been a great hunting buddy for years. I met him while I was in College in Logan. We both worked behind a gun counter together, although at the time I don't think he was even old enough to sell a rifle. I was able to see him harvest his first elk and antelope and mature into the great hunter he is today. 

The sheep hunt begins in September down in the rugged Peublo range along the Oregon/Nevada border. The last week of June, at the last minute we decided to bomb over to the sheep area and become more familiar with the unit. Although we spent a total of 1.5 days on the unit, we covered 175 miles on a Razor, and several boot miles looking for sheep and potential spots for camping. We were successful at both. 

The country is not as dry as I expected with healthy grasses and shrub dominating the landscape. The steep grass walls and rocky bluffs gave way to aspen creek bottoms and sagebrush which provided plenty of forage for deer, antelope, sheep, and the dozens of other wildlife species we spied. This area is remote and alive with diversity. It is the perfect setting for Tyler's bighorn hunt.

We ended up spotting over 80 ewes and lambs and one herd of 30 rams. Ya, you heard me right, thirty rams! We finally spotted the rams the morning we were leaving. They were a long distance off and the only pictures I was able to get was a fuzzy one, through the spotting scope and heat waves.

Thanks Tyler for letting me take part in your once-in-a-lifetime sheep hunt. I can't wait. Here are some photos of the area and small captions to explain each picture.

Oregon/Nevada border Hwy 140. The end of the paved road and the begining of a new adventure

One of the better roads we found in the desolate country, wild flowers were everywhere. Pueblo range in background

Lone mountain rock formations

Our first evening, the country was breathtaking but we hadn't spotted a sheep yet...till the next morning.

Chiricahua! Our first sheep spotted!!!! They are difficut to spot in such rugged terrain and heatwaves

Domingo Pass (Pueblo Mountain in background with snow)

"If I hold really still, maybe they won't see me..." I snuck within 15 feet from this small buck.

Looking south towards Pueblo range (on right) and Pueblo Mt. (to the left)

Tyler, RZR, and a beautiful aspen forest with a live creek full of scrappy cutthroat

The Pueblo range and wild iris. We found sheep tracks in the snow banks on the far mountain.

10 cent meadow area, more mahogany and mule deer in this area. I am sitting mid-slope on Pueblo Mountain looking northwest.

I missed this guys by only a few inches...fortunately for me (and him) he warned me with his buzzing scare tactic. He left me alone and I paid him back with the same respect

We spent a lot of time behind binoculars and spotting scopes searching for sheep.

Blue penstemon heaven. The aroma was strong in the evening drafts.

Holy sheep! If you can count them all, please let me know how many you come up with. I guestimated  between 50-60 sheep strung out on the ridge!

Our last morning we hiked into some new area. We both really enjoyed this area.

RAMS!!! Most of them already headed over the ridge, but there were around 30 in this herd.

On our way back to the trucks. We stopped one last time in the valley to glass up the west side of the Pueblo Mountains. Tyler is biddding farewell to the rams, until September!