Memoirs of a Colorado Archery Sheep Hunter
-In May I got the news that I’d drawn an archery sheep tag. I had no idea what I was in for.
-Train as soon as you find out you have a tag. By then it may be too late.
-Sheepn’ ain’t easy
-Walk with a 50 lb. pack on rocky fields, mountains, hills, through creeks, and more. Walk until your feet have blisters on your blisters. Then your feet will bleed, and then harden. Only then are your feet ready for a sheep hunt. Buy the best boots you can afford, take the insoles out, and put some superfeet in. You will thank me later.
-Wilderness sheep areas are the hardest places by far. The terrain Sheep live in is unforgiving and dangerous.
-Sheep are circuit animals. They spend 2-3 days here, 2-3 days there, and seemingly always moving except for night time and 2-3 hours during the day. The good news is like Turkey’s, if you put them to bed, they will be there in the AM.
Glass West in the morning, and East in the evening. If you do not, you will be challenged to see sheep
-Look for the rear end of a sheep. It is white like a pair of long johns. This is the biggest key in glassing. Sheep butts aren’t always facing you though so glass and inspect everything.
-Take a 2nd mortgage for the best optics you can find. Or if you have the cash spend it! Buy a HD,ED, or the pair of binoculars you can find, and a spotting scope to go with it. Make sure the diameter is 80, not 60. Spend $2500 on swarovski if you can, you’ll thank me later.
-Glass every inch. I once saw a nanny’s face appear above a rock but she had been there the whole time. As I focused in, I found many other sheep in an area that I had I glassed earlier, and missed.
-Sneak around everywhere you think sheep will be. I had some lambs and ewes at 400 yards and got out of my seat to move 5 feet around a tree for a better view. By the time I did every pair of eyes was on me and they quickly took off. Sheep have the equivalent of 12 power vision.
-Bring a 30’ climbing rope. You’ll never know when you’ll need it to drop into sheep country.
-Forget low….Camp and stay high if you can. If you can’t because the creek you are camping on is the only water source in the valley, plan on 3 am early morning ascents with 2x the normal water you would drink. One day I went through 15 liters of water and was still thirsty. I also dropped 15 pounds in the first 4 days.
-Sunscreen sun screen sun screen.
-Don’t give up! Spend more time scouting 3-4 days beforehand than hunting your tag. Sometimes Rams you saw in July and August are somewhere else in September/October.
Sheepn’ ain’t easy.
If you have the money….go guided! If you don’t have the money to go guided….Spend 30 days hunting.
-For the DIY hunter, practice patience. It is far better to take a day off here and there, and do your 12-15 mile walking circuit in search of a Ram because they will eventually show up if you are in the right area!
-Talk to everyone! Biologists, local outfitters, people on the road with binoculars, fisherman, gas station attendants etc… Someone saw a sheep somewhere!
-I had the first 10 days of the season to hunt without leaving, and I didn’t see a single Ram because I tried to hunt them like an elk and kept moving around low country to high country. Pick the highest point to glass several drainages and stay there until you are sure they are clear. Only then can you move to another high area. But be warned, the drainage you just cleared now has sheep in it….Do you get it???
-On the 26th day of the hunting season I finally saw my first Ram! It was two rams together. One full curl and a ¾ curl. I put a successful stalk on them and had the full curl at 55 yards with my bow. I missed because of a technical error with my dialed yardage sight pin. The arrow sailed under the Rams heart by 4 inches. When I dialed the yardage, I was looking at the bow from the top down, I didn’t see that my line indicator was on 45 because at that angle it looked like 50. Know your equipment, and from all sitting, crawling, and awkward angles!!!
-Call everyone you know and enlist help. Whether they can glass from a truck because they are in a wheelchair to the most athletic person you know. Find trail runners and athletes to scour your sheep country in pursuit of Rams. Lead by example and don’t give up. More eyes = more success.
-A positive attitude is the only attitude in Sheep hunting. Yes you will be tired. Yes you will hurt. Yes your feet will swell and bleed. Yes you will cover more miles than you ever have. And yes your friends will give up on you after awhile, but keep your attitude and positivity...it will eventually pay off.
-Did I mention... Sheepn’ aint easy?
-After a shot at the full curl, I went back 4 days after on the last day to hunt. I had 2 sub-legal rams, 2 legal but thin-horned Rams and one decent 3/4 curl all within 50 yards, and I passed all of them up! I was set on looking for that big full curl Ram. I don't regret it at all. Once you see "the one" you will know that is the only Ram for you. I ate my tag but learned a ton about myself, my ethics, and what my body was capable of. I will never complain about elk hunting the backcountry again, because that is easy compared to Sheep Hunting. Sheep hunting is a passion that I now have and love. I'm still in the minus one club, but wouldn't trade my decision on the last days hunt for anything. I am truly a sheep hunter!
