My brother and I decided to go on a California Bighorn hunt along the Fraser River. This was just before the die-off due to lungworm, so there were lots of sheep around - in those days you could shoot 3/4 curl or larger rams on a general open season. Due to my disability I did not bother buying a tag - I wouldn't be able to treck around the slopes anyways. So we get to the spot and I drop my brother off. I watch as he makes his way up the slope - he will be back in about 6 hours. I decide to find a place where I can set up a ground blind to watch for deer.
About 200 yards down the old logging road - just around the corner really - I look to my left - there is a ram! He was standing on top of a large outcrop on the far side of a clearing, maybe 350 yards or so. I didn't even need to check him out in my binos, but I did anyways. He was well over 3/4 curl, in fact close to full curl. I quickly turn around and head back to the spot where I dropped my brother off. He is just cresting the hill! I wostled and yelled, but he did not hear me. I go back and the ram is still standing there. The rifle was right beside me, and I knew I could easily make the shot. I could drop him right there, and nobody would see. I'd leave him there until my brother came back and he would cut his tag and we would be golden. After all, this was in all probability a once in a lifetime opporunity. I raised my rifle and steadied my aim. But I didn't chamber a round. Shooting the ram wasn't teh right thing to do, even though I really wanted to. I let him go.
My brother came back, just as planned. He said he had spotted a good looking ram and put a stalk on it. The terrain was such that he was constantly trying to approach it from behind, and he couldn't get a good view of the horns. Finally the ram bedded down and he got to withing 200 yards or so, and he was unable to get any closer. He laid down and glassed that ram for a long time, but due to the angles/brush and so forth he could only be 99% certain it was legal. So he ended up passing on it too. The funny part - well kind of funny - was that he grabbed the Hunting regs when he got back to the truck and looked at the 3/4 curl drawing - "Darn! It WAS legal". Oh well, a kid on his first sheep hunt with no mentor. Better that he passed on a legal ram than that he shoot an illegal one. Lesson learned.
I told him what had happened too. We made a fire and had some dinner. We had a good sleep and hunted hard for the next two days and saw nothing. No sheep, no deer. So we didn't get a ram, but I remember the trip very vividly. I really am happy I got to do that hunt with my brother and look forward to the next time we hunt together.
About 200 yards down the old logging road - just around the corner really - I look to my left - there is a ram! He was standing on top of a large outcrop on the far side of a clearing, maybe 350 yards or so. I didn't even need to check him out in my binos, but I did anyways. He was well over 3/4 curl, in fact close to full curl. I quickly turn around and head back to the spot where I dropped my brother off. He is just cresting the hill! I wostled and yelled, but he did not hear me. I go back and the ram is still standing there. The rifle was right beside me, and I knew I could easily make the shot. I could drop him right there, and nobody would see. I'd leave him there until my brother came back and he would cut his tag and we would be golden. After all, this was in all probability a once in a lifetime opporunity. I raised my rifle and steadied my aim. But I didn't chamber a round. Shooting the ram wasn't teh right thing to do, even though I really wanted to. I let him go.
My brother came back, just as planned. He said he had spotted a good looking ram and put a stalk on it. The terrain was such that he was constantly trying to approach it from behind, and he couldn't get a good view of the horns. Finally the ram bedded down and he got to withing 200 yards or so, and he was unable to get any closer. He laid down and glassed that ram for a long time, but due to the angles/brush and so forth he could only be 99% certain it was legal. So he ended up passing on it too. The funny part - well kind of funny - was that he grabbed the Hunting regs when he got back to the truck and looked at the 3/4 curl drawing - "Darn! It WAS legal". Oh well, a kid on his first sheep hunt with no mentor. Better that he passed on a legal ram than that he shoot an illegal one. Lesson learned.
I told him what had happened too. We made a fire and had some dinner. We had a good sleep and hunted hard for the next two days and saw nothing. No sheep, no deer. So we didn't get a ram, but I remember the trip very vividly. I really am happy I got to do that hunt with my brother and look forward to the next time we hunt together.
