Back when I first found out that I had drawn a tag I posted on here that I would start a Sheep scouting journal. I think it is a good idea that hopefully will be fun and useful to anyone that is intertested. Just be kind when it comes to my spelling and grammar!
5/13/07 - I can't take it anymore! I have to get to sheep country! I am using the "family drive" excuse to take a look at some of the unit I will be hunting. I have both daughters and the boy, as well as my wife are along. It snowed a sloppy wet couple of inches last night, so we are just driving around looking at the beautiful place we live.
I am caught completely off guard as we round the bend in the road and we see several Ewe's right at the trailhead.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/SH100306.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/SH100304.jpg)
This has really got me worked up now! I can not wait to get a real scouting trip under my belt.
5/28/07 - I am in sheep country! It is beautiful, and much bigger than it looked on the map. Having never been into this area before every step is a learning expierence. I put on many miles today and never saw a sheep, but I was really just getting a feel for the lay of the land and not really trying to glass up a sheep.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0068.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0073.jpg) (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0067.jpg)
It was an awesome day. Nothing beats running around the Rocky mountains!
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0069.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0075.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0072.jpg)
Even though I didn't see any sheep it was a great trip. I have decided I need to buy a Bivy sack and plan on spending ALLOT more time in there.!
beautiful pics... that Silvertip looks ready to close the deal as well!!! Best of luck, God Bless, and a bigthank you for sharing... keep it up!!!
No doubt about it...awesome pics!!!! Like me Dad always said..."If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, You're lucky enough!!!"
Jason,
Swing by S12 for me too... ;)
That is beautiful! I've been doing a lot of homework and training; as much as I can do without being there. I hope to get out once before the season, but that is not much!
I am taking my 'Tip as well--good choice!
Wow......great pic's.....real pretty country
Excellent pictures. Keep us posted on the scouting trips.
Very Beautiful country, different than my local sheep areas, I like that... I am going to keep tabs on this one for sure! Speaking of the bivy sack, have you read Cameron Haynes "Backcountry Bowhunting"? Great book for your style hunting, even if he still has training wheels. Good luck!
Semper Fi,
Mike
ninja's right-there are more trees in one pic than we have in all of our sheep country!
nice grip on your bow, too. Good luck
Steve O - Drove through S12 this weekend, did not see any sheep though. I went and bought some land in S49.
Elk Ninja - I have read Camerons book. Good book, I thought it had some good advise. It is very different sheep country, I was surprised at the amount of veg. also. The Elevation tops out at 10,200', so it is pretty low country for sheep. I have alot of info on the unit an it looks like many of the sheep are killed below 9000'.
Is that the ellusive yellow ring sheep? LOL Beautiful country. Jonesy
Elksong,
One of my moles was camping there this w/e...he saw 30. Doing 5 miles every morning at 5am...hitting the gym for more aerobics and weights every chance I have.
Anything I can do to prepare more for the HIGH altitude?
Steve,
Sounds like you are doing the right stuff! Unfortunantly there is no real substitute for the high country. I have lost 22 lbs in 4 weeks, from 235 to 213, just changing my diet and work out to be more stamina focused and less power oriented.
If you have a stadium that you can access, put on a 35+lb back pack and go up down the stairs, ALLOT!
The best we have is a sled hill the kids go down. I am hitting that as much as possible in the evenings. June 1st I am putting 40lbs into the pack, July 1st 80 lbs.
I Like the face in the rock looking at those ewes in the first pic........Looking forward to following your journey thatnks for taking us along........ :thumbsup: Terry
Steve, I might need to start hitting that hill with you. I lost my stair workout when I retired last year.
Jason, great pictures! I will be going on my first sheep hunt this year in Alaska. I hope to one day draw a Bighorn tag before I get too old to go. Good luck and keep us up to date.
Great photos, keep them coming, especially of any ewes. Looks like I'll be joining you and Steve this fall on the Colorado mountains in search of sheep with my bow - I learned last week that I drew the only NR archery ewe tag for S-32. Only 3 months to prepare, hope I can do it.
Elksong - Great pictures. Always like to see different sheep country. Good luck on your scouting & hunt.
Jack - When & where in Alaska are you going?
Super pictures, keep em comin!!!!
John,
My Dall hunt is in the Chugachs starting the second week of September. Actually, my wife and I will be up for an Alaskan tour towards the end of August that she arranged for us first. We get home September 3 and I fly back up on the ninth, hunt until the end of sheep season and fly back on the 22nd.
6-3-07 - WOW do I have a case of "shin spints"! I don't know if this is normal or not, I might be over training a bit. I have been lifting weights (something I have done for years) and running 2+ miles after every weight lifting session (this is new). I wasn't even going to go scouting today, but I couldn't keep myself at home either.
The first mile of the walk/hike sucked but after that things loosened up.
I was more focus on looking for sheep today. I only hiked a couple of miles stopping every so often to glass. Right at the last spot I wa going to look at I spotted the only sheep I have seen in the last two trips. He was a beautiful 150"-160" ram. I watched him for about an hour, It was a PERFECT set-up the ram bedded below a 60-70' ledge looking down the mountain. He was alone and fell so asleep at one time that he had his head flat on the ground. If only it were Sept!
Here I am lookin' for sheep. (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0086.jpg)
The ram is right where the red and white cliffs meet.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0083.jpg)
see the two white spots that are left of the little round pine? The one on top is the sheeps fanny.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0080.jpg)
Lots of water in the High Country this year.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0087.jpg)
Lot of rough country up there.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0088.jpg)
It is a blast exploring the new places. I have to say it was REALLY cool seeing the ram. You couldn't have knocked the smile off my face with a stick as I hiked out today!
I took this pic though my bino's. If you look above the white dot and right at the end of the long triangular shadow(pointing left) you can make out the rams face and horns above his rump (the tan spot).
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0084.jpg)
Sweet!! Wish you the best on your upcoming hunt. Keep the pics coming.
Gluck bud.
Add some extra arch support for your shin splints...and ice em after workouts/scouting trips. 20 minutes ice 40 minutes rest repeat for total of 3 times.
Thanks DB, I'll give that a try!
Steve, if you have a high school close go up and down the bleachers. Really good workout to get you ready for climbing.
Joe
Last year, I did the bleacher workout in preparation for a Colorado elk hunt. Loaded up the backpack with all kind of junk to get about thirty pounds. The bleacher workout was a killer!!
Jason, you pics are awesome... brings back memories. Colorado is really a beautiful piece of country.
Good luck on your adventure.
Ah, nice photos and update. Seeing that ram was a nice reward for your efforts!
Hey SteveO, if you want to get used to the high altitude, do your morning jog with a ziplock baggie over your head, HA!
I don't know of anything that can get you used to the altitude except being there.
Good luck to all you skinny, long legged dudes on your sheep hunts, and don't forget stories for the PBS magazine.
I'm too old, fat and short to do any sheep hunting in the high country...
Awesome thread looking forward to tagging along. :thumbsup: :campfire:
great pic's :thumbsup:
btt
I'm hoping to get out at least one day this weekend. Work gets in the way of everything fun! I'll post again as soon as I get back.
Ok I've got to chime in on the Shin Splints thing. In the army I got these alot until someone told me to try and jog backwards a little each time. I know it sounds weird but it worked for me. As I undersatand it shin splints happen because your working one muscle alot and the oposite one not enough. Basicaly your muscle is pulling itself away from the bone. At least that is how it was described to me. Running or jogging backwards a little helps strengthen the oposite muscle.
Like I said it seemed to work for me. May be worth a try.
Oh and thanks for taking us along. And good luck on the hunt.
about the shin splints, i take a athletic training class in school and it's a lot like snailskin said. they happen when your calf muscle gets caught in the front of your shin bone and rubs. like snail skin said jogging backwards can loosen it up or you can stretch your calves to loosen it up.
good luck to your on your hunt. looks like some awesome country. maybe someday i'll get around to trying it.
SnailSkin description of a shin splint is perfect. I am a massage therapist by trade, and I work with these sorts of injuries a lot. He is also correct with the notion of the calf being over strengthened, but realize the problem is in the front.
A couple things that will help besided running backwards: Massage both the back and front of your leg. Before you go hiking or running, you can wrap strips of tape along your shin (might want to shave first) this will give the muscles in the anteiror compartment (the shin) more support and thus help reduce the tearing away from the bone. Also ICE for 20 min every two hours as much as you can especialy after exercise. Oh and taking an anti-inflamitory BEFORE you exercise will help as well.
One thing I will say NOT to do is to stretch the muscles in the shin, just stretch the muscles in the calf. *this is counter to a lot of age old teaching, but I have been doing it this way for the last two years after learning it from one of the top sports M.T.s in the nation (James Wasaski) and have seen much quicker healing times.
Derek Wrigley L.M.T.
oh and if pain persists or gets worse, see a doc. last thing you want is stress fracture.
Looking forward to more photos. I'm headed to Colorado myself next weekend for scouting and to participate in the CODOW sheep count on 7/2. Can't wait to see and hike in the high country!
Glad to see I was informed correctly. Shin splints realy hurt sometimes. I know I had them enough in the army. Once I learned the jog backwards thing I made shure I did it enough to keep from repeating the problem.
I hope the info helps. I'd hate to miss a hunt or an opertunity with something that is fairly easy to correct.
Good luck.
Hmmm.... you guys are way ahead of me, gotta get out, gotta get in shape, gotta get to shooting more, gotta..... ;)
Great thread by the way :thumbsup: Seems to be lots of sheep tag winners on TG this year. :D
Doug
Thanks for the info on the shin splits. They are way better now that I have been running for awhile now. For a short time frame I though I would have to give up the running for something else! I am thinking of starting some swimming just to mix it up.
Since I started getting into "Sheep shape" I have lost 25lbs, from 235 to 209-210. Amazing what a person can do when they have the drive to get it done!
Doug - Good luck on your hunt! I hope we get to tag along with you on your hunt also.
Good Luck on your hunt Elksong - savor every moment. I had a tag last year in S-12 and even though I didn't fill, it was by far the very best hunt of my life! What unit are you in, 44?
SteveO, I haven't heard from you on your hunt in S-12, do you need info?
Ramhunter
Heck yes I need info! PM on the way!
Well I ended up gettin' some sort of bug this last weekend and didn't get to go scouting. I did however have a little time this morning to take a quick drive up to have a look around. What I saw blew me away. I have been looking at the higher elevations the last couple of times I have been out,and that is where I started today also. After I glassed the higher elevations I went for a drive into a couple of ther spots that I had not looked into yet. What I saw got me pretty excited!
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0094.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0093.jpg)
This big old dude was right on the asphalt!
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/100_0096.jpg)
What an awesome sight they were! I bet I won't find them down by the roads in September! Not sure I would want to anyway.
That is awesome!! That's enough to get a guy fired up!!I miss CO. Thanks for the pics and good luck!!
You hit the jackpot! They were hiding in plain site! Nice photos.
Don't mean to brag......but I got a date with Janet George on Monday for the sheep count. And I'm gonna hike up and camp out saturday night at my planned bivy camp location, and test my legs and lungs in the high country. Will take some photos and share next week.
Jeff, looking foward to the pic's
Jeff, good luck! I hope you have a great time and look forwardto the pic's!
I sent my pic's to the The DOW today along with some of my notes - Head count of sheep and location and time seen. They seemed pretty happy about it and gave me some good info on where the sheep could be in Sept.
Elksong,
Are you that close to these sheep or is your camera just that good? Those pics are like you are in a petting zoo.We all know how thing change come huntin season :pray: Best of luck
G
Now that is a sight to see!! Beautiful!!
I'm that close geno! I was less than 20 yards.
It was another amazing morning. Right off the bat I jumped a good sized bear, but he wasn't interested in being "america's next top model" and I could not get a pic of him. I also saw several turkeys at first light.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06016.jpg)
There were also Alot of grouse, I'm hoping they stay around.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06023.jpg)
I also found more sheep! I found two 3/4 curl rams in the red and white cliffs were I saw the very first ram of the year. They were bedded and seemed content to survey their kingdom. I watched they for around 30 min. then moved on. Then I ran into this group.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06003.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06004.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06006.jpg)
There were three that were real nice sheep and three younger ones. I also saw another full curl that I couldn't get a picture of. So 9 rams today. Things look good so far!
It is always a treat to spend time in the high country. I feel blessed every time I get to go.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06024.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06019.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06002.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06022.jpg)
The high country -
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06018.jpg)
And the low country -
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/Elksong/Pics4-22-06017.jpg)
I have seen sheep in both. It will be interesting to see if they stay put or really change things up before Sept.
GREAT PIC'S :thumbsup: :notworthy:
ttt
Jason,
Great pictures, thanks for the updates. They inspire me to keep up the training.
I'm finally back to a computer, after the Colorado scouting trip and family vacation. I have some photos to share, but I wish my camera was of better quality. Elksong's photos are very good and a new digital camera is on my "must have" list for the hunt.
I spent 3 full days exploring Colorado's sheep unit S32, meeting some experienced sheep bowhunters, and testing myself and my equipment. I rented a Jeep 4x4, but still couldn't access some areas due to very rough roads....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0402.jpg)
This area is much different that Elksong's area, with a fair amount of snowpack remaining from the winter...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0412.jpg)
I found that small mule deer rack while hiking on the first day. My plan was to take it easy the first day and just drive around, since I live at about 1000 ft. and I was worried about altitude sickness in the 11,000 to 12,000 ft. mountains. However, I spotted a large herd of elk and some mule deer bucks in this basin, and I couldn't resist hiking in for a closer look.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0417.jpg)
The hills grew steeper and steeper...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0408.jpg)
About 5 hours later I stumbled back to the Jeep, not feeling so good. I didn't see any sheep but the scenery was great. I drove around some areas of interest and saw a nice brown-phase bear and a mountain goat. I headed up a very rough jeep trail for the evening, planning to glass a mountain and camp out for the night. My friend Jeff Davis was nice enough to lend me camping gear, but it took all I had to set up the tent and crawl into the sleeping bag. My head was pounding and I didn't eat because I didn't think any food would stay down.
After a long night, I awoke felling slightly better but not really wanting to climb the nearby mountain for sheep. I had seen no sheep the prior day and was a little discouraged. Finally I got going and was rewarded with the sight of 4 young rams skylined on the ridge I was headed for, plus 6 bull elk on another ridge. This mountain didn't have much cover, but by noon I had spotted 19 rams on it......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0419.jpg)
I was pretty happy to get within 100 yards of 15 of those rams - 2 in one group and 13 in another group, but getting much closer would be tough. There were some rock outcrops that could provide some cover, but I really need to practice the extremely steep shots with my recurve. I was happy with the new boots I was wearing, but my scope and binos were disappointing.
I spent Sunday afternoon exploring the jeep trails in another part of the unit, visiting with the Renfros, and relaxing at Jeff's house in Denver. Jeff is a whitetail fanatic and we spent hours talking about them and looking at his mounts and shed antlers, plus his self bow collection. I needed a little rest before meeting Janet George the next morning at 5:30 am for the sheep count.
I felt great when I finally met Janet at the trailhead, pretty much recovered from the altitude effects on my body. Over the next 9 hours we hiked, saw sheep and other animals, looked at good spots to hunt including where Janet herself had killed sheep previously, and traded bowhunting stories. It is fun to meet and spend time with serious traditional bowhunters like Janet. Luckily she had mercy on me and let me stop and rest often......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0429.jpg)
Janet knows about every foot of this unit and many of the sheep, so it was no surprise that we saw sheep right away. There were 5 rams in one group and 6 in another, and it was fun to watch their behavior and interaction. I finally realized how poor my optics were after looking through her Sworo scope and binos - everything was crystal clear in her binos especially. I decided I must at least get some good binos.
She spotted 3 bedded rams from at least 1/2 mile away, from the ridge to the left of her in this photo......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0433.jpg)
We circled the basin and eventually stood less that 100 yards above them - sitting ducks with a rifle but untouchable with my recurve.
Janet also pointed out something that was not obvious in this photo but could be seen from the saddle over this ridge.....a sheep fence built by native americans to funnel the driven sheep through a saddle and into range of archers...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0434.jpg)
I was thrilled to know that I'll be bowhunting sheep on the same mountain as the native americans had done for many years prior. What I'd give to go back in time and watch those sheep hunts!
We climbed higher and higher, finally ending slightly above 13,000 ft., and yes, we climbed that "hill" behind me....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/CO%20Sheep%2007/100_0435.jpg)
Overall I think my physical preparation is working but I need to step it up a notch or two. We ended the day seeing 15 rams and not a single ewe. Just my kind of luck, I finally got a bighorn ewe tag, and the rams were in full view and the ewes had disappeared. Janet explained that the ewes have their lambs hidden in the timber but will be out on the slopes soon. I sure hope so! I'll be back in September to find out.
Thanks guys, this is an awesome thread.
Jeff,
Thanks for sharing the photos. Best of luck with the sheep this fall.
Bill
Great pic's Jeff! Your unit is more "traditional" sheep country. I have not seen a ewes since May myself. I thought that it had to do with the lambs, but had no idea that they would be treed up.
That fence is super cool!
Jeff, Why is it we see your mug at hunts everywhere but in Georgia? Gonna start hurting our feelings. Of course he could just be photo shopping these photos! :jumper:
Hope to share a campfire with you this fall.
Steve
Thanks Bill, I hope those sheep arrows you gave me bring me some luck. Elksong, I took photos of the sheep fence where it comes to a point in the saddle with my 35 mm camera, hope they turned out. Wonder if I can get anybody to herd some ewes to me if I sit there??? Steve, you busy in September? I'm hoping to make it down to the Georgia swamps this fall - RC said he is saving a big buck and a fat hog especially for me.
Great photos Jeff! Thanks for sharing!
Well I have been out twice since my last post. Things have REALLY changed! I have not seen one single sheep. The weather has gone from hot miserable and dry, to what we call the "monsoon pattern". Hard heavy rains every afternoon. I have seen one MONSTER black bear, I am glad I have a tag, he would be worth puttin' off the sheep for a day or two if he gave me a shot!
I have been into some awesome and sometimes scary places. I actually took a little fall today, navigating a small cliff. Just a few bumps and bruises, but a good reminder to be extra careful in the places sheep play. My hunt is only 5 weeks out now, hopefully I will be up there at least one day a week for the rest of the time left. Sure would be nice to relocate those rams BEFORE the hunt opened.
Jason,
I leave tomorrow and my season starts Saturday. I am pumped, but I am getting similar reports on the weather and the rams. Guys were seeing them last week, but with all the rain this w/e they were hunkered down. They've got to come out sometime! Good luck to you and you guys please keep your fingers crossed for me :pray: ! I should be able to check in on the way out till Wednesday, then I think I will a bit busy for the computer :jumper: .
GOOD LUCK STEVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff, altitude sickness is rather humbling, isn't it. Hope you feel better for your Sept hunt. Mighty fine looking country, you lucky devil.
Good luck, Steve. I hope we get to see some pic's of your hunt!
Those pictures really get me going Jason...but I'm sure that it's not as much as they get you going right now;) Thanks for keeping us updated.
Good luck on your hunt Steve! Knock em dead!
Elksong, et al,
Good to see some of you fellows out scouting for sheep! Keep up the good work, and best of luck to those of you with tags! I've been doing some of that myself.
Sorry bud, we don't allow links to other boards....thanx,Curt } >>------->