IronBuck

Ia m interested in the logistics of your Big Horn sheep hunt.

If you hunt unguided with a mate, so do you drive over from Pennsylvania to Colorado with the gear etc?

If you get allocated tags, do you then try to pick some promising public hunting lands?

I am also wondering on the chances of success on public lands in Colorado or elsewhere for that matter. They are such a demanded trophy that the competition to score a good one must be stiff.

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I have hunted sheep. Not the sort that you have over there but a wild sheep from New Zealand. No I am not joking and no Gryphon, Bakes and others do not laugh at me or ridicule me. You see a lot of Aussie hunters give you strange looks if you admit to hunting a Kiwi Ram.

I was hunting red stag in central North Island and shot a good one in the morning. I was on a two for one guided hunt through the local deer hunting club and the outfitter allowed us to split the hunts and a friend to hunt sambar separately from my red stag. So good value.

Anyway when taking the deer carcase to the farm house for storage - it was on a private dairy farm - we passed these wild sheep on the top of a hill. The guide asked me if I wanted one and I said - youre kidding - then I'll think about it. On the way back I thought I will probably never actually come over to purposely hunt one and as they are quite rare probably never chance on one again.

So we stalked them and I manage to take a record class one but never have had it seriously scored. After the taxidermist cleaned it up it looks like a merino ram but at the time its coat was very very dirty and knotted.

They are also known as Arapawa Rams.

If I can find some photos I will post them.

I don't believe the challenge is the same as hunting a big horn ram though.