Bret was one of two of my fellow California bowhunters who drew a once in a life time Desert Bighorn tag this June. Early on he committed to doing this hunt with archery gear, with his friend and hunting partner Jack Hankins. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Bret while hunting at Tejon Ranch as well as the California Bowmen Hunters Broadhead Shoot last May. On December 20th on the fourth day of his hunt he successfully arrowed a ram that was measured by the biologist at 180 7/8″. The current Pope and Young record is held by a New Mexico Ram killed by Jim Hens in 2007 that panel measured at 178 6/8″.

Bret shared his story, which undoubtedly will make it into Relentless 365, the California hunting magazine. It truly is a story of perseverance.

My hands have finally quit shaking enough that I can type! (this is no joke, after I shot it, I borrowed Jack’s cell phone but couldn’t type in the numbers as I was shaking so bad) Started out Saturday with Bill, Dave, Doug and Myself, the wind was about 40-50 mph with rain but we still saw sheep. Bill and Dave saw 7 ewes and 1 small ram and Doug and I saw a group of 3 med rams then 5 rams with a shooter. We were about 800yds away and we snuck up when they went behind the ridge but blew it when we came out of the first gulley the same time the sheep were coming out of the second gully, Busted! (more…)

From an Idaho F&G Press release

Jim Ancho of Battle Mountain, Nevada, won the bighorn sheep tag in a drawing by the Idaho Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation.

“I’m rather shocked,” Ancho said. “I’ve never had luck like this in my life so I’m just gonna’ go for it.”

Ancho will be able to hunt in any unit open to sheep hunting for Rocky Mountain or California bighorn in 2009, pursuant to Fish and Game rules – except Unit 11, Hells Canyon of the Snake River. Unit 11 is available to the lottery winner on alternating years.

“I’m going for the Rocky Mountain bighorn, because I’ve got the other three needed for the Grand Slam and right now I’ve got a lot of research to do,” he said.

This year the foundation sold 7,605 tickets for the annual drawing, raising $57,982 for the state wildlife health lab.

The lottery is run by the Idaho chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation. Lottery tickets start at $10 and decrease in price for multiples bought, a system that allows hunters of moderate means to participate.

Money raised by the drawing supports Idaho’s Wildlife Health Laboratory in Caldwell. The lab investigates wildlife diseases, such as brucellosis, chronic wasting disease, West Nile virus, bighorn sheep disease and other pathogens of concern to hunters and the livestock industry.

The lottery has raised more than $750,000 to support the Wildlife Health Laboratory since the program was begun in 1992. The foundation may keep a portion to operate and promote the lottery.

“This is a shining example of how sportsmen raise funds to give something back to all citizens of Idaho, hunters or not,” said Dale Toweill, trophy species coordinator for Idaho Fish and Game. “These funds allow wildlife veterinarians to work with the Department of Agriculture on topics of concern to both the wildlife community and livestock interests, providing direct and indirect benefits to all Idahoans.”

A hunting license and permit will be provided to the winner, who must be 18 years old and eligible to apply for a hunting license in Idaho. The once-in-a-lifetime rule is waived for this lottery tag.

The Wild Sheep Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working to protect and restore bighorn sheep to historic habitats throughout Idaho.

I thought that the results for the California big Game Drawing wasn’t due out untill the 24th, but like Nevada, California hustled up and had Drawing results available on line, well before the expected date. 

As I read my results I expected  to be mostly “denied”. 

MARTIN JOHN ANTELOPE: Not Drawn random # .902199

“That’s OK I have a Colorado tag for speedgoats.”  I told myself

MARTIN JOHN ELK: Not Drawn random # .058965

“That’s OK that tag’s season comes during my Nevada Mule Deer Hunt.  it would be tough to hunt that one too.”  I rationalized…

 MARTIN JOHN SHEEP: Not Drawn random # .611847

I told myself that “This was a loooongshot, so I am not disappointed in the least.”

Then I  came to the next line.  The species that would cap my year off with a November hunt in the rut for Blacktail Deer.  This would make or break my Psyche for The Hunting season to come….

MARTIN JOHN DEER: Drawn for 2009

 

Alright!   That’s what I was looking for.    Looks like I have some scouting to do. 

You may check your results here:

https://biggame.dfg.ca.gov/biggame/

Photo by Richard Seeley

KREMMLING, Colo. – Thanks to the support of Colorado sportsmen, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep have made a comeback in Gore Canyon, west of Kremmling. In mid-January wildlife managers with the Colorado Division of Wildlife released 14 bighorns into the rugged canyon country that overlooks the headwaters of the Colorado River.

Bighorn sheep were seen in Gore Canyon as early as 1839 and were prominent through the early 1900s. Wildlife managers believe that several factors, including market hunting and disease, likely played a role in the final decline of bighorn sheep from Gore Canyon. Longtime local residents recall seeing bighorn sheep on the steep canyon walls in the distant past.

“This is a project that a lot of people have been working on for almost 15 years,” said Mike Crosby, District Wildlife Manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. “It’s exciting that we finally have sheep on the ground and we hope to have a population in this area for many years to come.”

Wildlife managers have equipped the sheep with radio tracking devices and will monitor the herd’s movement and health over the next few years. Additional transplants will likely be used to supplement the Gore Canyon bighorn population in the future.

Photo by Richard Seeley

The bighorn sheep released in Gore Canyon were trapped on the Basalt State Wildlife Area and transported to the release site in livestock trailers. Two males (rams), one lamb and one adult, were transported in the group as female sheep (ewes) are key to more readily establishing the herd. It is unknown how many of the female sheep might be pregnant but transplanting sheep after the late fall breeding season increases the possibility of moving pregnant sheep. Bighorn sheep lambs are typically born in May and June.

The Division of Wildlife is finalizing a statewide bighorn sheep management plan. The document compiles historical and biological information about bighorn sheep in the state and guides management of the species through 2019. The statewide plan should be available later this month on the Division of Wildlife website.

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are the official state animal and appear on the seal of the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

The Division of Wildlife’s bighorn sheep projects in Colorado are supported by sportsmen’s dollars through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. Additional funding for projects comes from the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society through that organization’s annual auction and raffle of bighorn sheep licenses.

(Photos by Richard Seeley)