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!

Sunday Doug and I spotted a big ram about a mile away, and he stayed at the scope while I did a 2 mile end around to get on him. When I got into position the sheep changed course from coming across the face right at me to going straight down. Now I had them at 240 yds in the open and I was stuck. When they went out of sight I started after them but they gave me the slip in a couple of canyons and ended up crossing by Doug (of course!)

Now Jack showed up and Bill, Dave, and Doug had to leave to go to work. We ended up going back about a half mile to get my pack that I had dropped for the stalk. We decided to go further down the ridge line when Jack spotted a group of sheep with 3 giant rams! We started after them but hit some cliffs and since it was already 2:30pm and my legs were like jello from the last stalk we decided to head back to camp and try this southern area in the morning. The next morning we hiked from south to north on the same ridges we were hunting and not one single sheep! They all disappeared! we didn’t know if the scent from all of the scouting on sat and sun buggered them up or what. At this point we had seen about 51 sheep between the five of us over two days, but nothing on day 3.

Day 4, Oh Boy! Started out even farther south where the 3 big rams had been and I saw a sheep disappear over the ridge. I snuck up close took off my boots, climbed a cliff, carefully walked over knowing they would be right below the cliff I was on, and I’m thinking its the group with the rams, but as I ease over, 28 yards away are 9 ewes and lambs! No Rams AHHHGGGG!. I walk back to Jack who is staring at the group of ewes who had run around the edge right at him, no camera handy of course! as we discuss our next move we walk over to a ridge to look beyond and Jack throws his glasses up and says hey! there’s the 3 big rams! about a mile away bedded just off the ridge top (my hands are starting to shake again) We know this ridge now and plan a course that will take us up the other side of the top so we can sneak in. after about a mile and half walk we get there but some sheep are on our side now. We hold tight till they walk out of view then take off to our right to go around the nob to cut them off.
When we get there we can’t see them so I start stalking around the face with Jack about 20 yards behind. I feel I running out of room and they should bed close so I drop to my Knees and start scooting around the hill when I see sheep backs! I look back at Jack who’s standing about 30 yards behind me and signal to get down the sheep are right in front of me. I scoot a little closer and see a ewe and she is staring thru my bush and know something is wrong! then she just walks up to 10 yards to look over my little bit of cover ( a foot and a half tall scrub) right at me and blows out with 25 sheep! And the 3 giant rams are in the group (we thought there were only 7 sheep) I’m at full draw swinging on them thinking, no I can’t take a shot like this when they stop! I let down range it for 60 yds but shoot 57 (thank god I just bought this rangefinder with arc!) at one of the Giant rams who is in front and hit him perfect height but back in the liver. I see the blood spot immediately and know its a fatal hit! The whole herd runs down this super steep canyon then stops when he gets all weebly woobly then he walks over to a bush and lays down. He lifted his head twice while we were watching then lights out!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m not an experience sheep hunter and figured he was about 165″, when the biologist scored him at 180 7/8″ I about crapped my pants! Now, not only am I floating on air, I’m doing back flips at the same time!

Well I can’t write anymore as I’m starting to shake again so here are a couple of pics

Bret with his hunting partner Jack Hankins and Bret's record book Desert Bighorn Ram

It was probably good Bret felt like he was walking on air, because this looks like a heavy load!

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.

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)