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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: JimB on November 22, 2009, 02:48:00 PM
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A rancher friend called this morning,swore that he wasn't on drugs but that he saw a bighorn sheep in a field in the middle of the valley.There are no sheep there.None.Everybody knows that.I told him to meet me there and I'd be right out(knowing he was in trouble).
I met up with him and he pointed out in the field.There about 300 yds away,lay a bighorn ram that would make B+C,taking a nap,or at least that's what I imagined I saw.There are no sheep in this area,only whitetails,antelope and occasionally elk.No sheep!
Some other people stopped and we found out that someone hit it with their pickup last night.After watching it for about 20 minutes,it got up,jumped a fence and started to feed.It had no broken legs or visible marks or blood and seemed non the worse for wear.
I still don't believe it.If you look at the picture and see only a field an no sheep,please tell me,I'll check myself in.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/BighornSheep029.jpg)
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(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/BighornSheep030.jpg)
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I'm not sure where he thinks he's going or why but I hope he makes it.I have a friend knows sheep better than anyone I know.As soon as I can catch him,I'll get a better idea what this ram scores.I'm guessing 180'ish.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/BighornSheep034.jpg)
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where abouts in Montana are you?
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I see a field and a big rock...not sure what you're seeing there...
Oh wait a minute..the rock got up. Wow!
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Im in Whitehall.The sheep is in Waterloo,south of whitehall.There is a sheep area about 15 miles behind me as I took the pictures.There is a lot of wide open valley and fences between here and there.
Richie,don't scare me like that.
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be careful whice mushrooms you eat !
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I don't know nuthin' about sheep, but that looks like a very large and vivid hallucination to me!
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Looks like a Kirstie Alley with a viking hat on looking for a Jenny craig clinic.I don't know what you see.
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Was he headed toward Kentucky?
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Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Was he headed toward Kentucky?
:biglaugh:
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Maybe.He was headed East.
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As beautiful as that is, the part about 'being hit' is sad... internal injuries could surely claim that grand creature till it's said and done. I hope not. What a beautiful animal.
They used to say there were some on the nose of the Sleeping Giant North of Helena..never got up to see them while living out there in the early 80's. :(
They are magnificant!
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If he got up and began to feed, I would take that as he is not injured mortally. Maybe just sore.
Never seen one of those in the flesh, but they look as if they are solid muscle.
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Man what a sheep!!
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I'd try and keep an eye on him for few days and inform your DNR/game warden so they can watch him. Sure would be shame to lose such a beautiful ram. On his own and away from general sheep area he's a easy target for poachers.
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Jim
My wife picked up 6-8 inches of broomed off tip of a horn in the valley bottom about 20 miles north of you a couple years back. Don't know how old it was but don't think it was too old.
Nice ram, by the way, what are the odds on the Whitehall draw? :)
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Man are those critters impressive!
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Wow.....that right there is pretty dang cool!
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That is a Awesome Sheep,He might just be and old Man and came down out of the high County for his last days.
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Hunt It,the game warden pulled up while I was there.He had gotten several calls.
Ryan,I don't think it is too hard to draw every other year or so.The problem is getting permission to hunt.Most of the whitetail country is prime bottom land and that means private ranch land.
In the area where the sheep was,there are two small ranches now that allow no hunting and about 300 whitetails are camped on those two places now and the surrounding ranches have almost none.
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Jim
I was kidding you about the Whitehall "sheep draw" since we know where to go now.
I never had any luck in MT with the deer draw so I just go for the combo tag. By the way, a birdy just told me you are a heck of a taxidermist, I'll have to stop by and say Hi next time I'm out your way.
R
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Looks like they are expanding their range. Could use a couple in Texas. :thumbsup:
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Just had an article in our local newspaper a couple weeks ago about the same sort of thing here in the interior of Alaska. Multiple sightings of a dall sheep at least 30 miles from the nearest mountains where they normally range. This was a ewe or young ram, nothing like the giant you have there!
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Ryan,I hope you do that.