Sheep Scouting

[Doug Campbell]

Well my good buddy Leo and I did a short scout in the Pryors on Sat. Beautiful country that reminded me alot of southern AZ, dry deserty with lots of jagged rock     :D    We saw lots of country, a couple of bears and lots of horses, (this is a protected National Wild Horse Range)but no sheep. We were pretty much just blowing thru so I could get a feel for the country. Must have done 25 or 30 miles double on Leo's 4wheeler. Much of this has desiginated jeep trails, more appropriately atv trails. Gotta find me a 4wheeler as this is too big a coutry to cover afoot unless you have a week for hikin at a time which I don't. Here's some pics so you can see what I mean.
 
     
   
 
 

[vermonster13]

Sounds fun, but looks like there was still a lot of snow. Pictures are all white.    :D

[Doug Campbell]

Hmmm.... must be a photobucket problem....

[vermonster13]

Looks that way to me.

[Doug Campbell]

There ya go

[vermonster13]

Beautiful

[cjones]

Nice pics Doug. Looks like some rough terrain. Now ya need to find them sheep.

[Frank V]

Nice pictures Doug. Thanks for sharing with us. Frank

[Islandlongbow]

Wow! That's some nice country Doug    

Jerry

[Mark Maves]

Very pretty country Doug, thanks for sharing the pictures.

Mark

[W.Tim]

GREAT PIC's...........  

[Jeff Holchin]

Rugged and beautiful country!  Gotta be some sheep in there somewhere, I gotta feeling that you will find them soon.  Good luck and keep the scouting photos coming.

[Jack Shanks]

Great pictures Doug,

 If you lived a little closer I would lend you my ATV that I bought three years ago for a bear hunt. Has hardly been ridden since.

 I have a dall hunt scheduled in Alaska this September so like Red Green says. " I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together."

[Steve O]

Doug,

That looks exactly like the Arizona Strip where I hunted Mule Deer a few years ago; saw 6 Desert Bighorn rams on that hunt...my highlight.  At least it will be easy to get above them...    

Jack,

Are you up for "the hill" this weekend?  I am in Iowa till then.

[IB]

Shucks Doug you're bigger than Leo        

Are ya havin fun yet          

[Whip]

Beautiful country!  If I know Leo he'll find some sheep for you.  When that boy puts his mind to something he'll get it done!
Don't know if I'd go taking away his ATV though - I'm thinking he's big enough to take care of himself.  

[Doug Campbell]

Thanks guys, it is rugged beautiful country, looking forward to getting "in" there and looking around. There is an unbelievable amount of hiding places    But those rams have got to be somewhere. I've had several offers for loaner atvs but I'd sure hate to leave somebody elses laying at the bottom of one of those canyons    

One of the problems is my busy schedule in the summer is going to leave very little scouting time. It's looking like it may be at least a couple more weeks before I get back. There are several wonderful folks that have volunteered to scout also. It's amazing the sheep "fanatics" around the country that are willing to help out a successful applicant.

Good luck on that Dall hunt Jack, I'm pullin for ya.

And yep Brother I'm havin lots of fun!! How's the smoke down there?   :(

[Shell]

That is postcard beautiful! Doug that country is gorgeous!

I can't blame those fanatics...kinda like us getting to enjoy following you around out there  

Thanks for taking us along, can't wait for more details
 

[Roughcountry]

Great pictures Doug, sure different looking country. Looks like you could wear out some tenny shoes in that stuff.
I also think you got good info-- looks like a good place fer spooks & haunts.

An yep I got a ATV your more than welocome to.
Here's the disclaimer, it's just has three wheels so it's a 3/4 atv. Just two wheel drive, the rear fenders are gone so stay outta the rain & mud. It needs starter fluid the first time you fire it up, an I don't care if you leave it at the bottom of a canyon, thats my plan for it. Maybe I otta scrap the lic. off it first, don't want a ticket for littering.

Yep, your welcome to it, nothin to good for a cowboy  :D  

I'll bet them sheep are like sheep everywhere, they have places they like and feel secure in. The rams will be off by themselves right now, but they allways show up for the high school prom.

Wished I lived closer, I love scouting for rams  

[Hoodoo Arrow]

Robin you better load up and come over.  We will give your little three legged machine a work out.  Fenders are pretty optional here because its pretty dry.

I was bummed on this trip as I couldn't even find the juvinal rams in their typical summer spot.  We definitely know where prom is and....I think I know where the senior boys are spending their summers.  Thats a hike I have to get made as soon as I can.  I might need you to come along on that one just so somebody is there to pack my carcass back out and I wouldn't want all that responsibility to fall on Doug.  He might just leave me to the bears.  It sure would be cool to get the "one" pinned down this summer and put a little exclusive hunt on for "him" come opener.

The country is full of good little spirits and all other manner of haunts.  It has an awful lot of history too that is very neat to learn as you hunt.  When I had the tag some years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a bunch of time to spend and while it was a lonely kinda deal, it was a wonderful hunt.  In someways its backwards of most places.  It is pretty dry and when it snows, all the animals go up the mountain rather than down.  They go up to get the moisture from the snow as it eliminates the long daily travel for water in the lower country.  Everything from desert to timber, hot summer to near winter in Nov., little bunches of sheep living in different terrain and the horses and bears mixed in.  Its weird to be sneaking in for a picture of a bedded ram and have a sorrel horse come slipping through the timber next to you.  I'm not a wild horse person, but they do hammer out a living in this country that is tough to say the least.  Like the pictures show, some of the country is pretty steep.  A guy gets to see sheep do things that flat out amaze you.  They really can go straight up and down if they want to.

This is going to be a challenging hunt and I know Doug appreciates everyones continued support.  Sheep hunting is about the most frustrating thing I know.  Seems like sometimes you are the unwitting victim on a snipe hunt with a precious tag in your pocket.  They can be incredibly hard to find and then the next minute right there in your lap.  Going back through this country reminded me it takes a day or two behind the glasses to be looking for the right things in the right places.  Even when you are doing all that right, your head still plays tricks with you.  Thanks to everybody for helping keep Doug pumped up.

Now Vance old buddy:  Anytime you want to come liberate old yeller the polaris from me, you just pack your lunch and bring your lantern. (I'm way too fat to walk this country and would fight like a badger to keep her).