Colorado Dream Hunt .(story and pics pg.2 and 3)

[Whip]

I keep looking for the story.......

[The Hawk]

Good Luck Dan: I have hunted the Weminuche for elk and got to see a nice full curl ram taken by another hunter. Hope you kill a big ol' ram!

[Trout Guide]

I heard from Dan's brother that he made a perfect shot on a beautiful 10 year old ram. Congratulations Dan.
We need some pictures

[turkey522]

Good luck and have a safe hunt.

[wooddamon1]

[Gen273]

Good luck, and be safe!

[DGW]

Ok time for the story of the hunt! After a summer of biking running and walking around with a 80# pack trying to get in sheep shape I left home hoping I was in good enough shape.
my brother Jim went with me for the entire trip.
we loaded up our packs for a 8 day hunt mine was 42# his was 46 and we started the over 8 miles in to where we were to camp.
I never dreamed it would be that hard but we made it before dark and set up camp. The next morning we started the 2 hour hike up to where he had scouted several bands of rams.
For the first four days we only found ewes and lambs and horse tracks about every where he had scouted but no rams.
Day 5 we went farther up the valley and found a group of 5 rams with 3 real good ones.
On the first stalk I was about 30 yards from the Rams but one was looking right where I was and spooked before I could get a shot.
Made one more stalk that eve but could not get close enough and had to go back to camp.

[Tater]

Dan asked me to post a few pictures for him. I will post a few and let Dan explain the pictures...enjoy..!

 

 

 

[DGW]

Day 6 after morning oatmeal we went back up to where we had found the rams which was about 3 miles from where we were camped and saw part of the Rams but not the biggest ram  but was a good 7/8 curl ram with the smaller ones so started to put a stalk on them  tried to get in front of them and dont know if I was spotted or the wind swirled but they ended up going back and up into the timber without getting  close.
 Spent the rest of day glassing  but could not find them so headed back to camp on the way it cut loose and rained hard and rained all night and into the next day.
 Jims tent started leaking and by 10pm his bag was wet to his waist and he had a nasty night. My bag was getting a little wet by morning but not to bad, but was still raining. We put on rain gear and went to look for Rams and it rained all day, We looked for rams till 3pm but never saw them so headed back to camp and took up wet camp and headed back the 8 miles to the truck and dry bags.
Because of the rain our packs were heavier than
when we went in and we walked out the 8 miles in about 4.5 hours some in the dark and back to truck about 11pm it was very tough trip.
Next morn my pack was 52 his was 59 and we had each ate about 7# of food so wet stuff was about 17 pounds no fun.
Next morn we hunted up another place about 7 miles but found no sheep and had to leave that eve back to his house to leave on an Alberta moose hunt.
 So no sheep hunting for a little over a week.

[DGW]

The pics Tater was so kind to post for me. The top pic is where Jim had found several band s of Rams while scouting and we hunted in and around for several miles the first 4 days. the one where I looked exhausted was on the 2hour hike about straight up every morning.
Last pic is the backside of the knob on left side of the first pic and found lots of sign but no sheep

[rastaman]

Good luck to you when you go back! Beautiful country!

[Tater]

More Pics.....!

 

 

 

 

[DGW]

Thanks to Tater you guys can see part of the hunt. We had a good camp and hot mountain house each evening was great. That guy in second pick is my brother Jim  who did all the scouting this summer and walked lots of miles and is one tough hunter.
We found this group of sheep on 5th day and made several stalks.  
Moose hunting was not good as alot of the Canada hunts seem to be these days so back sheep hunting in minute

[Tater]

 

 

[DGW]

WE talked to a friend of Jims before we went moose hunting and made plans to use his mules on the next round of sheep hunting.
Our plan was to go in on the divide trail to where we had found the rams.
We packed all our gear and camps on one mule and took turns riding the other.
We saw a couple bands of rams on way in but they were not in a good place for a stalk.
We camped part way in then went on the next morning to where we had seen rams  on the first hunt.
We glassed and found one small ram and was about to go look up another basin when Jim saw the old ram walk out of the timber followed by the other 2 big rams and bed down at edge of the timber.
Jim stayed at spotting scope and I started my hike up to come in above the bedded rams.
When I made it to the top the ram was still beddded and I was able to make it to about 30 yards  of the rams.
The 7/8 ram walked past the bedded ram but I was still wanting to shoot the old ram and let him pass.
After  a little wait the old ram stood and I was able to get a shot, it looked perfect and the  ram ran about 50 yards staggered and fell rolled and then I heard him crash and roll for ever.
I was sick, he fell off a cliff and rolled about 300 yard down a chute almost ot the bottom.
When I got down to him Jim was there and  except for a few cuts on his face and a few more chips to his horns he was ok.

[wooddamon1]

Good luck next time out, this is my dream hunt!    

[Tater]

Nice Ram...!... Congrats again Dan..!

 

 

 

[DGW]

Oops the deer was a little buck from the Canada moose hunt.
The rams were from this summer and think the two biggest in picture were the two with the old ram.
The black mule was the one we packed and the best mule I have ever been around she was great.

[steadman]

AWESOME!! Congrats!!  

[DGW]

After taking lots of pics and packing all the meat to the mules we loaded up and started out and made it to timberline and camped for the night.
Laying in the sleeping bag with elk screaming around camp most of the night was hard to get any sleep.  
WE packed the mule and started the 16 miles back out  to the truck and the end of the hunt.
 The last picture was at the top of Wolf creek Pass on my way back to Kansas.
 Thought it was a great ending to a great hunt.