Well Darcy , I can't thank you enough for the hospitality and the "Sheep Hunting Education" !! I also want to Thank Mrs Sheepguide as well for the great meals , conversation and giving me , my long lost Boots I left behind last Winter. They will come in handy for my next adventure.
Its fortunate how our schedules lined up for a couple days of checking out what is not much more than a couple hours from your place. I never realized how much country we were going to be able to see just by day hikes from the drainage trailheads.
I Took a few Pics that seemed worthy of sharing of the West Country as it is referred to..
This tough Old Ewe probably has some education under her belt as well...
Couldn't resist taking this little fella's photo..
Some of the spots we hiked into. Can you see the 2 ewe's ?? I couldn't either until Darcy's Swarovski showed me. Thats one great piece of glass..
As the light was starting to fade of Day 1, I hear Bingo !!! Sheepguide picks out 4 Rams !! Ah so that chocolate color and white arses is what to look for . We got to our best vantage point with what light we have left and Darcy says , Theres one that deserves a 2nd look!! So we did what you Veteran Sheep hunters do and Put the Sheep to bed as it is apparently referred to.
Day 2 arrives early and we make our way back to see if those Rams hung around,,Sure enough all 4 in the same general area. We Glassed them for a couple hrs and decide that the one which appears to be somewhat Broomed is worthy of a closer look and the only way is to get our Butts up there and see how much we can close the gap on top of this hillside.
Trying to take pics through the spotting scope ..
Well we took about 2 hrs but we slowly circled around and came up the opposite side of where the Ram's were earlier but they pulled the Houdini and were no where to be found
After crisscrossing and scouring both sides the mountain top we decided to head back down and look for some other spots Darcy knew of that were likely to hold Sheep. On the descent Sheepguide finds a 5 pt Elk shed..A couple photos and strapping the Shed to his Eberlestock we are on our way ...except i find the matching side about 300 yds away. The rule we have always gone by is that if a pair of sheds is found the matching side is awarded to the guy who found the other side first. Turns out he has to strap the second one on. Now if that isn't enough i get an education on looking for Moose sheds from an elevated area looking down into the willows. I hear just look down and the white antler should show up...Like that one there..No way!! this guy wont quit and has to now load antler number 3 onto his pack.....That was a pretty sweet consolation prize for climbing that hillside.
Heres a group of small rams. I believe there were about 11 of them in this bunch. This is all my camera would zoom in..
Loaded up and headed back to Headquarters for a big meal of Spaghetti and Beers....Sure hit the spot Mrs S.G.
Thanks again for the tour and the education on judging Sheep Darcy !! Who knows maybe there will be opportunity for one more kick at this area before the end of October..
Cheers.
