2000 Ram
01-09-2005, 08:29 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 510
2000 Ram
When I found out I had a ram tag for Aug. 2000 I was in disbelief, but thrilled. It is one of those tags you can't believe the Colorado Division of Wildlife will give you, kind of a dream. I put in for S-32, the Georgetown unit because of the number of tags, better odds of drawing. Two world records came out of S-34 Rampart Range, but the herd is in decline and so are the number of tags, so 32 was the choice. I didn't know much about 32 so the work was on! In June when the snow melted enough to get up on the peaks, I started scouting. I was on every peak in the unit in the 6 weeks I had to scout. 13,000ft became home. The funny part is most of the hunters were staying down on the roads and glassing. I met most of them when I was coming out, even the non-res tag holder. Everybody would ask, did you see sheep. My reply was coy at best, maybe! Aug. came to fast, but not fast enough if you know what I mean. I knew where most of guys were going to start and I had a hole no one knew of.
Opening day came, I was pumped. I hit the first glassing point and boom I had sheep. I moved into position. The sheep were bedded on a point that you couldn't get at them, so I waited. When they got up, I figured they would come up the hill to me. HA, they went right off the cliff, I am not going down there. So up over the ridge I went. And boom I was in sheep again. 5 rams and a 175ish ram was running the group. They were working there way uphill and bedded at the base of a cliff that had 2 draws coming out the top. I worked my way up the ridge and found a place between the 2 draws to wait for them to move. If they came up either draw I had them. I was there about 2 hours waiting and watching. I pulled an apple out of my pack and sat back. When I finished the apple I looked out to where the rams were, GONE. I could not believe it, I never heard them move and I was only 90yds away. I pulled up my Pentax and started looking, but I could not find the sheep. But I did find the hunter that spooked them and I was not happy. The clouds started to move in and it was going to be a bad storm. I don't care much for the idea of getting french fried so I got out. When I got back to the truck the non-res tag holder Troy was there with the guy from the Colorado Bowhunter's Assoc that was helping him. I let them know that they had blown the rams out on me, the bad part is they didn't know I was there. OK Gregg CALM down, I told my self, and they were sorry. The rest of the day was shot, rain and lightening. So much for day one. I figured I would go some where else the next morning and let my honey hole cool off.
I started up Bard Peak in the dark, 2 miles straight up. You start at 10,800ft and hit the ridge at 12,500ft. I made good time, I was right were I wanted to be at firt light. Boom sheep, I started to move up the ridge and there under a tree was a hunter. We sat and watched the sheep. When they stopped, we formed a plan. We had to go a long way around the peak to get a chance at a stalk. On the way up we ran into a group of banana heads[young rams] and they blew out and you guessed it, right into the other group. And they all ran away. So we headed up to the top to do some glassing. This peak top is 13,000 and you can see a long ways. We found two groups of sheep and a herd of about 300 elk. I watch that group of elk cross the ridge 60yds away from me. The group of sheep that wasn't 4 miles away, was making it's way up to a saddle between the peak we were on and the peak to the west. We cover a mile in no time, but were still to late to cut off the sheep. The group got wind of us and let me tell you what can they motor. Down to timber line and up over the other peak in no time. It was about 3pm and here came the afternoon thunderstorm, time to bail-out. I was about 2/3rds the way down to timberline when I slipped. As soon as I did it I knew I had torn the cartilage in my knee. Talk about having the wrong thing happen. I went right to the creek and put my knee in the freezing water. Pulled out the IBPRO and took 3. The swelling was not good and getting off the peak took forever.
A friend of mine was coming to help me on Monday. Chuck was at my camp when I got there, "Kill something", He asked. "Oh yeah I killed something all right, my knee!" "What did you do that for?" was Chuck's question. I don't think I sould post that responce here. I cooked dinner and iced my knee. We made our plan for the next morning. We headed back to the place I went opening day and glory be there were sheep there. Not the big bruiser, but a nice 3/4 curl and with being on injured reserve I went for it. Chuck stayed up on the ridge to spot for me. I made my way down through the timber and came into the clearing with the 3/4 ram closest to me. By god I was going to get a shot at this one. Between me moving and the ram feeding my way I wound up at 40yds and a shooting lane. I came to full draw, the ram stopped broadside and I released. I knew it was a dead ram, but the arrow didn't fly right and went low. I was baffled, bent arrow from the fall yesterday? I went and picked up the arrow, it had a ribbon of blood and hair. Well crap I nicked him. What the heck happened, I was sure of the distance. But walked it off anyway. That's when the twig hit me in the nose. I clipped a nice piece off that twig and lost a nice ram. Now I am pissed and hurting! I should have payed more attention. So I walked back up the hill to Chuck. Chuck's question, "OK so don't I have a sheep steak?" Ever put salt in an open wound? There wasn't too much I could say, I missed. We couldn't find any more sheep and the clouds were coming again. Chuck had to work on Tuesday so he was out of there. So I went home too. In the 2 and 1/2 hour drive I replayed that shot too many times. But a hot shower and food and a bed worked. I drove back up and was on the ridge at dawn. And my five rams were there, but there was a change. The 3/4 curl was replace by a full curl. I tried to get close enough for a shot for 4 hours and couldn't. And the storm was coming in early, so I had to back out. Doubt is starting to set in, but I am not a quitter. I went back to camp and there was a change the rain stopped at 3pm. I went right back up on the peak. I have to admit my walking time was getting longer, the knee wasn't doing well. So I am grumbling to myself and as I turn the corner of the ridge there is a guy at my glassing point. I walked right up to him and said,"What are you doing here?" The guy looks up at me and says,"HI gregg." It was Troy the non-res hunter. "HI Troy" was all I could say. I sat down and we talked and glassed the area. About 6:45 the sheep showed up. I saw them first and pointed them out to Troy. "There you go Troy, go get them." I said Troy looked at me and said, "I don't have a clue how to get over there, do you?" "You bet, team hunt?" I asked. Troy said "I will follow you." We made our way over to where the sheep were. But they had gone above timberline. We were sitting at a little bush, the last piece of cover between the sheep and us. "We should back off and come back tomorrow" I said. Troy looked at me and said, "I don't think I can get a shot with this stick bow, but you can. Lets go for it." The stalk was slow going. Crawling on our bellies. The sheep moved up around a corner and were out of sight. Troy said, "They are going down to that bedding area." And I said, "NO they will go up and bed on a spot up on the ridge." So we split up. I went about 60yds and could see the top of horns. I looked down at Troy and he is giving me the shoot sign. I don't have anything to shoot at. He is pointing and giving me the shoot sign. I inched forward about 3ft to the only rock on the hill. And low and behold there was a white butt 20yds away. Ilook down at Troy SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT is the sign. I nock an arrow and pull up the binoculars and look. The sheep in front of me is bedded looking right in my direction. The ram closest to me I have no shot. Time is running out! I come to my knees and start to raise up and draw the bow. The sheep at 20yds turns and runs down the hill as the one in front of me at 40yds gets up. Troy made a movement and the sheep froze. The 3/4 curl 40yds at a bad angle no shot. The full curl 55yds away broadside, I put the pins on him and released. The arrow hit with a bone crushing sound and Troy yelled, "You got him." Then he said, "You didn't get good penetraition." Oh the fear that went through me. We ran down the hill and found 4 rams standing at the edge of the ridge. Had no blood on the ground and couldn't see any on any of the rams. We watched from a little tree and the rams bolted down the hill. Troy went one side of the tre and I the other trying to keep the rams in veiw. I walked right into a blood trail. "Troy I have blood!" I said. "Great!" Troy said. We followed it down hill to a little tree. Blood all over the tree. We found 2 spots of blood past the tree and it was gone. I couldn't believe with that much blood at the tree the trail could just go away. 35yds down the hill we found a small drop. Circling around to find blood we found blood in 10yds in all directions. Then we figured it out, the ram was flipping down the hill. He went about 60yds down the hill. But he was mine! The arrow had hit the far shoulder bone. And when the ram started to run he broke the arrow, it was a very good hit. Troy stayed with me and held the flashlight so I could cape out the ram. I sent him hunting the next day and I went back to finish gtting the ram out. I felt bad for Troy, because I had a ram, but he shot his a week latter. It was a great hunt. My ram scored out at 164&7/8.
Gselkhunter
Opening day came, I was pumped. I hit the first glassing point and boom I had sheep. I moved into position. The sheep were bedded on a point that you couldn't get at them, so I waited. When they got up, I figured they would come up the hill to me. HA, they went right off the cliff, I am not going down there. So up over the ridge I went. And boom I was in sheep again. 5 rams and a 175ish ram was running the group. They were working there way uphill and bedded at the base of a cliff that had 2 draws coming out the top. I worked my way up the ridge and found a place between the 2 draws to wait for them to move. If they came up either draw I had them. I was there about 2 hours waiting and watching. I pulled an apple out of my pack and sat back. When I finished the apple I looked out to where the rams were, GONE. I could not believe it, I never heard them move and I was only 90yds away. I pulled up my Pentax and started looking, but I could not find the sheep. But I did find the hunter that spooked them and I was not happy. The clouds started to move in and it was going to be a bad storm. I don't care much for the idea of getting french fried so I got out. When I got back to the truck the non-res tag holder Troy was there with the guy from the Colorado Bowhunter's Assoc that was helping him. I let them know that they had blown the rams out on me, the bad part is they didn't know I was there. OK Gregg CALM down, I told my self, and they were sorry. The rest of the day was shot, rain and lightening. So much for day one. I figured I would go some where else the next morning and let my honey hole cool off.
I started up Bard Peak in the dark, 2 miles straight up. You start at 10,800ft and hit the ridge at 12,500ft. I made good time, I was right were I wanted to be at firt light. Boom sheep, I started to move up the ridge and there under a tree was a hunter. We sat and watched the sheep. When they stopped, we formed a plan. We had to go a long way around the peak to get a chance at a stalk. On the way up we ran into a group of banana heads[young rams] and they blew out and you guessed it, right into the other group. And they all ran away. So we headed up to the top to do some glassing. This peak top is 13,000 and you can see a long ways. We found two groups of sheep and a herd of about 300 elk. I watch that group of elk cross the ridge 60yds away from me. The group of sheep that wasn't 4 miles away, was making it's way up to a saddle between the peak we were on and the peak to the west. We cover a mile in no time, but were still to late to cut off the sheep. The group got wind of us and let me tell you what can they motor. Down to timber line and up over the other peak in no time. It was about 3pm and here came the afternoon thunderstorm, time to bail-out. I was about 2/3rds the way down to timberline when I slipped. As soon as I did it I knew I had torn the cartilage in my knee. Talk about having the wrong thing happen. I went right to the creek and put my knee in the freezing water. Pulled out the IBPRO and took 3. The swelling was not good and getting off the peak took forever.
A friend of mine was coming to help me on Monday. Chuck was at my camp when I got there, "Kill something", He asked. "Oh yeah I killed something all right, my knee!" "What did you do that for?" was Chuck's question. I don't think I sould post that responce here. I cooked dinner and iced my knee. We made our plan for the next morning. We headed back to the place I went opening day and glory be there were sheep there. Not the big bruiser, but a nice 3/4 curl and with being on injured reserve I went for it. Chuck stayed up on the ridge to spot for me. I made my way down through the timber and came into the clearing with the 3/4 ram closest to me. By god I was going to get a shot at this one. Between me moving and the ram feeding my way I wound up at 40yds and a shooting lane. I came to full draw, the ram stopped broadside and I released. I knew it was a dead ram, but the arrow didn't fly right and went low. I was baffled, bent arrow from the fall yesterday? I went and picked up the arrow, it had a ribbon of blood and hair. Well crap I nicked him. What the heck happened, I was sure of the distance. But walked it off anyway. That's when the twig hit me in the nose. I clipped a nice piece off that twig and lost a nice ram. Now I am pissed and hurting! I should have payed more attention. So I walked back up the hill to Chuck. Chuck's question, "OK so don't I have a sheep steak?" Ever put salt in an open wound? There wasn't too much I could say, I missed. We couldn't find any more sheep and the clouds were coming again. Chuck had to work on Tuesday so he was out of there. So I went home too. In the 2 and 1/2 hour drive I replayed that shot too many times. But a hot shower and food and a bed worked. I drove back up and was on the ridge at dawn. And my five rams were there, but there was a change. The 3/4 curl was replace by a full curl. I tried to get close enough for a shot for 4 hours and couldn't. And the storm was coming in early, so I had to back out. Doubt is starting to set in, but I am not a quitter. I went back to camp and there was a change the rain stopped at 3pm. I went right back up on the peak. I have to admit my walking time was getting longer, the knee wasn't doing well. So I am grumbling to myself and as I turn the corner of the ridge there is a guy at my glassing point. I walked right up to him and said,"What are you doing here?" The guy looks up at me and says,"HI gregg." It was Troy the non-res hunter. "HI Troy" was all I could say. I sat down and we talked and glassed the area. About 6:45 the sheep showed up. I saw them first and pointed them out to Troy. "There you go Troy, go get them." I said Troy looked at me and said, "I don't have a clue how to get over there, do you?" "You bet, team hunt?" I asked. Troy said "I will follow you." We made our way over to where the sheep were. But they had gone above timberline. We were sitting at a little bush, the last piece of cover between the sheep and us. "We should back off and come back tomorrow" I said. Troy looked at me and said, "I don't think I can get a shot with this stick bow, but you can. Lets go for it." The stalk was slow going. Crawling on our bellies. The sheep moved up around a corner and were out of sight. Troy said, "They are going down to that bedding area." And I said, "NO they will go up and bed on a spot up on the ridge." So we split up. I went about 60yds and could see the top of horns. I looked down at Troy and he is giving me the shoot sign. I don't have anything to shoot at. He is pointing and giving me the shoot sign. I inched forward about 3ft to the only rock on the hill. And low and behold there was a white butt 20yds away. Ilook down at Troy SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT is the sign. I nock an arrow and pull up the binoculars and look. The sheep in front of me is bedded looking right in my direction. The ram closest to me I have no shot. Time is running out! I come to my knees and start to raise up and draw the bow. The sheep at 20yds turns and runs down the hill as the one in front of me at 40yds gets up. Troy made a movement and the sheep froze. The 3/4 curl 40yds at a bad angle no shot. The full curl 55yds away broadside, I put the pins on him and released. The arrow hit with a bone crushing sound and Troy yelled, "You got him." Then he said, "You didn't get good penetraition." Oh the fear that went through me. We ran down the hill and found 4 rams standing at the edge of the ridge. Had no blood on the ground and couldn't see any on any of the rams. We watched from a little tree and the rams bolted down the hill. Troy went one side of the tre and I the other trying to keep the rams in veiw. I walked right into a blood trail. "Troy I have blood!" I said. "Great!" Troy said. We followed it down hill to a little tree. Blood all over the tree. We found 2 spots of blood past the tree and it was gone. I couldn't believe with that much blood at the tree the trail could just go away. 35yds down the hill we found a small drop. Circling around to find blood we found blood in 10yds in all directions. Then we figured it out, the ram was flipping down the hill. He went about 60yds down the hill. But he was mine! The arrow had hit the far shoulder bone. And when the ram started to run he broke the arrow, it was a very good hit. Troy stayed with me and held the flashlight so I could cape out the ram. I sent him hunting the next day and I went back to finish gtting the ram out. I felt bad for Troy, because I had a ram, but he shot his a week latter. It was a great hunt. My ram scored out at 164&7/8.
Gselkhunter
01-11-2005, 06:03 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 510
RE: 2000 Ram
Young_gun Thanks for asking, it took 3 surgeries to get to a place that I can still hunt. But the full out assault on the elk population of Co is in danger. Even with the new ACL, there isn't enough peices left in the knee to keep it solid in very rough areas. I will hunt til I can't. Just to inspire myself I purchased 3 doz. arrow shafts and will start building them. Inspiration can conquer a lot of pain. And I have a home gym to keep working on it. NEVER GIVE UP! As for the pics, HELP! He is a good looking ram, and I have pics of the group at timberline 20 mins. before I shot him also. I will keep trying on the pics, wish me luck.
Gselkhunter
Gselkhunter
