You Never Forget Your First

n August 8, 2019 we started our adventure North. Excited to try and find first-time rams for Megan Kruse and Wesley Sharpe. Megan’s husband, Shane Kruse, was excited to show Megan mountain hunting and why he fell in love with it. We know rams are always a bonus on our trips. The beauty of the North country and opportunity is the real gift. After a two-day hike, we arrived to our spike camp. Our first morning we planned our hunt directions in groups of two. We each picked our ridges and directions to first explore. It wasn’t long when Wes and I spotted our first ram. He only had one horn and was six years old. Glassing lots to make sure he was alone we continued on. Another kilometre down the ridge we spotted two rams bedded just above tree line, far below us. They both looked decent, deserving some time to examine legality. We got as close as we could without exposing ourselves. Further than I like to be to age we had to be careful as being up above them made their horn length hard to judge. We set the spotter up, waiting for the proper head turns and trying to age. With the heat waves and their position we didn’t feel comfortable with aging or curl. The rams then got up to feed, out of our view. We tried to get better angles to locate them without getting spotted. Sitting patiently, they would come back into view. One suddenly appeared! 15 yards from us! BUSTED! Both rams took off. We watched them cross the valley towards where Megan and Shane were. As the rams left us, Wes and I finally did get a good side view of one of the rams and knew its horn was over the bridge of the nose. It did not present a decent ethical shot. Our hearts sank! We knew they looked like good rams. That’s sheep hunting, you need to be sure and confident of age and curl! After an hour of watching the ridge that the rams went over we saw Megan and Shane working that direction. Watching through our binoculars as they approached where the rams exited our view. We saw Shane crouch down into sneak mode and out of our sight. They must see the rams we saw. Sure enough, after about 30 minutes we heard a shot. Megan just got her first Stone sheep! Shane got a perfect side view at 200 plus yards and could clearly count 8 and see the horn over the bridge. Megan’s ram aged nine years old and scored 157”. Shane was a very proud husband and now had Megan hooked on mountain hunting! The following morning, we helped deal with Megan’s ram. Shane had seen some rams further down the ridge the day they got theirs. Wes and I decided to go try and find them again. We hiked on, picking apart every drainage and rocky outcrop. We finally located them down in the smaller trees. It was a band of, at least, nine rams feeding through the trees.

It was hard to get an accurate count as they disappeared and reappeared through the brush. Wes and I picked out the contenders, watching them all feed into a deep rocky drainage. We waited for half an hour to see if they would come out the other side but none did. I then said that they must be bedded and we should sneak down as far as we can and peek into the drainage. The wind was good so we bum skidded down the mountain staying as low as we could, not to be seen by their incredible eyesight. Once we got down far enough, we peeked over a ridge. It was thick with trees and you could see them moving and feeding amongst them. It was hard to see which ram was which but one ram was bedded on a pinnacle. We aged him at 8 for sure. He was broomed on one side, and after a bit showed his other side which was lamb tipped well over his bridge. I ranged the ram at 220 yards and turned my angled Swaro spotter sideways so Wes could use it as a rest. Wes got settled in comfy. We would now just wait for the ram to stand. Wes said that it would be no problem to take a shot with the ram bedded as long as he turns his head out of the way of his vitals. I heard the safety go on and off as the ram moved his head, just waiting for the perfect shot. The ram finally twisted his head long enough. Wes squeezed off a terrific shot! The ram didn’t even leave its bed. Wes, after 4 years of sheep hunts with me, finally got his first stone sheep! Wes’ ram aged nine years and scored 161”. It was now getting late and we were quite a ways away from our spike camp. Wes and I made the call to deal with his ram and then just spend the night in the drainage. We took pictures and processed the ram, starting a fire to feast on sheep tenderloins. With our bellies full and ecstatic about Wes’ ram we quickly set up my sil-tarp under the trees. We put on every bit of clothes and rain gear to try and keep warm through the night. Sleep that night was restless but morning came fast. We loaded our packs and headed for the top of the mountain and then back to our camp. Megan and Shane were anxiously awaiting our return. We had kept them posted on our events via our Garmin InReachs. Camp was full of stories, laughter and gratitude of the days that just passed. Everyone was so appreciative to have the privilege to hunt these majestic mountain animals. While I caped and salted I watched Megan and Wes take multiple pictures of their ram skulls. Admiration in their eyes and the utmost respect for the rams that now will adorn their memories and lives until the day they die. Their FIRST STONE RAMS!