California Bighorn sheep?

[boneaddict]

this winter Tom.  There are a couple threads on him on here.  An absolute King of sheep and he is right here in our little state.

[Tom Reichner]

He sure is a King of Sheep!  He looks thicker half way down than he does at the bases!

[jackelope]

i don't get this thread at all.
do you not fish for rainbow trout because they are just puny little steelhead?
not interested in coues deer because they are just tiny little whitetails?

[Slider]

 

[hogsniper]

Wow, that is one incredible animal!!! 

[popeshawnpaul]

I have seen and heard of a 200" cali ram taken in BC.  Has anyone ever heard of this?  I think most thought it was a rocky but they say it was too far from any rocky population.  I'll have to do some digging around but I thought ramslam or someone might know about this...

[SHANE(WA)]

jackelope I wanted some input and clarification, not recognized in 2 major books they are not considered in a grandsalm, so why would I want one of these sheep? yeah the experience would be great, being in the environment yep. To me its like hunting a lesser sheep, like something wrong with them. Not saying thats the case with popes pics that is a incredible sheep, but that sheep is so damn rare for its kind.Almost all the sheep pics I have seen of sheep killed here are just spendly, I would not be happy to tag alot of the sheep taken in these units, that is not what I want in OIL tag. There are some nice sheep taken here too, but few.

[Tom Reichner]

i don't get this thread at all.
do you not fish for rainbow trout because they are just puny little steelhead?
not interested in coues deer because they are just tiny little whitetails?

  why would I want one of these sheep? yeah the experience would be great, being in the environment yep. To me its like hunting a lesser sheep, like something wrong with them. 

I understand both sides of this thread. Some of us enjoy hunting for the hunt itself - the challenge and the adventure.  Others like hunting because of what they can get out there, bring back home, and hang on the wall.  Others hunt for food - their reason for going afield is so that they can get game for food.

I've spent several hundred days afield with a gun, and it never really mattered all that much if I bagged anything or not.  I suppose that's why I like going out with the camera just as much. If someone has this mindset it really doesn't matter if they're hunting Calis or regular Bighorns.  Heck, many of us would be just as happy hunting ducks or pheasants. 

But there are those who hunt for the trophy.  For them, the whole point of going afield is to get an animal that is so tremendous compared to the rest of it's kind that they are blown away every time they look at that head on their wall.  For these folks, I completely understand why they are not very interested in hunting for California Bighorns.  The likelihood of getting an enormous head is very, very small. 

[Ray]

It would be a pleasure to shoot that sheep. I certainly think most people would agree and also would get it mounted on their wall. There's nothing lesser about a fine specimen like that.

[popeshawnpaul]

It kind of comes down to the fact that you don't appreciate what you are looking at.  The only reason they aren't recognized in a couple of books is because they overlap with some rocky sheep and there have been many transplants with both species in areas.  It clouds the line of whether one is really a cali sheep or not.  That being said, there are a lot of true cali herds out there.  Also, just because B&C/P&Y don't recognize them doesn't mean others don't.  SCI and the Grand Slam club as well as the wild sheep foundation all recognize them.  I don't think B&C/P&Y recognize man of our roosevelt elk here in WA but does that make them less desireable?

They aren't a lesser sheep, they just have smaller horns like a cous whitetail.  Many don't like cous deer because they don't look as impressive as a regular whitetail.  I think that is where you are coming from.  If this species doesn't interest you there is no need for you to hunt them.  I'll be glad to have better odds on them.   

To put things in perspective, that sheep I posted is like the spider bull 500" elk equivalent.  Your jaw didn't drop like it would with a near 500" bull elk but my jaw didn't drop when I saw the spider bull.  Elk don't excite me like cali sheep do.  To answer the question...  To each his own.

[groundhog]

Every time I see that ram I think my heart skips a beat or two! He would be an amazing world class Rocky Mnt Ram let alone a Cali. Shawn I am curious, you must have named him. What are you calling him??

[popeshawnpaul]

Every time I see that ram I think my heart skips a beat or two! He would be an amazing world class Rocky Mnt Ram let alone a Cali. Shawn I am curious, you must have named him. What are you calling him??

Funny you say that.  When we would see him his butt was browner that the rest of the rams.  I think it was the bright dirt he would lay in.  I named him Brown Butt...     Not exactly a stately name for a magnificent ram. 

[huntnphool]

This is why we he is named brown butt.

[Antlershed]

All these pics of tiny rams...I think I'll stop applying... 

[Timber]

Has anyone heard about the 175 1/8 net B&C ram taken last year in Okanogan County? I assume it was taken from the Mt Hull herd. It's listed in the latest Fair Chase magazine.