this saturday! (pics added 3/29)

[fillthefreezer]

is the day i get to hunt with my dad for the first time since he moved to the desert.
we will be chasing exotic sheep, razorback and russian boars

[deerhunter_98520]

Right on...should be an awsome hunt! Take lots of pics to share 

[carpsniperg2]

Sounds like fun, good luck!

What state?

[fillthefreezer]

so. ca

[threedwizard]

That sounds like a great off season hunt. I took a great Russian Boar back around 2001 in Northern California. Reasonable hunt price too if I remember right.

[fillthefreezer]

That sounds like a great off season hunt. I took a great Russian Boar back around 2001 in Northern California. Reasonable hunt price too if I remember right.

how did he eat?

[carpsniperg2]

A lot depends on the hog. If you shoot a old mature boar they are not the best eating. If you shoot a mid sized hog like a dry sow. They can eat very well. The 100lbers are the best for eatting

[RadSav]

Around '92 after a culling operation near the Savanna River in S. Carolina we displayed about 50 pigs and called low income families from around the area to come and pick out one.  We had a number of butchers on site that would cut, wrap and grind one for each family.  I don't think anyone chose a pig larger than 50#.  They must have a more sensitive pallet than me.  Cook them slow with a little sauce they are all yummy to me.  But, I'll eat just about anything with the right BBQ sauce on it.

Haven't eaten too many Mouflon's that I would rave about.  However, I did serve a ramoulet at our wedding that was absolutely heavenly  .

You should have a great time!  I miss those good old days when we'd pack the freezer every winter with all that good stuff.

[fillthefreezer]

well the pigs there werent quite as advertised. in fact they sure seemed like farm pigs. my wife pet one at one point and one slobbered all over my trekking poles while the were set up as a shooting rest. needless to say we felt it not very sporting to take one but i did contemplate doing it with a small skinning knife.
we ended up taking 3 rams, 2 black hawaiian and a barbado. talk about a lot of work, dressing out that many animals in the heat!

[Kowsrule30]

  Way to go!!!!!  What was up with the pigs??? They feed them too much???

[RadSav]

Not sure where you went, but a lot of the ranches I've hunted they worry about pigs escaping and the damage the pigs do to what sparse vegitation there is.  So a lot of them are released from pens just before hunters get there.  They are still better eating than store bought pork.  And they probably lived a better life.  But, I agree sport hunting they ain't.

If you get into some good wild pig country they are a fine bunch of sporting fun.  Especially with a stick and a string or handgun.  I sure love me some wild pork!  Arizona Javalina are fantastic eating and not to be forgotten when planning pig hunts too.

Got any pics of the wiley critters you did shoot?

[400out]

[
Got any pics of the wiley critters you did shoot?
[/quote]  Thanks for the report and glad you had fun 

[fillthefreezer]

ive got quite a few cant ever seem to get them to post though

[RadSav]

SWEET!

[fillthefreezer]

oh we also got a rattler that i cooked sunday night, so good!

[RadSav]

Looks like the "Bighorn Canyon" ranch?

[fillthefreezer]

 

[carpsniperg2]

The prices do seem a little to good to be true. Did you see any mouflan rams on your hunt? They have them listed but I am wondering the variety they have on hand. Kinda like with the hogs you talked about. They market the razors and russians but manily have the feral hogs. I am wondering if most of there sheep are just the normal sheep as well. blacks,bardaos,4 horn etc.

[fillthefreezer]

i dont think they were even feral hgs, i think they were pigs. the owner charlie, around say 1.5hr into the hunt had seen us pass on several animals and ask what we were after, we told him we wanted a tusky boar like from the website, he said they didnt have any...
of mature animals i got a good look at i saw the 3 we took, plus 2 ramboullet a merino sheep, 4 horn, and some others i didnt recognize right off.

i thought i saw some mouflan but they were a ways off and did not look big enough to hike across the canyon for a better look.
we booked a few months back and i guess they recently had a price increase.

very nice people and they really showed my dad a good time, he is handicapped and they rallied him around in a nice razr, was dissappointed about the boars though...

[BOWHUNTER45]

  seems like some fun country to hunt ....if you want to reach out there for that 1000 yrd poke this must be the place  :tup:and a couple mules would be nice too ! congrats 

[RadSav]

The prices do seem a little to good to be true. Did you see any mouflan rams on your hunt? They have them listed but I am wondering the variety they have on hand. Kinda like with the hogs you talked about. They market the razors and russians but manily have the feral hogs. I am wondering if most of there sheep are just the normal sheep as well. blacks,bardaos,4 horn etc.

If it's the Bighorn Canyon the ranch is rather small so they do not "raise" anything there.  Or at least that's the way it used to be.  I expect they would get just about anything if you requested it.  I know when I was there they said they normally bought animals and worked hard to get the best price on animals rather than SCI scores.  Just like with pheasant some suppliers breed them to be flyers others breed to be eaters.  I know they had some goats when I was there that were spooky as all heck, but a blue Mouflon that might have eaten out of my hand if I'd had some good grub.

Doug Walker (Western Bowhunter Mag) set me up with them when I mentioned I wanted to serve Ramboullet and Boar at our wedding.  Being the nice guy he was he gave me two animals and the trip as a wedding present. 

I took a huge fat sow that three boars (one huge feral, a med. blue russian and a med. black russian) were fighting over.  Was sort of funny.  I drew back to tag the big feral tusker when the sow walked out of the brush.  It was like a cartoon...all I saw was visions of porkchops, bacon and smoked ham!  Had to snap out of it to get an arrow into her boiler room.  I can tell you for certain those boars were not too friendly after that.  I backed off and got the truck and drove it up right to her.  While field dressing and loading by myself the feral and black charged me multiple times.  From the ferocity of the popping teeth I'm thinking they were not as friendly as the ones you ran across.

Lesson learned - If there is only one girl on the ranch and a bunch of horny badboys...leave the girl alone or expect a fight.

Both the sheep and the pig were amazingly good eating.  The Bighorn Canyon is not going to be the "Hunt of a Lifetime" for most.  Though my wedding gift Ramoullet I took there was the best of about 15 I've taken from all around the US.  But it is a great training site, with good people, and can produce some good winter excitement.  Can't imagine doing much better in March than a father/son sheep shoot down that way.  Sure wish I had done that while my father was able.  Those opportunities seem so easy to let slip by.  Glad you guys made the time.

[carpsniperg2]

Thanks for the info rad. I was wondering about that. If that was indeed there prices for a mouflan I WOULD BE ALL OVER THAT! That is a killer price for a mouflan ram if they really had any there.

fillthefreezer: If you want to hunt some real tuskers give me a shout next time. My buddy I book for down there has some amazing hogs. He also has the normal rams as well.

[RadSav]

Thanks for the info rad. I was wondering about that. If that was indeed there prices for a mouflan I WOULD BE ALL OVER THAT! That is a killer price for a mouflan ram if they really had any there.

fillthefreezer: If you want to hunt some real tuskers give me a shout next time. My buddy I book for down there has some amazing hogs. He also has the normal rams as well.

They do get Mouf's for sure.  And like mentioned earlier I think they would get you set up with whatever you wanted within reason.  You should call them for the full scoop.  Worst case you spend a few minutes talking with some good hunting folks.  Bob Fromme is also a great person to call if you want some additional reference on Bighorn Canyon or just about any other S.California ranch.

[carpsniperg2]

COOL COOL. I know the guy I book for and about 3 others down there. I might have to go whack a mouflan next time I am down hog hunting.