Posted By: mulie_mike
BIG Free Range Aoudad - 07/23/14 02:25 PM
I took a client out this past weekend for a leisurely hunt for a trophy ram that was going to be close to 30" but not
over If we saw one and I never thought the hunt would turn out like it did. Morning one we work the south end of the ranch
spotting a few ewes here and there along with some young rams but nothing exciting. About the time we
were going to brake for lunch we check one last canyon and right at the bottom of it there was a group
of 32+ Aoudad making there way out of the bottom of the hill side to bed down. After giving them all a good
once over they just weren't what we were looking for. We head back and kill a couple hours before the evening hunt,
6:00pm we head out and its 102 degrees outside no breeze and humid- this is going to be a blast I think to myself.
I head straight to the nearest water tank in hopes of catching a few Aoudad coming down or leaving from a drink.
Before we even get there 2 rams were spotted with one being exactly what we were looking for, we quickly scrambled
to get into position and my client made a good shot putting the ram down. We took pictures and got the ram taken care
of then took a tour of the ranch as the sun was setting, long story short I forgot the range finder on a ledge we were
taking pictures from so we were going to head back in the Am to look for it.
Morning rolls around and on our way back to look for the range finder my client asked me if we saw a big old ewe he would like to take it
so we get to where I think the range finder is and we found it right where I left it. We threw the binos up across the canyon in hopes
to find an ewe and directly across the canyon a group of 10 rams were spotted bedded down with the biggest being about 28" , I look a bit south
and spot movement which I quickly realize they were 3 BIG chocolate colored Aoudad rams making there way up out of the canyon to the top.
My client quickly made the decision to take a 2nd ram and we try to get him on them but with the sun in our face and angle of the shot
I made the call to back out in fear of wounding an animal. Everyone was a bit bummed after that and we went back to looking for an ewe, I went
20 yards the other direction to check a pocket we hadn't seen yet and as I peaked over the edge immediately I spotted another band a rams with
about a dozen in the group and one ancient ram with them. I get my client into position he makes the shot hitting hitting a bit far back so we give
him some time, do a quick tracking job and finish him off. This is the biggest bodied ram I have ever seen on the ground, he was every bit of 400lbs
with a very thick hide.
He was taped at 34.5" solid maybe a hair larger and the 1st ram was a hair under 29".
It was a fantastic weekend of hunting
www.westtexashuntorg.com
915 328 0645 Mike
1st Ram
over If we saw one and I never thought the hunt would turn out like it did. Morning one we work the south end of the ranch
spotting a few ewes here and there along with some young rams but nothing exciting. About the time we
were going to brake for lunch we check one last canyon and right at the bottom of it there was a group
of 32+ Aoudad making there way out of the bottom of the hill side to bed down. After giving them all a good
once over they just weren't what we were looking for. We head back and kill a couple hours before the evening hunt,
6:00pm we head out and its 102 degrees outside no breeze and humid- this is going to be a blast I think to myself.
I head straight to the nearest water tank in hopes of catching a few Aoudad coming down or leaving from a drink.
Before we even get there 2 rams were spotted with one being exactly what we were looking for, we quickly scrambled
to get into position and my client made a good shot putting the ram down. We took pictures and got the ram taken care
of then took a tour of the ranch as the sun was setting, long story short I forgot the range finder on a ledge we were
taking pictures from so we were going to head back in the Am to look for it.
Morning rolls around and on our way back to look for the range finder my client asked me if we saw a big old ewe he would like to take it
so we get to where I think the range finder is and we found it right where I left it. We threw the binos up across the canyon in hopes
to find an ewe and directly across the canyon a group of 10 rams were spotted bedded down with the biggest being about 28" , I look a bit south
and spot movement which I quickly realize they were 3 BIG chocolate colored Aoudad rams making there way up out of the canyon to the top.
My client quickly made the decision to take a 2nd ram and we try to get him on them but with the sun in our face and angle of the shot
I made the call to back out in fear of wounding an animal. Everyone was a bit bummed after that and we went back to looking for an ewe, I went
20 yards the other direction to check a pocket we hadn't seen yet and as I peaked over the edge immediately I spotted another band a rams with
about a dozen in the group and one ancient ram with them. I get my client into position he makes the shot hitting hitting a bit far back so we give
him some time, do a quick tracking job and finish him off. This is the biggest bodied ram I have ever seen on the ground, he was every bit of 400lbs
with a very thick hide.
He was taped at 34.5" solid maybe a hair larger and the 1st ram was a hair under 29".
It was a fantastic weekend of hunting
www.westtexashuntorg.com
915 328 0645 Mike
1st Ram
which ranch was this?
