Bighorn Sheep - Idaho - 2013

Application period for Bighorn Sheep Controlled Hunts starts soon ...

I just dropped the price on my e-book Bighorn Sheep Hunting in the Idaho Wilderness ... a must if you're interested in hunting Idaho Unit 27, or 26 ... HERE

Serious Hunter.

walking around with a gun

Gulp ... on the other side of the world if someone is spotted walking around carrying a gun, a drone shows up, and, poof!  Human mist.  I sure hope it doesn't come to that, here, since I walk around carrying a gun A LOT!.

"I haven't hunted every day of my life ... but some days I have hunted TWICE!"

i was chatting with a fellow professor ...

 ... he was telling me how he had to apologize to his class for his not being able to hear students' questions, comments, etc.  I took comfort that I was not alone ... asking students to repeat themselves, speak louder, etc.  My colleague explained that his hearing loss was due to a career of being around construction equipment.  I explained to him (and then to my class) ... that I had a lot more FUN losing mine.

Why I Hunt ... here

...

Perfect Double

Things are getting more and more frozen.  At first it was some of the slower (beaver-dam) stretches.  Then more and more.  Now there are only a few ripples open.  I spotted a pair of mallards on some ripples downstream of one of the bridges.  It was not a good sneak from there, albeit close.  I chose to drive down to the next crossing and sneak up, for a better approach ... about a half mile around.  I had their location pegged.  The pair really didn't have the luxury of moving much upstream or down, since it was frozen, so I had the confidence they'd be where I pegged them.  Sun at my back ... and I would be shooting away from any structures.  Twas perfect. I got in on them, unnoticed.  Often on a sneak the exact location is unknown until they flush.  Not this time.  All tactical advantage and surprise were mine.  I flushed them at My time.  I had the gun in motion as they took to flight. I clobbered the greenhead. I was only going to take him, but had lots of time on a second shot with the hen, so I took her also. They fell in the snow covered field on the other side. I walked up to the near bridge, crossed, collected my birds, and then took the half mile walk back to my rig. The season is near a close - and if that's the way it ends ... Perfect!

I hunt because ...

I hunt because ...

 

it's hunting season ...

and because I CAN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

500

Reconning the creek I could see a half dozen or so birds.  I made mark of their location, parked, and started the approach.  As I got closer I could hear a hen calling a hundred or so yards upstream.  Had I mismarked their location?  Do I break off and go around?  I know there are ducks `there’, but what about here?  And if I break off this approach, will they (all) bust me – and I get nothing? 

 

I decided to stay with the sneak as marked.

 

I had recently changed to Improved Cylinder choke.  I was questioning the decision.  But as I got closer – the thought of the open choke was sounding better and better.

 

 As I came up on the creek there were indeed ducks in front of me.  They flushed.  The first trigger pull felled two or three.  My second and third trigger pulls felled more.  The air was filled with ducks ... not less than five hundred. 

 

I surveyed the damage.  Two birds on the opposite side of the creek were still alive ... I chambered a round and shot the most mobile.  A crippled green downstream took to flight – I dropped him, then went in the creek to finish him.  A dead green floated downstream.  Another green swam in his last moments below the bank where I approached.  I recovered five.

 

Oh that I had caught that on video!!!

 

S.H.

 

P.S. – too many cripples!  The open choke captures more birds – but doesn’t hit them as hard.

 

I’ll go back to Modified.

foiled ducks that foiled me

 

 

 

... well, Linda decided to hang out in the car while I jumped a spot on the creek where the mallards have been foiling me time after time. It's tough since they hang at a spot that gives them a good look at anyone hunting upstream (or walking their dog), and the area is not really accessible approaching downstream. To foil any birds at the spot (not knowing if any would even be there) ... I swung wide out into the adjacent field and took the spot straight on.

It was lightly snowing and with a thin cloud  cover getting quite bright - almost too bright without sunglasses.

The temperature right at 32 degrees, with slight wind.

Snow on the ground.

The water levels in the creeks are down due to the continued freezing weather.

And I was wearing shorts.

...

Perfect.

...

 

I spot a `green' (Greenhead Mallard) ...

 

 

There are a half dozen birds were on the stretch and now I am within killing distance, unnoticed.

The green spots me.

The other birds sense the danger and swim to the open.

 

And flush ...

...

As oft in freezing weather ... the gun seems to come up slow.

...

I draw on a green, fire, and he falls to the creek.

 

I draw on a second green ... now the birds are at distance ... I fire, he folds.

The first bird is quite alive, on the water ... a third shot does't stop him.

I chamber another round and fire as he disappears in the creekside vegetation ... knowing it stopped him.

The second crashed into the streambank on his fall but now has made it to water to attempt evasion.

I chamber another round and shoot, sufficiently stopping him.

...

This part of the creek is deeper, but I don't know how deep.

 

...

As I go in for the first bird I sink quickly up past my pants pockets and wallet ... then past my coat pockets and ammo, the water stoppeing just short of my upper pocket and cell phone ... almost to my nipples.

... quite naturally a low grade sense of panic hits ... in 33 degree water in 32 deg weather with snow on the ground, and snowing, and blowing, and a half mile from the car.

...

 

I got out of the creek and found another way to get to the first bird (quickly) ... and then headed (ASAP) to Linda and the car (glad she was with me on this trip).

If I could talk her into coming with me - I'd go for the second bird from the opposite bank ... otherwise I'd have to go back to civilization for warmth and dry clothes.

...

"Will you come with me and keep me warm to get the second bird?"

 

I don't know how she will keep me warm, but her company will stay off the panic.

"What are you talking about?"

"I have another bird down that I need to get ... will you come along?"

"I didn't even hear you shoot."

"Oh, there was quite the shooting!"

...

The only way to stay off the hypothermia is to keep moving ... still capitalizing on the mild panic.

...

Linda offered to get the second bird for me, even though she had know idea where it would be. I dismissed her offer ...  (being) out of true love.

...

We took out across the field, ... me three-fourths soaked ... her in her slippers without socks.


I am SO excited I had foiled the ducks that had foiled me.

We had to jump across one small ditch ... interesting to say the least when we couldn't see the edges for the drifted snow.

...

We got to the second bird and recovered it easily ... swept up against the vegetation in the stream where only inches deep.

...

Back at the car I stripped of the wet pants and Linda drove.

Nice being back to civilization.

Now we're warm and dry.