Armed in Utah
Well-Known Member
I was one of the lucky Utah hunters to draw a Desert Bighorn tag this year...South San Rafael unit....15 years in waiting...living only 40 minutes from this unit is helpful....spend a lot of time around glassing & exploring all times of year...this is big....remote and unforgiving country..after several scouting trips..along with three actual hunt trips...Saturday September 28th we spotted a 'shooter' on a distant pinion/cedar terrace....after a 40 minute uphill hike from the SxS machines...we located the last known area where the Ram was sited....along with three other spotters & myself we glassed every inch of terrain....the Ram could have wondered off a long way in the hour that passed since we spotted him...then out of no where...Donna the 'Sheep spotter' said 'there he is'...he was standing facing us in a clearing in the pinions....190 yards away...Mitch tossed my backpack ahead of me..I laid my Tikka 6.5x55 on the pack & cycled a round in..took a deep breath...squeezed the trigger & the Ram dropped to the ground like he was hit by lightning ! Wow...pressure was off..Ram was on the ground...the Nosler 140 Accubond pushed by 47.5/H4831sc did its job..special thanx to Lyman from 'Wild Stuff Taxidermy' for the professional caping job along with Donna & Mitch for their ability to spot sheep in this difficult terrain...Will be doing a full body mount on this beautiful Ram..He scored 142" & was 7 1/2 years old...Most exciting & strenuous hunt I've ever had...well worth all the effort !
