Arizona Guided Hunts: Desert Bighorn Sheep Hunting Outfitters & Guides

The One Bonus Point Ram

By Brian LeVan

“Are you going to make it?” I heard Pat ask me with concern in his voice as we made our way across the rocky slope.

I was hunting with Pat Feldt, owner of Arizona Guided Hunts (www.arizonahunting.net) in Western Arizona for a chance at an Arizona desert big horn sheep. This area contains the flare-horned Nelsoni subspecies of desert sheep. It was the first year that they offered two tags in this area and I had drawn the second tag as my second choice in the draw. Surprisingly, I had drawn with only one bonus point!

Now what? What equipment would I need for this type of hunt, maybe a new rifle, scope, range finder, spotting scope, boots, etc? I finally slowed down enough to think about what I already had and not just what I thought I needed for the hunt. I enjoyed looking for the range finder and spotting scope that I would need to add to all of the other hunting items I already owned.

Like all of the other lucky tag holders, I got a number of notices and brochures from guides, but being an experienced hunter and having taken Pennsylvania Whitetail deer, California Tule bull elk and a California buck antelope, I didn’t think I would need a guide. I would try to do it on my own. The next step was to get as much information on the area that I could. I attended the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society information clinic, got maps and a few tips on where to start scouting. My hunt area was in the desert wastelands along the Colorado River. The first time out scouting, I got stuck in a sand pit and had to walk 2 ½ miles across the desert until I found two dirt bike riders. They gave me a ride to the nearest gas station. Once there I found a guy who would pull me out for $175.00. Of course I had to wait two hours for him to return from his current job to pull me out. Needless to say, I did not see any sheep on that scouting trip, but at least I was on my way home and not stuck in the sand. On the second scouting trip, I did not fair much better. I saw many wild burros but no sheep. I did manage to get stuck again, but this time I was able to free myself after a couple of hours of digging and problem solving.

After much anticipation and scouting, it was opening weekend. The elements were against me from the start when I drove through one huge rainstorm into another. It rained all Friday and into Saturday morning. I had to sleep inside my truck and bring in as much gear as I could so it would not get wet. In the morning, I took my ATV into some areas that I had not scouted hoping to finally find some sheep. I was unsuccessful and discouraged. I drew a great tag, put forth much effort, and had yet to see a sheep. I kept thinking about wasting a once in a lifetime opportunity and wondering about a brochure I had received from Pat’s guide service. It was difficult to consider that I was not a good enough hunter to be successful on my own.

While already a week into the season and with much apprehension, I contacted Pat to talk with him about his services. He told me that he knew the area and would be able to gather data on the recent sheep activity and would be able to provide his expertise in sheep hunting. I knew there was no guarantee of success with his or any other guide services, but I knew there was an even greater chance of failure without it. Since he had other hunts scheduled earlier in the season and it was on short notice, we reached an agreement to hunt the last week starting December 26^th. It seemed like forever waiting for the day of the hunt.

This hunting trip began differently than my first attempt earlier in the season. This time it was sunny and no rain was expected. It was the morning after Christmas. I was up early and had packed everything that I thought I would need for the day. I met Pat at a gas station and moved some gear from my truck into his. Even though we had not met before, I felt very comfortable with him. We went to the first area that Pat had expected to see sheep. He spotted a single ewe through his 15X56 Swarovski binoculars after just a few minutes into glassing. We watched the sheep for a while when Pat spotted a mature ram on a far mountain nearly 2 miles away. We looked at him for a while through the binoculars with the Swarovski Doubler attached. It was so exciting to finally see my first desert bighorn ram in the wild. Unfortunately, there was just no way to reach him. We watched as he disappeared over the horizon.

No other rams showed up that morning, so we decided to move to another area. This area was not accessible by truck and barely by foot, so we walked up a ridge and set up to glass a distant set of jagged peaks. Within minutes, Pat spotted two rams moving down a mountainside about a mile and a half away. The two rams butted heads with each other. What a sight to see in the wild! We watched for about 15 minutes when Pat said that he saw five more rams moving down the mountain. He thought that one was a really good trophy ram and that we could reach them. We began walking and within an hour or so, we reached a rocky bluff about 700 yards away from the sheep. Pat looked around and said we needed to find a way to get closer without being seen. This was a feat in itself since there was absolutely no cover, except for a couple bushes ankle high. He suggested we go around the backside of the ridge we were on and come up over a saddle. He felt this would put us in a good position for a better look and hopefully a good shot on one of the rams.

We had been hiking for a while when Pat looked back and asked chuckling, “Are you going to make it?” Having a willing mind and an able heart but bad knees, I told him that I would make it, just not as fast as he would. Once on top of the ridge, we crawled on our hands and knees “hoping beyond hope” that the rams would still be there. Wow!!! There were seven rams, two really nice ones bedded on the opposite side of the canyon. One good ram was facing away while the other was facing directly towards us. We had a crosswind and the sun was over our shoulders. I was using a custom 300 Remington Ultra Mag with a 6.5-20X50 Leupold Long Range scope. Pat used his Leica 1200 laser rangefinder to estimate the distance at 396 yards and then he “clicked-in” the scope. I laid prone behind the gun for over an hour getting adjusted to the rifle and scope. Pat and I had plenty of time to discuss which ram was the largest and oldest of the group. We chose the ram facing our direction because of his character. His horns had flare and great length. He seemed to be the oldest of the seven with his facial battle scars and broomed-off horns. Now all we had to do was wait for him to stand up and present a broadside shot. Soon my neck became kinked and I was really getting cramped from lying still so long, but I knew as soon as I moved, so would the ram. I took a chance and rolled over on my back to stretch, and BINGO, Pat said, “He’s up”! I rolled over surprised that I had not lost my sight or cheek weld on the stock.

The ram stretched for 10 seconds, turned around and bedded right back down. Only now he was almost broadside, quartering slightly. The only obstructions were a huge boulder at his rump and one hiding part of his brisket. Pat and I discussed that a bullet could now be placed into his vitals. Pat coached me where to take the shot and to bring my finger back on the trigger very slowly, but only when I was totally ready. I was confident at making this shot, since the crosshairs were rock solid and I had taken animals in the past out to 350 yards. The shot was taken and the ram jumped up then tumbled. The 180-grain Nosler Accubond bullet went exactly where I put the crosshairs.

The day after Christmas was a successful day of hunting. I was standing next to a beautiful Nelsoni desert big horn ram. He was pale in color, almost a blonde. After photos, skinning and boning out my sheep, we worked our way 2 miles back to Pat’s truck. When we got back, he instantly pulled out his tape measure and scored my ram at 166-7/8 inches gross, making it the largest ram to ever come out of that zone by about 10”. The ram had nearly 36-inch horn length and was nearly 30 inches tip-to-tip! Pat said this was an exceptional ram for the area. I took the ram to the Phoenix Office of the Arizona Game and Fish Department to get it checked-in. They scored him within an eighth of an inch of Pat’s measurements and aged him at 8+. Then I drove to Weller’s Wildlife Studio in Tucson to have the head mounted. I already have a space picked out for it on my office wall.

If asked, I would tell anyone drawing a once in a lifetime sheep tag to get in shape, get good optics, and more importantly, HIRE A GUIDE. You can contact Pat Feldt at Arizonagh@aol.com or 520-237-2705.

A few younger rams seen on the hunt.

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This website last updated: April 30, 2008