In my 17th year of applying, I drew a Texas desert bighorn tag last fall. I stopped applying in western states years ago, but I always bought my chance in Texas, as it's a cheap way to keep a dream alive. I always believed in the sheep restoration program, too.

Oddly enough, it was not my first time to win something from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Back when I was in high school, I won a lifetime license in a TPWD conservation poster drawing contest. And the poster featured a pen and ink drawing of a large desert bighorn ram I had made the year before and said, "Restore Native Species." It's pretty wild that I ended up getting to hunt one thirty years later!

Anyway, here's the sheep:





And here are some fun details:

Hunt was this April at Elephant Mountain WMA, a TPWD property dedicated to desert sheep. It has been a highly successful property largely due to being a defensible, standalone mountain, with any aoudads that show up killed and with predators well managed. The biggest threat to the sheep is probably the golden eagles that live there and regularly kill lambs. TPWD leaves the eagles alone, of course.

The ram was 11 years old, with horn damage due to weakness from sinus tumors. TPWD guys said he likely wouldn't have lived another year with the horn core exposed.

He grossed 169 but netted below all time book due to the horn damage. I think the damage looks cool.

I shot him at maybe thirty five yards after two failed stalks in swirling wind on top of the mountain. After bumping the sheep (he was with another ram) twice, we made a wide loop around them, expecting them to drop down the edge of the mountain/mesa. All of a sudden, there they were, standing in tall grass and Spanish dagger within bow range of us. Instead of dropping down the cliff, they had stayed on top and followed the edge. It surprised the heck out of us! One shot from my .280 AI through heart, and he reared up on his hind legs, jumped straight up, and then fell down dead.

TPWD runs a special operation at Elephant Mountain. The guys are super committed to the species and making sure the hunts go well. The mountain and surrounding country are beautiful, with all kinds of pretty desert plants and cool looking birds and reptiles.

It was a fairly easy hunt that was over in two days. I did personally pack out the head and skin despite having a team of helpers from TPWD, and the extra effort felt good. Oh, and the meat is delicious. It's sort of like lean beef. I'll be sad when I finish all of it. And yes, now I'm applying in the western states again, hoping to get a Rocky Mountain or California bighorn one of these days. After all, I'm a lucky person, as my 5 year old daughter tells me.

You are indeed lucky! Thanks for the story and photos.

Very nice!

Very nice, congrats!

nice ram! congratulations!

A W E S O M E!!

That's a great experience. I got mine in CA, 2009. He also has a bashed up horn, but on the driver's side.

I am also applying for Rockys now, just in case.

Big congrats!

Congratulations, that's a great ram. I believe the damaged horn gives it character!

That’s awesome! I’ve been putting in for that for years and never drawn. Glad to see a report from the lucky winner.

Fantastic ram. Congratulations on persevering and finally drawing a tag. I have been buying chances for many years as well. Good to see a fellow AR member win it... I think we have had one other Texas AR member win in past years. ED505 maybe?

Congratulations!

That is fantastic!

Fantastic win, hunt, and wonderful ram! Big congratulations, well done.

Fantastic ram! Very special.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. It took me weeks to come down from the excitement of being drawn.

Congrats Sandyhunter, did you draw the slam or just the sheep?

quote:

Congrats Sandyhunter, did you draw the slam or just the sheep?

Thanks! Just the sheep. It was the public draw with bonus points.

Great one!

.

Very special. Congratulations!



.

What a magnificent ram! Your report was most welcome and clearly heart felt -- one of the best I have read here in years. Thank you for posting.

Outstanding! Congratulations and the horn damage looks awesome, to heck with what it did to the score!

Well done! I hate you though….


And am seriously jealous…

Good to know the program still exists. I thought they'd given up when mountain lions were killing the sheep they put on the mountain. I got the deer/javelina permit twice in the 90s. It was only a "three day" tag, hunt first day after noon, full day, end at noon the "third" day. Came close, but never got a deer, but did take a javelina both times. Wildlife every where around Elephant mountain. Beautiful area. Congratulations!!!

That is absolutely awesome!! Congratulations on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Outstanding man! Way to stick with it.

Outstanding David! Tell your Dad howdy for me!

WOW!

Fantastic ram - talk about character! - and huge congratulations.

I love to see perseverance pay off!

quote:

Outstanding David! Tell your Dad howdy for me!

Will do, Lane. He lost his eyesight a few years ago and my mom this spring. The excitement of the tag and the hunt provided some much needed positivity, and he was the first person I called after taking the ram.

Sheep draws are Black GAp, VAn Horn, and Elephant as I recall, I was all but raised on the Adams ranch next to Black GAp and went to school in Marathon and Marfa..Elephant Mt. is south of Marfa on the Presidio highway as I recall, shot some Coues there many years ago also I ranched the Rosillas that borders the big bend park. I hunted Mexico in the Sierra Del Carmens for Mule deer, Coues, sheep and bear as a kid as we had a ranch leased across from Boquillas Mexico...that whole masive Senoria desert is a cornocopia of wildlife. congrats on your hunt//