recurveman

I did not kill a sheep.

In 2019 after a 3500 feet of elevation gain over a bunch of miles I finally made it up to about 10,500 feet. The first 4 days were spent in a tent or around a fire because I couldn't see more than a few hundred yards due to fog. The next week I had the opportunity to see every type of precipitation come out of the sky. The wind rarely got under 15-20 miles an hour and frequently was 30+ with gusts up to 60+ one evening (didn't sleep that night). So after 12 days in the backcountry I couldn't wait to go back and try it again. I will tell you this much. It's not for the faint of heart. G-bears are real (real thick) and some hunters freak out. Most guys are done in less than 3 days. I've seen guys not be able to sleep and they look like complete crap after 48 hours and pack up and leave. Some don't even make it in to where the sheep are at. I believe it is "possible" to kill a ram in the UL units but the focus of this should be the "adventure" and not the kill. I've found that quite a few guys almost like the adventure more than the kill. The "adventure" will be EPIC. Not all in a good way either. Your struggle will be real......real hard When you think you are in sheep shape.......consider that a good start.....you are half way there. You can't be in too good of shape for this hunt. If you aren't killing deer and elk every time you have a tag then it might be better to work on killing stuff before heading to the UL units. Your opportunities will be very, very limited and you better be able to kill on demand when needed.

A typical long range bullet will have a high BC so that it will maintain down range velocity better than most bullets. The lead tip bullet isn't one of the bullets that typically has a high BC. The bullet can work great out to 500 yards and might be perfect for your application.

Given that your shooting those bullets I'm guessing that you aren't shooting past 500 yards. The deformation on that bullet will be fine for distances under 500 yards. I would try to fix the issue though. Shouldn't be real hard to correct.

I've called in 4 lions. Normally they come in within the first 15-30 minutes. I typically will make a stand last 45-60 minutes just to be sure. Depends on how I'm feeling. I've had them come running in, roaring at the top of their lungs (that is super, super freaky) , come in behind me super stealthy and never see them. Really just depends but they will always be dead down wind. Always!!!! I can tell you from experience. I've seen lion tracks behind me after I'm done calling that are in my tracks walking in to set up the call............That is a bit freaky and it is good to look behind you. I've had them within 20-30 yards behind me and I didn't know they were there until I see their tracks inside of my tracks when I'm leaving.....

Typically I use a Jack rabbit distress but I'm sure others work really good too. I've been super curious about the actual lion sounds. Don't know if those would work or not.

When I go calling normally I just call for lions. Not that dogs and other critters won't come in but I really think most lions are in different spots than dogs. Honestly I don't think using the "right" call is that big of a deal. Normally I look around and see what is normally in the area. If I'm seeing jack rabbits, cotton tails, is it fawning season, ect. Then I will use what they would expect to hear in regards to a call. Biggest key is being in their living room when you start calling. I think another big key to cats is the wind. I set up so I can see dead down wind. Normally off to the side about 100 yards if possible and I want to spend most of my time looking down wind. I've called in more than a few lions and 100% of the time they come dead down wind and you have to be looking that direction. You almost don't even need to look at the call.......Just dead down wind but you need to be to the side so when they come in they don't smell you. Also, I typically won't shoot anything that comes in unless it is a lion. I've past many dogs waiting for a lion. Once in a while a dog will come in very late in the calling sequence......Well I'll just make sure that my rifle is still zeroed and move on the the next calling location. Calling in a lion is VERY doable.

I'm a 20 gauge fan. Own a bunch of them. I love my benelli. It still has some recoil but not bad. The fit of the gun is key to shooting accurately. O/U's are cool but for hunting they drive me crazy. After you shoot one shot I'm always wondering.......do I reload or do I wait and see if something else fly's up at my feet. With a pump and semi you can add another shell or two without your gun being broken open. I shoot a 12 gauge for bigger things that need to die. I would think fur animals and geese. Everything else can be done with a 20 gauge. I only shoot 3.5" shells out of my 12 gauges. Normally I shoot blackcloud BB loads and I don't care if it is ducks, geese or dogs. They all drop like rocks. I've shot a ton of 12 gauge and any of the recoil operated guns are junk in my world. You need a gas operated gun. I've narrowed it down to the winchester SX 3. I think they might have a newer model this year. It is gas operated and that decreases the recoil by a ton. Now recoil isn't the end of the world but less recoil means you can shoot your second and third shots much faster. As far as chokes. This is very easy. 90% of the time you should be shooting a very, very open choke. Something like Cylinder or Skeet. I shoot skeet in my upland 20 gauge with smaller pellets and a modified in my duck/goose 12 gauge so I can whack them further out with bigger pellets.

Go through and read the call in stories from the link above. There is a ton to learn on this site. Also you need to start thinking like a prey animal instead of the prey. Lions are very, very different to hunt then deer and elk. I've called in quite a few and glassed up a few. I think your odds of killing one you glassed up is slim to none. Killing a lion by using a call can certainly be done. The key is really knowing where lions live already. If you are in their area then killing one is very doable. If you are trying to kill dogs then good lucking killing a lion. When I go calling I only call for lions and it typically isn't in areas where I would call dogs. Oh one last thing. The lion is right behind you!!!!!!

You are partially correct but I think there are some huge assumptions about trail cameras. I'll give you some examples. In 2010 I had a unit 9 archery bull tag. Me and a buddy had about 20 cameras up in the unit checking things out. We ended up killing good bulls (340-350) off of the same tank. We had a camera up on this tank for about 8 weeks prior to the season and all through the season. We looked at every single pic from the prior 8 weeks and at no point in time did either bull come to the tank in the prior 8 weeks. The camera had nothing to do with out success. In 2017 I had another unit 9 archery tag. Again we ran about 20 cameras. We found a rather large bull on camera. I went up on September 1st to go find this bull and spent 26 days looking for this critter and never laid eyes on the target bull. I ended up shooting a good bull but not the one I was after. Had another unit 9 tag in 1995 (before cameras) and shot a monster. Also shot a good bull in unit 9 in 2003 archer hunt too. Didn't use cameras for that hunt. Now with that said. Unit 9 is a 320-340 class bull factory. The reason for the decline in quality bulls (375+) bulls in unit 9 is a both the effectiveness of hunters and the issue of to many tags. I don't think cameras really help most hunters kill bigger bulls. I would almost argue the opposite. I think the range finder and the ability of guys to kill bulls with a bow at longer ranges has dramatically impacted the quality in unit 9. Also, the rifle hunters are now killing an absolute crushing number of bulls. Back in the early 2000's there were 100 rifle tags and 100 archery tags with zero cow tags. Now we have a 100 early archery tags, 100 late archery tags, 300 rifle bull tags and some years the unit has a few early rifle/muzzy tags. Not to mention the 600-800 cow tags. The main reason the quality in unit 9 has gone down in because of the amount of tags issued. If we cut the tag numbers back then the quality would go back up dramatically. Here is an example of why I think cameras save the lives of many critters. In 2017 when I was chasing a monster I wasn't the only person that was hunting the bull. Many, many guys were also hunting the bull. The week before the hunt there were 3 ground blinds and 2 tree stands (I had a tree stand but knew the bull wouldn't be around due to the activity) at the tank. Not mention the guys just hunting around the tank. It was a zoo!!!!!!! I worked areas many miles away in different directions looking for the bull. The hunters for sure pushed the bull out of the area and I never relocated the bull again. If there were no cameras then there would have been many fewer hunters at that tank (same tank I killed at in 2010) and I would have had a chance at another monster. Cameras saved that bulls live. The bull did end up getting shot by an early rifle hunter a week later. There is the reason for lesser quality bulls in unit 9. Side note: The quality of the really great bulls (400+) has dropped because of the cameras. Not because of the average hunter but the governors tags. A person could cover pretty much the entire unit's water sources with cameras. This will give the governor tag holder the opportunity to hunt a very large bull. Most years 1-2 really great bulls have been taken from unit 9 in this manner. This has hurt the top end bulls in the unit. Though I do realize that lately the governor bulls have come from other units.....because unit 9 has been crushed by to many tags. FYI - 2020 was the first time since 1993 I didn't put in for unit 9 early archery. I believe there are better units to apply for now that unit 9 has been crushed by a high number of tags. Cameras aren't the problem with bull quality. I'm not really for or against cameras. I just want to have quality hunting experiences. I have learned a bunch from cameras and my wife and kids LOVE to look at the pictures. They think it is cool to see all the animals and the fawns and calves are super cool to see when they are so young. I'll miss that the most.

Well since we can't use cameras anymore I would consider them antiques. Antiques are worth some money!!!!!! Got a couple boxes of antiques for sale.

Not always. I've got a spot for mearns that just crushes. I've hunted it for years and years and years. Never seen a hunter driving to and from the spot. Never a hunter within 5-10 miles of my spot. Then again. I don't tell anyone so it stays my little secret. Heck I don't ever run dogs anymore but there is no chance of me giving up the spot because at some point I might want to go back. Funny thing. A deer hunter told me about the spot because I would have never thought to go hunt there for birds. Just have to keep things to yourself and it solves the drama. Time to hunt boys!!!!!!

I think everyone in the country is looking for powder, primers and bullets. Good luck in your search!!!!!

I'm not a muzzy expert at all. Just bought one for the first time this summer. Bought the remington unltimate muzzy. I really think that the gun is really awesome. I have no idea how the Optima compares but just wanted to let you know I love my Remington. Good luck.

I have a 338 Lapua that I've shot a little bit. I haven't done a ton of shooting but maybe 200-300 rounds down the pipe. I found that the heavier the bullet the better they did. I ran SMK's and Accu bonds. MY gun liked both. My gun really liked Retumbo. I forget how many pounds of powder went into each case but it seemed like a ton!!!!!! yeah I know it was only grains but is seemed like pounds. I never really got it perfect and never really hit any max loads. It was kind of fun to shoot but it isn't my favorite gun to shoot by far. One thing that was unique with a 338 was the recoil/noise. This gun took a bit of getting used to for me. It's a new type of recoil and noise. Give yourself a good 25-50 rounds to get used to how everything reacts. It is very different than any 300 mag. Side note: I stuggled to get the ABLR bullets to shoot in my 6.5. Love nosler and love the AB but couldn't get the ABLR to print good. Had a bunch of vertical shots and when I went to the Hornady ELDX my elevation went away. Just and FYI

Lead is lead. It goes down range at a given velocity and drops at a known and predictable rate. Anything under 500 yards that shoots minute of deer is good enough for hunting purposes. The practical difference between a 30-06, 300 (rum, win mag, weatherby, norma,) mag, 7MM mag of some sort is really not a big deal until you start shooting past 500 yards. All will kill animals and all will shoot plenty good to kill a deer. It's splitting hairs for the average hunter. Now for me. My ES needs to be in the single digits. I reload everything and I often spend way to much time in the weeds. I also will typically shoot quite a bit more centerfire rifle that most guys. I enjoy it and I like to have the ability to shoot a very long ways in various conditions and still hit targets as needed. Shooting past 500 yards takes a fair amount of practice, the right load, ability to read the conditions and understand how those conditions will affect the point of impact of your shot. I find it fun to shoot that far but it really isn't needed for most hunting situations. Bowhunter-tw......Don't get caught up in the cartridge selection. They are all very close for under 500 yards. The real difference is spending time behind the shoulder pad and learning the rifle. That is WAY more important than the cartridge selection.

From a hunting perspective the 300 win and 28 Nosler are no different. If you really want to get in the weeds and look out to 1000 yards in a windy day.......... Then there might be some slight differences. If you hit an elk or smaller critter in the proper place at under 1000 yards with either cartridge the animal is dead. The only reason there are different cartridges is for gun makers to sell you different guns. If the 30-06 was still the latest and greatest gun, sales would drop like a rock because everyone would own one........sad thing is the 30-06 is still more than good enough for any lower 48 hunting.........yes I own custom guns in wildcat cartridges but it doesn't make a bit of difference as long as the bullet hits its mark.

I never had problems with my dogs feet. I had many buddies that would have many issues with their dogs feet. Normally the feet had issues because the pads were soft. The pads were soft because their dogs ran on carpet, tile and grass 95% of the time. I never had a problem but my backyard was full of opportunities for the dogs to toughen their feet all year long. Everything in the backyard had a rough surface / rock. It was really really rare when I had a dog with a pad issue even after 3,4,5 days of hunting mearns.

I've shot about about 7 deer sized critters with the 6.5 143grain ELD-X. Biggest being a strip mule deer down to a CWT buck. Shots have ranged from 75-964 yards. Most bullets did not exit. The lead and copper typically will separate but I don't consider that a failure for this style of a bullet. I've shot a grip of critters with the nosler ballistic tip and that was typically what would happen with a Nosler BT bullet. No critter has made it more than 20 yards. Most were DRT. I consider this bullet to be very similar to the nosler BT bullet in terminal performance. I also think this bullet has a much better BC and has much tighter manufacturing specifications than the Nosler BT. In regards to accuracy and consistency it is a slight step behind the berger but I've seen better performance with the ELD-X than the Berger bullets on game. I say shoot more critters. That is what I plan on doing with the bullet!!!!!

I used Clay in Payson for my lion. I wanted to do a full body but I shot my cat in August and the hair was really short. It looks like your hair is longer and I would do a full body mount!!!!!!

There are way more lions out in those hills than people realize. Congrats on the lion.

tarnished brass will do you just fine. My brass is only shinny for the first firing anyways. I would load them up and make them go bang.

I have a 2018 1000-5 limited edition. I absolutely love the machine and will drive it into the ground. Buy the 1000-5 because it has the flip up seats. The limited edition has Fox shocks and rides like a cadilac.

You will love it!!!!! Mine is awesome

I've been very lucky over the years. I've had a few buddies with issues. If you have someone that isn't doing a good job then let us know. No need to bring a guy work if he is a flake. Lots of good taxidermists out there.