I had given up hope that a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep would be in my future. Ram tags can be nearly impossible to draw unless you start applying at a young age, and pay-to-play outfitted ram hunts are too expensive for my budget. However, I was missing the big picture. With so much cultural emphasis on going after giant rams, the idea of pursuing a female sheep had been entirely off my radar. But then my friend, Will Downard, sparked my bighorn enlightenment. 

Several years ago, Will posted a picture of him on top of a mountain with a smile big enough to match the grand scale of his surroundings. He was posing with a Rocky Mountain bighorn ewe. I sent him a congratulatory message—followed by an inquiry about how he pulled this off. The generosity of his advice sent me down a path to sheep country. 

You can watch a two-part film documenting my incredible hunt right here:

In addition to the story you’ll discover in the film, here are five lessons learned from sheep country that might help you on your next adventure hunt … 

#1: TUNE INTO THE PROCESS

The only way to fully appreciate a hunt is to embrace every part of the process. I’ve always tried to remember that, but going into this sheep hunt—a hunt of a lifetime—I realized it was time to force myself to hit the brakes and consciously embrace every detail in the process. The keyword there is consciously. Society has forced us to zone out and go through the motions in our daily lives, and we need to remember that hunting is supposed to be an escape from that. But rather than merely becoming hyper-aware of the hunt itself—when you’re holding a gun or a bow—it’s time to consciously tune into the whole process.

Once your boots are on the ground, an average big game hunt ranges anywhere from 3-10 days in duration. In the scheme of things, that’s hardly enough time to catch your breath, let alone fully immerse yourself in the experience. And the experience—not the kill, the photo you post on Instagram, nor even the meat—is what it’s all about, right?

The pursuit of an animal is a catalyst to a much greater purpose as a hunter. My greatest memories and relationships live in the wake of hunting adventures. As I write this, I’m sitting in a small bunkhouse in middle-of-nowhere Nebraska, where I’ve come to hang treestands and trail cameras for an upcoming whitetail hunt. At face value, it’s a rudimentary set of tasks that millions of deer hunters check off their lists every year, but through this experience I’ve met a great new friend, drank the best Moscow mule I’ve ever had, and slept in the most therapeutic silence I’ve encountered in years. I’m vividly cognizant of the significance of these otherwise “trivial” events because sheep country reminded me to appreciate the details.

#2: TRAIN FOR SUCCESS

Sheep will test you in every way imaginable, simply because of where they live. Sheep operate in a strange paradox—they’re fragile as a species, yet they’re capable of making a living in some of the most inhospitable places in North America. To go up against these noble beasts, training—in multiple facets—is essential to success.

The first stage of “training” for this hunt was gaining knowledge about sheep. I spent dozens of hours studying the animals, talking to friends who had hunted them, and attending webinars put on by the state game agency. Half the fun of going into a hunt is setting aside time to learn more about your quarry. Up until this hunt, I knew very little about bighorn sheep, but after going through this process I’ve developed a wholistic respect for them. That’s one of the most rewarding aspects of hunting. 

Step two involved multiple layers of scouting. It started with analyzing maps in HuntStand to begin understanding my hunting unit. I’m big into visualizing success, so it was extremely beneficial to surf through 3D maps—in enough detail that I could even see sheep trails on steep shale slopes.

A couple of weeks before the hunt, I packed my bags and traveled to the unit for ground-level scouting. My brother and his girlfriend joined me, so we were able to pair the scouting trip with additional exploration of the area and some picturesque trout fishing, all the while taking time to acclimate to the extreme altitude (my hunt would be at 11,000-13,500 feet) before climbing the mountain.

Searching for animals was only a small part of the physical scouting mission. Getting familiarized with the general area—camping areas, proximity to fuel and supplies, potential road conditions, etc.—was equally important. 

When it came time to scale the mountain, this was my opportunity to see how my body would handle the terrain and altitude, and get a better idea of what type of gear I would need during the hunt. 

After reaching the mountain peak, I was fortunate to spot a group of sheep. This was promising, but it also didn’t mean much. I say that because, at least in this area, the sheep are constantly moving—often long distances—on a daily basis. It was important to understand this, because it set me up mentally to become comfortable and gain faith in the fact that we could go a long period of time without seeing sheep, but eventually they would come around. That type of mindset would save me from making a hair-brained decision to abandon the area.

Following the scouting trip, my focus changed to more physical training and becoming proficient with my rifle. 

My exercise included dozens of miles with my ALPS OutdoorZ Elite hunting pack (new for 2022) loaded with weight, while becoming confident with trekking poles and breaking in my mountain boots from Kenetrek.

I would be carrying a Savage 110 Ultralite rifle chambered in 6.5 PRC, which proved in the end to be the ideal high-country companion. You can see my full review of the rifle right here:

I spent time learning the dope of the 130-grain Terminal Ascent load from Federal’s Custom Shop, so I would have no hesitation when it was time to look through my Burris Signature HD riflescope and compensate for bullet drop. But honestly, for this hunt it was more a matter of principle for me to become a master of my ballistics, vs. necessity, because I knew my shot would have to be within 200 yards. Sheep hunting has a long-range reputation, but in order to ethically pull the trigger on this hunt, I would need to positively identify the sex of my sheep to ensure it was indeed a ewe and not an immature ram, and the 200-yard mark was the top end of my comfort zone. Ultimately, having high-quality glass was more important than memorizing long-range dope. That said, for those looking for a lightweight, distance-capable backcountry rifle that will take a beating, you can absolutely rely on the 110 Ultralite.

No, you don’t need to be at the pinnacle of physical or mental shape to take on every type of hunt or tag out. However, you’re always going to be a deadlier predator if you train for success. This concept applies to all hunts, ranging from the toughest backcountry hunts to sitting in a stand for whitetails. Every hunt has its challenges, and your average success rate will always trend higher if you’re squared away in as many ways as possible. Sheep country reminded me of this steadfast principle, and propelled me to make myself better.

#3: DON’T RUSH

Few events are enjoyable if you’re in a rush. Hunting should be enjoyable, not stressful.

Sheep country forces you to slow down. If you don’t pace yourself on the mountain, you’ll get tossed on your ass—literally and figuratively. This is a good thing. By taking things in stride, you become more observant of your surroundings and calculated in your actions, only relying on instincts and quick thinking when it’s really needed. 

When you’re not in a rush, you’ll almost always be a more effective hunter. 

#4: STICK TO YOUR KIT

The wilderness is powerful. Whether you’re camping at a state park or hiking into areas where few people have step foot, you need to come equipped for the worst possible scenarios. When you don’t stick to your kit, at some point you’ll be punished.

Your core kit should include the essential gear that will help you survive when things don’t go as planned. Typically, this means water or the ability to make clean water (i.e. a filter); a small emergency food supply; fire-starting tools; materials to build a basic shelter; rain gear; a fully-charged light; and clothing that’s adequate to keep your body at a safe temperature under the worst potential conditions that you might encounter in the area where you’re hunting. You should also consider carrying some type of satellite communication device such as a Garmin inReach, just in case you end up down the path of no return.

Sheep country threw us a curveball when it was time to pack out my animal. We became severely dehydrated and underestimated our exit plan. To make matters worse, we had hardly enough charge remaining in our light sources to help us navigate in the dark—and pitch black came quickly after quartering my sheep. Two unforeseen boulder fields later, we were tapped out and forced to hunker down in a small island of trees. We took turns stoking a meager fire to stay warm until sunrise. It wasn’t a life-or-death scenario, but the threat level was high enough to make all of us quiver. My two companions and I had all diverted from carrying our core kits that day, but thankfully we had enough gear between the three of us to make it work. Had any of us been alone … 

#5: PUSH THE ENVELOPE

Sometimes you have to go the extra mile. For better or worse, sheep country has a way of forcing that extra mile out of your hunter soul.

Whether it’s the final day of a whitetail hunt and you need to go full-court press on a bedding area, or in the case of my sheep hunt, go an extra drainage or two further than expected, there’s just something sickly awesome about pushing the envelope. It teaches you something about yourself—your true core. And even if the result isn’t putting your hands on an animal, you can almost always count on a net gain as a hunter.