Scouting Still Continues

 The draw results are in and we're still hammering away at some of our favorit units. We made a trip out scouting with one of this years lucky tag holders. We were able to locate this group of sheep from the loud sound of them smacking horns!

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Draw Results Are Very Close

The Arizona draw results are getting very very close. AZGFD started hitting the credit cards today. Maybe one of these rams we found this week has your name on it.

The Hotter it Got, The Better It Got

This past weekend SWHA team member John Apolinar and I headed out for three consecitive days in a row in search of big AZ desert rams. As the days heated up so did the action..Several times John and I were pinned down from every direction with sheep.  After hitting it hard for three days in a row in 115* degree heat, I was worn out.

When It rains It Pours

As the weather forecast predicted a cool partly cloudy 4th of July with a slight chance of rain I figured I'd better get out get some quality sheep scouting time in...I had a notion it might rain but I didn't anticipate a 3 hour down pour..Like the ole saying goes "When It Rains It Pours" and boy did it pour.
By no means am I complaining, we desert rats love the rain. .As I decided enough was enough I dang near had to swim my truck home. Take a look for yourselves!

Keepin' The Rams In Check

Even though the AZ Bighorn draws aren't out yet we're still keepin' the rams in check..Here's a few pics from this weekends outings.

It Has It's Perks.

Living in the heart of Arizona's desert bighorn sheep country definatly has it's perks. I can leave the house at first light to do my scouting, get to my office by 8:00 am, then head back out for the evening scout and get home just in time for dinner. Most of these area's that hold sheep where I scout are less than 20 minutes from my house or work. Below are a few pics of rams so close to home I can almost glass'em up from the porch!

A Dollar Short and A Day Late

Yesterday evening I headed out with the hopes of filming some rams coming into water. These rams have consistanly been hitting the water after 4:00 pm. Well nothing shows up so I check my trail cam and discovered the last time the rams watered was the evening before. These rams have been hitting water about every 1-3 days. Since it's been hot they've watered every other day. So this afternoon I get all geared up and I'm really excited that I'm gonna have some good video action, right? Well I decide to check the camera and make sure my boys haven't showed up yet before I just roast in the heat. Low and behold all four rams watered this morning. So once again I'm a dollar short and a day late. These sonsabitches I'll tell ya.

We Haven't Started Sheep Scouting, We Never Stop Sheep Scouting

I have to admit, I do view other AZ based outfitters websites especially the ones who advertise sheep hunts. The one thing I do notice is how a lot of them say they scout year round for sheep. If I were the lucky tag holder who was shopping for an outfitter and didn't see any photo's or write ups of them documenting their trips it would make me wonder how true their statements really are.

 When SWHA & LHO (azdesertsheepguides team) claim they scout year round in the units they specialize in, we got the proof in the puddin'. Together this team logs more than 200 man days a year afield. Geof Moss and his Little Horn Outfitters crew keeps a running tab on their exploits on their blog (www.littlehornoutfitters.blogspot.com) . When viewing the LHO blog it ensures LHO's statements are in fact true. I generally like to have a date stamp on the photo's I take but lately I have been doing a lot of video and capturing images from my cam corder and haven't quit figured out to include the date stamp yet. So I figure if I make weekly updates of our trips here on this blog, a prospective client will see that we do in fact scout year round.

                               SWHA Team Member Eric Hunt - AZ Hunt Unit 44AE, 6-10-2012

LHO & SWHA - AZ  Hunt Unit 24, 6-2-2012 

  

                                          Troy Scott & Geof Moss - AZ Hunt Unit 24,  6-2-2012

                                                   Western AZ Desert Rams  6-10-2012

                         
                                                   Western AZ Desert Rams  6-10-2012

                                                     Western AZ Desert Rams  3-21-2012           

                                                   Western AZ Desert Rams  3-21-2012

Enjoying Your Hunt‏

Hunting Friends,

Summer seems to be getting a little more serious about smiling upon all of us in the Northern Hemisphere! Not only is it getting hotter but in just over a week, on June 21, it will be the longest day of the year with the "summer solstice" occurring once again. With this event, I'm always jolted to reality, knowing that fall will quickly creep up on us and that I better kick it into gear physically if I'm going to be prepared physically for my sheep guiding season. For each one of us, physical conditioning and getting into "sheep shape" can carry various connotations. However, if I have learned one valuable lesson over the years, it is simply this: Getting yourself "in shape", or finding yourself "out of shape" will dictate how much you enjoy your hunt, and many times will determine your ultimate success or lack of. I was talking with a buddy about this the other day, so I guess that is what triggered the following thoughts for you to consider.

I don't know about you but it gets tougher and tougher each year for me to keep my mind focused on fine tuning my physical conditioning during the summer season. Heck, there are just too many distractions such as the great barbeque's with friends, dutch oven cookouts in the mountains, and yup, you can't beat a cold coke (or beer for some of you) on a sweltering day! Everyone will approach the mental aspect of getting in shape differently but it all comes down to how bad you want to attain the goals you have set for yourself to ensure that you have done everything in your power to enjoy your hunt several months from now. For me, I always think of hunting season as my personal "olympic games" (senior) LOL and try to train accordingly. You may choose to paint a different picture in your mind to push yourself. The bottom line is to find something that motivates you personally. Luckily, I've never been one to be overweight. If your metabolism is a little sluggish and you put the pounds on easily it can make it even more difficult for you to reach your goals. I have also found that as we age it definitely doesn't get any easier to shed a few pounds or to push your workouts to a higher level.

Well, I just wanted to wish all of you the very best as you look ahead to the personal hunts you will be going on this year and how you are going to attain your physical goals. I've watched many of my hunting friends incorporate various workouts into their routines. For some of you, hiring a personal trainer may work or choosing a buddy who will push you at the gym. My advice is to not wait any longer to establish your conditioning program that should feature a training regimen of strength training with both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. You will need both to prepare yourself to enjoy the hunting season! I also strongly suggest that you take time to throw on a backpack and do some hiking each week on rough, uneven terrain. There simply isn't an easy substitute for this! You also need to find some time to do some target shooting both at the rifle range and somewhere safe out in the hills. And last, don't forget to monitor your calorie intake more closely this summer. Reduce those calories, ramp up your exercise program, and you will lose some unwanted pounds and get stronger.

It's my personal bias that if our children and grandchildren see us preparing and working hard when it comes to hunting then there's a good chance we will pass on our pure love and enthusiasm for "getting out on the mountain" to them. In return, they may also pass this perspective on to generations after us. If nothing else, preparing for our/your hunts will force us to look at life a little differently when it comes to our personal health and longevity.

Good luck everyone. Here are a few pictures I digiscoped last Saturday of some mountain goats as I made my annual climb to the summit of Delano Peak in the Tushar Mountains here in Utah. All I can say is the wind "damn" near blew me off of there and it was colder than you know what! Take care and be safe.

Randy

HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUDES

www.highdesertsheeguides.com

 

                                 

                                                

Southwest Hunting Adventures & Little Horn Outfitters Have Joined Forces

Southwest Hunting Adventures was established in 2005 by Travis and Troy Scott and Little Horn Outfitters was established in 2006 by Geof Moss when he guided David Combs on the auction permit. Eric Hunt joined the SWHA crew in 2010, and LHO added Josh Flowers in 2007 and Bob Kyhn in 2009. Together, this team spends close to 200 man-days in the Arizona sheep mountains each year looking for that next giant ram. These two outfitters have been chosen as the CEI Outdoors "Top Pick" Arizona Bighorn Sheep outfitter for the past 3 consecutive years. As separate entities, each has enjoyed tremendous success and earned a reputation as hardworking, dedicated sheep outfitters that consistently put big rams on the ground. Their clients have taken 15 net Boone & Crockett Arizona Desert Bighorn rams over the past 6 years (12 over 170 net B&C), with two that officially netted over 180 B&C. LHO is again guiding the Arizona Desert Bighorn auction permit in 2012 and expectations are high given the caliber of rams taken over the past two seasons. While their individual achievements have been noteworthy, they realized in 2012 that by pooling their talents, they could offer even more to prospective clients. Having gotten to know each other over the years, they developed a mutual respect that has formed the foundation for a new collaboration. Each specializes in different areas of Arizona, including most of the top-end trophy units for Mexicana desert rams. With a year-round dedication to scouting and a true passion for big rams, SWHA and LHO are poised for many years of continued success.


You can find us on the web @ www.azdesertsheepguides.com or on Facebook @ Arizona Desert Sheep Guides. Also check out Little Horn Outfitters blog @ www.littlehornoutfitters.blogspot.com

2011 SWHA AZ Desert Sheep Success

It was a short season for the SWHA boy's in Southwest AZ. After month's of hard scouting our work paid off and we were done by Dec 3rd. Congrats to Mike Rufer with an awesome 44bn ram and Franco Savateri with a fine 43b ram

Mike Rufer 44bn

Franco Savateri 43b

High Deserts Final Ram for 2011

Hunting Friends, 

In our lives each one of us gets an opportunity sooner or later to have an unbelievable experience that is indelibly burned into our memories. It seems that I have been blessed with lots of these during my time out on the mountain with many of you over the years. However, I just got back late last night from an incredible sheep hunt on the Escalante that I will always remember with Layton, Utah, hunter Cal Bambrough, his sons Kade and Matt, as well as my guiding partners Brett Caldwell and Bryant Johnson. Believe me, the Bambrough's are as knowledgeable of hunters as there are around and are also very seasoned guides so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to take Cal on his "Once In A LIfetime" hunt when he called me several days after the Utah draw last spring to guide him. For months Cal trained for this hunt as he and I chose a date on the calendar that would work best for both of us. Then, in September, just days before we were to leave for his hunt Cal got really sick with some health issues that put him in the hospital and down in bed. Most of you can imagine the heartache and emotional distress he was experiencing. The doctors just plain told him he couldn't go. We were forced to reschedule Cal for the last of the Utah sheep hunt. Because of this change we didn't know whether I would still be able to help guide him or if both his sons could go. Well, to not complicate the story more everything suddenly came together at the last minute and although Cal was far from being at full physical strength, we led him into the canyons of the Escalante, some of the most inhospitable terrain anywhere in North America, last Tuesday night.  His dreams of finally taking his desert ram were fulfilled late Thursday evening with both his sons there by his side in an exciting hunting moment for everyone. What an adrenalin rush for all of us! 

It was sheer determination to complete his life long goal that kept Cal pushing himself through canyons and sandstone obstacle courses that would simply force most people to turn around and quit.  What an undescribable experience! I can't say enough about the mental will power that Cal demonstrated on this hunt. It was HIGH DESERTS privilege to have the opportunity to be there in camp with you Cal. You were an inspiration. CONGRATULATIONS on a beautiful desert ram. There's no doubt in my mind that Cal will someway find a way to go on a Stone sheep hunt one day in the near future to complete his FULL CURL. No one would be more excited than me to hear his name called at the FULL CURL SOCIETY drawings in February. It was my honor to be there by your side when your desert ram went down. Thank you.

Randy

HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDES 

 

 

Another Booner Utah Desert Ram!

Hunting Friends,

We had an incredible day "out on the mountain" today. "CONGRATULATIONS" to our non-resident hunter, Randy Rosenthal from northern California who took this massive 171.5 ram this morning. We worked hard and the "sheep gods" smiled upon us as everything fell into place. I nicknamed this old ram, "Spartacus" because he was the victor in his arena of battle. Great job Randy, you hung in there with us all the way. Thank you for placing your "once in a lifetime trust" with HIGH DESERT. My partners Brett Caldwell and Bryant Johnson were right there when all the action took place. Good luck everyone on the opening Utah deer hunt. Stay safe.

Randy

HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDES

http://www.highdesertsheepguides.com/

GOT FLARE?

Hunting Friends,

Congratulations to Bill Burbidge and HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDE Bret Caldwell on taking this wide flaring Utah desert ram that looks more like a Dall! Bill is 69 years old and waited a long time to draw this tag. What was very special about this hunt is that both of Bill's sons could be there with him when he took his ram. Great job guys. Thanks for allowing us to share in this Once In  A Lifetime Experience with you. Good luck everyone. It's sure fun to see your pictures and hear your stories.

Randy

HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDES

http://www.highdesertsheepguides.com/

 

 

The Third TimeI Is Alaways A Charm!

Hunting Friends,

As many of you know Utah's Escalante Unit can be one of the most challenging sheep hunts in North America. The sheep are difficult to find and the terrain can be a real challenge. CONGRATULATIONS to Utah hunter Ron Nilsson and HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDE Bryant Johnson on  taking this 7.5 year old ram last Thursday morning. The ram took a death tumble off a cliff but the boys were able to retrieve a trophy animal. This was Ron's 3rd trip into the Escalante since the opener and it paid off. Thanks for allowing HIGH DESERT the privilege of guiding you Ron. You worked extremely hard for your ram. Great job guys! Good luck everyone.

Randy
HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDES
http://www.highdesertsheepguides.com/

The Nine Hour Death March

Hunting Friends,

My brother Bryant and Warren Kirk just got back from a really tough desert sheep hunt on Utah's rugged Escalante Unit. They put in lots of difficult miles but stayed with it and never quit. CONGRATULATIONS to Warren on taking this great 9.5 year old ram Wednesday night just before the big storm hit the canyons of the Escalante. I received a SAT phone call at 11:30 pm to let me know that they had finally made it back to their spike camp. Wow, what a long day. After 9 straight hours of hiking they finally made it out to their truck the following evening. Great job guys!  I'm sure many of our sheep hunting friends can appreciate what you went through to harvest your "Once In  A Lifetime" trophy. Thank you Warren for placing your trust in us and allowing HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDES to guide you! 

Good luck out there on the mountain everyone. It's sure fun to hear your stories and see your pictures.

Randy

HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDES

http://www.highdesertsheepguides.com/

 

 

MASS,MASS AND SOME MORE MASS!!!

Hello Hunting Friends,

I just got home from an incredible Utah desert sheep hunt with Mitch Olsen of Hyrum, Ut. CONGRATS  to Mitch on taking this massive 170.5 pt ram that I nicknamed "The Sledgehammer." We spent 6 butt busting days in miserable heat searching for the ram that Mitch has been dreaming about for 18 years. As tough as it got Mitch never complained once and definitely earned the opportunity of harvesting this hunk. I've guided sheep hunters for a lot of years now and for shear mass this is the biggest Utah desert brute I've seen. Great job Mitch! It was an honor to have the opportunity to guide someone who works as hard as you do. Mitch is a blue collar worker who represents everything that hunting should be about. I'll spend time out on the mountain with him anytime!

As many of my hunting friends know every now and again I get on a personal soapbox and today it happens to be on how much emphasis that we, in the hunting community, sometimes place on scores.  It's my personal belief that we often put far too much emphasis on what a big ram, buck or bull is going to score. Believe me, I'm just as bad as anyone. Instead, if we have the opportunity to harvest a big game animal that is exactly what you are looking for, although it isn't a BC record, then you should truly treasure the opportunity of legal pursuit and respect the animal for what it represents. 

Good luck everyone. I appreciate so much your stories, pictures and love for "getting out on the mountain." Remember, every big game animal you take is a trophy in itself. Take care and be safe.

Randy

HIGH DESERT WILD SHEEP GUIDES

http://www.highdesertsheepguides.com/  

2011 AZ Desert Bighorn Sheep Society Ram Recognition Banquet

The  2011 AZ  ADBSS Ram Recognition Banquet was one of the best I've seen in years. The Ram Recognition Banquet is truly a neat experience, and I look forward to it every year. The ADBSS does an excellent job in organizing this event. The banquet is a time for people to meet new friends, see old friends, and see all the awesome sheep mounts from the prior years sheep hunt. Travis and I had pleasure of seeing two of our clients from the 2010 sheep season, Mr. Ellis Taylor and Mr. Derral Crance along with having met some of the successful sheep hunters from the 2010 sheep season. Last but not least Travis and I were honored to meet two of the pioneers of  AZ sheep hunting, Tom Saad and  Richard Fite. Both of these gentlemen have a very long history being involved with AZ Desert Bighorn Sheep.

Mr. Taylor and his 43B ram

 

Derral Crance's 44AE ram