This story begins at the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation virtual banquet in February of 2021. I am a board member and treasurer, and we decided to raffle two aoudad hunts for something different. Having hunted everything in North America except a polar bear, I had interest in this type of hunt and purchased some tickets. I ended up winning the second raffle for a hunt starting January 20, 2022 in West Texas with Hidden Creek Outfitters.
The guides met us in Van Horn, Texas, and an hour and half later, we arrived at the ranch. The area was approximately 75,000 acres of very rugged and mostly roadless terrain near the border. Accommodations were a nice ranch house with a chef providing the excellent meals. My guide, River, and I hunted the first afternoon. We saw some nice rams, but they were in an inaccessible spot. Most hunting is by spot and stalk.
The next morning, we returned to the same area but could not locate the rams. After a full day of covering numerous other areas, we finally located a group of three nice rams just before dark. After closing the distance to 340 yards, I was able to take the largest ram with my 7mm Saum. Due to the rugged terrain, we opted to go back in the next morning rather than hiking out in the dark. We hiked in the next morning and packed it out. The ram was 30" and old. My 75th birthday and 39th wedding anniversary were the same week as the hunt, so that made it extra special.
I would like to thank the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation, River and the other guides, Chef Charles, and especially my wife, Cindy, who has supported and encouraged my many hunts over the past 39 years, for this great hunt.
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