On a February morning last year at 4 a.m., my phone rang. As I reached for it, I was afraid that something had happened to someone in my family. It was my son, Jarred’s, booming voice on the phone. He said, “Mom, did you forget to tell me something last night when we talked, that you drew a Kaiparowits Desert sheep tag?” I jumped out of bed in disbelief. It wasn’t until I held the permit in my hand a few weeks later that it felt real. I was going sheep hunting again. I had completed my Grand Slam a year earlier after 18 years and thought that my sheep hunting days were over. With great anticipation, I started planning and saving for this great adventure. I was unfamiliar with the area and felt I needed a guide to be successful. I wanted someone who loved sheep hunting and who was reputable, honest, and kind, so I called Randy Johnson. He was thrilled that I had drawn and was glad to help me.
On October 26th, Jarred and I met Randy in Big Water and made camp nearby. Randy’s amazing guide and navigator, Parker Fails, joined us. From that moment, we were a team on a ram hunting mission. I developed a great sense of trust after the first afternoon of several hours of glassing for sheep, and I knew I was in good hands and good company.
The following day, we awoke to a beautiful October morning and left for sheep country. Being a natural born worrier, I worried that I would not shoot well or any number of good and bad scenarios. I am terrified of heights only when there is not a gradual incline. Cliffs that are straight off cause me immobilizing fear. I have been able to scale mountains many times for sheep and goats, and it was terrifying, but you have to go where they are to hunt them. With good guidance, I found I could overcome some of the fear. It seems contrary, but I love mountains more than any place on earth. It is hard for me to keep my eyes on the road from looking at the majesty of the mountains. There is such awe-inspiring peace in the mountains, and the Kaiparowits landscape is no exception. I sat on those beautiful, multicolored plateaus in awe and found beauty surrounding me on all sides. The sheep were perfectly adapted to their cliffy environment and moved from cliff to cliff in seconds.
We spent the morning glassing in all directions from the top of multicolored plateaus. Randy, Parker, and Jarred first glassed every visible rocky hillside and grassy outcropping until they spotted a few ewes feeding their way downhill across from us. Soon, a couple of small rams joined them. It was not long until a big ram crested the hill and all eyes focused on him. With adrenalin pumping and my heart racing, I made an attempt to single him out long enough for a clear shot, but the ewes kept milling around him as if they knew they were being watched and he needed protecting. I could see him in my scope, but the band of sheep kept circling and crowding him further away as they vanished over the hill. It certainly was disappointing, but that’s hunting.
The day was still young as we gathered up our gear and moved to another area a few miles to the west, set up spotting scopes, and again began scanning a deep canyon three miles wide. The pink and sandy-colored mountains and canyons were endless. I wondered how we would find sheep in this vastness and if we did how we would get to them. Glassing paid off and some sheep were spotted across the deep canyon. Randy thought we needed a closer look. With Parker’s navigation skills and a good two-mile hike, we came to where we thought the sheep would be feeding. We crested the plateau and carefully got to the rim of the canyon. They were spotted right below the cliff we were on.
There were two mature rams, three smaller rams, and a ewe. Randy instructed me to lay down on the cliff, find the ram in my scope, and get ready to shoot. It was impossible to see the ram until I slid closer to the edge of the cliff. It was challenging to face my fear of heights, not to mention the weight of the gun tipped over the edge of the cliff. I could see the top half of the ram’s body straight below me well enough for a clear shot. I squeezed the trigger, and the shot rang out. Randy yelled, “He’s down!” At that moment, I was too excited to be afraid of the precipice I was laying on and jumped up whooping and hollering. Randy and Parker found a way off the cliff and called for Jarred and me to follow. It was steep and rocky all the way to the bottom where the ram lay.
I always experience a bittersweet feeling after taking an animal and appreciate the gift it has given me. I grew up understanding and respecting wildlife and all they provide for us. Getting a beautiful trophy is wonderful, but in addition to that and perhaps more important is the time spent in nature and seeing how magnificent it is. We live in such a fast-paced world that it is not very often a person can find respite other than in nature and the peace and serenity that can be found there. Meeting people and developing friendships is also a wonderful opportunity while hunting. Some of the best people in the world are hunters with amazing experiences to share.
My hunt was not only a success in taking a beautiful ram, but also in sharing the opportunity with Randy whom I admire for his skill, thoughtfulness, kindness, and respect he gave to Jarred and me. Parker is an amazing, very enjoyable young man with hunting and navigation skills any older man would be envious of. He is also one of the most friendly and sincere people I have hunted with.
That evening as we hiked out by the orange glow of the spectacular setting sun, we stopped for a moment, grateful for a beautiful, successful day and making another treasured memory on the Kaiparowits plateau. Thank you, Randy and Parker, for a successful hunt, and thank you, Jarred, for patiently helping your mom off the cliff. I also want to acknowledge SFW for offering this amazing opportunity for those who draw.
Utah Bighorn Sheep
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