In the late 1980s at a deer camp in Siskiyou County in Northern California, my dad, my brother, John, and I first started talking about someday being drawn for California Desert bighorn sheep. The Department of Fish and Game had made one tag available. Over the years, we were drawn for some good deer hunts, but after about 15-20 years of attempts on the sheep draw, the optimism began to fade.
Fast forward to 2019. California DFG added a new sheep hunt unit in the Ord Mountains and Newberry Mountains. More tags! I figured I’d give it a try. In June, I was at work early and thought I’d see if the results were out. I logged in and scrolled down the results page, expecting the usual list of “N” in the successful column of the big game hunts. I reached the sheep, and there it was, a “Y” in the successful column. I could not believe it, so I logged out and logged back in to see if it was a mistake. It was still a “Y.” My phone was shaking as I took a screenshot and texted my wife, Kalee, who said she cheered out loud when she got the text in the gym. I figured since it was a once-in-a-lifetime hunt I could take part of the morning easy and started looking for an outfitter right away.
I found Kika Outfitters and saw some of the great sheep hunts they have guided in recent years. They looked impressive, and I wanted an outfitter who would accommodate my wife coming along. She is a big game hunter as well and wanted to come along as an observer. I called Jake Franklin, the owner, and booked his company’s services for our December hunt. We were pumped!
In July, we were in Montana with family, and Jake and his guides started scouting the zone. One afternoon, Jake texted me pictures of two great looking rams and said, “These two rams are in your zone. They are big! One will probably die with the governor’s tag, but there are two. Don’t share these photos!”
In November, a few weeks before our hunt, Jake texted me, “Guess what! We didn’t get the big one. He’s still out there somewhere.”
I said, “Awesome! Unbelievable!” and then thought, no pressure here. I had waited over 30 years to finally get drawn, the big one was out there, I couldn’t draw for California bighorn sheep ever again, and I was going to get maybe one shot at him. I was confident in my shooting and very excited to get out after the big one, though.
A couple days from opening day, Kalee and I loaded the truck. I checked my tag three or four times to make sure I had it, brought a spare rifle just in case, and headed out for the seven-hour drive to the desert. We rolled into camp, met our guide, Josh Schulgen, and stowed our gear. Josh showed us some new pictures of the big ram in the zone, which were impressive. He said, “We call him Flare because of the way his horn tips flare out.”
That evening, we met some of the guys who were helping out on our hunt. We called it a night early for the 3:30 a.m. wakeup. I didn’t sleep.
Day One: Searching for Flare
We got out in the zone before light and spread out over the desert a couple miles and started glassing the mountains and drainages as soon as it got light. We had a couple of sightings of sheep but there was no Flare to be found. Around the fire that night, it sounded like the consensus was that Flare may have been spooked out of the zone after being stalked and shot at.
Day Two: One More Look for Flare
Josh decided we would head back into the area where Flare was spotted over the last month and check one last time to see if, by chance, he came back. The plan was to go to the top of Ord Mountain on horseback to be ready to hunt down the mountain on foot if any good rams were spotted. After about a five-mile ride up, we made it to the top. The weather was supposed to get bad later in the day, so we wanted to start spotting as soon as we could.
We secured the horses, put our packs on, and headed out. We made it to the downwind side of the top and started glassing. Josh was on his way up on foot, and when he found us, he said they had spotted Flare! He was about a quarter mile down from us with another ram and five ewes. Josh and I were going to move fast around the top and try to get a stalk on Flare. Kalee and the other guide would stay on top with the horses.
Josh and I moved down the shale and rock outcroppings to get in position. We moved to a spot where we were able to ambush. It was maybe a 200-yard shot if Flare moved our way. I got my first look at Flare through binoculars at about 700 yards. He really stood out from the group. The weather was coming, and the wind was swirling at 50 mph. Fog and rain came along with sleet with next to no visibility. We could only wait and put the herd to bed and try again in the morning.
Day Three: Stalking Flare
We decided to go back up to the top of Ord on horseback at first light, locate Flare, and start stalking him early. The weather was much better, and Jake Franklin came and joined us. After we tied up the horses, one of the guides spotted the herd not far from where we were. We decided that Josh and I would move as fast as we could and Jake and Kalee would stay on top to observe.
Josh and I moved out. The herd was about three-quarters of a mile away. On our first approach to the herd, we skirted the opposite side of the ridge they were on and figured we were about 500-600 yards out. Then the wind shifted and it was coming down the canyon at our backs. We were stuck waiting for the wind to come uphill as the morning warmed. The herd was now bedded, so we thought we had some time. After 20 minutes bedded, something alerted the herd and they took off running. They ran down the mountain close to a mile away and crossed to the side of the ridge Josh and I were on and started feeding. We could see some of the ewes but not Flare.
We picked up and went to the other side of the ridge and headed towards the herd. As we reached the bottom, I looked at my scope and my heart sunk. The windage cap was off. It must have been spun off taking it out of the scabbard on the horse. I thought this would be the end of our chances at Flare if I shot and missed. Josh and I figured we needed to worry about getting a shot first, so we kept moving.
The last time we saw the sheep they were bedding again, so they were no longer spooked. Josh thought if we could make the next ridgeline in 20 minutes we would have a shot. We made the ridge and slowly moved to the base of a 10-foot line of rocks. Josh said. “I think we are right on top of ‘em.” I cranked my scope down to 4 power.
We stepped to an opening in the rocks, and Josh said they were getting up. Standing was the only way to see anything. I raised my rifle and held on the opening through the rocks, and a ram stepped out at about 50 yards. As I started to put the crosshairs on him, Josh whispered, “That’s not him.” Right then, Flare stepped up alongside, shielded by the smaller ram.
Josh whispered, “That’s Flare!”
Flare stepped forward, and in less time than it takes to say it, I put the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. I thought if the scope was good we got him, and Josh said to shoot him again. I chambered a new round and fired a running shot as Flare ran out of sight over the ridge. I knew I had missed that one, and I was worried about Josh’s call for a second shot.
We ran around the rocks and saw the smaller ram going up the opposite side of the canyon. We cut their tracks and found a good blood trail. Whew! We followed the trail, and at the bottom of canyon, there was Flare. He was an amazing looking ram through binoculars, but in person, he was unbelievable.
My wife and Jake were still on top of the mountain and heard the two shots. Jake was able to watch us in his scope as we high fived and cheered at the sight of Flare down. Kalee started the long hike down the rough canyon, and by the time she made it down, the other guides and another hunting group came out after they heard we had Flare. At one point, there were 18 people down in the canyon admiring Flare.
Josh Schulgen put an incredible stalk with a hard pace on Flare. Jake Franklin, the guides, and Dave, our cook from Kika Outfitters, are great people. Everyone in the group put Kalee and me first in their priorities at all times. We thank them all!
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