Three hundred sixty-seven yards and a deep gorge with vertical sandstone and shale cliffs full of pinyon and juniper separated my guide, Brett, and me from the three rams and eight ewes we were intently watching from our glassing point. The frigid temperatures had greeted us on this morning, day seven. I watched intently as the sheep, which included one juvenile, one 155" collared ram that unfortunately was observed coughing continuously, and one heavier broomed off ram, along with several ewes, milled about on the warming, nearly vertical sandstone cliff. I speculated the sheep appreciated the sun’s warmth as much as we did.
We called on the radio and made contact with lead guide Randy Johnson who had hiked with my father onto a large plateau on the opposite side of the gorge to glass. The decision was made that they would hike out and return to our location and make a stalk on the larger ram. I said a quick prayer and asked that my 72-year-old father’s shot would be true and find its mark as he lay prone, locked into a solid shooting position, his hunting pack wedged under the rifle stock and bipod legs extended on the edge of the vertical cliff. The custom ballistic turret was dialed in to 360 to accommodate the slight angle. I looked down from my optics and glanced at my father lying behind the rifle. I could tell he was combating the same inhibiting factors that I was, trying to control his excitement, fatigue, and breathing. The shot opportunity was presented, and the ram’s keen senses had him fully aware of our presence, but he remained preoccupied with his receptive ewe.
Our whispering discussion between guides Brett, Randy, and I turned to the obvious question we all were contemplating. Do we risk the shot on a ram standing on a nearly vertical cliff with a potential 200-foot fall coupled with a difficult and challenging recovery, or do we wait?
This entire scenario had begun months, if not years, prior having watched my father overcome a serious debilitating motorcycle crash followed by an infection, cancer, and most recently knee surgery all within his golden years following retirement. The injuries and age, along with life’s challenges, had slowed him down but had not extinguished his desire to hunt and spend time outdoors.
On the evening Utah posted the draw results, I was lying in bed and checked our results. I scrolled quickly through my list of “Unsuccessful.” I switched to my father’s draw results and started to scroll. Suddenly, the word "Successful" caught my attention. I was swiping so fast I had to swipe down to see it again. I could not believe it! It was for a Desert sheep tag for the Zion unit with only eight nonresident points. I immediately called my father to tell him the great news.
The following day, I spoke with the Huntin’ Fool staff and requested an Endorsed Outfitter for Desert sheep in southern Utah. All fingers pointed to High Desert Wild Sheep Guides operated by Randy Johnson and Brett Caldwell. Upon contacting Brett and discussing options, I knew we were on the right track. I followed up with numerous former clients who raved about the quality of the experience and professionalism of Randy and Brett’s operation. We felt so privileged to share the opportunity with such tremendous, ethical sportsmen.
The following months raced by as my father continued making preparations for his hunt, hiking daily around our neighborhood wearing his hunting pack, carrying weights, taking weekly trips to the range to shoot his rifle, and organizing and purchasing new gear. Randy remained in contact with my father as early October would be our start.
Finally, the time had arrived to depart for Utah and begin the epic sheep hunt adventure. The early morning wakeups and 45-minute four-wheeler rides greeted us each morning followed by long hikes and hours of glassing. The terrain was stunning and harsh as temperatures plummeted at night and rose throughout the day. Day one turned into two and then into three with no quality rams spotted, only small rams and ewes.
Six days of hiking and glassing from darkness to darkness was beginning to take its toll on all of us. The hours spent behind our optics were absolutely grueling. I had never experienced the eye fatigue and strain of staring all day at sheep country, picking apart every inch of landscape to finally pick up a sheep and feel so rewarded for our glassing efforts.
The sheep terrain we were hunting, although beautiful, is incredibly rugged in and around the Zion unit. The added component of a torrential rainstorm turned day four into a day of survival as clay turned into gumbo, roads became impassible, and dry washouts and coulees began to flow with torrential currents of water, mud, and debris. The conditions turned so quickly as remnants of Hurricane Rosa brought record rainfall. If not for the actions and experience of our guides, this hunt could have ended that day.
The decision was made, and Dad was given the nod to take the shot. I watched in the spotting scope as the shot rang out and the ram went down. Emotion overtook all of us at that moment. After so much effort and energy had been dispensed, a positive outcome was overwhelming, especially for my father. The ram tumbled deep into the canyon and out of sight. A plan was worked out for Randy, Brett, and me to drop into the canyon and retrieve the ram as Dad could not physically drop off the steep rock face. He would return to the four-wheelers to wait. Six hours later, we returned from the gorge with the cape and meat and an incredible story about how the ram’s 200-foot freefall had wedged him into a crevice, making for a challenging recovery.
To experience a once-in-a-lifetime hunt with my father with such great guides and true friends was more than either of us could have imagined. Thank you so much to Randy, Brett, Parker, and their team for making this a truly once-in-alifetime hunting adventure.
The lessons learned in this adventure were numerous. I will try to recount the lessons I feel were instrumental in our success. Sheep shape equates to effort long before the hunt. If you think you’re ready, climb another hill. Quality optics and a tripod are worth the cost and helped leverage our success daily. Quality clothing and layering, including quality raingear, can save your life. Success should not be measured in the inches of the outcome, but rather the journey you travelled and those you travelled with. When given an opportunity, take full advantage of it. Don’t wait thinking someday. You will never be as young as you are now, and life changes quickly. Apply, apply, apply, and share the experience!
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