May 2026
A Privilege With Pressure | California Bighorn Sheep
Story By: Rick Parker
Well, it was a most unusual day. My wife’s car was giving out, so we got a new car. We got home and checked the web, and I had drawn a Desert sheep tag for the Clark/Kingston Mountain Ranges in the Mojave Desert. Really? Wow!
If you did not know, that is one of the best and biggest units in the state of California. It’s around 500 square miles and the highest peak is almost 8,000 feet. Around 10:00 p.m., I called my boss, Dan Montgomery of Alaska Trophy Adventures, and asked him about my idea to hire an outfitter. He said, “That would be smart!”
So, I called Cliff and Matt St. Martin of Dry Creek Outfitters early the next morning. They specialize in trophy Desert sheep and have an excellent group of people. Plus, I already knew Cliff somewhat through the Wild Sheep Foundation shows in Reno.
It was all set. It started to soak in, and I wanted to soak it all in—every moment! I ordered maps, studied the geography and the history of the area, and, of course, attended the orientation, learning a lot. I did a lot of shooting to prepare and tried to stay healthy through my sheep guiding season with Dan at Alaska Trophy Adventures in Alaska.
Finally, the time arrived. The season would run December 6 through February 1. Cliff and Matt decided January would be the best time since the bigger and older rams tend to show up around that time of year. Yet another reason to hire an outfitter with many years of experience.
It was a two-day drive for me to get to camp. California was experiencing some big storms, so we pushed back the hunt date. (It is interesting how much rain, fog, wind, cold, and crummy weather we experienced in the Mojave Desert.)
When I arrived at camp, everyone was out scouting for sheep. This gave me time to settle in. Dry Creek has great accommodation! There’s a main wall tent for cooking and gathering as well as separate carpeted and heated sleeping tents. It was not long before Jonston St. Martin, Eli Lang, and Cliff stopped by. Cliff said, “Grab your things. Let’s go for an evening glass. Bring your rifle. The season is open!” Cliff spotted seven ewes that evening. I did not spot any. The glassing ability of those guys was humbling!
Clay arrived later that night. The next day was the first official day of the hunt, and it was very windy and cool. Clay spotted seven rams, but they were not what we were looking for. Jonston and Eli spotted eight ewes and one ram—again, not what we wanted.
Tyler came in that night. Jake and Brandon, the next day. Jonston and Eli had to go to another area. We all saw younger rams and ewes.
On day four, Cliff picked up a group of three rams, one of which was a very good ram! Tyler found us, and we all agreed it was a very good ram. Since it was late in the day, Cliff suggested that Tyler slip in closer and get some footage of the big ram so we could make a good decision.
Later that evening, Brock arrived at camp and we all studied Tyler’s footage… It was a great ram! After locating the rams the following day, we made a plan: Cliff, Jake, and Brandon, would watch from a distance while Tyler, Brock, and I hiked on the back side of the ridge that the sheep were on.
So, off we went across the desert floor, known as “the Deck,” up an old wash, and finally to the backside of the ridge. A big rock marked the spot where the three rams should be on the other side.
I was carrying an old 7mm Magnum. We finally got to the rock outcropping, and… No rams! We were all sweaty from the climb, so we put on another layer of clothing. As we set up to glass in the cold and gusty wind, the rams appeared 300 yards away. I did not compensate for the angle, and I was excited and rushed it. I just plain missed! And it gets better: that spent cartridge got stuck in the chamber! There went my dream Desert ram in a big cloud of dust!
I turned to the guys and said, “I’m sorry I missed.” Tyler and Brock were so professional and cool about it. They just said, “That’s okay. We get to hunt more!” We tried to track them and figure out where they went. Twelve to fourteen miles later, Cliff picked us up in the dark. We never saw that specific group again.
The next day, the weather was worse: wind, fog, and rain! Was this really a desert? Cliff and I went to a different location to let those rams settle down. We saw some other rams and ewes and a white lamb—I mean Dall sheep white. The other guys saw some ewes. Colton arrived at camp after dark. The weather was crummy all day.
The last day of my contracted hunt arrived, though Dry Creek is the type of outfit that will keep you hunting no matter what logistical nightmares it might cause them. The morning was clear, crisp, and felt good! You know the feeling of those mornings.
Everyone headed out in different directions. Cliff gave me a look and said, “I know a spot.” We jumped into the side-by-side and bounced off into the desert darkness. We parked the buggy and walked up an old wash into an area a few miles away from where I missed the ram a few days earlier. It was a great looking spot with big basins, canyons, and lots of cover and escape terrain. Cliff spotted four ewes. Then, not long after that, we spotted the horns of a ram in a Spanish dagger. There was also a small ram that appeared… Could these be the three rams we’d stalked before?
It was around 10:30 a.m. when the ram finally stepped out. Wow! He looked old, and that is a good thing! His horns looked good, but it is all about the bases, and we were pinned down and could not move to get into a better position to really evaluate him. Two and a half hours later, we got to move… Cramps, anyone?
We were able to close the distance somewhat and get a better look. This was not the same ram that I had missed before. In fact, we hadn’t seen this ram before, and he had very good horns! It was all in and game on!
We ended up going around him to get better wind and cover. Both rams had moved up the mountain by the time we got to our planned location. They were in a cut, which gave us an opportunity to move closer into a rock outcropping. We got set up—Cliff on the glass, me on the rifle (a 7mm PRC much younger than my 7mm). I dry fired a few times… All set. Neither ram came out of the cut. We could see the whole area, or at least we thought so. One hour went by. We talked it over and decided to move up so we could see into the cut better. Another hour later, we spotted the young ram. We got set up again. This time we were close… Two hundred yards, plus or minus. Of course, the sun had started going down. Soon, the young ram stood, stretched, and walked a little way. Then the big ram walked out onto the edge of the ridge, looked our direction, turned, and started to headbutt a Spanish dagger. Cliff gives me that look: shoot him!
One shot. He was dead instantly. After staying on the gun and watching for a few moments, I turned to Cliff. I was choked up with emotions. He said, “Wow! Congratulations! What a great Grand Slam ram.” Oh, yes. Did I mention that it was my Grand Slam ram? We took care of the ram for the night and came back with the crew the next morning.
I cannot convey in words how special it really was. The highs, the lows, the whole journey. It was truly a magical day; two older guys harvested a true old desert-warrior of a ram. The desert had given us a rare gift. The ram was the oldest ram harvested in California for the 2025/2026 season: thirteen years old with a Boone and Crockett official net score of 171 4/8".
I cannot say enough about Dry Creek Outfitters and their team. Cliff, Matt, Jonston, Eli, Clay, Jake, Brandon, Tyler, Brock, Colton, and Zack—a huge thank you!
And a special thanks to Paige, Regina, and Danielle of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation, the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep, and the National Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation. Also, to the many people that I did not meet that made this all possible: thanks!