I always enjoy receiving...
the GRAND SLAM/OVIS magazine. I find it a very helpful resource, and enjoy keeping up on the latest sheep hunting news. Therefore, I feel inspired to contribute to your reports.
On March 13, 2007, I traveled to Sonora to hunt desert sheep with Alcampo Hunting Adventures and Javier Artee and his family. As usual, I read hunting reports and did research, agonizing for months over my choice of outfitters. I am happy to say that I feel I made the right decision. The Artees run a first class operation and were very hospitable.
The weather was hot, 95º+ each day. Therefore, we had very little time to hunt since the sheep rested early and rose late in the afternoon. I was comfortable hunting with a light pack mainly full of water (rather than the piles of clothing I carry in the northern Rockies). The team consisted of four other scouts in addition to Javier and Jorge.
These desert sheep are the hardest big game animals I have ever tried to spot. Their hide blends in perfectly with the desert landscape. I was able to spot at least 40 to 50 sheep myself, but I missed a lot more. Each day we drove to hunting areas and hiked and stalked all day. The country was spectacular, and we always had the Sea of Cortez in view. During the hunt, I decided to pass up two rams, hoping for an older sheep (older than eight years and broomed), but we were not having much luck.
The stalks were fun and kept my hopes up, but the heat and terrain were hard on everyone. Everything in that part of the world has stickers, spines or fangs, but long sleeves and gloves helped, as well as a handkerchief draped behind my baseball cap. The handkerchief came in handy especially when we kicked up a hive of hornets nested on a ridge. Jorge and I survived, but it was rather unnerving to try to escape off a ridge on steep, rocky ground.
On day six, we spotted a promising ram and Jorge and I climbed a low mountain to about 2000 feet to get above a group of bedded sheep. With a solid rest and one clean shot, I collected my first desert sheep. I am happy to say I have only a Rocky Mtn. bighorn left to achieve a Grand Slam.
Robert Musser (CO)