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BigBlue Super Member
Joined: Jan 16, 2006 Posts: 1108 Location: Lehigh Township, Pennsylvania
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:25 am Post subject: Mouflon Sheep |
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My Brother-in-law Scott invited me on another hunt with him today. We went to the same hunting preserve where I had gotten the elk last fall, but this time we were after something a bit different, a Mouflon Sheep. The owner of the preserve maintains two separate herds of these sheep and hunting them was a very new experience for me. My first lesson was they run in an extremely tight group and this herd had about thirty sheep. Now when I say sheep, they aren't the type of sheep your used to seeing at the farm. These have fur that very closely resembles a deer but longer, they also have somewhat of a mane and the animal looks more like a goat. We got a good deal on the animal, at $500 for our pick. They are extremely skittish animals and they stay so close together that it's hard to single one out for a shot. We tried stalking close enough for a shot and every time we tried they would just take off running and we had to hunt the herd down all over again. We finally split up and took up positions to wait for them while the owner used his Kawasaki Mule to drive around behind them and try to push them our way. While we waited for the herd, we had at least 60-80 whitetail and fallow deer run by us. I first saw the sheep way off in the distance, about 300 yards, but the woods were very thick so I only got a glimpse now and then. It was enough to give me an idea of the direction they were headed so I tried to scope a more open area ahead of them and wait them out. I wanted to be a bit choosy as to which sheep I took so that also complicated things. I finally got a shot at what looked like a good one from about 120 yards away through those heavy woods. It was like threading a needle to get a shot through there, but it worked and I got my first Mouflon Sheep. I saw him stumble at the shot, but couldn't tell if he went down because the other sheep took off running and I couldn't see if he was among them. I did however find him right where I shot him, stone cold dead. He has some great horns and a beautiful coat. The shot clipped his front leg and entered the chest low enough to get both the heart and his lungs. Another very enjoyable day and some fresh blood on the new Tikka Lite in .270. I used a handloaded 130gr. Sierra Gameking over 58.0gr. of H4831SC.
Don
That's me on the left.
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Pumpkinslinger Super Member
Joined: Sep 22, 2007 Posts: 5000 Location: NC foothills
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:03 pm Post subject: Re: Mouflon Sheep |
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Good story and pics! Thanks!
_________________ Mike
"I ain't no better than anybody else, and there ain't nobody better than me!" Ma Kettle |
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hunterjoe21 Super Member
Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Posts: 1486 Location: Miles City, Montana
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:31 pm Post subject: Re: Mouflon Sheep |
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Interesting critter....and a good story....
Are the "flats" at the bottom of the curl a desirable trait?? I've not seen taht before....
_________________ My 1911 is more effective than your 911. |
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Vince Site Admin
Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 15697 Location: Brisbane AUSTRALIA
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BigBlue Super Member
Joined: Jan 16, 2006 Posts: 1108 Location: Lehigh Township, Pennsylvania
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:33 pm Post subject: Re: Mouflon Sheep |
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Vince wrote: |
I would never have picked him as a sheep....he is all goat to me. Looking at his hair/fur...does the farmer shear or clip the sheep? |
These are wild sheep and are a fur variety unlike the domestic sheep of the wool variety. They have long thick hair called kemp and do get an undercoat in the fall that somewhat resembles wool, but is called fleece and sheds in the spring. They also have a mane and in this ones case the hair was at least 6" long on the mane.
Don
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Vince Site Admin
Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 15697 Location: Brisbane AUSTRALIA
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frontier Rookie Member
Joined: Jul 05, 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Maui, Hawaii
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:36 am Post subject: Re: Mouflon Sheep |
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Hey Big Blue, thats a nice looking sheep, is it a pure Mouflon or a Hybrid? The Mouflon that we have on the Island of Lanai look very different.
Axis
_________________ " HOPE FOR THE BEST! BUT BE READY FOR THE WORST! " |
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BigBlue Super Member
Joined: Jan 16, 2006 Posts: 1108 Location: Lehigh Township, Pennsylvania
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:58 pm Post subject: Re: Mouflon Sheep |
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frontier Rookie Member
Joined: Jul 05, 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Maui, Hawaii
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:45 pm Post subject: Re: Mouflon Sheep |
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The Mouflon found on Lanai look more like the last picture you posted. The horns on the Mouflon from Lanai are ussualy alot closer to the body of the animal. Anything with a curl of 30" or beter is considered a trophy by most, but to me any animal taken with friends and family is a trophy! Congratulations on your Ram and Happy Hunting!
Frontier
_________________ " HOPE FOR THE BEST! BUT BE READY FOR THE WORST! " |
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