Craig's North American Wild Sheep Hunts
A most significant achievement................
In 2015 Craig attained one of his lifelong goals -- to hunt and take one each of four unique races of North American wild sheep most sought for by ardent big game hunters. This was a monumental accomplishment requiring an inordinate expenditure of planning, energy, and hunting skills. The following selective comments are Craig's firsthand accounts provided for this page. Listed in chronological order, and covering a period of 39 years, these accounts improve through time ending with a classic tale of his 2015 Stone's sheep hunt in British Columbia.
In 2015 Craig attained one of his lifelong goals -- to hunt and take one each of four unique races of North American wild sheep most sought for by ardent big game hunters. This was a monumental accomplishment requiring an inordinate expenditure of planning, energy, and hunting skills. The following selective comments are Craig's firsthand accounts provided for this page. Listed in chronological order, and covering a period of 39 years, these accounts improve through time ending with a classic tale of his 2015 Stone's sheep hunt in British Columbia.
1977
“The first time I saw a wild bighorn sheep was by Canyonlands National Park. It was a ram and I was so impressed by the way it carried its beautiful curved horns. That was in 1976 and I applied for a tag the next year.
I was lucky and drew one of two tags for a desert sheep hunt on the Potash unit. The hunt would be the most difficult in my life to that point but I would be hooked for life on sheep hunting. On my hunt I found a beautiful 8 ½ year old ram while back packing and drinking from rock tanks in the Schaeffer Basin.” Craig Bonham, 2015
See a beautiful Desert Bighorn ram in native habitat along the San Juan River, southern Utah, late September 2015. Video taken by Craig's cousin, John O. Reynolds while floating the San Juan.
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1984
The Thinhorn sheep (Ovis dalli) is a species of sheep native to northwestern North America, ranging from white to slate brown in color and having curved yellowish brown horns. There are two subspecies, the Dall sheep or Dall's sheep and the more southern subspecies, Stone sheep (also spelled Stone's sheep) (Ovis dalli stonei), which is a slaty brown with some white patches on the rump and inside the hind legs (See 2015 below).
The following information was compiled and edited from several of Craig's emails:
“Next came a Dall’s sheep hunt in the Northwest Territories (Fall 1984). My hunt was at a place called Hook Lake in the Mackenzie River drainage. We took a plane from Whitehorse. My guides were the McCaulley Bros. They have sold out to Kelly Hogen. It was a horse back hunt and took 12 hours of riding just to get to camp. It was in September and it got cold enough to freeze the little streams we were riding by. When we entered this meadow there was a grizzly bear on the other side about a hundred yards away. It stood up on its hind legs and half turned to look at us. After getting a good look the bear ran off. When we got to the spot the bear had been the main guide said, 'well here's camp'. We stayed at that spot for about ten days.
My Indian guide was a course individual. He liked to sing Amazing Grace but sometimes would interrupt his song with the most profane cursing you can imagine. When we butchered my moose he took the heart and put it on a sharp branch on a tree. He did this so the animal could live on. I saw three wolverines on that trip. Two on my moose carcass. One that I shot. I also saw one wolf and five grizzly bears. One bear that came after us for a ways then thought better of it. The Northwest Territories is a big place. Although it was a great hunt I learned to appreciate the do-it-yourself type of hunting where you do lots of research and scouting and go on your own with a camp on your back. I didn't take a camera on that trip.”
Craig Bonham, 2015
“Next came a Dall’s sheep hunt in the Northwest Territories (Fall 1984). My hunt was at a place called Hook Lake in the Mackenzie River drainage. We took a plane from Whitehorse. My guides were the McCaulley Bros. They have sold out to Kelly Hogen. It was a horse back hunt and took 12 hours of riding just to get to camp. It was in September and it got cold enough to freeze the little streams we were riding by. When we entered this meadow there was a grizzly bear on the other side about a hundred yards away. It stood up on its hind legs and half turned to look at us. After getting a good look the bear ran off. When we got to the spot the bear had been the main guide said, 'well here's camp'. We stayed at that spot for about ten days.
My Indian guide was a course individual. He liked to sing Amazing Grace but sometimes would interrupt his song with the most profane cursing you can imagine. When we butchered my moose he took the heart and put it on a sharp branch on a tree. He did this so the animal could live on. I saw three wolverines on that trip. Two on my moose carcass. One that I shot. I also saw one wolf and five grizzly bears. One bear that came after us for a ways then thought better of it. The Northwest Territories is a big place. Although it was a great hunt I learned to appreciate the do-it-yourself type of hunting where you do lots of research and scouting and go on your own with a camp on your back. I didn't take a camera on that trip.”
Craig Bonham, 2015
Link to an interesting article on the TAXONOMY of Dall's sheep................ Click
1992 - 1999
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP
Craig's narrative continues:
“During the next thirty years I drew three rocky tags and packed into Wyoming and Colorado for hunts of a life time. I look at these beautiful animals now in my trophy room and fond memories pour into my mind of family and friends who were with me on those hunts."
“During the next thirty years I drew three rocky tags and packed into Wyoming and Colorado for hunts of a life time. I look at these beautiful animals now in my trophy room and fond memories pour into my mind of family and friends who were with me on those hunts."
The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) is a species of sheep native to North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to 30 lbs, while the sheep themselves weigh up to 300 lbs. Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspecies of (Ovis canadensis), one of which is endangered: (O. c. sierrae), found in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The other two subspecies are the Desert Bighorn (first image above) and the Rocky Mountain Bighorn (directly above).
“My first draw was in 1992 in Colorado where we hunted around the 14'rs at the headwaters of the Los Pinos River by Durango and Silverton and Lake Vallecito. We got snowed on during the night after I harvested my ram. It didn't quit snowing for two days and we left our camp and walked out the 14 miles in 15" of snow.
Then, in 1995, I drew a Wyoming tag and hunted next to the Montana border. There was only one small spot in the area that was not a declared wilderness. You had to have a guide if you hunted in the wilderness. I prefer to hunt on my own. Me and two of my sons, Aaron and James scouted this area. After hiking for a week and 45 miles we talked ourselves into getting up early on the last day and found a dozen beautiful rams walking single file along a ridge about a mile away. A sight we will never forget. I went back two weeks later for the opener and found these rams in a little hidden canyon. After studying these rams I decided on the one I wanted. After the shot the ram got out of his bed and ran across a snow field-- glacier. He collapsed mid way and slid a couple hundred yards down the snow field, right past me and came to a stop in a pretty green meadow.”
"In 1999 I drew another Colorado tag, my second in three tries. This hunt was centered around the town of Buena Vista. This is a beautiful place and I wouldn't mind living there. Again I back packed into several areas with 14'rs all around called the Collegiate Peaks area. Some of the peaks are named Harvard and Yale. One morning I set off by myself as my oldest son Craig Jr. was not feeling too well. I found eight rams bedded down on a ridge in a patch of timber. I took my time and worked my way in to about forty yards of them and watched them for about a half hour. After getting a good look at all the rams in this group I decided on the one to take home. He stood up and started to feed in my direction. When he got about 18 yards from me I clicked off the safety of my rifle. He heard the sound and turned to trot away back to the other rams. After the shot all the rams took off together. They stopped at about 100 yards down the ridge and in single file turned to look back at me. My ram was still in this group and I didn't know which one he was until he stumbled. As I walked up to this beautiful animal laying there he tried to kick me with a back leg. He missed and I knelt to admire him. I'm sure I was the first human to touch him. There is always a silent and peaceful feeling around the departure of a living thing from this life. This was no exception. I went back to our camp , gave the news to my son and we took an empty pack to the kill site."
Then, in 1995, I drew a Wyoming tag and hunted next to the Montana border. There was only one small spot in the area that was not a declared wilderness. You had to have a guide if you hunted in the wilderness. I prefer to hunt on my own. Me and two of my sons, Aaron and James scouted this area. After hiking for a week and 45 miles we talked ourselves into getting up early on the last day and found a dozen beautiful rams walking single file along a ridge about a mile away. A sight we will never forget. I went back two weeks later for the opener and found these rams in a little hidden canyon. After studying these rams I decided on the one I wanted. After the shot the ram got out of his bed and ran across a snow field-- glacier. He collapsed mid way and slid a couple hundred yards down the snow field, right past me and came to a stop in a pretty green meadow.”
"In 1999 I drew another Colorado tag, my second in three tries. This hunt was centered around the town of Buena Vista. This is a beautiful place and I wouldn't mind living there. Again I back packed into several areas with 14'rs all around called the Collegiate Peaks area. Some of the peaks are named Harvard and Yale. One morning I set off by myself as my oldest son Craig Jr. was not feeling too well. I found eight rams bedded down on a ridge in a patch of timber. I took my time and worked my way in to about forty yards of them and watched them for about a half hour. After getting a good look at all the rams in this group I decided on the one to take home. He stood up and started to feed in my direction. When he got about 18 yards from me I clicked off the safety of my rifle. He heard the sound and turned to trot away back to the other rams. After the shot all the rams took off together. They stopped at about 100 yards down the ridge and in single file turned to look back at me. My ram was still in this group and I didn't know which one he was until he stumbled. As I walked up to this beautiful animal laying there he tried to kick me with a back leg. He missed and I knelt to admire him. I'm sure I was the first human to touch him. There is always a silent and peaceful feeling around the departure of a living thing from this life. This was no exception. I went back to our camp , gave the news to my son and we took an empty pack to the kill site."
" I wanted a full body mount of this ram so we loaded all the meat and head and hide on one big pack. Craig Jr. was able to get it on his back and he headed in an unknown direction down a canyon to where it looked like I could pick him up later. I still remember how I felt as I left him and watched him hike away from me with that huge pack looming over his head. There were elk bugling in this canyon as well to add to the memories." -- Craig Bonham, 2015
2015 Stone's Sheep Hunt
In early 2015 Craig selected a guiding outfitter in British Columbia for his long sought Stone's Sheep hunt. Craig's May 25 email to Shane Black of BC Safari is enlightening regarding his level of hunting expertise:
As you plan this Stones sheep hunt let me give you some of my expectations..............
My son and I don't need to eat fancy food. We are used to back packing and eating simply. We can even fix our own if that makes the hunting more effective. We have whisper lite stoves and like Mountain House type food. When hunting we rarely see our camp in the daylight. We will hike and glass all daylight hours. If you had planned on having a cook attend us I would rather he be out scouting for rams than worried about fixing us food. We have backpacks if necessary. We are not hard to please and understand that hunting is no picnic. The joy of a hunt is in the beauty of the environment and the challenge to find a hard earned trophy.
I hope this helps make this easier for you and your guys. We can hardly wait to be out on the mountain.
---- Craig Bonham
At the conclusion of the hunt Craig wrote:
I now have the "Grand Slam", as it is called. I have three Rockies, a Desert Bighorn and the two Thinhorns, Dall and Stone. Thirty years ago I had three of the four but couldn't justify the cost for a Stone. Now the kids are gone and I have had a good year I decided to get it done. The other hunter that came to the lodge at Turn Again was on his fourth trip. He had only seen one legal ram in three priors. When we left for home he had only seen one small ram and was going to stay a couple more weeks. I have to say we didn't see many sheep. Our guide didn't spot any. Craig Jr. and I spotted them all plus a couple caribou , a huge grizzly bear and a wolverine.
This was a picture (video) I took the first night we were in camp. This was the only bull (moose) we saw. I asked the guide if it was a pet that they turned loose for first time hunters (below):
As you plan this Stones sheep hunt let me give you some of my expectations..............
My son and I don't need to eat fancy food. We are used to back packing and eating simply. We can even fix our own if that makes the hunting more effective. We have whisper lite stoves and like Mountain House type food. When hunting we rarely see our camp in the daylight. We will hike and glass all daylight hours. If you had planned on having a cook attend us I would rather he be out scouting for rams than worried about fixing us food. We have backpacks if necessary. We are not hard to please and understand that hunting is no picnic. The joy of a hunt is in the beauty of the environment and the challenge to find a hard earned trophy.
I hope this helps make this easier for you and your guys. We can hardly wait to be out on the mountain.
---- Craig Bonham
At the conclusion of the hunt Craig wrote:
I now have the "Grand Slam", as it is called. I have three Rockies, a Desert Bighorn and the two Thinhorns, Dall and Stone. Thirty years ago I had three of the four but couldn't justify the cost for a Stone. Now the kids are gone and I have had a good year I decided to get it done. The other hunter that came to the lodge at Turn Again was on his fourth trip. He had only seen one legal ram in three priors. When we left for home he had only seen one small ram and was going to stay a couple more weeks. I have to say we didn't see many sheep. Our guide didn't spot any. Craig Jr. and I spotted them all plus a couple caribou , a huge grizzly bear and a wolverine.
This was a picture (video) I took the first night we were in camp. This was the only bull (moose) we saw. I asked the guide if it was a pet that they turned loose for first time hunters (below):
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An interesting side event for any Sheep hunt! |
Craig wrote a short summary of his Stone Sheep hunt:
"With my oldest son we headed to B.C. Canada. We made it to Turn-again lodge and endured a 25 hour horse ride to base camp. We were exhausted but hunted the opening day which was a Saturday. We saw a couple sheep that day and on the trail back to our remote camp I told our head guide that I don't hunt on Sunday. I wasn't sure of how he would take it but he seemed ok. On Monday he thanked me for the day off as he was pretty tired too. He later shared this with his wife and she couldn't believe there was a "christian hunter" in camp.
It is interesting to note that our guides, wranglers and cooks were men of the trail, so to speak. Along with that came course language and habits not becoming a christian. After a week with my son and me the swearing stopped, and a feeling of congeniality invaded our ranks. One of the guides even followed my example of blessing the breakfast meal before he ate.
I harvested a Stones sheep ram on the fourth day. This was one of the prettiest animals I have ever seen. Worthy of the cost of a full body mount to preserve the memories.
Of all the hunting available to us it seems that sheep hunting has the most ardent followers. I understand why. It is the environment where they live and the difficulty for us to get there. Sheep seem to carry themselves with an attitude of pride and an arrogance of superiority.
There is in Montana an area where one can buy a sheep tag "over the counter". This area is open to anyone because it is so hard to find sheep that the wildlife managers know there won't be an over harvest. I hunted there in the late 80's for three straight years. The second year I saw two legal rams the day before the hunt started. On opening day I followed their tracks all day until I came upon a gut pile. Some lucky hunter had gone out to gather up his horses that morning and filled his tag. I hunted hard those three years. I never saw camp in the daylight and never even saw a ram but I learned how to hunt more than I ever had before. It seemed a matter of providence that I would be rewarded with three "rocky" tags in the drawings.
I have learned there is a right way and a wrong way and a thousand in betweens to hunting. The wrong way is for ego and to show how great one is. The right way is for the experience of being next to nature and getting the pure feelings of closeness to the creater and the beautiful things available for our pleasure. And to enjoy those things with people we love and are close to."
Craig Bonham, 2016
It is interesting to note that our guides, wranglers and cooks were men of the trail, so to speak. Along with that came course language and habits not becoming a christian. After a week with my son and me the swearing stopped, and a feeling of congeniality invaded our ranks. One of the guides even followed my example of blessing the breakfast meal before he ate.
I harvested a Stones sheep ram on the fourth day. This was one of the prettiest animals I have ever seen. Worthy of the cost of a full body mount to preserve the memories.
Of all the hunting available to us it seems that sheep hunting has the most ardent followers. I understand why. It is the environment where they live and the difficulty for us to get there. Sheep seem to carry themselves with an attitude of pride and an arrogance of superiority.
There is in Montana an area where one can buy a sheep tag "over the counter". This area is open to anyone because it is so hard to find sheep that the wildlife managers know there won't be an over harvest. I hunted there in the late 80's for three straight years. The second year I saw two legal rams the day before the hunt started. On opening day I followed their tracks all day until I came upon a gut pile. Some lucky hunter had gone out to gather up his horses that morning and filled his tag. I hunted hard those three years. I never saw camp in the daylight and never even saw a ram but I learned how to hunt more than I ever had before. It seemed a matter of providence that I would be rewarded with three "rocky" tags in the drawings.
I have learned there is a right way and a wrong way and a thousand in betweens to hunting. The wrong way is for ego and to show how great one is. The right way is for the experience of being next to nature and getting the pure feelings of closeness to the creater and the beautiful things available for our pleasure. And to enjoy those things with people we love and are close to."
Craig Bonham, 2016