By Josh Harris
For most big game hunters, spring is the time of year to put the rifle away and look forward to fall’s hunting season. While most spring hunting involves hunting smaller game, there is or in this case, there used to be, very little to hunt in the “Big Game Category” this time of year. Well look no further folks! Fair Chase Barbary Sheep is the name of the game, and West Texas in the Chinati Mountains, with Steve Jones of Back Country Hunts is the place!
Indigenous to North Africa and introduced into the United States in 1924, the famed sheep known as the Barbary Sheep, otherwise known as “Aoudad” was what we were after on this trip. Some people do not recognize the word Aoudad or have even heard the word. It is actually a slang term that the local indigenous people of North Africa used for the African Barbary Sheep that runs wild in the Sahara Desert. They are rare in their native North Africa, but were introduced into the U.S. and have since done very well here. Aoudad’s are a hearty, desert sheep and have adapted well to the rough desert mountains of the Southwest and are very elusive. These sheep are free-ranging and occupy a large home range due to their nomadic nature. Aoudads have the ability to obtain water from dew and the sparse vegetation of the desert which greatly expands their range, due to their independence on surface water. They are a true trophy to pursue and that is exactly what we did on this particular hunt.
After years of anticipation, the day had finally arrived to get up close and personal with what was hopefully a brute of a ram with my name on it. The first time that I had laid eyes on a picture of a big trophy Aoudad, it immediately made it to my personal “Hit-List” of trophies that I would one day hunt. After extensive research and phone calls to referrals by me and friends Mike Deming and Kevin Orton, we had unanimously decided that Steve Jones of Back Country Hunts was the best outfitter to go with. Every referral and write up on Steve and his operation checked out with flying colors. With over 27 years of experience as an outfitter, it was a no-brainer! His Aoudad hunts are located in the Southwest corner of the state near the small town of Marfa. He hunts on over 40,000 acres of private property that is still run today as a working cattle ranch. All of the property is private, low-fenced, free-ranging, fair chase property, with only 4-foot tall barbed wire fencing separating one ranch from the next. On this ranch, the Aoudad also shares its stomping grounds with quite a few other species of big game animals such as mule deer, elk, Del Carmen whitetail, and javelina, all of which can be hunted as combo hunts or individual hunts depending on the time of year you choose. A true hunter’s paradise!
Josh Harris and Mike Deming harvest javelina with archery equipment and pistol. They are abundant and a great addition to the hunt.
As we arrived at the North rim of the property and crested the last rise for the first look at the country that we would be hunting for the next five days, it was exactly as I had imagined it would be…Mountains, hills, river beds, rocky bluffs, canyons, cliffs, and rolling grass plains for as far as you could see. As we arrived at the ranch house, we found ourselves in the middle of absolutely nowhere, but with amenities that far exceeded what was expected being this deep into the back country. We had nice comfortable beds, running water, a shower, electricity, heaters, freezers and the list goes on and on. All of the necessities to make for an awesome experience! Immediately greeted by Steve Jones himself and one of his guides Dave Calloway, we were shown around the ranch where we would be spending the next five days. We unloaded our gear, put our camo on, sighted in our rifles and bows and we were on our way. Within two hours of our arrival, we were loaded up and Steve and Dave were ready to rock and roll! It turned out that they were my kind of guys! Being very hospitable people, it would have been completely fine to rest and go hunting later that evening or the next morning, but here we were, ready to go and there to hunt. And hunting is what we did!
As we left the ranch, Steve started us off by taking us to a look-out area that we later found out to be one of the best spots for glassing the treacherous terrain that the barbary sheep called home. As we set up on a point over-looking three deep canyons, we found ourselves in nothing less than what I call “SHEEP COUNTRY”. We were perched out on a rocky point looking straight down into some of the roughest country I had ever been in. After a total of five minutes we spotted our first ram, accompanied by several others. After an hour of sitting, we had spotted 20 plus sheep. With no shooters in the area, we moved on, covering miles and miles of terrain and counting upwards of 175 sheep in a two and a half hour period. The remainder of the day was filled with awesome encounters, one after the other. Having seen lots of game and getting a small tour of part of the ranch, we were able to start to wrap our brains around what was in store for us. It was spine-tingling to see such an unbelievably majestic animal! I had to almost pinch myself when I stopped to think about it. It was just wild to think that we were hunting Barbary Sheep, Fair Chase, in March and in Texas of all places! For those of you out there that are “On The Fence” in regards to hunting Fair Chase Barbary Sheep in West Texas….. Well get off the fence already! You don’t know what you’re missing!
On day two we found ourselves glassing sheep everywhere we went. After a few attempts at some great stalks, we were swiftly educated in Barbary Sheep Hunting 101. To put a big sheep on the ground was going to be no slam-dunk to say the least! As we made our way to the South end of the ranch, the evening hours had finally arrived and “sheep-thirty” was quickly approximating. We climbed up our first ascend to look down into the first canyon with a view and we spotted our first big ram! He appeared only 180 yards from us and unaware of our presence, the big brute climbed up a Spanish Dagger and standing on only his hind legs with his chaps blowing in the wind, I was in absolute awe! It was an image that I will never forget. Having looked over several great rams, Steve had told us that when we saw a big ram, we would know it. Well about the time that we realized that we were looking at a great ram, the ram himself also realized that he was looking at something that just wasn’t a fit into the West Texas terrain. The ram took no more than three quick strides and dropped into the next canyon and out of sight. Using our mule deer tactics, we quickly took off, knowing that we would find the ram in the next canyon looking back for one more look at what he had just seen. To our dismay, we found that he was a good two-plus miles away and still running. I had never seen anything like it. Now I know, from experience, that when a Barbary Sheep decides that he is getting out of town, out of town isn’t the word! He was out of the country!
The ranch is in the heart of 40,000 acres of prime aoudad and javelina country.
We quickly made it back to the UTV and headed for the area that we last saw the ram. Once we arrived at a good glassing point, we all sat down and broke out our spotting scopes to dissect the deep canyon and side hill in front of us. After 30 minutes of glassing, we had spotted a few sheep, but no shooters. As we began to pack up our gear to head for another spot, I made one last sweep across the bottom of the side hill below us. And to my surprise, an absolute “Tank” burst out of the rocks and perched himself on a ledge with all four feet touching each other, scanning the country below. I immediately told everyone to come and take a look at him. More importantly, I was waiting for Steve to give me the green light that we were indeed looking at a shooter. He no more than put his eye to the glass of my spotting scope and said; “Now That’s A Shooter”! I had waited for those words time and time again. We then carefully combined our thoughts and strategies of the stalk, came to a unanimous decision and we hit the ground running!
After a thirty minute hike, we made our way to the last and closest place that we could get to take a shot. As I crept up on my hands and knees and tucked myself under a mesquite tree in the shade, I quickly found the ram. With Kevin, Mike and Dave behind me, they ranged the ram for me at 387 yards. I dialed my turret in and with a cross wind, Mike gave me his suggested windage adjustment. After making the adjustments, I placed the crosshairs on his front shoulder and let everyone know that the “Sleeping Pill” was ready for delivery! As the flash of adrenaline that we all know too well rushed through my body and that final moment of silence commenced as everyone held their breath, I gently squeezed it off! The instant my cannon rumbled the canyon walls, I quickly glanced back through my scope just in time to see the “Barbary Brute” roll out of sight.
As reality quickly set in, the only words that I could rummage up as I looked back at my friends and the camera were; “BSD BABY”… Big Sheep Down! High-five’s and congratulatory comments immediately launched through the air. As we made it over to the ram, Kevin looked at me, with eyes the size of golf balls and said; “You have no idea what you have shot”! I was in awe as we pulled the 350 pound brute out of the rocks and I placed my hands on his horns. He was everything that I had hoped for and more. He ended up being a 33 inch whopper and the biggest ram taken this year!
After five days of hunting, we had truly enjoyed one great experience after another. Mike made an incredible archery shot on a javelina at 61 yards, Kevin shot a great 28 inch ram with his rifle and a javelina with a bow and I shot a javelina with my pistol. Mike, being dedicated to the camera most of the time, did finally get a shot at a great ram, but in a very difficult situation. Mike did give him a remarkable haircut at 540 yards and thanks to Mike, we now have a great excuse to go back next year for round two. It was an unforgettable trip that will go down as one of the best trips of my life!
Back Country Hunts offer Barbary Sheep (Aoudad), elk, mule deer, Del Carmen whitetail, antelope, javelina, mountain lion, black bear, turkey and exotic hunts. If you are looking into hunting any of these species in New Mexico and or Texas, Steve Jones of Back Country Hunts needs to be at the top of your list!
We have now approved Steve Jones of Back Country Hunts as our newest Sportsman’s News Platinum Approved Outfitter! Congratulations, and we’ll see you soon.
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