Merry Christmas, Derek: The holiday ram

“Could you do a story about my husband’s recent Desert Bighorn Sheep hunt? It would be my Christmas present to him.” That was the first e-mail I’ve received with such an interesting request.

Well, I’m a dedicated sheep hunter and always willing to hear a good story so I replied, “Let’s get together and hear about it.”

That’s how I met Derek and Kendell Foreman. Derek is a local chiropractor and he and his charming wife practice at Spring Mountain Chiropractic in Pahrump, NV. What follows is their account of a classic, yet extraordinary hunt.

Derek first learned of his sheep tag in a text from his brother, as he was preparing to go home saying, “What the heck are you going to do with this sheep tag?” He arrived home to cheerful hollers and an excited family. This was the 11th year he had been applying for the tag, but knowing some wait as many as 20 years before drawing one; he wasn’t really expecting this surprise. Raised in California, but having also lived in Montana, Derek has become an avid hunter of big deer and elk in Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho before moving to Nevada.

As he began planning the hunt he gathered maps, equipment and started scouting on the Muddy Range above Lake Mead. He had decided to go with his best hunting partner, his 10-year old son Tristan. They were practiced and ready.

It began with their walking on a ridge while glassing the opposite hillside for shapes and the characteristic white rump patch, which due to the sheep’s coloring is often the first, or only, indicator of their presence.

After hours of walking and glassing they spotted one, then more. Seeing a “good” one, they attempted a stalk, but their progress was prevented by a steep cliff. They backtracked and tried to go around the ridge, but it was getting too late as the sun began to set.

The next day they found a better access road their Jeep could handle and tried again. They once again saw the group, which also saw them and headed for the next range, and day two was over; so it was back to camp and stories of what might have been, if only ...

Day three: it was climbing, walking and glassing, but no sheep were to be found so it was back to camp for some more father and son stuff. Derek said, “It was one of our finest days as we had time to enjoy each other, have a trail snack together, then return to camp where we talked long into the evening recounting past trips and spoke of future hunts we wanted to share. Our main focus, however, was tomorrow’s quest for that elusive Desert Bighorn, a once in a lifetime adventure that would be a marker of time — forever.” Derek also told of hunting trips he had made with his dad and knew this would be one Tristan would share with his own family, when that time came. Life was good.

Day four: Thanksgiving Day, while walking the same ridge they spotted eight sheep across the valley, on the next ridge. Two looked good, so they headed down and began the climb up the other side — “busted.” The keen eyes had spotted them and the sheep began to walk over the ridge. They were 650 yards, up hill, a tough shot and one I wouldn’t even attempt. Derek, however, is a marksman with hours of practice at 700 yards and more. With Tristan behind him as his spotter he took the shot using his 7mm Remington lightweight custom Mag with a 15-45 power Zeiss scope.

At the first shot, Tristan whispered, “High dad, just over his back.” Next shot and Tristan said, “Good hit,” as the sheep walked a few steps and went over the top of the ridge.

Climbing the steep slope, they found the trail and a few yards more the sheep, just inches from going over a precipice. They walked to it excitedly and said a prayer, just as our ancestors have always done. “The animal had given its life for our sustenance.” An appropriate Thanksgiving prayer on this special day.

They then caped and packed the animal out, with Tristan taking a 60-pound hind quarter and back strap in his pack. It was a quicker walk downhill and they made it back to the Jeep and headed home to celebrate the holiday meal with Kendell and the family.

Arriving home the hunters were greeted excitedly with enthusiasm and shared their tale of adventure with the entire family. They sat down to the traditional turkey feast memorializing an earlier time, a time when our forefathers also gained sustenance from nature’s bounty and the land.

This is your Christmas present, Derek, from your loving family, and a Merry Christmas to all and Best Wishes for the New Year.

Sportsman’s Quest is conducting a survey and would appreciate your commenting on the types of stories you most enjoy and if you have a recommendation of a destination or event that you think our readers would appreciate please e-mail me at sportmansquestnews@gmail.com or visit us at www.sportsmansquest.org

What’s New

A great gift for all of your friends or family who are hunter and fisherman.

The hardcover book Sportsman’s Quest, with 56 stories, 164 color pictures and 137 wild game recipes, is available. It will take you to places you remember, and places you dream of going. The backdrop is hunting and fishing adventures, but you will meet extraordinary people who you will get to know on a first name basis.

There is Genival, an Amazon native who was raised in the jungle, but became the well-known river pilot of the Amazon Queen. You will meet Chris Klineburger, who is a pioneer in exploring and opening new hunting regions, introducing the world to international hunting as we know it today — He was the first. There is “Buck” Bedard, a Marine Corp. General who, along with his sons, is a passionate conservationist and sportsman, or the lady librarian who has an extraordinary passion for bow hunting. They and many other friends are exceptional individuals; you will join them, as they hunt/ fish and explore not only the world, but what it means to share in man’s heritage and traditions. They also share with you many of their favorite wild game recipes which they’ve enjoyed around the campfire and in the kitchen.

It’s available at the Pahrump Valley Times office, 2160 E. Calvada Blvd., at a special price, or for more information call Dan at 775-727-9777.