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Blog Posts > Hunt Stories > Triple Threat: California Bighorn Rifle

Triple Threat: California Bighorn Rifle

Mark Peterson

| March 27, 2017

Mark Peterson
March 27, 2017

Species: Sheep

Method of Take: Rifle

Mark Peterson’s quest for the NA29 with all three weapons continues with the story of his California Bighorn taken with his rifle.

Choosing the Location Carefully…

The Fraser River Valley of British Columbia is known as one of the best places to hunt for California Bighorn. This trip definitely lived up to its billing. Booking with one of the best CA Bighorn outfitters that Worldwide Trophy Adventures has to offer was the easy part; the wait was the hard part. The number of CA Bighorn tags allotted each year is very limited, so I had to book this hunt more than two years in advance. This particular outfitter is allotted and receives 4 tags over a 5-year period, so planning in advance was a must.

I chose the Fraser River Valley of British Columbia not only because of its reputation, but also for a number of other factors. British Columbia is the only place where you can purchase a tag with an outfitter, instead of waiting for a state draw or going after a state governor’s tag. The sheep in this area are heavily managed, and that leads to great trophy potential and a high sheep density. Because I have had such great success with this particular outfitter, I am also booked with him for my archery California Bighorn.

A different way to hunt sheep

This was a pretty unique hunt, especially for a sheep hunt, because we had to hunt down in the ravines. We started above the sheep as opposed to starting on the bottom, like the majority of sheep hunts. Needless to say, I wasn’t complaining about this. The sheep live on the cliffs up above the river, but they come up to the top of the cliffs to feed on the agriculture fields above the ravines. We saw a huge number of sheep, and the ram I took was the largest that we spotted. He ended up measuring right at 170 inches. We managed to find him on the first day of the hunt and I made a good shot at just under 300 yards. My brother-in-law, Eric Schlukebir, was also able to take a great ram on the same hunt.

Recommendations

I definitely recommend the Fraser River area of British Columbia to anyone looking for their California Bighorn. WTA is lucky to work with the top outfitters in the area. If you’re looking for a CA Bighorn, give WTA a call but plan to book this trip well in advance as the tags are severely limited and the outfitters are booked out years in advance!

All the best in the great outdoors,

-Mark
www.markvpeterson.com

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The wind that day was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It sounded like a freight train roaring up the mountain; gusting, dying, gusting again. At 320 yards, I had to time my shot during the lulls. My first shot went wide in the wind. The second shot dropped him—a beautiful 39″ ram. Honestly, I didn’t care about the number. That’s not why I hunt. I’m in it for the experience and a good animal. This ram was both.

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Some guys chase record books. Others chase hunting milestones. I finished my slam in 2019 with a desert ram, but what excites me most these days is the experience—the hunts that test you, humble you, and stay with you long after the pack is unloaded. When you work with the right people and put in the preparation, amazing things can happen. Jordan’s already working on my applications for 2026, so we’ll see what adventure comes through next.

Contact WTA TAGS to learn more about drawing the tags of your dreams: 1-800-755-8247.

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