By STEPHANIE BUNKER
Moapa Valley Progress
Resident of Warm Springs Tom Brady, finally got the chance of a lifetime. He got to hunt in his back yard in the Arrow Canyon range after 24 years of putting in for a Big Horn Sheep tag.
After such a long wait it was difficult for Brady to complete the hunt on his own. But he had some great friends and neighbors to help make it a successful hunt. His neighbor John Hunt and friend Cresent Hardy spent 21 days hunting with Brady.
“These guys really went out of their way to get me close enough,” Brady said. “I couldn’t really do a lot of hiking and I want to tell them thank you!”
Brady also was thankful to Lanny Waite for support and pointers and the Moapa Valley Paiute Tribe for a letter of permission to cross and scout on the reservation land.
The group hunted throughout the whole season. Finally toward the close of the Big Horn Sheep season they were able to be successful, Brady said.
“I have hunted for 16 years and this was the hardest hunt I’ve ever been on in my life,” Brady said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without John and Cresent.”
On December 16 the group went to check out an area out from the Ute area even though they hadn’t seen much in the area.
“John has bionic eyes!” Brady said. “He spotted three sheep bedded down from a mile and a half away!”
The group got within 500 yards for Brady to take a shot. But he missed. The three sheep then got up and ran. But they stopped long enough for Brady to take a second shot at 403 yards. The shot dropped one of the sheep.
The sheep was now located on the side of a steep mountain and it took them several hours to get there and bone the sheep out.
The ram scored at 155 inches. Brady said he was very pleased and happy with his sheep.
“I have looked forward to this hunt so much and these gentlemen made it do-able because of the help they gave,” Brady said. “They let me use their equipment and they had a lot of experience.”
