Enter Rocky McBride and the free-range hunts he has been quietly offering for these species down in Texas. I say quietly because McBride does not advertise these hunts and never has. Over the years, he has found all of the clients he needs by relying on word-of-mouth advertising and the publicity that ensues from donating a handful of hunts to the major conservation organizations. Of course, it helps that the animals he takes are considered fair chase and thus eligible for entry in the OVIS Super 20 and the World Slam, or the equivalent award from ISHA. That has ensured him a following among die-hard international sheep hunters.
It occurs to us that these hunts are probably not well known to the general hunting public. Hence this report. The idea for it was inspired by a Hunt Report we just received from subscriber Jay Link, about which I will have more to say in a moment. First, though, some background.
The hunts in question take place on the Clayton Williams Ranch in southwest Texas. More than 20 years ago, Clayton Williams, who had enjoyed hunting in Iran, acquired some red sheep and Armenian mouflons for his 111-square-mile ranch in Jeff Davis County, about three hours southwest of Midland/Odessa. This is Davis Mountains territory, very similar to the terrain found in Iran. Clayton released the sheep strictly for his own enjoyment, never intending them for any commercial use. Over the years, though, he occasionally allowed friends to hunt the sheep and word-of-mouth began to spread.
Rowdy McBride comes into the picture because........(continued)
