Mouflon Ram

The mouflon is the wild sheep of the Mediterranean islands and the mountains of Asia Minor, and it is the ancestor most of the world's domestic sheep descend from. A ram is a compact, handsome animal: a rich chestnut coat, a pale saddle patch on each side, a white belly and muzzle, and dark markings on the legs and chest. The horns are the trophy, heavy at the base and curling back and around into a full curl on a mature ram.

Mouflon are quick and alert, and they move as a group. A herd will feed out to an opening, catch a scent or a movement, and be gone in a cloud of dust before a slow hunter has the rifle up. They usually come back the same way, which is why a blind on the right sendero or feeder is often the best seat on the ranch for them.

The ram to take is the one with the fullest curl and the most mass, and a mixed group can make that a harder call than it looks. Let your guide help you pick him out before you settle the crosshairs. A mouflon ram is a good first trophy for a young hunter and a satisfying one for anyone, and as an exotic it needs only a Texas hunting license, with no season and no bag limit.