Echos of the Wild: Chasing Bighorns in the East Kootenays
May 17, 2024
By Lindsey Stroud
I came home one day after shopping for a wedding dress, and my fiance found me unresponsive on the couch. He rushed me to the hospital, and after a month, I woke up and slowly started talking again. I learned that I had had a seizure, which I had never had before. My brain had been deprived of oxygen for so long that I spent two months learning to walk and use my hands.
On the day before the opener, we met some friends and devised a scouting plan. As we started our journey up a familiar road, we stopped to glass a hidden basin. I turned off the quad but saw no rams. My husband, Brody, turned the key on the quad, but it would not start. Dad and Brody dove in to fix the problem, and I grabbed my binoculars again to look over the area I had just scanned.
As we waited for my brother to arrive, one of us kept eyes on the sheep while the rest scouted the thickly timbered ridges and draws between us. Once we determined a suitable route, Brody and I made the three-hour round trip back to break down base camp and move it to a closer location. At around 4 p.m., we met with my brother and dad. After much discussion, we came up with a game plan. We gathered our gear for a night on the mountain and said goodbye to Dad.
The first part of the hike took us about three hours. We followed a nice deactivated road, which turned into an overgrown road, which turned into an elk trail that led to a bench on the hillside. Once there, we knew we were about 1.2 km from the rams. We made camp for the night on the bench. It wasn’t the best sleep since we were in grizzly country. We all woke at 1 a.m. for our group pee (for safety) and jokes. Then we actually dozed off and got some much-needed rest.
Six came early. After a quick breakfast, we hit the trail. We thought we only had about an hour up to the sheep. We were wrong. The route took us straight up and down. We battled against overgrown snow brush and steep shale, but we eventually reached the ridge. We dropped our packs and moved forward, thinking the ram would be close. We realized there were more finger ridges to go.
We dropped down a bit and scaled the mountainside. Suddenly, Brody froze and whispered, “Ram right there, and he’s got us pegged.” We dropped behind some brush 230 yards away. The boys both saw the ram, but I didn’t. We waited behind the brush for about an hour and a half. The ram finally rose from his bed and turned to start feeding. Finally, we could make our move, but then I nearly blew it. I was fighting a head cold and had to shove my sleeves down my throat to stop my cough. I was also fighting off nausea from all the excitement.
Jordan stayed behind us to spot the shot. Brody and I crawled about 10 yards to a good shooting position. When I got those horns in my field of view, I didn’t think my heart could beat any faster. I tried to focus on the body as much as I could. I avoided looking directly at his headgear. He would have been out of my field of view if he moved two feet left or right. I was worried he wouldn’t present me with a shot. After what felt like a lifetime, he finally took a few steps, quartering away to the right. I took my first shot with the .300 Win Mag. The ram hunched, turned and ran 50 yards back toward us. He stopped behind another bush. All I could see was his head and horns. It was about a minute and a half before the ram turned again, took a few steps, and presented a completely broadside shot at 180 yards. I focused on my breathing. Good breath in, deep breath out. At the end of my breath, I had a dead rest. I gently squeezed the trigger. WAP! The sound of the impact echoed through the valley. I turned to Brody, saying, “Did you hear that? I heard the hit!” Ever so politely, Brody told me to get back on the gun as the ram hadn’t gone down. We watched the ram take a few more steps rear back and tumble down the slide.
The hunter crew with the ram, pictured from left to right,
Emotions took over. I began shaking, and I could barely breathe. Tears immediately flowed down my cheeks. We had done it! There were lots of high-fives and hugs. The boys walked back to the treeline to grab their packs, and I headed down to the ram. He was face down, hidden in the brush. It wasn’t until I stepped around that I realized I had gotten what I asked for—my double-broomed, dark-horned ram. I stared at the ram in disbelief, looking at the sheer mass of the body and horns.
The boys saw me standing there with my hands on my head, staring at the ram. They started whooping and hollering. What an incredible moment! We took our time to soak it in. We sat and looked out over the magnificent country, realizing what we had just achieved. Picture-taking is always fun, and we took our time taking many of them trying to preserve this moment forever. After processing the ram, we began our long trek back down the mountain, grabbing camp along the way. When we returned to the trailhead, my dad was waiting for us with a huge grin. It was his 64th birthday. Brody swung the quad around so Dad could see the magnificent ram we had taken. His hands flew to his head, just like mine had. “What a giant!” he exclaimed. More hugs, high-fives, and dancing followed.
Once back at camp, we couldn't resist putting a tape on the ram. My brother green-scored it at 197. Our good friends brought us Chinese food and drinks, and the boys stayed up until the wee hours of the morning. I was exhausted, though. I curled up in bed and dreamt about my ram.
I am thankful that I got to share this day with Don Kasner, a.k.a. my dad, who raised me to be the hunter I am today. My brother, Jordan Kasner, is someone I’ve always looked up to and admired since we were little kids. My mother, Dagny, and my sister, Danielle, have always supported me in everything I do. I would not be here today if it weren’t for my in-laws. Most importantly, I’m thankful for my husband, who loves me unconditionally and shared many hunting experiences with me over the years.
Lindsey's ram has a final B&C score of 195-6/8 points. She entered it in the Wild Sheep Foundation's 2025 Ram Awards. Click here to learn more about our Ram Awards Program, presented annually at the Sheep Show®.
I killed my first ram alongside my dad when I was 16—I’m now 34. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours in the background scouting, hiking, and hunting for these majestic creatures. When I was 25, I didn’t know if I would ever hunt sheep again.
I came home one day after shopping for a wedding dress, and my fiance found me unresponsive on the couch. He rushed me to the hospital, and after a month, I woke up and slowly started talking again. I learned that I had had a seizure, which I had never had before. My brain had been deprived of oxygen for so long that I spent two months learning to walk and use my hands.
While I was in the hospital, my dad promised we would hunt rams again one day together. I recovered and was able to walk down the aisle at my wedding ten months after my seizure. But honestly, all I wanted to do was get back to my hounds and get back to hunting sheep.
Lindsey's husband Brody packing out the horns of her ram.
Miracle Season
I was fortunate to draw a bighorn tag in British Columbia’s Region 4 for the 2023 season. Friends, family, and I spent countless hours in the zone I had drawn. Much to our dismay, we did not see a single ram in the pre-season. I was a little disheartened thinking I might not even have an opportunity at a ram.On the day before the opener, we met some friends and devised a scouting plan. As we started our journey up a familiar road, we stopped to glass a hidden basin. I turned off the quad but saw no rams. My husband, Brody, turned the key on the quad, but it would not start. Dad and Brody dove in to fix the problem, and I grabbed my binoculars again to look over the area I had just scanned.
As the light changed, I scoured the cliffs and broken grassy basins. I caught a glimpse of something I had not seen earlier. I traded my binos for a spotting scope and zoomed in on the object contrasted against the green vegetation. Rams! The first ram I saw was a young one. I scanned to the left and saw mass—a lot of it. I called my boys over, and their jaws hit the ground. I quickly notified my brother, who wanted him to be part of this hunt. I said, “I found a good ram. I need you up here with me.” I got a reply back saying he would drop the kids off after their morning hunt and head our way. Our friends, Kayla and Glen, were soon at our side. We all agreed that this was the ram for me.
As we waited for my brother to arrive, one of us kept eyes on the sheep while the rest scouted the thickly timbered ridges and draws between us. Once we determined a suitable route, Brody and I made the three-hour round trip back to break down base camp and move it to a closer location. At around 4 p.m., we met with my brother and dad. After much discussion, we came up with a game plan. We gathered our gear for a night on the mountain and said goodbye to Dad.
The first part of the hike took us about three hours. We followed a nice deactivated road, which turned into an overgrown road, which turned into an elk trail that led to a bench on the hillside. Once there, we knew we were about 1.2 km from the rams. We made camp for the night on the bench. It wasn’t the best sleep since we were in grizzly country. We all woke at 1 a.m. for our group pee (for safety) and jokes. Then we actually dozed off and got some much-needed rest.
Lindsey holding the horns her incredible BC ram.
Six came early. After a quick breakfast, we hit the trail. We thought we only had about an hour up to the sheep. We were wrong. The route took us straight up and down. We battled against overgrown snow brush and steep shale, but we eventually reached the ridge. We dropped our packs and moved forward, thinking the ram would be close. We realized there were more finger ridges to go.
We dropped down a bit and scaled the mountainside. Suddenly, Brody froze and whispered, “Ram right there, and he’s got us pegged.” We dropped behind some brush 230 yards away. The boys both saw the ram, but I didn’t. We waited behind the brush for about an hour and a half. The ram finally rose from his bed and turned to start feeding. Finally, we could make our move, but then I nearly blew it. I was fighting a head cold and had to shove my sleeves down my throat to stop my cough. I was also fighting off nausea from all the excitement.
Jordan stayed behind us to spot the shot. Brody and I crawled about 10 yards to a good shooting position. When I got those horns in my field of view, I didn’t think my heart could beat any faster. I tried to focus on the body as much as I could. I avoided looking directly at his headgear. He would have been out of my field of view if he moved two feet left or right. I was worried he wouldn’t present me with a shot. After what felt like a lifetime, he finally took a few steps, quartering away to the right. I took my first shot with the .300 Win Mag. The ram hunched, turned and ran 50 yards back toward us. He stopped behind another bush. All I could see was his head and horns. It was about a minute and a half before the ram turned again, took a few steps, and presented a completely broadside shot at 180 yards. I focused on my breathing. Good breath in, deep breath out. At the end of my breath, I had a dead rest. I gently squeezed the trigger. WAP! The sound of the impact echoed through the valley. I turned to Brody, saying, “Did you hear that? I heard the hit!” Ever so politely, Brody told me to get back on the gun as the ram hadn’t gone down. We watched the ram take a few more steps rear back and tumble down the slide.
The hunter crew with the ram, pictured from left to right,
Lindsey's husband Brody, Lindsey, and her brother Kasner.
Emotions took over. I began shaking, and I could barely breathe. Tears immediately flowed down my cheeks. We had done it! There were lots of high-fives and hugs. The boys walked back to the treeline to grab their packs, and I headed down to the ram. He was face down, hidden in the brush. It wasn’t until I stepped around that I realized I had gotten what I asked for—my double-broomed, dark-horned ram. I stared at the ram in disbelief, looking at the sheer mass of the body and horns.
The boys saw me standing there with my hands on my head, staring at the ram. They started whooping and hollering. What an incredible moment! We took our time to soak it in. We sat and looked out over the magnificent country, realizing what we had just achieved. Picture-taking is always fun, and we took our time taking many of them trying to preserve this moment forever. After processing the ram, we began our long trek back down the mountain, grabbing camp along the way. When we returned to the trailhead, my dad was waiting for us with a huge grin. It was his 64th birthday. Brody swung the quad around so Dad could see the magnificent ram we had taken. His hands flew to his head, just like mine had. “What a giant!” he exclaimed. More hugs, high-fives, and dancing followed.
Once back at camp, we couldn't resist putting a tape on the ram. My brother green-scored it at 197. Our good friends brought us Chinese food and drinks, and the boys stayed up until the wee hours of the morning. I was exhausted, though. I curled up in bed and dreamt about my ram.
I am thankful that I got to share this day with Don Kasner, a.k.a. my dad, who raised me to be the hunter I am today. My brother, Jordan Kasner, is someone I’ve always looked up to and admired since we were little kids. My mother, Dagny, and my sister, Danielle, have always supported me in everything I do. I would not be here today if it weren’t for my in-laws. Most importantly, I’m thankful for my husband, who loves me unconditionally and shared many hunting experiences with me over the years.
Lindsey's ram has a final B&C score of 195-6/8 points. She entered it in the Wild Sheep Foundation's 2025 Ram Awards. Click here to learn more about our Ram Awards Program, presented annually at the Sheep Show®.
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