AK Sheep, Population Observations

[diamond10x]

Why are we only using the last 5 years as evidence for anything in trends for populations?

As far a as in field reports, was in the field 10 days and ewe to lamb ratio was 1:1+. Did not see a ewe without a lamb but saw several with twins. First time in the area so have nothing to compare to as far as numbers as a whole. No legal rams were seen, only a few banana horns and one 5/8 curl.

 

[ColeyG]

The managers aren't, they are looking at the big picture. I am, because I am interested in what is happening "now," or rather in the very recent past.

Who wants to take a guess as to the overall harvest this year. With last being the lowest on record at 340 rams, do you think we will do better than that this year? Worse? Or about the same?

 

[Alder_]

I'll take a stab and say lower again.

 

[ColeyG]

I'll take a stab and say lower again.

That is my feeling as well based on anecdotal reports so far.

I am going with 275-ish and close to 10 % of those being sub-legal, again...

Based on the average age trending down the last handful of years, I will be very curious to see if that continues this year, or if we will bottom out at about 8 as the average.

 

[FAAFO]

If they are rare for resident hunters, probably rare for non resident hunters as well (maybe more rare???); thus it shouldn't be a huge surprise.

When I was a game warden you would have thought 30" mule deer were a dime a dozen by the way people talked- I checked maybe 4-5 in a 24 year career

What state and region were you a warden? Likely the area you were just didn’t have the genetics. 30” bucks are not that rare, to see 4 or 5 in 24 years makes one curious on where you worked. We’ve had trips in OTC areas where we’ve killed 3 in a week. Nothing to see 8-10 different bucks in the same timeframe. But getting them is another story..

 

[Alder_]

He worked in MT.


Signed up.

Seeing 8-10 30" deer per trip? @robby denning is that you??

 

[FAAFO]

He worked in MT.


Signed up.

Seeing 8-10 30" deer per trip? @robby denning is that you??

Those days are gone now in the area I hunted. Winters, long range shooting, more people willing to go deep. Even with it down it produces double digit 30” bucks every year.

Totally makes sense not seeing 30” bucks in MT. Decades of being able to rifle hunt them in the rut has decimated the deer. Some areas a 170 class buck is top end these days.

 

[mtwarden]

Like I said everyone was seeing and killing 30” bucks, just happened that when I was checking them they were mostly 2.5 year old bucks.

Funny, the same thing played out during antelope season, lots of 16” bucks seen and killed, just not when I happened to be there

 

[ColeyG]

Like I said everyone was seeing and killing 30” bucks, just happened that when I was checking them they were mostly 2.5 year old bucks.

Funny, the same thing played out during antelope season, lots of 16” bucks seen and killed, just not when I happened to be there

Sounds like a classic case of "shoulda been here yesterday!!" The ones that get away are always way bigger than the ones that you get as well, right?

 

[Bambistew]

Lots of 39" rams are rounded up to 40. The stats I looked at included about 30 years of data, the total length decreased when mandatory reporting started as well, horn circumference and age. Self reporting and measuring isn't consistent.

There are less than 50% of the sheep today that we had 10 years ago. Those big rams are harder to find, and very few old rams exist today. I believe F&G said the oldest they checked as of Monday was 9. They did check in a 12-13yo as I was leaving.

By the end of the week we'll know where we stand. As of Monday morning (9/19) there was 133 rams checked statewide. Usually ~70% are harvested/checked in by the first 15 days of the season. I believe there was at least half a dozen checked in after mine yesterday. I'm guessing we'll be a little less than last year, but not by a lot, saying 300-320. We have another 2 years before we really drop off, and I predict we'll stay around the same for a couple years, then its going to be ugly in some areas. Very few to no old rams, and very few 3-5 year old's in many places. I'm hopefully on a solid bounce back. We saw good lamb numbers last year and again this year.

I think there has only been 3 killed/check in the Chugach Park so far.

On sub-legals there were at 4/33 in Anchorage as of Monday, I think that included the sub-legal auction tag ram. Guessing statewide sub-legal take is similar from FBX and Palmer office.

 

[wantj43]

Lots of 39" rams are rounded up to 40. The stats I looked at included about 30 years of data, the total length decreased when mandatory reporting started as well, horn circumference and age. Self reporting and measuring isn't consistent.

There are less than 50% of the sheep today that we had 10 years ago. Those big rams are harder to find, and very few old rams exist today. I believe F&G said the oldest they checked as of Monday was 9. They did check in a 12-13yo as I was leaving.

By the end of the week we'll know where we stand. As of Monday morning (9/19) there was 133 rams checked statewide. Usually ~70% are harvested/checked in by the first 15 days of the season. I believe there was at least half a dozen checked in after mine yesterday. I'm guessing we'll be a little less than last year, but not by a lot, saying 300-320. We have another 2 years before we really drop off, and I predict we'll stay around the same for a couple years, then its going to be ugly in some areas. Very few to no old rams, and very few 3-5 year old's in many places. I'm hopefully on a solid bounce back. We saw good lamb numbers last year and again this year.

I think there has only been 3 killed/check in the Chugach Park so far.

On sub-legals there were at 4/33 in Anchorage a

Lots of 39" rams are rounded up to 40. The stats I looked at included about 30 years of data, the total length decreased when mandatory reporting started as well, horn circumference and age. Self reporting and measuring isn't consistent.

There are less than 50% of the sheep today that we had 10 years ago. Those big rams are harder to find, and very few old rams exist today. I believe F&G said the oldest they checked as of Monday was 9. They did check in a 12-13yo as I was leaving.

By the end of the week we'll know where we stand. As of Monday morning (9/19) there was 133 rams checked statewide. Usually ~70% are harvested/checked in by the first 15 days of the season. I believe there was at least half a dozen checked in after mine yesterday. I'm guessing we'll be a little less than last year, but not by a lot, saying 300-320. We have another 2 years before we really drop off, and I predict we'll stay around the same for a couple years, then its going to be ugly in some areas. Very few to no old rams, and very few 3-5 year old's in many places. I'm hopefully on a solid bounce back. We saw good lamb numbers last year and again this year.

I think there has only been 3 killed/check in the Chugach Park so far.

On sub-legals there were at 4/33 in Anchorage as of Monday, I think that included the sub-legal auction tag ram. Guessing statewide sub-legal take is similar from FBX and Palmer offic

s of Monday, I think that included the sub-legal auction tag ram. Guessing statewide sub-legal take is similar from FBX and Palmer office.

 

[wantj43]

Yesterday a “solid” 14 year old was sealed in the Fairbanks office. Also had one over 450 degrees of curl.

 

[OXN939]

sub-legal auction tag ram.

Looooool

Thoughts and prayers for everyone in there the next few days... pretty rowdy trough headed our way looks like. Today and tomorrow morning good opportunities, but could get dynamic in a lot of the state after that

 

[Bambistew]

Yesterday a “solid” 14 year old was sealed in the Fairbanks office. Also had one over 450 degrees of curl.

That 12/13yo was a dream ram. Heavy, double boomed over FC, 36-37". I'd almost quit hunting sheep if I killed it...

Have you heard what the sub-legal count was in FBX?

 

[wantj43]

That 12/13yo was a dream ram. Heavy, double boomed over FC, 36-37". I'd almost quit hunting sheep if I killed it...

Have you heard what the sub-legal count was in FBX?

One sub-legal so far.

 

[cumminsbassguy]

4 days in the drainage and had a group of 10 lambs and ewes (1-1). A group of 12 ( 2 ewes -1 lamb or so ) a group of 2 young ewes and a group of 3 young ewes on the walk out. Not a ram to be seen in our drainage. Which makes us think we were late to the party and they got pushed out

 

[wantj43]

4 days in the drainage and had a group of 10 lambs and ewes (1-1). A group of 12 ( 2 ewes -1 lamb or so ) a group of 2 young ewes and a group of 3 young ewes on the walk out. Not a ram to be seen in our drainage. Which makes us think we were late to the party and they got pushed out

Good observations- if you haven’t already, might consider sharing the information with the area biologist.

 

[ColeyG]

Wow. Sounds like a couple of unicorns got found by a few lucky hunters.

Ouch on the governors tag. That is unfortunate.

 

[cumminsbassguy]

Good observations- if you haven’t already, might consider sharing the information with the area biologist.

We were talking about that one the ride out. I will be doing that. My buddy (who's hunted that spot 3 years) said he couldn't go a day without seeing a band of rams. Or 30+ lambs and ewes in a group.. he was shocked when we scoured that drainage to no rams

 

[VernAK]

Local results thus far:

DCUA........4 rams
TMA...........2 rams
Mt Harper 1 ram