Alberta Bighorn Outfitter Recommendation

[HornPorn]

There appear to be some small wieners in this thread

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Well this thread went sideways quickly.

Albertan's arguing with Albertan's......residents arguing with either a guide/assistant guide or someone who is friends with the guide.....who would have guessed.....sadly it is a story repeated across North America. Whether it is sheep, elk, moose or deer.

Cheers

SS

 

[JUSTPASSINTHRU]

All I can say is I'm am extremely grateful and lucky to have drawn a sheep tag in Colorado a few years ago.

 

[Jwlovie]

I am considering a Bighorn Sheep hunt in Alberta in 2027. Rifle hunt. Would like to get any recommendations on outfitters you have used. Would also like to know if anyone has hunted bighorns with Willow Creek and their experience with them.

Thanks for any information you are willing to share. Please PM me if you are more comfortable doing that.

Dave

Following.

 

[Rams horns]

I have lived in alberta and personally know most of the outfitters. If you have any questions just shoot me a message. Bighorns are tough, one outfitter can have terrible success one year. And his neighbor on the other side of the mountain can go 100%.

 

[HornPorn]

Heading to sheep show and planning to talk to all the alberta outfitters selling bighorn hunts and see what they have to say. If they start to sound like a used car salesman I may have to mention some of the experiences on this thread and see how that goes

 

[41thunder]

Heading to sheep show and planning to talk to all the alberta outfitters selling bighorn hunts and see what they have to say. If they start to sound like a used car salesman I may have to mention some of the experiences on this thread and see how that goes

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/3ef4816b-1b89-4644-ac4a-905978b51fa2/resource/7aaae021-8aa1-42f2-a407-35ec43ef15f7/download/fp-nr-nra-hunter-harvest-report-bighorn-sheep-2014-2023.pdf

Here’s the outfitters historical success rates
Just ask them what wmu they hunt in

 

[MTGrizz]

I am considering a Bighorn Sheep hunt in Alberta in 2027. Rifle hunt. Would like to get any recommendations on outfitters you have used. Would also like to know if anyone has hunted bighorns with Willow Creek and their experience with them.

Thanks for any information you are willing to share. Please PM me if you are more comfortable doing that.

Dave

Do not hunt with Willow Creek. Guy I know (who has killed 7 north american sheep, two successful DIY in Utah & Idaho) had his only bad sheep experience with Andre. Rookie guide that wouldn't walk/move to look for sheep. Hunted 21 days and never saw a legal ram.

 

[MntHunter]

Andre is a pretty good dude, I know a few people that have killed sheep with him.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Do not hunt with Willow Creek. Guy I know (who has killed 7 north american sheep, two successful DIY in Utah & Idaho) had his only bad sheep experience with Andre. Rookie guide that wouldn't walk/move to look for sheep. Hunted 21 days and never saw a legal ram.

Thanks for the information. I have no plans to hunt bighorn sheep in Alberta in the near future but appreciate honest reports from individuals and friends of individuals.

Sheep hunting is definitely not a guarantee and hard in some areas. Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[Scottf270]

The quality and experience of your guide has as much to do with a hunters success as his choice of an outfitter. A good outfitter, in a good area, who keeps knowledgeable guides happy is a recipe for success regardless of animal hunted.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

For that money I’d be looking at us reservations or private land tags in nm..


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Only Landowner sheep tags I know of in NM are for Barbary sheep, not Bighorns. If you have info otherwise please PM me.

 

[Rooferrich]

Well first do you live in Alberta so you can buy a resident tag? Any amount of money you spend there will be wasted. Don't get me wrong there may be one outfitter there that is straight or that will work hard to get you a sheep but it will be a 2 or 3 trip process if you are not lucky enough to get it on your first trip. Reasons are every resident hunter has a sheep tag in his pocket that costs 100 bucks over the counter. There is no bear hunting there so there are tons of grizz everywhere and finally the native population gets to hunt year round so the population is always getting pushed and hunted by something. I am 100% scared by Alberta and it is a money grab at best. Pay full price with no trophy fee and they have nothing to lose by riding you around on a horse, scaling mountains to glass and see nothing but ewes and lambs. I went last year so this wound is fresh in my mind.
If you do book you need to not be near a town or a reservation so there is no pressure from any two legged hunters then atleast you will only have to contend with the grizzly's. We were run out of two canyons by grizz and it is not fun! Message me if you want to know who I went with but I hunted the Willmore Wilderness Park.

 

[Old and gray]

Sorry to hear about your experience. As a resident hunter I spend a lot of time hunting in the Wilmore area. Almost every year I see legal rams sometimes quite a few. I know who you hunted with and can’t believe they didn’t put in a solid effort for you. Sometimes things don’t work out.

 

[bowhuntercam]

Just my observation, AB bighorn hunts are tough. Most the hunters are old, won't hunt hard, or anywhere close to level required too on a tough hunt, can't shoot, generally go home early and are all around pretty useless when it comes down to grind it out difficult mountain hunts.

 

[Northern Safari]

Guided Alberta Bighorn hunts also seem to be closing in on the price for Stone Sheep. It looks like they have now surpassed $100,000 Canadian for a slim chance.

 

[cuerro viejo]

For that money I’d be looking at us reservations or private land tags in nm..


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Or CO

 

[Rooferrich]

Just my observation, AB bighorn hunts are tough. Most the hunters are old, won't hunt hard, or anywhere close to level required too on a tough hunt, can't shoot, generally go home early and are all around pretty useless when it comes down to grind it out difficult mountain hunts.

I’m only 55. Six sheep hunts under my belt. Was in sheep shape. Went where they told me. Lambs and ewes and tons of grizzly bears. I’m only saying this to show it wasn’t my first rodeo. I know they’re hard that’s why they are satisfying but you get a feel for your guide and wrangler right off with how the hunt’s gonna be. Two guys before me both working on closing their slam like me went home empty handed. It’s a head game for sure. Better to be lucky then good out there.