Barrier of entry to Sheep hunting

[Cynoscion]

I haven’t priced them in several years. I hunted with Jim Breck Bean back in 2017ish and I think all in I was around $5500 but I am a Texas resident and made the 8 hour drive out to Marfa. He still kills some of the biggest aoudads in the state every year. Super nice guy. Really good hunt. Could be as easy or hard as you want.

Hunt Aoudad — High West Outfitter

www.highwestoutfitter.com

 

[HornPorn]

Already closer to 30k than 20k for the most part.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would be suspicious of any Dall hunt close to $20K. You get what you pay for. What I see often is guys coming home empty handed and/or with poor experiences (due to competition from other hunters or just lack of animals) on these cheaper Alaska dall hunts.

If you are going to do it, and it is truly once in a lifetime, make it count and go with a well known, highly successful outfitter

 

[yfarm]

Barbary aoudad group on fb has lots of Tx outfitters posting on

 

[yfarm]

Barbary Aoudad Hunting

 

[ReddingArcher]

My story goes lis this- I've been putting in for sheep in my home state (Montana) for 30+ years and still haven't drawn a bighorn permit. Sadly there is a chance I never do

My wife came to my rescue. I was viewing an episode of Fresh Tracks where Randy went on a guided hunt for Dall sheep. I told her just once in my lifetime I'd like to hunt sheep. Bless her heart, she said well just do it. I didn't give her an opportunity to change her mind and after several phone calls, perusing websites and chatting with folks from this forum- I booked a hunt for August of 23.

Not cheap, but it's something I've always wanted to do and now looks like I'm going to have an opportunity

Who did you end up booking with? I’ll be up there in 23 with Will at Wrangell Outfitters. It can’t come soon enough!

 

[mtwarden]

Who did you end up booking with? I’ll be up there in 23 with Will at Wrangell Outfitters. It can’t come soon enough!

Luke Tyrrell- Tyrrell Trails- opted for the first week as they get you out a couple of days early to scout; not sure it makes any difference on your odds, but could make for a little longer hunt

Can't come soon enough is right!

 

[Defrankm]

Not trying to derail, but any idea on price (ballpark) for an aodad hunt?

The better outfitters will be in the $6,000 to $7,500 ballpark. The demand on aoudad has skyrocketed. I hunted them for the first time in 1997 and a free range hunt back then was $1,500. You can find some for a bit cheaper, but as a rule of thumb, cheaper is usually cheaper for a reason.

 

[BLJ]

@Defrankm. Thanks for the response

 

[JBrown1]

The better outfitters will be in the $6,000 to $7,500 ballpark. The demand on aoudad has skyrocketed. I hunted them for the first time in 1997 and a free range hunt back then was $1,500. You can find some for a bit cheaper, but as a rule of thumb, cheaper is usually cheaper for a reason.

As far as cheaper being “cheaper for a reason”, I guess that is why an aoudad Hunt is 1/4 the price of a dall sheep hunt. I’m not knocking aoudad or aoudad hunting, but I can’t see an aoudad hunt scratching the sheep hunter’s itch.

(I’m not directing this at defrankm, as I know that he was just answering a question on aoudad pricing. I’m speaking to the larger question of the barrier to hunt sheep)

An Ibex hunt would check off more of the boxes, but then you would be up to a third of the total cost of a dall sheep hunt.

In my mind, if you want to hunt sheep, then you need to define what that actually means to you, then find a way to make it happen. Or you can do like most guys and don’t go to the trouble to make your dream a reality(I don’t recommend it....)

 

[Unbridled]

Put in for draw…. You never know. I drew Colorado Bighorn on my 7th year. Can’t wait until September!

 

[Defrankm]

As far as cheaper being “cheaper for a reason”, I guess that is why an aoudad Hunt is 1/4 the price of a dall sheep hunt. I’m not knocking aoudad or aoudad hunting, but I can’t see an aoudad hunt scratching the sheep hunter’s itch.

(I’m not directing this at defrankm, as I know that he was just answering a question on aoudad pricing. I’m speaking to the larger question of the barrier to hunt sheep)

An Ibex hunt would check off more of the boxes, but then you would be up to a third of the total cost of a dall sheep hunt.

In my mind, if you want to hunt sheep, then you need to define what that actually means to you, then find a way to make it happen. Or you can do like most guys and don’t go to the trouble to make your dream a reality(I don’t recommend it....)

JBrown,
I 100% agree. Aoudad are a really fun hunt, but the hunts do not compare to a true sheep hunt. I've been fortunate to hunt aoudad a couple of times and they are a really good hunt. But the fact that they are labeled as a poor man's sheep hunt is a stretch and then some. I have been fortunate to hunt wild sheep here in North America and Asia. A true remote sheep hunt is an event. It will change you in some ways in my opinion. The experience alone, especially on Alaska and Canadian hunts is worth the price of admission.

As JBrown said, if doing a sheep hunt is important enough to you, you can make it happen. I promise you won't remember the dollars spent, but you will carry the memory of that hunt with you until the day you die.

 

[wyosteve]

I think the better analogy is an aoudad hunt is a poor man's desert bighorn hunt. The West Texas ranch where I hunted aoudad has had desert bighorns on it as well. So basically doing the same type of hunt in the same country and a pittance of the price of a desert hunt. I'd agree, it doesn't compare to a mountain wilderness sheep hunt.

 

[bradb]

I saved for years for my Dall and saved all my Cabalas points also, booked with WTA and had like 6k in points to help. Still need a small loan to do it. Then 2 years ago has a Stone come up for 10k off, quickly refinanced my house to do it. Covid closed border so dont' get the 10koff and the 2022 price was 5k more then 2020. Said screw it and am still going as I had already refinanced. Still need a small loan to do the final payment on it. Nope probably not the smartest, but only live once, no wife and no kids, knees will soon need to be replaced

 

[WCB]

Cost is the #1 barrier if you want to just go and hunt. The Unlimited are an option but to even have a snow balls chance in hell the barrier is experience in that country and time. Also, been a lot of talk of shutting the Unlimiteds down and talking to a few guys that killed rams in there the last 3 years it is crowded as hell.

Also, doesn't help when you have @ssH0les like Boddington letting his wife shoot a 1/2 curl ram and the MTFWP allow them to keep it.

Aoudad is an option and depending on the outfitter some are just shoots and there are some real hunts. Only difference between some of the tougher hunts for Aoudad and say a Alaska Dall hunt is access to the mountain they are on. You don't have to fly in or hike a couple days in just to get to sheep.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Way too many people forcing their bias on others. Lots of “not a real sheep hunt” being thrown around without providing a definition. Also, who are they to provide the official definition of what a “real sheep hunt” is?

Audad live in country similar to desert bighorn sheep. You can hunt them in a similar way. I do wonder how many of these esteemed Rokslide elite would turn down a free hunt for desert bighorn as it’s not a “real sheep hunt” in their feeble minds. My money is on “few to none” and they’d be bragging about being further along on their Sheep Slam.

You can hunt mountain goat for less than sheep. There’s a saying: “Goat hunting begins where sheep hunting ends”. But despite the challenges it’s just a goat and doesn’t align with viewpoint of the Rokslide elite.

You can hunt mouflon in Hawaii. Very unique hunt and offers its own challenges. But since it is in paradise, it also does not align with the Rokslide elites’ viewpoint of what is a “real sheep hunt”.

Ibex are cool and live in some country that’d give a sheep and a goat pause; typically at a lower price. Despite the impressive headgear and gnarly terrain, ibex hunts still don’t count with the elite Rokslide mentality.

Ignore the self-proclaimed elite and do what makes sense for you. If the “elite” frown down upon you, then give them the bird and continue on your merry way.

 

[30338]

Moved my family to CO in 1994 from the midwest for the outdoor life we wanted. Drew first bighorn tag in 1999. Cost me $150. Drew again this year, cost $312. In between have hunted mtn goat, antelope, whitetail, mule deer, black bear, moose. Doing it again, it'd be MT or Alaska.

 

[wildwilderness]

Barrier to entry- it’s always time and/or money.

Figure out how to get more of both and you can do anything you want in this life

I would agree hunting one or all of the FNAWS is the real sheep hunters goal.

*I also agree starting out on a free range Aoudad, mouflon, Corsican etc is great to entry

 

[ozyclint]

"When I started my sheep slam I only had 2 things- a dream and 10 million dollars"

 

[coloyooper]

Luke Tyrrell- Tyrrell Trails- opted for the first week as they get you out a couple of days early to scout; not sure it makes any difference on your odds, but could make for a little longer hunt

Can't come soon enough is right!

Good luck man. Luke and his crew are as good of people as they come. Didn’t hunt sheep with him but can’t wait to get back up there.

 

[mtwarden]

^ thanks!