No the best big game hunting is done without a guide. Its about family or best friends working together. Or going by yourself and feeling that deep sense of personal satisfaction when you stand over that hard fought ram.
I think you have to look at your motivations. When you go on a guided hunt and fork out the big bucks its primarily about the animal. If it was about the adventure or experience you could do a thousand things more challenging for less money. So if its about the animal, go to Canada. Pay a little more and wait. Can you get a nice ram in Alaska? Sure, but do you have a much better chance in Canada? Yes. My experience as a resident sheep hunter in Alaska for the last ten years with the guiding industry is not positive. I've been in camps and airports and seen plenty of guys going home empty handed or with average/barely legal rams. You hear about shady stuff going on all the time. I've hunted areas that are well known to resident sheep hunters and known to get a lot of pressure and yet these poor clients are there each having paid 25-30 grand. Do your homework, don't cheap out, wait if you have to and look real hard at going to Canada.
I think you have to look at your motivations. When you go on a guided hunt and fork out the big bucks its primarily about the animal. If it was about the adventure or experience you could do a thousand things more challenging for less money. So if its about the animal, go to Canada. Pay a little more and wait. Can you get a nice ram in Alaska? Sure, but do you have a much better chance in Canada? Yes. My experience as a resident sheep hunter in Alaska for the last ten years with the guiding industry is not positive. I've been in camps and airports and seen plenty of guys going home empty handed or with average/barely legal rams. You hear about shady stuff going on all the time. I've hunted areas that are well known to resident sheep hunters and known to get a lot of pressure and yet these poor clients are there each having paid 25-30 grand. Do your homework, don't cheap out, wait if you have to and look real hard at going to Canada.
