Differences in Dall, Stone, RM Bighorn, D Bighorn hunts

[buffybr]

I was lucky enough to have started sheep hunting in the early '80s when I moved down to SW Montana. I took 3 bighorn rams on DIY and DIY solo hunts in Montana's Unlimited ram units that each cost me only a $25 tag and a tank of gas. I backpacked one hunt and used my horses on the other 2.

In 1999 an outfitter friend of my called me about a Dall sheep cancellation in the MacKenzie Mountains of Canada's Northwest Territory. It was a fly-in backpack hunt and I was fortunate enough to have shot a great Dall ram, a mountain caribou, and a wolverine.

Two years later, that same friend called me again about a cancelation Stone sheep hunt for $11,000, but I was in the middle of a very nasty divorce and couldn't go. I'd jump on that hunt in a second now.

When I was 71 I went on a Dagestan Tur hunt in Azerbaijan. That was a horseback/backpack hunt and was the most difficult hunt that I have ever been on.

As others have posted, a Stone sheep hunt is probably the most expensive due to their limited population and availability. A Desert ram hunt would probably be the 2nd most expensive, although several states offer tags through a drawing, but you should have started applying 20 years ago.

Montana still has a few Unlimited ram tag units, but the odds of finding a legal ram are very, very low. I've been unsuccessfully applying for a Montana draw ram tag for 41 years.

My rams...

 

[jmart5687]

It’s hard to go wrong with any of the Yukon or NWT Dall outfits. I went with Tim Mervyn in 2017 and had a great hunt. They say populations are down in that area now. Lancasters seems like great guys. Arctic Red, Tombstone, Nahanni Butte, and several others all seem to get high marks. Really depends on the type of hunt you want (backpack, horseback, helicopter use or not, etc., etc….). Each outfit does things a little differently. I love the traditional horseback style of hunting. Alaska is a complex puzzle I would not be willing to try and solve at this point.

I took my California Bighorn with Bruce Ambler in BC. It was a mountain hunt with low odds of success but he and another outfitter have hunts on the Fraser River that are very high success hunts. But they are very expensive.

I get what you say about the desert hunts. They are a different experience for sure. Would not be my first choice either but I drew an AZ tag and really came to love the desert environment when I hunted them.

I would second Mervyn's for Dall. I hunted there last year and had a great hunt and great experience. While I was in Whitehorse, I spoke with a group that hunted with Bonet Plume and had great success as well.

 

[KUDU1]

This is excellent as are other responses. Thanks to all. I have been doing some research and reached out to some contacts. To answer your first question, harvesting a ram is the most important to me. I am not proud of that response, but it is an honest one. I have had many adventures in my life, but never sheep hunted.

I am meeting with someone regarding a Dall sheep next week. It would be in BC in September. That is certainly an option. However, I am really starting to lean toward a Stone as being my preferred choice only because I don’t think there are a lot of California or Rocky Big Horn options. I have someone close checking on those for me currently. If that chip fell into place that would be my preferred choice, but honestly I am blessed to even be in a position to consider any sheep hunt. So any of those three should be taken if it is the right opportunity.

Couple questions for all: 1. I am having a hard time understanding why Dall’s in NWT are preferred over BC, so why the preference for NWT? 2. What area is preferred for Stone? BC????

what did you learn on the Dall in BC?

 

[Short Track]

I was hearing about a Stone Outfitter who gets 5 tags annually. He sells 10 hunts at $60,000 each, because he knows the success rate is 50%. So he's basically scouting every hunt for the next guy, and the next guy.

 

[Mojave]

I was hearing about a Stone Outfitter who gets 5 tags annually. He sells 10 hunts at $60,000 each, because he knows the success rate is 50%. So he's basically scouting every hunt for the next guy, and the next guy.

I thought these days were over, but I guess old tricks on new hunters.

 

[Short Track]

It gets worse. If he fills all 5 tags, he still has 5 hunts to give. So he takes them to an area without sheep. Heard alot of good stuff at the SCI show.

 

[adamkolesar]

I'm sure the phrase "Well, that's hunting" is a a favorite with that outfit.

 

[Short Track]

I learned alot at the SCI. I recommend you go and just talk to Sheet & Goat outfitters. and talk to others as well. DSC SCI and a few others. I also learned a bit about custom rifles. A very good experience overall.

I also learned getting to Yukon or BC from the East coast is ridiculous. Like 3 connections.
It's 1 flight for IBEX in Spain or Turkey. Much more doable for us East Coasters.

 

[WVELK]

what did you learn on the Dall in BC?

I went ahead and booked the Dall hunt in BC. It is in the north west corner. Going with Logan at Last Frontier Hunting. He comes recommended and I am hunting goats with him and his brother Todagan this year as well. Fingers crossed.

 

[FAAFO]

I learned alot at the SCI. I recommend you go and just talk to Sheet & Goat outfitters. and talk to others as well. DSC SCI and a few others. I also learned a bit about custom rifles. A very good experience overall.

I also learned getting to Yukon or BC from the East coast is ridiculous. Like 3 connections.
It's 1 flight for IBEX in Spain or Turkey. Much more doable for us East Coasters.

Oh my! The burden of 3 flights! Yep that’s a dealbreaker.

 

[FAAFO]

I went ahead and booked the Dall hunt in BC. It is in the north west corner. Going with Logan at Last Frontier Hunting. He comes recommended and I am hunting goats with him and his brother Todagan this year as well. Fingers crossed.

Good luck on your hunts!

 

[FAAFO]

I was hearing about a Stone Outfitter who gets 5 tags annually. He sells 10 hunts at $60,000 each, because he knows the success rate is 50%. So he's basically scouting every hunt for the next guy, and the next guy.

I bet this information you heard is VERY accurate.

 

[medvedyt]

just a little note. do not pay a fannin sheep hunt as a stone sheep. i know the record books recognized them as both but in the yukon our fannins are dall pure and simple ...

it is a shame that trophy hunters pushed themselves into it.

now for the decline of sheep population the weather is part of the equation as not enough cold and snow and rain freezing is not helping the sheep to feed and over hunting is another issue will it be from non resident visitors and of course local pressure as well. the closest you are from whitehorse the more chance you will not be alone even if you do not see any hunters around ...

up to the time we are on quotas and way more limitations are happening i do not see a clear sky. hunt the northern sheep while you can.

 

[robertpaulsen]

just a little note. do not pay a fannin sheep hunt as a stone sheep. i know the record books recognized them as both but in the yukon our fannins are dall pure and simple ...

it is a shame that trophy hunters pushed themselves into it.

now for the decline of sheep population the weather is part of the equation as not enough cold and snow and rain freezing is not helping the sheep to feed and over hunting is another issue will it be from non resident visitors and of course local pressure as well. the closest you are from whitehorse the more chance you will not be alone even if you do not see any hunters around ...

up to the time we are on quotas and way more limitations are happening i do not see a clear sky. hunt the northern sheep while you can.

Weird hill to stand on. Why do you care if someone wants to hunt a fannin to get their slam? Who cares?

You have to be ray charles or likely a Helen Keller to not know that those sheep up there are different. How are they spreading those dark colors if it’s not genetic? Go ahead and tell me about the 1 “study”.

 

[medvedyt]

Weird hill to stand on. Why do you care if someone wants to hunt a fannin to get their slam? Who cares?

You have to be ray charles or likely a Helen Keller to not know that those sheep up there are different. How are they spreading those dark colors if it’s not genetic? Go ahead and tell me about the 1 “study”.

well i posted few times the studies here ... but it is your money and if you want to pay a stone price for a dall be my guest ....

 

[FAAFO]

well i posted few times the studies here ... but it is your money and if you want to pay a stone price for a dall be my guest ....

What outfitter is charging stone prices for fannins?

 

[OMB]

What outfitter is charging stone prices for fannins?

Midnight Sun is showing $70k and Tombstone $75k for hunts today, but I would take a gander that when they actually have hunts available in 2028 or 2029 or 2057 those numbers are actually more like $85k or $90k.

So what's that, a 10-20% discount for a white sheep with 5-100 black hairs that you can "count" as a Stone instead of hunting in BC? Not sure what your point is, because those outfitters certainly aren't charging Dall rates.