Ewe Hunt Opinions

[Shubertj]

FNG but I hope this is received well. I drew a ewe tag in Wyoming this year and I'm very excited to hunt sheep. I know that ewe tags are somewhat controversial so I'm looking for opinions from seasoned sheep hunters. I've been thinking about this hunt more and more everyday, and I do not see myself filling the tag if given a chance at a ewe. I'm an avid Mule Deer hunter and I hate the thought of killing does and immature bucks. I can't help but apply the same principles to this hunt. Any opinions would be appreciated!

 

[nobody]

Never done a ewe hunt, never known anybody with a sheep tag, never had one of my own. That said, I would hunt a ewe tomorrow and happily fill the tag if given the opportunity. Sheep hunting is such an elite activity, and if properly managed ewe tags were more easily accessible and available, it would open more opportunities for those of us who want the opportunity to just hunt sheep doing sheep things in sheep country.

 

[WCB]

Mule Deer does, Antelope does, and ewes are 100% of no interest of me and I plain and simple do not get the intrigue at all. The "well you still get to sheep hunt just not shoot a ram" is exactly what turns me off. Sheep are easy enough to kill the challenge is finding the right ram imo.

Take it will a grain of salt and understand I have not shot a sheep unless you count a Bull Tahr. But grew up in a family of sheep hunters and they even compared the potential of hunting a ewe to shooting mule deer does.

Note: I will shoot whitetail does until I'm not allowed to buy tags.

 

[BugleMeTimber]

I'm on the same thought process and fully support that decision. Refuse to shoot a mule deer doe but whitetail doe is fair game. At the end of the day it's your tag and you do as you wish with it.

 

[Drenalin]

Never done a ewe hunt, never known anybody with a sheep tag, never had one of my own. That said, I would hunt a ewe tomorrow and happily fill the tag if given the opportunity. Sheep hunting is such an elite activity, and if properly managed ewe tags were more easily accessible and available, it would open more opportunities for those of us who want the opportunity to just hunt sheep doing sheep things in sheep country.

Same. I'm not sure why anyone would burn points on a tag then refuse to take an animal. I don't want to give any government agency too much credit, but if WGFD thinks ewe tags should be part of their management of the resource, I don't see a problem.

 

[nobody]

Same. I'm not sure why anyone would burn points on a tag then refuse to take an animal. I don't want to give any government agency too much credit, but if WGFD thinks ewe tags should be part of their management of the resource, I don't see a problem.

Yup. Bottom line, if you don't wanna take the animal don't take the tag. There's tags and hunts out there that don't intrigue me, so I just don't apply for them. But that also doesn't mean I don't think the tags and seasons should be available.

 

[wyosteve]

From a biological standpoint, I figure if Game and Fish issued the tag, the herd can withstand the loss of a ewe. From a personal perspective, since sheep are generally in short supply, I'd have a hard time taking a potential lamb factory out of commission.

 

[Sandbrew]

There is a sound biological reason for WYG&F to issue the tag. There is strong evidence that over population of ewes hurts lamb recruitment and overall sheep production. I've harvested 2 ewes in Colorado and will continue to apply for ewe tags here and in other states. Ewe hunts are sheep hunts. If you can challenge yourself to find the oldest dry ewe in the herd. My then 13 year old son harvested an 11+ year old dry ewe and we focused solely on that sheep even though we had several easier targets on the mountain. If you don't want to hunt turn the tag in or donate it to another hunter.

One article I just found https://www.gohunt.com/content/news/hunting-bighorn-ewes-may-boost-ram-potential

Study - https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jwmg.21338

 

[JeffP_Or]

I'll back up the others who speak about the herd health and biological aspect. Oregon just started some limited ewe hunts a few years ago - it is completely biological. Beside range condition, lamb production, and recruitment the groups the ewes are taken from exceed the states [and conservation org] ability to transplant; the herds are at an excess. The largest reason they can afford the ewe hunts is to reduce the potential of that herd contracting MOVI as they move around the range and expand further.

 

[S-3 ranch]

There is a sound biological reason for WYG&F to issue the tag. There is strong evidence that over population of ewes hurts lamb recruitment and overall sheep production. I've harvested 2 ewes in Colorado and will continue to apply for ewe tags here and in other states. Ewe hunts are sheep hunts. If you can challenge yourself to find the oldest dry ewe in the herd. My then 13 year old son harvested an 11+ year old dry ewe and we focused solely on that sheep even though we had several easier targets on the mountain. If you don't want to hunt turn the tag in or donate it to another hunter.

One article I just found https://www.gohunt.com/content/news/hunting-bighorn-ewes-may-boost-ram-potential

Study - https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jwmg.21338

Yeah I’m totally on board with the hunt , it’s population control and they wouldn’t even offer it if it wasn’t a necessary tool, turning it in would be the best option if you are opposed to ewe harvesting

 

[JRay]

A Ewe’s life span often exceeds their capacity to reproduce. Find a long horned, old dry ewe and take her home.

 

[letrbuck]

Full disclosure, I had a ewe tag last year and it was one of the coolest hunting experiences I have ever had.

Bighorn Sheep are well studied and carefully managed in Wyoming, and these seasons were started because a couple herd units are showing the early signs of having another big die off. Sheep population levels and infection rates of MOV are approaching levels that have led to big die offs in the past. Yes, these type of things are becoming the norm and cyclical, but providing hunter opportunities to reduce some of the populations may stave off larger spread die offs in the herd as a whole.

I know someone else that had a ewe tag last year and passed on an opportunity at a ewe that happened to be radio collared. That ewe was picked up several months later after the collar sent a mortality signal. She had died a pretty horrible death drowning in her own mucosa due to MOV.

It's easy to think killing a ewe is removing a breeding individual from the population, but you may likely be giving that sheep a quicker death and not allowing it to infect numerous other animals.

At the end of the day, it's up to you to make your own decisions about your tag. But, the way draw odds and preference points are going, this might be your one chance to hunt sheep

 

[ElDiablito]

I’ve killed two rams and a desert ewe. Had a great time on all my sheep hunts. My teenage son had a ewe tag a couple years ago and it was his all-time favorite hunt. The meat is fantastic and the tag wouldn’t have been issued if it weren’t necessary.

I had some of the same thoughts before my first ewe hunt so I understand where you’re coming from. I say, go enjoy it. Sheep hunts don’t come around very often!

 

[TreeWalking]

Drew a ewe tag as second choice in CO a decade ago. Spoke to bio and he said try to find a ewe without a lamb but that during my hunt the lambs should be old enough to survive even if I did shoot a ewe with a lamb. I had a string of 100 or more ewes, lambs and yearling rams passing by in single file using a narrow bit of elevated land that created a land bridge between two ridges just below a mountain peak. I picked out an obvious ewe that did not have a lamb ahead or behind. Was a dry ewe. May be the only bighorn tag I ever draw and have been applying in several states for 3 decades.

 

[slvrslngr]

Don’t overthink it, you have the tag, go fill it. The sheep will be fine.

 

[Shubertj]

I appreciate all the insight, thank you for the replys!

 

[Tmcgarrigle]

I had a ewe tag last year in CO. I spoke to a biologist multiple times before the hunt and even talked to him about if he had to choose an area where he would want a ewe removed, which general area. He was very honest and it was indeed for population control. I found a ewe without a lamb and it was a blast. If the population can support it and biologists want some removed, go for it. Just try to find the oldest one without a lamb.

 

[bojangles808]

they are giving out the tags for a reason. the meat is really good too

 

[snowymtnwolf]

Just had to say this: “only ewe can make that decision”


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[SouthernWyo]

Educate yourself on the reasons for the ewe harvest. Quite simply, sheep in these units have reached and are exceeding the habitat's carrying capacity. The herds reach population levels above the appropriate carrying capacity and become much more succeptible to pathogens (currently present in all of our sheep herds.) Suitable Wyoming sheep habitat is all occupied, whether because of political/social constraints, proximity to domestic sheep, or simply habitat unsuitability, there is not currently any place to relocate excess sheep. We can't just willy-nilly relocate sheep from overpopulated areas into other herd units because they all carry varied strains of pathogens which are foriegn to and can decimate existing, possibly already struggling herds. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with taking ewes from herd units under these circumstances.

As stated previously, its your tag, do whatever you want with it. I do realize that targetting ewe/lambs, doe/ fawns etc. can be tough on an emotional level. I've assisted with a culling program that did just that, and it wasn't fun, but someone's got to do the hard thing to manage our wildlife. This is what WGFD is doing with these e/l opportunities. If you still can't bring yourself to utilize your limited quota license, consider donating it to a disabled veteran's group such as Hunting with Heros. I know there are folks served by these orgs that would very much appreciate the opportunity.