How do you justify sheep hunting?

[Blockcaver]

As a resident of CO I hunted bighorns 7 times and arrowed two DIY.

Also drew a NR NV tag and arrowed a desert bighorn DIY.

Hunted Alaska Dalls once with an outfitter ("Shankster") and didn't get one.

Hunted BC Stones on $60 tags after moving up 13 years ago. Went on 8 different backpack trips before arrowing one DIY. Helped a buddy arrow one since, plus have had a sheep tag when on caribou/moose hunts. Never stalked a ram on those hunts but I did see a fair number of Stone sheep.

Went to the NWT on a guided hunt and arrowed a nice Dall....expensive and well worth it to see the last best place in North America. Drove up to within 40 miles of base camp, 600 km of gravel road, one way) , way back in!

Nothing wrong with spending a half a year of your life pursuing sheep with your bow in hand, and four or five decades thinking about the previous sheep hunt and the next sheep hunt!

 

[Jimss]

If you are lucky enough to draw a tag you should be able to pick up a lower 48 sheep hunt for under $20k? Maybe not dall sheep but a chunk less $. I don't know much about Canada but imagine some areas may be like Alaska years upon years ago for it's residents?

 

[JRodAK]

I've easily spent $20k the past three years on resident sheep hunts here in AK. Between intrastate flights(we live off the road system), charter flights, rental cars, gear, etc. the $ adds up quickly.

Can't think of a better way to spend quality time with my teenage son than in the mountains chasing sheep.

 

[Gadjet]

As a resident of CO I hunted bighorns 7 times and arrowed two DIY.

Also drew a NR NV tag and arrowed a desert bighorn DIY.

Hunted Alaska Dalls once with an outfitter ("Shankster") and didn't get one.

Hunted BC Stones on $60 tags after moving up 13 years ago. Went on 8 different backpack trips before arrowing one DIY. Helped a buddy arrow one since, plus have had a sheep tag when on caribou/moose hunts. Never stalked a ram on those hunts but I did see a fair number of Stone sheep.

Went to the NWT on a guided hunt and arrowed a nice Dall....expensive and well worth it to see the last best place in North America. Drove up to within 40 miles of base camp, 600 km of gravel road, one way) , way back in!

Nothing wrong with spending a half a year of your life pursuing sheep with your bow in hand, and four or five decades thinking about the previous sheep hunt and the next sheep hunt!

Wow! You had 7 tags in Colorado?

 

[madcalfe]

im lucky enough to live in BC. just buy a over the counter tag, fill up the jet boat and truck head a couple hours north and sheep hunting within 4hr jet boat ride

 

[Mt Al]

Fortunate enough to live in Montana. Did unlimited hunts for years, then started putting in for the draw when they started adding up un-drawn years - then finally drew after about 15 years. Like many responses above, if it was a priority (most likely wouldn't be for me) and I didn't live in a state where there was a high chance to draw could definitely make it happen, it's the difference between a new/newer truck (payment, depreciation, licensing, insurance) and an older one over 5/10 years. Just priorities and understood for those who's priorities are elsewhere, I can totally see using the same money for cars/trucks/vacations/investment, etc..

 

[Blockcaver]

Wow! You had 7 tags in Colorado?

I drew 6 archery ram tags back in the 1980 to 1999 time frame....3 as second choice in the Sangres and 3 ram tags in Georgetown. Also drew a Georgetown archery ewe tag but didn't hunt one as I'd drawn a great UT archery mule deer tag, decent AZ archery elk bull elk tag and a Unit 2 CO archery bull elk tag concurrent with the ewe tag. Yup, they were easier to draw 20-40 years ago, and I was pretty lucky in the draw for a number of years too.

 

[Gadjet]

I drew 6 archery ram tags back in the 1980 to 1999 time frame....3 as second choice in the Sangres and 3 ram tags in Georgetown. Also drew a Georgetown archery ewe tag but didn't hunt one as I'd drawn a great UT archery mule deer tag, decent AZ archery elk bull elk tag and a Unit 2 CO archery bull elk tag concurrent with the ewe tag. Yup, they were easier to draw 20-40 years ago, and I was pretty lucky in the draw for a number of years too.

That’s awesome! I thought I was lucky as I’ve drawn 2 rocky and a desert in Colorado. How many of those tags were you successful on?

 

[Northpark]

As with most things most people dream about it an wish they can do it, but never take the actions to make it happen!!


I moved to AK 4 years ago and now hunt sheep every year with a free tag! For purely sheep I would say BC would be better, as well as the Yukon and NWT as a resident.but the tag there will cost $52.40


But once again most folk don’t have the cahones to make the move, too worried, “family” etc. life is what you make of it! Make it happen if that’s what you want, if not stop complaining about it!

On a side you will most likely make more $$$ in all these areas since there is high demand for workers and high compensation for living in these areas.

Wasn’t complaining. I could absolutely save up 30k and go. All I was asking was how folks justify spending the money not how they got it. I mean i through an extra $300 a month at my mortgage. I could just as easily save that for a sheep hunt. But I have a wife and family that I have prioritized over a sheep hunt. And no way would they move to BC or even AK.

100% not complaining just curious of others responses.

 

[Blockcaver]

That’s awesome! I thought I was lucky as I’ve drawn 2 rocky and a desert in Colorado. How many of those tags were you successful on?

Out of the 6 CO archery bighorn ram tags I arrowed two...'84 and '99. Also drew a NV desert ram and arrowed one back in '91....first year I applied there!

As per the big tag year, '95 where I didn't hunt the ewe in CO....shot a decent velvet UT mule deer, a CO Antelope, but struck out on CO and AZ elk trying for a big one. Saw 'em, no arrows shot at 'em. Just bad breaks on wind as I remember. Was trying to top my 357" net archery bull from CO I took in '87 and it wasn't meant to be...and still isn't, haha.

 

[idig4au]

I have been fortunate to have been able to do a lot of sheep and goat hunting in the prime years of my life where I could physically enjoy the experiences. I work so I can hunt sheep and have other life experiences that I am passionate about. I made a decision to invest money in experiences rather than in retirement funds and etc in some of the prime earning years in my career. Most would say foolish. I don’t have a single regret. I know I will not be able to retire early. I am okay with that as when I’m old and can’t physically go, I will still have all the memories. That is priceless.

In the bigger scheme of things, life is really just a series of experiences and then we die; there is no escaping it. Life is to be lived. The way the world and society is evolving, I think it’s more important than ever to focus on having life experience now.

If you want to go on a sheep hunt as it a life long dream, and you’re able to make it happen, then go do it. You’ll have far bigger regrets not doing it then thinking you’re being “fiscally responsible” by not going. And always remember, time waits for no one.

 

[Falcon]

I did my one and only dall sheep hunt in Alaska in 2007 when I was 44. I was nervous asking my wife if she would be ok with me experiencing this once in a lifetime experience. I did a ton of research, and found a outfitter who charged 8k for all in, and let me book the hunt 2 years in advance, with a 1/3 down. It was and always will be my greatest outdoor experience. Having said that, the supply and demand situation is causing sheep hunting to be skyrocketing in price. At 30k, it seems out of reach for many, but as life goes, some guys find a way to make it happen and keep their family life good. I am a summit member of the WSF. I love seeing seeing guys and gals draw their Frost sheep hunt. Can bring tears to your eyes.

 

[Ariettabob]

I have been fortunate to have been able to do a lot of sheep and goat hunting in the prime years of my life where I could physically enjoy the experiences. I work so I can hunt sheep and have other life experiences that I am passionate about. I made a decision to invest money in experiences rather than in retirement funds and etc in some of the prime earning years in my career. Most would say foolish. I don’t have a single regret. I know I will not be able to retire early. I am okay with that as when I’m old and can’t physically go, I will still have all the memories. That is priceless.

In the bigger scheme of things, life is really just a series of experiences and then we die; there is no escaping it. Life is to be lived. The way the world and society is evolving, I think it’s more important than ever to focus on having life experience now.

If you want to go on a sheep hunt as it a life long dream, and you’re able to make it happen, then go do it. You’ll have far bigger regrets not doing it then thinking you’re being “fiscally responsible” by not going. And always remember, time waits for no one.

There have been some great replies to this thread, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely. On a much bigger level than just sheep hunting though, I think this is the absolute winner.

 

[ETtikka]

For those of us that can’t make a 30k dream sheep hunt happen, what is the next best mountain hunt experience in the 10k range?

 

[Mike Islander]

For words covers it: I want. I can.

 

[idig4au]

For those of us that can’t make a 30k dream sheep hunt happen, what is the next best mountain hunt experience in the 10k range?

Look at mid Asian ibex hunting in either Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan. I’ve heard rumors Kyrgyzstan is closing hunting in 2023 for three years though….

Also look at New Zealand for Tahr/chamois without helicopter support

 

[FLATHEAD]

That Kyrgyzstan Ibex has always been tempting.

 

[JBrown1]

I did my one and only dall sheep hunt in Alaska in 2007 when I was 44. I was nervous asking my wife if she would be ok with me experiencing this once in a lifetime experience. I did a ton of research, and found a outfitter who charged 8k for all in, and let me book the hunt 2 years in advance, with a 1/3 down. It was and always will be my greatest outdoor experience. Having said that, the supply and demand situation is causing sheep hunting to be skyrocketing in price. At 30k, it seems out of reach for many, but as life goes, some guys find a way to make it happen and keep their family life good. I am a summit member of the WSF. I love seeing seeing guys and gals draw their Frost sheep hunt. Can bring tears to your eyes.

Assuming you booked that hunt in 2005, that would be just over $12k in today’s money. It is wild to think that sheep hunts have gone up by 200+% in the past 15 years....

Back to the original question:

As far as “justifying” sheep hunting... I moved to Alaska 4 years ago for the hunting and fishing. Wyoming was amazing, but I couldn’t justify staying there after I had seen what Alaska had to offer. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Having said that, if all a guy wants is a sheep or moose, you would be money ahead to just take out a $30k loan(from the bank, your house, or your 401k) and go on a guided hunt. In the long run, paying that loan back will be a heck of a lot less disruptive to your life than moving up here.

 

[MDR]

I am fortunate to live in a place where I can buy tags OTC. My justification for spending time sheep hunting is that long after I can't climb a mountain, I will look back and be glad that I went for it. Have yet to take a ram of my own, but I love every minute I spend in the mountains, blisters and all.

 

[Broomd]

Move to Alaska.

That's what I did, got most of it out of my system. Still get up there once in a while, it helps to have a son still there.