How much time have you invested in getting a sheep with a bow and arrow?

[Sheepfreak]

This question goes out to those who have harvested a sheep with a bow or to those who are still trying. How long did it take? Hours? Days? Years?
In 2010 I got the notion in my head that a Dall's sheep with my bow would be the bees knees. I've carried my bow in the mountains for the last five seasons. I've logged a cumlitive total of 81 days in pursuit of the White Rascal. This season I spent 31 days total, solo, in the Brooks Range - on two seperate trips. I have yet to even nock an arrow.
What effort have others put in?

 

[Stid2677]

For most of my hunting life I bow hunted only,, taken a lot of game doing so. That said I have not hunted sheep with a bow, but have hunted them for over a decade. I have been in bow range numerous times while hunting them. IMHO, the way I would hunt them is the same as I hunted whitetails. I tend to go in early and have watched sheep for days at a time. They can be patterned, I would make a rock blind near a feeding area or route to a feeding area from bedding area and lay in ambush. They can be stalked, but it is so very hard to have everything just right to go undetected moving that much. I know of one spot that when pressured they use the same escape route each time. If you had a partner, you could use this technique, get into a position and let your partner be seen by them.

I admire your challenge and wish you luck,, but so jealous in a way since you have got to spend so much time in the sheep mountains. Even with a heavy pack, I always feel a little melancholy when it is time to leave as the time we get to spend there in life is so fleeting.

 

[CGSwimmer25]

I hunted Sheep with the bow this year for a week before taking one with my buddy's rifle. Between the storm that blew glacial silt all over everything and the small spill I took my bow was wrecked after. Sight all bent up, scratches and silt in every crevice. While it was fun stalking them with the bow in hand and getting super close, I learned Sheep hunting is a rifle hunt for me and I'll never drag a bow along on an Alaska mountain hunt again!! Good luck on your quest, it'll be a hell of an accomplishment when you finally stick one!

 

[SDHNTR]

16 days with a bow on a desert ram. Then my spousal support ran out and I had to cheat and get the job done.

 

[Sheepfreak]

CGS25, I know your conundrum. In 2010 & 2011I chose to set the bow aside and used my buddys' rifle. When it became apparent that it would mean no meat or use a rifle... I came home with food. Going solo the last three years still hasen't cured me of falling back on the bang stick.
Yet, I still carry the bow for that one moment when a 43 incher, with a third horn, makes his last, fatal mistake.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

When I eventually get to hunt Dall sheep I'll want to do it with a bow if possible but I'll probably bring a rifle as well for when time is drawing to a close.

I wish you luck.

 

[justin davis]

When I draw a tag in Colorado. I will get it done with my bow or go home
Empty handed.

 

[Stid2677]

When I draw a tag in Colorado. I will get it done with my bow or go home
Empty handed.

That is the attitude that will get it done. I have NEVER seen or heard of anyone killing one with a bow while carrying their rifle. I'm sure it has happened but gets easy to talk yourself into using the rifle if it is there.

Same reason I take only a sheep tag, don't want to get distracted.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I'm sure you're right but with that much money being put out as a nonresident I will make sure it gets done one way or another

 

[Steve O]

I hunted one ram for almost the entire month long 07 Colorado archery season with my recurve. I had him 4 seperate times under 40 yards and never got anything but a head on shot. No easy task but someday it will happen. A buddy of mine who has the Super Slam with a recurve was fortunate to be a resident of CO back in the old days when you could archery hunt basically otc in some areas. It took him 7 years.

 

[Buster]

Not enough, as I haven't been able to make it happen, yet. One miss under my belt, and I've been in bow range of a few rams that were too short to kill. The pipe still comes along, but for bear repellant, and just in case Mr REALLY BIG shows up.

Like Stid mentioned, they can be patterned, so use that to your advantage. If you stick with it, and truly believe, you'll make it happen. Especially with the amount time you're spending in the field.

 

[Sheepfreak]

So far, I hear between 1week & 7 years. Great, I'm still in the mix!
This is exactly the conversation I wanted to hear from other sheep hunters.

 

[wymtnpounder]

I spent 13 days solo with my bow, had one stalk that brought me 10yrds of a shooter but the brush was to thick. Traded in for the rifle and got done on a WY Rocky.

 

[Tilzbow]

2010 - Bow hunted Dall's with Ramhead in the NWT for 10 days. Shot one with a borrowed rifle on day 11.

2011 - Bow hunted Deserts in NV for 6 days. Shot one on day 7 with a borrowed rifle. I wish I'd given the bow at least one more week.

2014 - Bow hunted Stone's for 13 days with Tuchodi River Outfitters in Northern BC and finally killed my first sheep with a bow with 2 days left! Even though this hunt cost more than $40,000 I made the commitment to only bow hunt and go home without a ram before I'd switch to a rifle. I was confident in my shooting this hunt and I truly believe that you've got to dedicate yourself to bow only if killing one with a bow is a priority. That said if killing one with a bow would be nice, but killing one is the higher priority then by all means take both weapons.

So, add it up and I bow hunted for 28 days before killing one with a bow. I dedicated 6 months of my life to training and relearning to shoot (beat target panic) so to say I was pleased with getting it done with the bow doesn't begin to describe the feeling!

 

[Nick Muche]

I'm guessing that next year by this time my answer will be 14 days and counting. But who know's, it could happen. I know if I bring a rifle, it won't, so there will not be one with me.

Congrats to those who have done it... Anything is possible and many have done "it", so there is hope

 

[primitive]

44 days for Stone's, one miss and many close calls, and 13 days for Bighorns (didn't see anything legal). Had my longbow and no gun. Next year I hope to get it done, but having a great time trying!

 

[5MilesBack]

I've invested 10+ years just in trying to draw a tag for a Bighorn here in CO. When I draw the tag (hopefully sometime before I'm too old for that hunt) I'm sure I'll put in a summer of scouting and however many days the season lasts until I fill the tag. The year I draw my archery sheep or archery moose is the year that that's all I concentrate on.

 

[Blockcaver]

First Colorado Bighorn: 5 seasons of hunting and 64 days in the field with the bow in hand. Sheep fever got to me a couple of times or I might have gotten my first the 4th season! I worked in the unit I finally bagged the ram in. Also "wasted" one sheep tag when I shot a nice P&Y NT mulie 10 miles away from the truck and effectively ended my sheep hunt in a remote unit. This was in the good old days in Colorado as I had 5 archery ram tags in 5 consecutive years. Three tags were out of a unit that had leftover tags every year.

Eight days when I got lucky and drew a NV desert sheep tag. My buddy who drew the tag the previous year went with me and helped me make it happen. Note that I had the entire 28 day season to hunt and decided in the summer that the the first 25 were dedicated to bowhunting, but the last three would be rifle season. Fortunately I didn't need a the gun.

I went on a two week unsuccessful Dall sheep hunt in Alaska with an outfitter that did not work to maximize your hunting opportunity. The first week was spent in a taxidermy shop in Wasilla! Soured me on outfitters for a while.

My second Colorado bighorn was taken on the 11th day of the hunt in the unit I worked in again, 15 years after the first ram. I got a medium sized ram near the end after trying hard for a big one.

I have 5 hunts over the last four seasons in for Stone's......44 days and counting. One of these hunts will be successful! Close encounters just out of my bow range but no ram so far!

Anyway, it is the challenge, the magnificence of sheep country, and ultimately when I finally arrowed one of my rams, the sweet feeling of accomplishment that keeps me trying.

 

[Nick Muche]

Block, lets see some pictures, sounds like you have enjoyed a wonderful life of bowhunting sheep!

 

[Buster]

Block, lets see some pictures, sounds like you have enjoyed a wonderful life of bowhunting sheep!

I agree.