Sheep Success rates???

[kscowboy01]

I'm going to make a generalization here but a guy going after a Stone has played the sheep game before--with success. You probably aren't going to get the guy who is in over his head and "just wanted to hunt sheep" on this hunt. I'm sure the Alaskan guys like BRWNBR get their share of guys who had no idea of what they were in for when they booked. A man has to realize his limitations in life and sometimes the mountain finally tells him what he's dreaded to hear, you can't do it anymore. I'm almost there with my father and it flat-out sucks.

 

[BRWNBR]

I'm going to make a generalization here but a guy going after a Stone has played the sheep game before--with success. You probably aren't going to get the guy who is in over his head and "just wanted to hunt sheep" on this hunt. I'm sure the Alaskan guys like BRWNBR get their share of guys who had no idea of what they were in for when they booked. A man has to realize his limitations in life and sometimes the mountain finally tells him what he's dreaded to hear, you can't do it anymore. I'm almost there with my father and it flat-out sucks.

Probably a lot of truth to that statement. There comes a point where the mind is still indestructible, but the knees and hips...well....

 

[CTobias]

If you just look at the hard data put out by ADF&G, it's tough to get the whole picture on success rates. Like many have said, there are a lot of variables to every hunt.

The weather prior to the opener for my hunt sucked. Lots of rain and I was socked in, with just a few breaks in the clouds to scout prior to the opener. Luckily the weather finally broke on the eve of the opener. The opener was as clear as could be.

I must say, it was funny watching all the planes rush in on the evening of the 9th.

 

[JP100]

Thanks for some more insight/opinions.

As with all hunts there is a million things that can go wrong or right, that are beyond the control of guides/outfitters, we can only work wiht what we have and try and make the best of it.

 

[Thunder head]

The possibility of spending a whole hunt in a tent with the mountains socked in, is exactly why I haven't hunted a Dall sheep. Which is the only one even close to what I am willing to spend.

 

[CTobias]

The possibility of spending a whole hunt in a tent with the mountains socked in, is exactly why I haven't hunted a Dall sheep. Which is the only one even close to what I am willing to spend.

This is why you can't just plan on being out there for a few days. Allowing anything less than 10 days during the actual season is too little, in my opinion. I had planned on being out on the mountains for 15 days. I went in three days prior to the opener,but had planned on doing four days prior. But, due to the weather and some last minute fine tune load adjustments, I spent the 6th at the range making sure I was happy with the load I was taking with me.

 

[JP100]

The possibility of spending a whole hunt in a tent with the mountains socked in, is exactly why I haven't hunted a Dall sheep. Which is the only one even close to what I am willing to spend.

Thats can happen on heaps of hunts! not just a Dall hunt.
Make sure you gots lots of time, and go hard.
You can still hunt in the rain!

 

[Blockcaver]

Personal experience archery hunting sheep:

Bighorns in CO unguided: 2 rams arrowed over about 75 hunting days and 6 licenses drawn.
Desert Bighorns in NV, unguided: 1 ram arrowed on the eighth day of the hunt, unguided.
Stone sheep in BC, unguided ram: 1 ram arrowed over about 65 hunting days and six seasons (eight backpack hunts).
Dall sheep, Alaska and NWT, guided ram: 1 ram arrowed over about 17 days, 2 hunts. The Alaska hunt with with Shankster 21 yrs ago..not a good hunt at all. The NWT hunt with Canol Outfitters last yr made up for it.

My overall success rate for per ram license is 5 for 15 or 33%, and 50% on guided archery Dall sheep hunts.

 

[CTobias]

You can still hunt in the rain!

It's much easier to ninja in on a ram when it's raining and the clouds are on the mountain. Especially if you go slow and already have an idea of where they are holding.