Sheep Tips and Tricks

[Dust1n]

I noticed there is no thread with neat list of tips and trips for sheep hunting.
In one line summarize a sheep hunting tip or a trick you’d like to share.
I’ll go first;

Let your eyes do the walking for you.

 

[kaboku68]

1) Don't pack too many clothing items.
2) Finish your packing at your house because you will add unnecessary stuff at the trail head.
3) Push yourself as far as you can but no sheep is worth dying for.
4) Time can be worth more in the mountains than money.
5) A happy wife is a happy life.
6) They used to sheephunt without the fancy tech and gear.
7) Decoys and overwhites work until they don't.
8) Be a sneaker not a homewrecker.
9) Carrying a little extra weight in a good tent and tripod is a good idea.
10) You never have to worry about water treatment until you do.
11) Mass. Mass. Mass. when it comes to trophy determination.
12) You can never spend too much time in the mountains.
13) Make sure that you can shoot the rifle you shoot best- a 9lb 2 moa rifle that you can shoot from different positions is a hell of a lot better than a 4.5lb rifle that you can't get on paper.
14) Listen to the old guys. They usually did more with less.
15) Don't waste your youth. It gets harder to hunt the older you are.
16) Hunt good places that are difficult to go to because you will see less hunters.
17) Nail predators if you can, it will put more sheep on the mountains.
18) Trappers are a sheep hunters best friend.
19)If the ram is close to legal, just let it walk.
20) Set yourself up for success by learning from successful sheep hunters that have done it themselves and not braggarts who just buy mounts.
21) Never wear matching camo. You won't impress anyone.
22) Buy sleeping pads made for women. They are more comfortable.
23) Make sure your wife is comfortable if you take her sheep hunting if you want your marriage to continue.
24) Sheep meat is great with cherry pie filling drizzling over it on a fire.

 

[North61]

1) Lose all your excess fat.. I am trying to get back to my University weight..It's incredible how much more mobile you can be even when you are an old fart.
2) Get as fit as you can.. heart, lungs, legs.. then keep it up as a life style and then get fitter still
3) Don't forget strength training especially as you get older... go to Physio and fix all your quirks
4) Get good boots that fit then break them in. USE WALKING POLES
5) Practice with your loaded backpack on hills.... make sure your gear fits you..that includes your back pack.
6) Get use to your gear on training runs..including over nights and back packing trips in the wilderness. Do not bring stuff you find you don't neeed and you need less than you think. DON"T PACK YOUR FEARS
7) Go light but not stupid light. If your light weight choice is not durable enough that could be a safety concern.
8) Split gear with your partner. 1 gun, 1 spotting scope, 1 stove, I tent (if you are close and neither snores)
8) Don't take extra clothes.... except 2 pair socks and one extra underwear.
9) NO Gadgets... except a range finder, phone skope and your Garmin Mini
10) Multi task your gear choices as much as possible... Phone = Camera, satellite communicator, GPS, Ballistics computer, note book and reading book.
11) BE KIND TO YOUR PARTNER.... even if it isn't your wife... a good partner is your best sheep hunting aid.
12) No more than 1.5-2 pounds of food per day with one extra day for bad weather.. get the calories up by bringing good fats (9 calories/gm) not by packing more weight

 

[Jacques Etcheverry]

1) Don't pack too many clothing items.
2) Finish your packing at your house because you will add unnecessary stuff at the trail head.
3) Push yourself as far as you can but no sheep is worth dying for.
4) Time can be worth more in the mountains than money.
5) A happy wife is a happy life.
6) They used to sheephunt without the fancy tech and gear.
7) Decoys and overwhites work until they don't.
8) Be a sneaker not a homewrecker.
9) Carrying a little extra weight in a good tent and tripod is a good idea.
10) You never have to worry about water treatment until you do.
11) Mass. Mass. Mass. when it comes to trophy determination.
12) You can never spend too much time in the mountains.
13) Make sure that you can shoot the rifle you shoot best- a 9lb 2 moa rifle that you can shoot from different positions is a hell of a lot better than a 4.5lb rifle that you can't get on paper.
14) Listen to the old guys. They usually did more with less.
15) Don't waste your youth. It gets harder to hunt the older you are.
16) Hunt good places that are difficult to go to because you will see less hunters.
17) Nail predators if you can, it will put more sheep on the mountains.
18) Trappers are a sheep hunters best friend.
19)If the ram is close to legal, just let it walk.
20) Set yourself up for success by learning from successful sheep hunters that have done it themselves and not braggarts who just buy mounts.
21) Never wear matching camo. You won't impress anyone.
22) Buy sleeping pads made for women. They are more comfortable.
23) Make sure your wife is comfortable if you take her sheep hunting if you want your marriage to continue.
24) Sheep meat is great with cherry pie filling drizzling over it on a fire.

You must be mistaken #18 has to be WSF. I’m joking of course, I’ve never seen one while out trapping.


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[Jimss]

2 words: "Sheep shape!"

 

[kaboku68]

You must be mistaken #18 has to be WSF. I’m joking of course, I’ve never seen one while out trapping.


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Every trapped wolf is 10 more sheep in the general population area. God bless the trappers!

 

[alexanderg23]

Mark your tent if you leave it!

 

[Stid2677]

Don't waste energy,, camp is just a place on the ground. Sleep where it gets dark on ya,, don't waste energy hiking to and from a "base camp". Go to sleep with the sheep and wake up with them, when you run out of food, then go back to base camp.

When you find rams,, memorize every marking, stain, way they walk,, etc.... When the shooting starts, it is often very hard to ID by horns alone,, but distinctive coloring or stains can be used.

 

[VernAK]

25. Observe lay-of-the-land as you fly in.....in case you have to walk out.

 

[Jimss]

3 more words: "Glass, Glass, Glass!"

 

[AKSandman]

1) when looking at a sheep to determine if it is legal, try to make it illegal because that’s what F&G will do when you go to get it sealed. If you can’t figure out how to make it illegal, then it’s a pretty sure bet that is a legal ram.

2) If you want your pictures to look good, tie a piece of mono fishing line around the sagging lower lip and bring some baby powder to dust over less than white spots on a Dall sheep.

3) You don’t need camo, but you should bring common sense. Things have gotten ridiculous in the gear market. A well executed stalk in a red plaid shirt is better than a haphazard one in the best equipment.

4) Eat good food and be active. Out of shape is usually a term we use to describe our choice of a comfortable and undisciplined lifestyle. In shape is the physical ability to recover from exertion quickly and repeatedly. A one day sheep hunt is rare, so plan on exerting yourself multiple days in a row and recovering while you sleep.

5) Whisky is a good substitute for when beer is to heavy to practically bring along.

6) Patience and time have killed more sheep than money, gadgets and fancy equipment.

7) School is always in session. The day you think you have it figured out is the day you will make preventable mistakes in the mountains.

 

[Alaskan89]

1) Don't pack too many clothing items.
2) Finish your packing at your house because you will add unnecessary stuff at the trail head.
3) Push yourself as far as you can but no sheep is worth dying for.
4) Time can be worth more in the mountains than money.
5) A happy wife is a happy life.
6) They used to sheephunt without the fancy tech and gear.
7) Decoys and overwhites work until they don't.
8) Be a sneaker not a homewrecker.
9) Carrying a little extra weight in a good tent and tripod is a good idea.
10) You never have to worry about water treatment until you do.
11) Mass. Mass. Mass. when it comes to trophy determination.
12) You can never spend too much time in the mountains.
13) Make sure that you can shoot the rifle you shoot best- a 9lb 2 moa rifle that you can shoot from different positions is a hell of a lot better than a 4.5lb rifle that you can't get on paper.
14) Listen to the old guys. They usually did more with less.
15) Don't waste your youth. It gets harder to hunt the older you are.
16) Hunt good places that are difficult to go to because you will see less hunters.
17) Nail predators if you can, it will put more sheep on the mountains.
18) Trappers are a sheep hunters best friend.
19)If the ram is close to legal, just let it walk.
20) Set yourself up for success by learning from successful sheep hunters that have done it themselves and not braggarts who just buy mounts.
21) Never wear matching camo. You won't impress anyone.
22) Buy sleeping pads made for women. They are more comfortable.
23) Make sure your wife is comfortable if you take her sheep hunting if you want your marriage to continue.
24) Sheep meat is great with cherry pie filling drizzling over it on a fire.

Boy howdy!

 

[IDNate]

This one is basic but important, take care of your feet during your hunt. Make sure you have good boots that fit your feet. If it feels like you have a hotspot or blister forming, stop and take care of it.

Also make sure you cut your toenails before your hunt. I forgot to do it on my last sheep hunt and was 4 hours from the nearest pair of clippers. Had to make do with a set of pliers I had in my truck.


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[Thunder]

Out of respect for sheep I will not post any tips or tricks

 

[ODgreen]

Research your intended area to hunt to the fullest extent you can, scout, look at maps, talk to your air service or other hunters, biologists, as much info as you can have.... I just got home from 10 day sheep hunt and although I tried, I failed to have all the info available to the area I hunted.... I was not successful and that may have been the reason why.

 

[cbeard64]

Mental fortitude is more important than any other factor. By a long shot.

 

[Lukeetreatz]

A good spotting scope will save you miles of walking!

 

[Viper*6]

All good advice here. I once took a College Sheep Hunting class while I was in Alaska. The class was taught by an Alaskan guide and I received college credits. The best advice he gave the students was to pack light and hunt sheep from above. Sheep always look down for danger but never up. Get above the sheep during the stalk and you will be successful. This advice accounted for 2 Dall Rams and 1 Bighorn for me.

 

[Viper*6]

Some more advice for the DYI hunters. If you fly into sheep camp plan on 2 days of extra meals and stove fuel just in case the plane gets weathered in and can't make it to the pickup area.

 

[Marine4life]

All this stuff is great but none of it is any good unless you go on a sheep hunt - book the hunt, draw the tag, etc and go. It was the best experience of my hunting life.


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