so lets talk sheep hunting..

[60x]

I hunted quite a bit for the thinhorns of Alaska but gotta say recently I have really been wanting to get a chance to hunt in the lower 48 for bighorns. I will be a non resident of course.. What I am looking for some advice on where to start. I know it could take years so at 43 I want to start putting in now. I do have an in in Colorado(as far as finding a decent area to put in for) but wow is it spendy to put in for the draw.. No complaints about it just a bit of sticker shock.. My fear is the putting in blind I will be just wasting time and money.. Do a lot of states have online harvest statistcs and such for doing research? Also do you find archery to be an easier draw.. Appreciate any input and opinions...
Dave

 

[Steve O]

You get all yor money back from CO except for a few dollars. You have to think of the money you don't get back from the various draw systems as an investment or buying a lottery ticket or you will not apply. There is no cheap way around it, of you want to hunt sheep legally, you have to play the game.

CO is the only state with a specific archery tag if I remember correctly (and they do have better odds). I drew S12 in 2007. I did not come home with a ram but it was the best month of my life.

 

[60x]

You get all yor money back from CO except for a few dollars. You have to think of the money you don't get back from the various draw systems as an investment or buying a lottery ticket or you will not apply. There is no cheap way around it, of you want to hunt sheep legally, you have to play the game.

CO is the only state with a specific archery tag if I remember correctly (and they do have better odds). I drew S12 in 2007. I did not come home with a ram but it was the best month of my life.

Like I said no complaints here on CO I just originally thought it was about 1k not 2.. You are right though you do have to pay to play.. Appreciate the advice and info.. I bet that was a hell of a time chasin sheep.. I am actually thinking of just doing a camera hunt in the near future.. magnificant creatures..
Dave

 

[realunlucky]

If you feel lucky Utah. Odds suck but for the price of non resident license around 70 and 10 for every species you apply for. Currently you can use one license to apply for two years as its good for 365 days so with a little planning you can get one to over lap two application periods. Ie. Apply late this year and early next

 

[Rizzy]

I have recently been looking into some of the Frank Church (unit 27) Bighorn hunts in Idaho. The draw odds look like they are 1 in 4 for me as a resident, which is really good. The hunts however, are very difficult and with low success rates. I will probably start applying for these hunts though, because I'm not getting any younger and this is a doable hunt without spending thousands playing the points games. I feel I realistically have a chance at drawing this hunt and actually hunting Bighorn Sheep.

 

[realunlucky]

I believe Montana also has an archery only tag. They also have a registration hunt you can buy OTC but as you can imagine it has scary low odds of success

 

[Steve O]

I believe Montana also has an archery only tag. They also have a registration hunt you can buy OTC but as you can imagine it has scary low odds of success

Montana does not have an archery only tag/unit. If you draw a sheep tag, you can hunt the archery only season with your bow which opens two weeks earlier than the general season. The unlimited units are the toughest sheep hunts on the planet. Montana would be a good place for a photo shoot. I took these while there mountain lion hunting.

 

[60x]

this site needs a like button! awesome pics!

 

[BRobertson]

Dave,

I will be watching this also,

I will probably never be able to afford to go, but I guess I can dream!! I would of course hunt with my revolver, so that leaves Canada out!!

Also would like to hunt Stone someday, but again Canada doesn't think us handgun types are worthy!!
Ever since I stood next to (within 1 foot) of the Chadwick Ram displayed in Cody, I have had the urge to go after one!!

I guess we are really fortunate that we have our Dall Sheep here, and can hunt them every year!! Unless you have a job like I have always had that precludes
time off in Sheep season!!

Bob

 

[60x]

Bob I hear ya.. I never seen the chadwick in person( I would probably drool all over the floor) but readin about it and seeing some of Kluckys videos as a kid were what got me into chasing those thin horns.. I tried for a couple of years to work a deal with a couple canadian outfitters to guide for them for free in exchange for a stone hunt but there were just too many complications..
The more I read and the more pics I see really make me not want to waste any more time and miss out on a chance on one of those bighorn fellows. I figure it will take some years and by then my greatest hunting partner(4 yo boy) will be old enough to come along...

We Alaskans are very lucky indeed.
Dave

 

[BRobertson]

The Bighorns are spectacular for sure!!

I was down in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana several times flying surveys for a friend that based out of Alta, Wyoming.
He pretty much had all the State and Fed contracts for the wildlife surveys in that area, at that time. (He was killed while returning from a grizzly survey
in Yellowstone in 1995).

I got to see a lot of BIG rams and really got the fever!!

 

[BRobertson]

I don't know how they have the Chadwick Ram displayed now, at that time (1998??) they had it in a temporary display right at ground level.
They had his hunting journal, and all his gear displayed on the wall next to it!! FANTASTIC!!

 

[HD95]

I don't know if this will help you or not,Eastmans hunting journal publishes a lot of information regarding the odds and other information in the mrs section at the back of the mag.They explain the best areas and how you go about entering non-res draws.

 

[CoHiCntry]

I hunted quite a bit for the thinhorns of Alaska but gotta say recently I have really been wanting to get a chance to hunt in the lower 48 for bighorns. I will be a non resident of course.. What I am looking for some advice on where to start. I know it could take years so at 43 I want to start putting in now. I do have an in in Colorado(as far as finding a decent area to put in for) but wow is it spendy to put in for the draw.. No complaints about it just a bit of sticker shock.. My fear is the putting in blind I will be just wasting time and money..

If you want to start putting in for Colorado, don't delay. Your not even eligible to draw the first three years you apply. Your fear of wasting time and money is a reality. Then again it might not be...

 

[Ray]

60x,
Look down the page at the sheep raffle thread. NV and WY are now selling affordable raffle tickets. Gambling for sure.

 

[Bambistew]

IMO, its pretty much a crap shoot if you're just getting into the game. I know many will disagree with me, but the reality is you will likely never draw a sheep tag in the L48. There are thousands, ahead of you in many states with max points, and the number of NR tags given is very small in comparision. In most states you're 15-20 years behind... That said someone has to draw... I was doing some research recently comparing the L48 to what we have here in AK. It was pretty eye opening comparison to say the least.

Every state has a bit different drawing system, and they tend to morph over the years. IMO, just starting out I'd look hard at ID, CO, WY and MT.

ID is random draw for everyone, best odds of drawing
CO has archery tags that you might be able to draw in 20 years.
WY sets aside 25% of the tags for a random draw, the rest go to max point holders... you're about 200 years out of the "max" point pool
MT has a bonus point system so for every point you have you get a squared number of chances in the "pot" plus the app for that year. People with 1-2 points draw occasionally.

Not sure on the rest of the states systems. You probably have as good or better chances in some cases to by raffle tickets. I think there are couple dozen issued.

Here are some approximate numbers of tags issued to NR each year. I didn't look up the rest of the states that offer tags because they're fewer than 5 issued to NR. For reference AK hosted about 500 NR sheep hunters last year...

State NR tags
WY 55
ID 8
CO 23
UT 8
AZ 10
NV 33
MT 23

 

[60x]

All great info I appreciate all the posts and advice.. I have a lot of reading to do..
Dave

 

[Coveyleader]

For sure put in for CO. There are a few units with great odds for a NR if you go the Archery route. The S12s and 32s are good units, but there are others to pick as a NR with good oportunities at nice rams. I'm back in with 3+2 after my almost 10 year wait. I want to hunt them one more time. Nothing like monster climbs and being 20 yds from a big ram.

 

[dotman]

Sheep hunting in the lower 48 for the NR is cheap compared to the NR cost to hunt Dall sheep in AK . The good thing is the NR can hunt sheep DIY in the lower 48 and there are no expensive bush flights needed.

The bad is your chance at drawing is horrible but there are good options, you can put in for a desert sheep tag in CO and be in the pool right away but odds of drawing are low. CO did have a few sub par units that a NR could draw in 3 or 4 years once the min points were met but those units are being hit up now by the people with a ton of points because they want to hunt and they know the primo units are even out of their reach for many more years.

ID I believe everyone is on equal footing.

MT unlimited is always an option to have a chance, you'll get a tag and Is the cheapest tag option. If you put in for this tag you do not get points towards the limited units.

Now there are some good pros here that know way more then me but this is just what I feel is out there from my research.

 

[Rizzy]

For sure put in for CO. There are a few units with great odds for a NR if you go the Archery route. The S12s and 32s are good units, but there are others to pick as a NR with good oportunities at nice rams. I'm back in with 3+2 after my almost 10 year wait. I want to hunt them one more time. Nothing like monster climbs and being 20 yds from a big ram.

How long did it take you to draw the first time?