The Future of resident Alaska sheep hunting?

[TheWhitetailNut]

What areas are healthy, What units migth be going to draw for residents? What do sheep opportunities really look like for 2026-2031?

I done enough guided hunts to know I'd rather be skunked on my own than rely on others so we are seriously considering the move up. Started on my first hunt in Alaska for Goats in 2020, but now come to Alaska multiple times a year and just took my family to see how they like it for Sockeye season. I know a few pilots now and am trying to build out a network.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

There’s plenty of opportunities for adventure up here, but I wouldn’t base a move on sheep alone. They are depressed in nearly every area to the moment. Barring unforeseen weather events, there will be a bounce back in the future, but how long and how much is yet to be seen. Learning to be successful in sheep hunting is a multi year endeavor, so expecting to come up and slam big sheep would not be based on reality. Adventure and opportunity for many other species though would make for a satisfying move up, if you could choose a location that would suit your family as a whole.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

There’s plenty of opportunities for adventure up here, but I wouldn’t base a move on sheep alone. They are depressed in nearly every area to the moment. Barring unforeseen weather events, there will be a bounce back in the future, but how long and how much is yet to be seen. Learning to be successful in sheep hunting is a multi year endeavor, so expecting to come up and slam big sheep would not be based on reality. Adventure and opportunity for many other species though would make for a satisfying move up, if you could choose a location that would suit your family as a whole.

Wise words. I'll clarify I've been studying and keeping track of Moose, Caribou, and Bears for many years but did not spend as much effort on sheep because I didn't think I ever would hunt them. After hunting goats in the Chugach, sheep has taken a fair bit of my attention. I'm more interested in the hunt than the head, so the learning is the best part. I would say that true of everything from shore hunting bears, alpine deer, and whatever the Last Frontier has.

As a family we fish and hunt quite a bit and hopefully we just trade Antelope, Elk and Deer for caribou and moose. We visited 6 different communities on this last trip and we feel really good about one in particular.

 

[ColeyG]

When you get this figured out, let me know. I have about 15 years invested in learning the sheep game here and after succeeding fairly consistently for a while, I haven't killed a ram in a handful of years. Shoot, I went 5 trips over 3 years without even seeing an obviously legal ram.

I had a chance to scout my Plan A area over the weekend and only found two small groups of lambs and ewes. Not a ram in sight. On to plan B.

It is a very tough time to be a sheep hunter in Alaska.