What would be the best way to go about getting into Sheep hunting in 2025, assuming you were starting out fresh today?

[KHntr]

get a friend in BC for sheep and goat.

Permit to Accompany Non-Resident or Non-Resident Aliens to Hunt Big Game

Information about the permit to accompany program allowing non-residents and non-resident aliens of BC to hunt in BC.

www2.gov.bc.ca

yukon no grizzly or sheep/goat allowed for special guiding.

BC doesn’t give out Permit to Accompany for sheep. Residents or guided by a licensed outfitter only.

 

[medvedyt]

BC doesn’t give out Permit to Accompany for sheep. Residents or guided by a licensed outfitter only.

that is even reducing the opportunity for hunting.

 

[Northern Safari]

I've received a handful of quotes now for sheep hunts in the Yukon and NWT. All hunts are $70,000 USD++ and some are booking out to 2029.

Not looking likely that I will be able to swing a $96,000 CAD Sheep hunt at this point.....what's the next most "affordable" international sheep, behind the Dall?

 

[mulveymo]

Six figures for a sheep hunt is baffling. You can go on a few African safaris for that price, or any number of other crazy hunts around the world. But I just don't get sheep. Maybe it's the scarcity, but the appeal just isn't there for me.

 

[Northern Safari]

Six figures for a sheep hunt is baffling. You can go on a few African safaris for that price, or any number of other crazy hunts around the world. But I just don't get sheep. Maybe it's the scarcity, but the appeal just isn't there for me.

Rich man's game for sure, even richer for the bighorns.

 

[Eship]

Six figures for a sheep hunt is baffling. You can go on a few African safaris for that price, or any number of other crazy hunts around the world. But I just don't get sheep. Maybe it's the scarcity, but the appeal just isn't there for me.

I concur with this. I do not get the draw to it. It seems that the fact that it is so cost prohibitive is part of the appeal. I’m young and likely could pay for a sheep hunt, but that doesn’t mean I can “afford” it since I have a family, and I think it’s absurd to pay that much just to kill a sheep. So many other opportunities around the world for way less.

If it’s purely for the challenge, I can think of a lot of even tougher challenges that do not require you spending a massive amount of money. You could even go backpacking and glassing in one of the areas for them, and then go ahead to some private ranch like was mentioned earlier and shoot one there. If you want, you could even do laps in order to make the pack out extremely long/difficult to give yourself a challenge(joking). That’ll give you an equivalent experience but for 10% of the cost and without the stress of Possibly not even filling a tag. I know it’s not the same, but I’m just trying to imagine other options that could fill the desire. If you’re not pulling in $200k plus per year while still being frugal, the only logical way I see of doing it is through raffles or going and becoming a resident of one of the areas.

 

[idelkslayer]

You can do a Marco Polo hunt in one of the central asian countries for less than $30,000. Snow sheep in Kamchatka for less than $20,000.

 

[Northern Safari]

I concur with this. I do not get the draw to it. It seems that the fact that it is so cost prohibitive is part of the appeal. I’m young and likely could pay for a sheep hunt, but that doesn’t mean I can “afford” it since I have a family, and I think it’s absurd to pay that much just to kill a sheep. So many other opportunities around the world for way less.

If it’s purely for the challenge, I can think of a lot of even tougher challenges that do not require you spending a massive amount of money. You could even go backpacking and glassing in one of the areas for them, and then go ahead to some private ranch like was mentioned earlier and shoot one there. If you want, you could even do laps in order to make the pack out extremely long/difficult to give yourself a challenge(joking). That’ll give you an equivalent experience but for 10% of the cost and without the stress of Possibly not even filling a tag. I know it’s not the same, but I’m just trying to imagine other options that could fill the desire. If you’re not pulling in $200k plus per year while still being frugal, the only logical way I see of doing it is through raffles or going and becoming a resident of one of the areas.

I admit part of the appeal is the mystique and sense of how unobtainable a sheep hunt is today.

I need to find myself an “AA” group for people that are “not quite sheep rich” so we can vent our frustrations of the current state of sheep hunting.

I was hoping that a Dall sheep would fall within budget but it honestly seems like those prices have doubled in the last 2-3 years that I have been looking.

I’ll stick to the mountain goats and ibex and African game to get my thrills.

 

[Northern Safari]

You can do a Marco Polo hunt in one of the central asian countries for less than $30,000. Snow sheep in Kamchatka for less than $20,000.

I’ve been seeing these as well. Can do Marco Polo and an Ibex for under 50k.

 

[7layerburrito]

I concur with this. I do not get the draw to it. It seems that the fact that it is so cost prohibitive is part of the appeal. I’m young and likely could pay for a sheep hunt, but that doesn’t mean I can “afford” it since I have a family, and I think it’s absurd to pay that much just to kill a sheep. So many other opportunities around the world for way less.

If it’s purely for the challenge, I can think of a lot of even tougher challenges that do not require you spending a massive amount of money. You could even go backpacking and glassing in one of the areas for them, and then go ahead to some private ranch like was mentioned earlier and shoot one there. If you want, you could even do laps in order to make the pack out extremely long/difficult to give yourself a challenge(joking). That’ll give you an equivalent experience but for 10% of the cost and without the stress of Possibly not even filling a tag. I know it’s not the same, but I’m just trying to imagine other options that could fill the desire. If you’re not pulling in $200k plus per year while still being frugal, the only logical way I see of doing it is through raffles or going and becoming a resident of one of the areas.

I agree. I think there are "tougher" challenges -- at least when you're comparing against a dall sheep hunt. Every serious western elk hunt I've been on was more challenging (but dall sheep hunting is the only time I've ever been with a guide, so maybe we should ask HIM how tough it really is and what he was saving me from). A big horn sheep hunt could (and in most cases almost certainly would) prove to be far more challenging, terrain wise, for instance. Especially if you drew it and DIY'd.

For me, there aren't a lot of reasons as a lower-48 guy to visit Alaskan sheep country and that is 100% the appeal to me. I am lucky enough to be able to afford to pay for these hunts and I treat them like a luxury vacation where I might kill a sheep (I'm 1/1 but that might change very soon).

For me, it's access to a great, safe and experienced pilot and then an expedition into one of my favorite places on the planet. I truly think i could spend six uninterrupted weeks in the Brooks Range. I've dreamed of guiding up there after a couple visit. Sure, I could go there and caribou hunt or go there and just backpack ANWR -- but the cadence of a sheep hunt and how it makes you move through and use the terrain is unlike much else. There's a reason you don't hear people on these forums who have been say it wasn't worth it to them. But at these prices? I don't know. You have to be living very well to enjoy it without any sting.

 

[Northern Safari]

One thing I think many of us would wish for is that outfitters had more transparent pricing.

Post your prices on your website for the next 5 years to know what we can expect to get into.

Having to chase down and get a response from those that don’t publicly advertise hunt costs has been a bit of a challenge.

 

[cbeard64]

One thing I think many of us would wish for is that outfitters had more transparent pricing.

Post your prices on your website for the next 5 years to know what we can expect to get into.

Having to chase down and get a response from those that don’t publicly advertise hunt costs has been a bit of a challenge.

I’m sure they want to watch the market and keep their options open. Market might go up faster than they predicted. Or vice versa. Can’t really expect any business to lock in prices 5 years into the future.

I see a lot of hard opinions about outfitter pricing, but most are just reacting to supply and demand. If I were in a business with a dwindling supply and increasing demand my prices would reflect that fact also.

 

[bowshot2]

Cheaper to relocate to Alberta or BC and go hunting for a couple of years. Check out the residency requirements for the Yukon as well. Should be able to find work in Alberta. Just an idea.

 

[S-3 ranch]

One thing I think many of us would wish for is that outfitters had more transparent pricing.

Post your prices on your website for the next 5 years to know what we can expect to get into.

Having to chase down and get a response from those that don’t publicly advertise hunt costs has been a bit of a challenge.

I think the sheep outfits in North America take the attitude of “ if you have to ask, you can’t afford it “
Expense is not the object when north of the border is booked
Covid killed the sheep hunting in Canada, because the outfitters robbed Peter to pay Paul , / they spent everyone’s deposit money, and couldn’t really afford to pay it back so they jacked with their prices.
Mexico has awesome hunting, I kill a nice DBHS , aoudad ram , muledeer
In one trip for 1/2 of a hunt in British Columbia or Yukon
I will do Mexico again and ibex in turzakistan , Tur in azerbaijan , before ever trying Canada or Alaska

 

[Northern Safari]

I’m sure they want to watch the market and keep their options open. Market might go up faster than they predicted. Or vice versa. Can’t really expect any business to lock in prices 5 years into the future.

I see a lot of hard opinions about outfitter pricing, but most are just reacting to supply and demand. If I were in a business with a dwindling supply and increasing demand my prices would reflect that fact also.

Atleast list the price of their next available year then, many outfitters seem to be booking out to 2028/2029 at this point.

 

[cbeard64]

Atleast list the price of their next available year then, many outfitters seem to be booking out to 2028/2029 at this point.

Most good sheep outfitters are booked years in advance. So they are not saying what future prices will be.

I’m told what most are doing now is simply taking deposits on future hunts without a guarantee as to the final price. I know that may sound crazy, but apparently the market is supporting that approach.

I think folks are just going to have to accept that the old norms are gone. It’s a new world.