30 years old, dreamin of big horns...what options?

Some people truly love sheep hunting, sheep country, and do everything they can to be involved. Most seem to be simply drawn to sheep hunting because they want a picture with a dead sheep to show to people.

It sounds like you are just getting into Western hunting with your first antelope hunt.

If you truly love sheep you don't need a tag in your pocket to spend time in sheep country.

I'd recommend you spend some time around sheep to see if this is something you truly love. If you find yourself obsessed heading to sheep country every year even without a tag then you might have a real interest.

IMO most people talk a big game about wanting to hunt sheep, but rarely spend time in sheep country, and although they complain about tags, they do not hunt the unlimited units every year. Tags are OTC, just a matter of how bad you want it.

Keep putting in, while it sounds impossible, it does happen. I've drawn AZ resident Desert and Rocky Mountain tags, and a CO non resident Rocky tag. I ponied up for a Dall's sheep in AK, only way for a non resident and last but not least I spent the big bucks for a Stone's hunt out of Toad River BC with a very well known outfitter and didn't see a legal ram (went twice,struck out twice). So I've had six sheep hunts and have four rams on the wall. Unless I win one, no more Stone's. I'd do them again if I was starting over, (70 yrs old, and four knee replacements later). Keep going for it. I personally know a hunter who drew an AZ Rocky tag with 6 pts, it still can be done. Good luck to all. GJ

Copied this from another forum and the math looks good other than I edited one state and added 1 in X odds to make it easier to grasp. In 24 months, the CO odds will be 2x to 3x as tough as this year.

If you are NR in the below states and have 5 PP where points are possible and apply to all these states your odds to draw 1 or more sheep tags in a given year is 2.46% which is 1 in 40 odds. If you apply for 40 years then should draw 1 or more NR sheep tags if NR allocation remains steady, sheep numbers remain steady and applications remain steady. You might be in the upper 10% of NR PP point holders if you only have 5PP or less today so your odds should climb as you approach your 70s.

The annual cost to apply in those 9 states when add up mandatory licenses, permits, fees, etc is around $1800. Those costs have gone up over 5% on average each year the past 10 years. S0, in 15 years the annual cost may well be $3600. In Year 30 will be $7200. In Year 40 will be around $11,000. A short cut to calculate several years of cost that rises uniformly is to take Year 1 + Year 40 then divide by 2 then multiply times 40. 40 years adds up to $506,862 in fees to draw your 1 or more NR sheep tags. Plus the price of the tag which is as high as about $3500 now so figure that tag is $22,000 in Year 40.

You may be luckier than average and most people assume they are which is why Vegas has such big casinos.

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To save you the time and other individuals the time that ask the same question every month or so...I will list draw odds.
This will be based off of having 5 pts in states that have preference points...and best chance of drawing units...
So the odds will be worse in some states if you are just starting out with zero bonus/preference points.

NR sheep draw odds:
Idaho .6% completely random no PPs. 8 NR tags in 2017 vs. 1268 NR applicants. 0.6% is 1 in 167 odds.
Colorado .4% PPs cant get in until 3pps. 0% then once past 3 years will be .15% due to large influx of applicants in 2018. 0.15% is 1 in 667 odds.
Wyoming .3% PPs but odds are for random allocation. 0.3% is 1 in 333 odds.
Oregon .3% completely random. 0.3% is 1 in 333 odds.
Arizona .1% PPs but odds are for random allocation. 0.10% is 1 in 1000 odds.
NM .09% completely random. 0.09% is 1 in 1111 odds.
Utah .04% PPs but odds are for random allocation. 0.40% is 1 in 250 odds.
Nevada .05% PPs but odds are for random allocation. 0.50% is 1 in 2000 odds.
Montana .02% PPs but odds are for random . 0.02% is 1 in 5000 odds.

If you are just starting out you will never be in the max point pool in any state. That is a fact.
Majority of the states are over 20pts max and with point creep and numbers of guys in the max pool it just wont happen in your lifetime.
So you will need to consider random odds for your hunting career.
Some states your random odds will increase with bonus point systems etc...I am not going to explain all that.

Idk if I agree with that math. If any tag is costing 22k in 40 years then the average wages will be upwards of $200/hr

LopeHunter said:

Utah .04% PPs but odds are for random allocation. 0.40% is 1 in 250 odds.

Click to expand...

The UT numbers don't match up. Should be 0.04% is 1 in 2500 odds.

not to be that guy but even using your inflation number and your math the cost of the tag would be half of what you suggested. 1) $1800 + $11,000 = $12,800. 2) $12,800 / 2 = $6,400. 3) $6,400 x 40 = $256,000. This also assumes you don't use any license, build any other points, or draw any other tags from any other states you apply for sheep in. If you do plan on drawing other tags and go on other hunts you need to divide that total cost up over all of the other tags and hunts. I applaud the effort but this is misleading at best. Sheep hunting has incredibly steep odds and is expensive...its not any more complicated than that. Build points if you can, hunt other states and species while waiting to hit the lottery...

Do you have kids or plan on having kids? Take the money you would have put towards all those sheep tags and that you probably will never draw and put towards their college fund or for a trade school. Believe me, It will bring you much more pride than all that money towards a “potential” sheep hunt. Just my 2 cents......

Instead of applying every year for tags that you'll likely never draw, take your application money and sock it away in a mutual fund. Cash it out years down the road when you have enough for a guided hunt for archery bighorns in Canmore.

IF you REALLY want to hunt sheep move to Alaska, British Columbia or Alberta and do it every year. Lot easier said than done; but you wouldn't be the first to do it!