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MT 216 sheep

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mthillrunner

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
209
Location
SW MT
After years of donations to MT FWP I drew the tag I was sure would never come. I am fortunate I’m familiar with the area from years of elk hunting there. I’m also fortunate to know folks that are very knowledgeable of the sheep there. It’s only a 45 minute drive from home. My oldest son is 12 & will tag along when able, he has no idea how rare this fall will be. I watched him shoot his first bear a month ago. Hopefully, he’ll be along when I get my sheep. I’ll post here and there on scouting trips and during the hunt. I love things in life that are mental tests, nothing worth while is easy. Having friends that are very knowledgeable of sheep will be invaluable as I know zero of sheep. I’m hoping to lay eyes on lots of sheep this summer to educate myself. Good luck to the folks that drew, put in the work and may you find success. Thanks to those that offer their knowledge along the way.
 
Can't wait to watch this one play out all summer into the fall. I have applied there a few times over the years. The hunt of a lifetime in the works and I love it!
 
Awesome. Congrats on the tag. Looking forward to seeing the hunt unfold.
 
That's a good tag. I've been seeing some nice sheep come out of there, I think one was a booner.

Post some pics as you scout too.
 
I seriously know very little of sheep. My friends have told the size of sheep to expect and such. Problem is I wouldn’t know a 170 sheep from a 180 sheep if they were standing beside each other. Can anyone recommend a good book with pics to learn to judge sheep. I’m not looking for a book with pics of 190” sheep only. I need to see 170” on up sheep. It’s rather unlikely I’m going to see one approaching 195” but I’d like to think even I could figure out I’m looking at a giant in that instance. I’m more concerned with being able to sort out a average ram for the unit from a good ram. Thanks
 
Field judging sheep is difficult. what you are looking for is mass. The best advice I have is put your hands on as many as you can and search the web for sheep that have been measured so you can see what they look like. I've measured several that people swore were book, only to be off by 20". That's a lot.

Stay away from broomed tips.

Look for bad notches chipped out. That will affect mass scores.
 
Learn how to age and look for an old one. Nothing wrong with a broomed ram. Most old warriors are broomed.
I have a pic of one from there last year I’m trying to dig up to send to you.
 
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Yep, aging is a good asset. As said, the mass is what really sets them apart. Go to all the taxidermy shops and sporting goods stores you can and look at the bases on the rams. Measure the circumference if they'll let you.

Personally, I like broomed rams. It may affect the score, but that wouldn't stop me from shooting one. Gomer's right, most sheep over 7 1/2 are going to be pretty broomed off anyway.

Just like deer or elk, the body size and shape on an old mature ram is markedly different than a young ram.
 
Congrats on the tag!

Im guessing he ment stay away from the unbroomed rams? Odds are they are quite young.

If it was me Id figure out where the rutting areas are and hunt the later part of the season, but hunt scout the entire season.

I wouldn't get hung up on score. Old sheep are way cooler than a high scoring young ram, IMO. Once they make about 8 they are on borrowed time.

Get the harvest info and find out what old is for the unit, and you will know what kind of animal to he looking for. Old could be 7, or 12...

Good luck!
 
Do you own ‘land of giant rams’ by Duncan? I think it’s volume 3 that I have. It has a bunch of info of 216, but you have to remember it was written right around or just after the ‘glory days’. 216 was almost what 680 is now at the time it was written.
 
Sounds like you are going to have fun fall! Don't be afraid to poke around in the timber some. Those rock creek sheep are known to spend a lot of time in the trees. My wife had a 210 ewe tag back before the last die-off and got her sheep in the dense north slope timber cover.
 
Get Field Judging North American Wild Rams and Advanced Field Judging North American Wild Rams. Both are good videos and were a big help to me. John Lewton has some good videos too. After the vids/books get out an look at some wild sheep.

I had the 210 tag and spoke with the 216 tag holders. They were finding sheep in the timber. 210 is a good easy area to look over some rams
 
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It won’t be as hard as you think.
Hunt the northern most drainage during the rut and you can kill them with a rock.
C978BCC7-ACD1-4733-97FA-73EBB6CCC5BC.jpg

I have archery hunted the unit twice for ewes. Nice area!
8A7F50EE-66B8-4576-A54A-D83653B6ECA8.jpg
Good luck!!
 
SteveE, season closes October 31 in the unit so I’m guessing that’s the very start of the rut. I’m certain I will try my darndest to greatly over complicate things, seems to be what I do at times��
 
mthillrunner said:
I seriously know very little of sheep. My friends have told the size of sheep to expect and such. Problem is I wouldn’t know a 170 sheep from a 180 sheep if they were standing beside each other. Can anyone recommend a good book with pics to learn to judge sheep. I’m not looking for a book with pics of 190” sheep only. I need to see 170” on up sheep. It’s rather unlikely I’m going to see one approaching 195” but I’d like to think even I could figure out I’m looking at a giant in that instance. I’m more concerned with being able to sort out a average ram for the unit from a good ram. Thanks
Click to expand...
I had a sheep tag for the Elkhorns years ago (12 years ago I think). I was only 15 or 16...so don’t remember a ton of what I learned, but I may still have some old videos my dad picked up for the pre-hunt that helped a ton with judging sheep. Goes through all kinds of things to look for, and helped a lot (although still a tough decision lol).
If you’re interested, I could try to track them down again and pass them your way.
Congrats!
 
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