suggestions for a new adventure

[allgreatguns]

Howdy
I just found your sight. Looks like a great sight. I am looking for suggestions for a new adventure. I am putting together a small group of friends to try something we haven't done before. I have considered a fall drop hunt in Alaska, but I am not limited, other than by money. It must be affordable. I know that is a relative word, so under $2000 per person. Also, it must be attainable. A sheep hunt in wyoming might take 30 years to draw. We want something in the next 2 to 3 years. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Stuart

 

[muleguy]

If you really want to be challanged to the end try a Montana Sheep hunt unlimited.

 

[allgreatguns]

Tell me more about this. Do you mean unlimited draw? With the demand for sheep tags, there must not be any sheep in an area with unlimited draw. We could have unlimited tags for grizzly here in Texas. Not to be a smart alec, help me understand!

 

[Big Fin]

Tell me more about this. Do you mean unlimited draw? With the demand for sheep tags, there must not be any sheep in an area with unlimited draw. We could have unlimited tags for grizzly here in Texas. Not to be a smart alec, help me understand!

Looking out my porch at a unit where if you want to, you can apply and be guaranteed the sheep tag. Yup, unlimited tags for Rocky Mountain Bighorn. Hunt until the quota is filled, or until you are tired of hunting.

Good luck. Every year they kill a few legal rams from those herds.

 

[allgreatguns]

Bigfin, you have my attention. Please tell me more! Is this unlimited tags on 1,000,000 acres with a quota of 6? I know this sounds smart alec, I don't mean it that way. But sheep hunts typically start at 15,000 and go up. Please educate me. this certainly could be something we are interested in. I don't expect a guaranteed sheep hunt for $2000. But I don't want to spend $2000 on a 5 percent chance.
Thanks for any input

 

[Big Fin]

Here are the units and the quotas:

300 - Quota of 2
303 - " 2
500 - " 2
501 - " 3
502 - " 2

Last year, the number of hunters in those units were 17, 18, 11, 48, 18.

So, not a lot of competition if you consider the huge amount of terrain to hunt. When I finally draw my limited sheep tag here in Montana, I intend to hunt these units. But, I might never draw a limited tag, so I may never get to hunt one of these units.

Good luck if you try it.

 

[Hem]

Fin, Trying to figure out which direction your porch faces?Or A) you recently moved out of the valley B) You've been reading WAY to many hunting regs and are suffering from dementia C) you've been having cocktail hour when the sawbones say you really shouldn't D) I missed a radical change in the local sheep units.Pretty certain its not D,but the others more possible,....especially B.

 

[allgreatguns]

Bigfin,
how do I get more info? I have hunted Texas, South Africa, Georgia, Alabama and New Mew Mexico, but never Montana. I would imagine the terrain is rough. That is to be expected on a good hunt. I hunted antelope, and didn't like it because it was driving in the truck untill we saw them and then shoot one. I chose a group several hundred yards off, then stalked them to make it a hunt. I don't think the guide liked the extra effort, but I didn't like shooting from the pickup.
Is this an impossible hunt? Is it difficult, but acheiveable?

 

[allgreatguns]

Hey Hem,
What's wrong with cocktail hour? It is Friday night after all!

 

[Big Fin]

Hem - You saying I can't see the north end of Unit 300 from my porch? You might be correct, but if not, awful close. I am trying to decipher which of those snow capped hills is the north boundary.

Greatguns - Don't worry, about lack of exertion for these hunts. About as far on the other end of the spectrum from antelope hunting, as you can get. Won't be any road hunting.

 

[allgreatguns]

Bigfin,
I just looked, and it seems that nonresident Bighorn is $755. Can we add or draw to anything else on these hunts?

 

[Big Fin]

Bigfin,
I just looked, and it seems that nonresident Bighorn is $755. Can we add or draw to anything else on these hunts?

The archery elk and deer seasons are open during that time.

Hem - Just looked and you are right. It doesn't come as far north as Hyalite Peaks. Just south of there. I thought the Hyalites were the north boundary.

 

[Hem]

Just havin' some fun fellas.No moral judgement on cocktail hour from this household,but had to call out the master on his boundaries.I hunted that 300 unlimited years ago.....lets not sugar coat it okay.Its a ball buster hunt and you better have a legal ram tied up for a opening morning harvest otherwise you WILL be eliminated by the quota being filled.

 

[Gerald Martin]

allgreatguns,
There are good reasons these units are unlimited. If you are looking for adventure and some rugged hunting with a SMALL chance of success then carry on. I'd say a 5% success rate for a NR coming out unguided into new country is going to be way up on the high end of reasonable expectation. Even though its open to all comers, I'd guess that a majority of sheep killed in those units are taken by guided hunters.

If you do decide to draw the tag and come with some buddies, I 'd suggest that only one of you draw the sheep tag and everyone else get a bear tag, or apply for a deer tag. I've seen some decent bucks in that country, (no bigger than other places) but my standards go up according to how far I've walked in and how far I have to pack an animal out. Most of that country has good fishing, although not usually within striking distance of where the sheep live.

Like Big Fin, if I ever draw a limited tag my next hunts will be in the unlimited districts. But for now with nine preference points, I can't bear to burn them all for that tag.

The way I consider it, the published herd numbers for those areas is around 50 sheep in each unit. That's just a guess on FWP's part and it may be more or it may be less. A legal ram is 3/4 curl. That would make him at least four to five years old. If 50% of the sheep in that unit are males you are now looking at 25 males. Break that 25 ( I think that number is actually too high) down further and subtract the number of juvenile and sublegal rams, factoring in that each older age class of animals suffers more mortality than the next youngest age class and my thinking goes like this.

25 male sheep in the unit. Eight of those will be lambs. Six of those will be 1 1/2 year olds. Four of those will be 2 1/2 years old. Four will be 3 1/2. That leaves you around three legal rams in the unit.

Now granted those numbers are totally pulled out of thin air and have no scientific facts to back them up but I don't think I'm being unreasonable in my figuring.

If it is something you really want to do and killing a sheep is your lifelong dream, I'm sure it can be done. However it would probably take you several years of consecutive scouting and hunting to accomplish your goal. In the long run an unlimited sheep would probably cost you more to kill than anteing up the $15,000 and going to Canada on a cancellation hunt. On the other hand you would have multiple sheep hunting experiences in country that is some of the most beautiful and rugged in the lower 48.

Personally, I've spend 19 days in one of the unlimited areas hiking, hunting elk and mountain goats, and fishing, and I've yet to see a sheep. I haven't even seen sheep sign.

Good luck on your quest for adventure. There's lots of it out there.


Something else you might consider is a muley hunt in Wyoming's region G and H. I'm not the guy to give great information on that but I understand it is a general region hunt and not that hard to draw. The terrain will be similar to the unlimited areas in Montana and I think your chances for a successful hunt are much better.

 

[mixedbag]

I don't know how your doing a Alaska drop hunt for $2000.Pm me with any imfo you may have;seriously.I added up what it would cost me using 40 mile air and it comes out to between $5000-$6000 depending on if I'm successful

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Antelope in Wyoming with your group of friends can be done for under $2,000 per person and I would say success rate is high. Fairly easy to draw depending on the unit that you apply.

Second, over the counter elk tag in Colorado. Succcess rate??? The cost should be reasonable and you can have fun.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[Lawnboy]

It would be an adventure and you'd see country that is incredible. I'd almost guarantee that you'd be side tracked by bugling bulls on your quest for the sheep though in one of those units. Not a bad thing to have happen especially if your wanting to hunt them as well. I kind of loose track of what I was supposed to be doing when I hear elk calling. It's a sickness.

 

[Bambistew]

I don't know how your doing a Alaska drop hunt for $2000.Pm me with any imfo you may have;seriously.I added up what it would cost me using 40 mile air and it comes out to between $5000-$6000 depending on if I'm successful

I think it depends on what you consider a drop hunt. Lots of transporters will charge you by the hour and it usually comes out considerably less than the guys who advertise 'drop hunts'. I couldn't imagine paying what some advertise for a fly in moose hunt and then paying extra to fly out meat. Most guys get $400-450/hr for a Super Cub, and $600-$700 for a bigger plane. Figure you can fly 75-100 miles an hour, that puts you a heck of a long ways from most everything in an hour or two. The total is how many hours of total flight time to get you there and back... meaning a 1 hour 'distance' equals 4 hours round trip for the pilot.

The drop hunt guys know where to put you, if you go with a transporter they can't legally tell you anything about the 'hunt'. You have to know where you want to go and have them drop you off. The drop hunt guys know where to put you to be the most successful.. or at least the good ones do.

That said a NR is in no way going to get to hunt AK for $2000 unless its off the highway system and they drive up.

I've also hunted one of the UL sheep areas in MT... and spent quite a bit of time in one of the units. The odds of drawing a limited entry tag is about the same as killing a sheep in an UL area. You're sheep hunting and it beats the heck out of not. Like mentioned above few sheep and even fewer rams. Not sure I agree with the total population numbers, but maybe I was lucky enough to see the 'entire' herd a few days in a row?

That country will eat your lunch and dinner. Its an unlimited tag because its some of the most rugged country in the lower 48. A sheep hunt in AK is a walk in the park compared to it... almost.

I think I'd do a CO or MT elk/deer combo hunt if it was me. Lots of options and seasons to chose, and well within your budget with a little cushion for incidentals and gear.

 

[allgreatguns]

mixed bag,
I am figuring that a group of four would have $2000 each, that's $8000. Surely thats enough to get a drop hunt in alaska

 

[DHaffner]

not when I added it up two years ago.