I've been doing some researching and was wondering who seriously hunts sheep here and how do you go about it. Do you put in for several hunts in different states and hope you draw one? Do you just collect preference points? Which states offer the best oppurtunities?

You pretty much have to put in for every state available every year, year after year in the hope you'll someday be drawn.

Or have enough disposable cash to bid on the tags put up for auction. A $100,000 bid for a desert sheep tag would probably get you one, but maybe not.

Or have enough cash to buy a tag in MX.

Idaho has the best chance to draw, especially for a resident. Then you just put in for every state you can afford. These are just for the application.

Colorado will only run you $5 or so, but it takes 3 years to even be elegible.

Utah will run you $60 or so for a license and $10 fro the application.

Nevada will run you $150 or so for the license and $15 to apply.

Arizona runs $150 or so for the tag and $5 to apply.

Wyoming is a joke if you havn't started already. They charge $100 for a point, $10 to apply, but there are only a couple tags availible to those without max points.

I am not sure of the other states.

You can also put money into raffles. If you want to hunt sheep then pony up the $13,000 and go to Alaska. Or buy a Utah bighorn tag for $75,000. If I was you then just keep trying in Idaho, even for a lesser unit.

Colorado costs you up front $1659 for non-residents and add to that $3.25 non refundable if you don't draw, residents of Colorado pay $254 for the same tag plus the $3.25.
I have previously drawn a Colorado Bighorn Sheep tag ( 1996 ) and a Colorado Mountain Goat ( 1991 ) and was fortunate enough to take some great animals. Since that time I have been trying to draw a Desert Sheep tag in Colorado with no luck and in Colorado no preference points accrue for Deserts like they do for Bighorns, to offset this luck I have been applying for Deserts in New Mexico, Arizona and Neveda. If the U.S. would invade Mexico I would apply their too!
Colorado is producing a lot of Sheep and big ones but there are lots of people applying, my brother has been in on it for 12 years I think and no Sheep or Goat but after your third year of collecting points you have as good a chance as anyone of drawing. Other states put out some nice Sheep ( quality rams ) but usually in small numbers of tags.
My advice is if you are serious enter every drawing in every state with a huntable population and buy any raffle ticket you can.
Do a lot of research on your quarry and on each states drawing process. All western states are capable of producing a nice ram or two don't overlook Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and British Columbia and Alberta, I believe there are Sheep in the Dakotas but they may be limited to residents I'm not sure.
Alaska and the Yukon only has "thinhorn" Sheep no true Bighorns, like I said do your research.
Let me know if I can help.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:

I have previously drawn a Colorado Bighorn Sheep tag ( 1996 ) and a Colorado Mountain Goat ( 1991 ) and was fortunate enough to take some great animals. Since that time I have been trying to draw a Desert Sheep tag in Colorado with no luck and in Colorado no preference points accrue for Deserts like they do for Bighorns, to offset this luck I have been applying for Deserts in New Mexico, Arizona and Neveda. If the U.S. would invade Mexico I would apply their too!
Colorado is producing a lot of Sheep and big ones but there are lots of people applying, my brother has been in on it for 12 years I think and no Sheep or Goat but after your third year of collecting points you have as good a chance as anyone of drawing. Other states put out some nice Sheep ( quality rams ) but usually in small numbers of tags.

Does CO allow you to buy preference points?

Also do any states have outfitter allocated tags?

Thin horn aside, Alaska does have some very good sheep hunting. If you want to go instead of waiting for years for a drawing, consider an Alaskan Dall sheep hunt. Tags can be purchased at the Walmart. There is a mandatory guide requirement for non resident sheep hunters.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
Thin horn aside, Alaska does have some very good sheep hunting. If you want to go instead of waiting for years for a drawing, consider an Alaskan Dall sheep hunt. Tags can be purchased at the Walmart. There is a mandatory guide requirement for non resident sheep hunters.

Yeah that guide thing really ruins it for me. I'd love to hunt Dall. I have a firend up in AK who says he'll take me hunting anytime. Problem is he's not blood so I can't sheep or griz hunt. (BTW any loopholes to that law? )

The 12 k price tag is a little steep but when compared to putting in for 5 states for 10 years, it may actually make sense.

The thing that bothers me about the drawing thing is knowing my luck I'd strike out for 10 years then draw three states at once...

Montana has one general hunt unit where you can buy an over the counter tag. Tough, tough country though.

465H&H

Colorado does not have a "buy a point" program. I think Wyoming is the only one doing that but I could be wrong.
Didn't mean to slight Alaska's Sheep in any way I was just differentiating between the "Bighorn" varieties and the "thinhorn" varieties. I reread it and it kinda sounded like I was insinuating Alaska's Sheep have skinny horns but I honestly meant nothing of the sort. As a matter of fact if you want your Grand slam of Sheep you will be hunting a Dall Sheep in Alaska someday.
465 H&H I wasn't aware of that Sheep opportunity in Montana, is that a resident only situation?
Is that the area where they migrate in and out of there and sometimes aren't there during the season?
No hijack intended.....

My one and only sheep hunt was in my home state of Oregon.
For a working class guy like myself sheep hunting in the lower 48 is just a matter of being lucky in the draws or raffles.

If a guy didn't start collecting preference points from the start in any western state, he is probaly out of luck in the draws that use them.

There are some states,Oregon and Idaho to name a couple that do not have preference points for sheep.

That gives everyone an equally bad chance.

Keep in mind that someone WILL draw sheep tags this fall. If you throw your name in the hat it could be you.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Colorado costs you up front $1659 for non-residents and add to that $3.25 non refundable if you don't draw, residents of Colorado pay $254 for the same tag plus the $3.25.
I have previously drawn a Colorado Bighorn Sheep tag ( 1996 ) and a Colorado Mountain Goat ( 1991 ) and was fortunate enough to take some great animals. Since that time I have been trying to draw a Desert Sheep tag in Colorado with no luck and in Colorado no preference points accrue for Deserts like they do for Bighorns, to offset this luck I have been applying for Deserts in New Mexico, Arizona and Neveda. If the U.S. would invade Mexico I would apply their too!
Colorado is producing a lot of Sheep and big ones but there are lots of people applying, my brother has been in on it for 12 years I think and no Sheep or Goat but after your third year of collecting points you have as good a chance as anyone of drawing. Other states put out some nice Sheep ( quality rams ) but usually in small numbers of tags.
My advice is if you are serious enter every drawing in every state with a huntable population and buy any raffle ticket you can.
Do a lot of research on your quarry and on each states drawing process. All western states are capable of producing a nice ram or two don't overlook Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and British Columbia and Alberta, I believe there are Sheep in the Dakotas but they may be limited to residents I'm not sure.
Alaska and the Yukon only has "thinhorn" Sheep no true Bighorns, like I said do your research.
Let me know if I can help.

ND does offer one tag in the general draw for Non-residents, but good luck drawing it! It will cost you $100 non-refundable for applying. They also offer one tag at a banquet that usually goes for $30,000+. All in all-I think we average about 4 tags a year.

Snell, Baby!

I've got and give nothing but love for my brothers. No offense taken, assumed or inferred.

The area is in the Spanish Peaks north of Yellowstone Park. It is open to non-residents. Jack Atcheson Jr. guides hunters into this area.

465H&H

quote:

Jack Atcheson Jr

Thanks - might be what I'm looking for.

Anyone know what Jack Atcheson Jr. charges for one of these hunts?

Utah has both Desert Bighorn and Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep. They offer a few non-resident tags in the drawing, and they give several to non-profit conservation groups who auction them off to high bidders (regardless of state of residence). I witnesses several tags sell at banquets last spring for $85,000 + per tag. They are highly sought after. But some tags in less desirable units will sell for $35,000.

Utah is producing some of the largest Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep to be taken in the last couple of years. They shot a 194 ram this fall and last year one scored 187-190 (don't remember exact score)They had it in a full body mount at the FNAWS banquet. Very impressive. If you are looking for true trophy opportunity, it may be a state to consider.

The Utah Desert Bighorns won't score as well. Many of the Desert Bighorns in Utah still come from original gene pool that inhabited the region before white men settled. These sheep have a tighter curl and almost always are heavily broomed off. Both of which hurt it's ability to score, but produce sheep with awesome character. These will usually score in the 150-155 range. With a rare one reaching 160.

The Desert Bighorn hunt I just went on lasted 6 full weeks. Plenty of time to scout and area and find your Ram.

For me it was a opportunity of a lifetime. A DIY hunt. So I was just gald to kill a ram regardless of the score. Learning to hunt sheep, exploring the vast desert regions of Utah were much more satisfying than what my ram actually scored.



It will be a tough hunt. No road hunting here.
If you come, you will need to be shape for some very rough country. Most of my hunt was 7000 foot elevation in country that looked like this.

Congrats on your ram. That is some tough looking country...but pretty.