These pictures were taken over the weekend by a guide/friend of mine from Alberta. He said that there are 10 sheep allocated per year in this area, and that the tag that was donated to FNAWS went for $215,000 at this years auction.

Anything additional (corrections) or other interesting info you guys can add?

Bill

That is not totally the story. From the looks of the pictures those sheep are the ones from the coal mine sites. There is no hunting on the mine sites but you hunt the boundaries.

There is a general season from Aug 25- oct 31. That means that any Alberta resident can hunt this area by just buying a tag. For the most part it is just a waiting game hoping to catch one of these rams wandering into the open zone.

Then there is the late season which runs during November. It is broken up into 3 ten day seasons with 3 or 4 hunters per season. This is when the bighorns are rutting, very dumb animals. The rams make a rut crazed whitetail look like Einstein.

And then there is the ministers tag, this tags can be used anywhere in Alberta north of highway #1. During any open season, in any WMU until Nov. 30th.

Just going to the mine site is almost worth the trip, by it self. This is a place that has created big horn habitat. The coal mines are right a tree line and have created large grass flats next to rock walls and alpine shale.

The hunt I don't think would be too exciting, sitting on the boundary waiting for a big rams to walk into a open area. But if a person wants a big ram then this is the place to come. This area has produced 2 world records, the original rams that was top for 50 or 60 years and now the world record.

I am not sure what else I can tell you. I use to work that area 10 years ago on a big horn sheep study.

Graylake

They never fail to give me neigh-heart failure. Imagine seeing something like that on a fair slope with a tag in your backpocket, a pair of good boots on your feet, and your rifle ready to go!

Frans

I wonder if anyone has tried using life-like ewe decoys during the rut hunt to draw the rams out the mines. That would be pretty exciting if it worked.

The old world record was from Southern Alberta, Blind canyon just north of Waterton Park. There was another top 10 ram shot at the mine site several years ago, I think at the time it was #4 but would have to check. It too was shot on the ministers permit the second year the same guy bought it, he spent over a half million to shoot that ram. The current world record was shot on the ministers permit, just off the mine boundary in November.
It is a nice site to visit just to see all them monster rams hanging out on the grassy slopes, the odd good elk appears in the fall as well.
But you are right it is not much of a hunt, mostly guys hanging out on the boundary at the hot rock waiting for one to venture across, then a race to see who can shoot it and claim it.
Mountain Park is not much better, but can be more of a hunt. I was drawn for 437 Sept one year, and out of the 9 tags none killed a ram. Simply no full curls there, by then they had been shot out by both tag holders and subsistance hunters shooting in December. Nice country to be in though, some good grizzly around most years.

quote:

Originally posted by Graylake:
Bill

This area has produced 2 world records, the original rams that was top for 50 or 60 years and now the world record.


Graylake

Actually the long standing record bighorn that stood as number 1 in B&C was shot at Blind Canyon west of Pincher Creek by Fred Weiller in 1911 and was only recently surpassed a few years ago by the Cadomin ram that is now the new world record.

quote:

Originally posted by Frans Diepstraten:
They never fail to give me neigh-heart failure. Imagine seeing something like that on a fair slope with a tag in your backpocket, a pair of good boots on your feet, and your rifle ready to go!

Frans

I know what you mean Frans.

I always imagine what it must have been like for Jimmy Simpson when he thumped a 204 bighorn with 50" of length back in the '20s....looks kinda like that bad boy above, only bigger!!

Cheers,
Canuck

Hmmmm the right one in the top pic sure does look familiar. The mismatched horns don't do it for me but the feller on the bottom is a dandy!!! Sigh, I suppose if I had to I'd shoot any of them

thanks for sharing

What beautiful animals.

Its none of my business, not being from Canada, but I hope nobody shoots those old fellers. Once you get to be that old and that big you ought to be left alone, and besides, it would be a damn shame to waste their gene pool by shooting them.

I stand correct on the first record. I knew that but had some how had a blonde moment.

As for shooting the big ones. Once they have reached that size, they have been breeding for numerous years and probably don't have that many years left in them. Their genes have been spread and for the most part hunters don't take that many of the big old rams. I would think that most die from old age, winter kill or wolves. or a combination of all three. Rams loose a lot of body condition during the rut.

With regards to the post concerning the use of the decoy I have this to offer. I hunted Cadomin for two years around 2001/2002. I got very tired of waiting and pursued other interests. One of those years "someone" lugged a sillhouete decoy of a large ram to the top of the "Hot Rock". Those familiar with Cadomin will know the spot. It didnt pull any sheep out of the mine but it pulled a certain well known taxidermist across a closed area and up that hill in record time. Our taxidermist, lets call him ficticiously Ben Blocker, was aghast to discover this 50" ram wasnt real but laughed his ass off anyway. Good guy! The trouble with the ewe decoy is that season ends October 31 and rutting doesnt get going in earnest for another week or two. It would beat sitting and waiting for a miracle however.

Seems to me there are actually two Ministers tags. One is auctioned and the other one is raffled off through the Alberta Fish and Game association. Both are good anywhere in the province. I buy a ticket whenever the opportunity presents itself. As for Simpson, he as much as admitted in later years, that he shot his ram in "The Park".
Grizz

quote:

And then there is the ministers tag, this tags can be used anywhere in Alberta north of highway #1. During any open season, in any WMU until Nov. 30th.

Actually the Minister's permits both the resident lottery and the auction permit are good until Dec 15. This came into effect when they created the three November resident seasons in WMU438

Grizz, the tags are not good in all WMUs but only those where non residents are permitted to hunt and it's AHEIA that now handles the sheep and elk resident raffles.