I've started researching outfitters for my first sheep hunt. I'd love info if anyone has any recommendations or first hand knowledge of outfitters and areas to seek out or avoid. I'm not getting any younger, so while I'm looking at Alaska, I'm also looking at some outfits in NWT that will fly you from base camp to a spike camp location via helicopter (I'd like to save my legs for the climbs as much as possible). I'm also posting this in the Canada forum.
Thanks in advance!

Take a serious look at Jake Jefferson. He posts here as Fortyonesix.

I've hunted grizzly with him and have another hunt booked with him. Several posters here on AR have done dall sheep hunts with him. He's the real deal.

Try Riley Pitts of Big Game Backcountry Guides. Excellent outfit.

Having done the NWT, I can say that the travel time is greater than AK. Generally, the cost is much higher as well. Plenty of sheep though.

Sent you a PM.

Matt Snyder with Alaska Hunting Adventures. Small family run outfit that kills big rams.

www.tokmanagementarea.com

The best plus about the NWT is the mts are not as steep as Alaska.You will see more sheep in NWT. Cost more and I shot bigger sheep there.Less resident pressure too.

There are multiple NWT outfitters who can put you at elevation. I am sure Mark knows who.

Tim Mervyn in the Yukon. I have hunted with him 3 times. He has a great area for big rams.Never had any issues with Tim (stand-up guy)or his guides. He has the option of using horses to access some of his areas.

I hunted with Alaska’s River Wild in the Alaska range last August and had a great hunt. The had a nice camp - cabins as base camp that were could spike out from and lots of sheep. The hunt occurs on native corporation lands so there is no draw for the tag. They went 7 for 7 last year. I recommend them.

I hunted with Jake Jefferson in 2017 for sheep and bear. He did a great job, and was a lot of fun to hunt with.

I'm hunting with him again this fall for moose and bear.

As for how physical his area is, it wasn't bad. Most hiking is moderate (even with camp on your back) and you only make a climb when you have a sheep worth climbing for. You'll dump gear before making that climb, so it is you, a mostly empty pack and a rifle.

Jeremy

Alaska Trophy Adventures
Dan Montgomery

If you don't get a sheep, likely it's due to you are in really bad shape or can't shoot straight. Short of that, they will get you a sheep, even if they have to carry your gear and possibly you, up and then back down the mountain and they will bring the sheep down too.

They do their own flying, if that is required.

I hunted sheep with them three times. I wish all Outfitters were as honest and productive as they are. I hunted an entire Sheep season with them from 2 days of pre season scouting to the last day of the season, one of the best hunts I have ever been on.

Ruby Range outfitters, got a great Ram on Day 2 back in 2017 and will be going again this year. Saw a ton of Sheep. It is a horseback hunt so you get to save your legs some.

Well my name is mentioned here and I appreciate that. Some advice from a sheep guide.
If you can’t afford to go home empty handed, you can’t afford to go.
If you can’t put in the time to get in physical and mental shape, don’t go.
Figure on what experience you want if you don’t kill a sheep. You wanna ride a chopper? Wanna learn to be a wrangler? Wanna become a rei backpacker? Wanna learn how to tell jokes around a campfire of other pissed off clients? Wanna do some yoga alone in the mountians?
There is so much more to a sheep hunt than killing a ram. All guides get sheep, you will find a recommendation somewhere for just about every single outfit out there.
Some outfits run multiple clients at a time. Some run one. Some have packers. Some are just you and a guide. Some guides are experienced. Some aren’t. Some are funny dudes, some. Well. Are just duds.

Figure out what you want from the hunt besides a sheep, then go from there.

Helicopter on a sheep hunt...… That's funny.
Get in shape or go back to Africa with the old men.

Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

How is using a helicopter much different than flying in using a super cub?

Helicopters can land on the top of the ridge and you get to avoid most of the hiking with your camp on your back part of a sheep hunt. They also have this neat animal packing feature where you hook a rope to the animal and the chopper and watch it all fly off. You pay to play for this feature, but it really makes for a relaxed sheep hunt.

Super Cub's can land anywhere once if you aren't worried about a few bumps and bruises. Traditional Super Cub landing areas tend to be on the valley floor well away from the sheep. Not always, but usually.

Jeremy

quote:

Originally posted by opus72:
I've started researching outfitters for my first sheep hunt.

As others have said....what do you want? A trophy ram? A less physically difficult hunt? A true wilderness backpacking hunt in a massive unpopulated space? As near as possible 100% success? Horses? Flying in a bush plane?

Lot's of good sheep outfits in Canada and Alaska. Lot's of different hunts with lots of different experiences. Alaska has more sheep habitat and dominates the record book, but as others have said there are some great hunts, outfitters, and rams coming out of parts of Canada. I'm not going to give recommendations on Canada because I don't know it.

If you're looking in Alaska.

Big rams:

Ultima Thule Outfitters (harvest ticket/over the counter hunt)
Freelance Outdoors (must draw)
Alaska Trophy Adventures (must draw)

Less Physically difficult:

One of the horseback outfitters in the central Alaska Range or the central/southern Brooks Range. All harvest/over the counter hunts.

Massive wilderness, backpacking, less difficult mountain terrain hunts:

Big Game Backcountry Guides and Alaska Outfitters Unlimited. Both are on the North side of ANWR. Both are very experienced and have good success rates in stunningly beautiful country with less (relative) physical mountains in Alaskan terms.

High Success:

Not sure. Lot's of outfitters doing pretty consistently well. 80% or more success rates year after year for some guides in some areas are not uncommon.

Best of luck!

Brett

One more thing. If success is of utmost importance, you need to remember that you could book with an outfitter that's been 100% the last two years and get bad weather for your entire hunt that sends you home without a sheep. That's just reality. You can't buy good weather. Nor can you "due diligence" it away.

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by SkiBumplus3:
Helicopter on a sheep hunt...… That's funny.
Get in shape or go back to Africa with the old men.

Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

That is the first time that I have heard you say something so mean on AR.

Actually just have an opening for this coming August. Listed it in the hunt for sale section.

Another Option For a proper Dall Sheep is www.southnahanni.com/photo-gallery/dall-sheep
The use a Heli aswell