30 years old, dreamin of big horns...what options?

[genesis273]

I'm no sheep draw odds expect, but I've been married for 30 years. Saying that to say, after reading the comments above, your greatest odds challenge isn't going to be drawing a sheep tag. Your greatest challenge is going to be, mentioning to soon to be wife that you have a solid plan of squirrelling the equivalent of a car payment away for 30-40 years every month in the unlikely event that you may go hunt a sheep, which could result in no harmed sheep. Not going to say it's not going to go well, or she's not going to roll her eyes or laugh, thinking your joking. But there's a 99.9997% chance that one of the above reactions will happen!
But seriously, Good Luck with the sheep odds, you never know!

 

[wytex]

At least put in an app in Wyoming every once in a while with your PP purchase. There are random drawn tags in most areas and someone has to draw them, spouse drew one for a sheep.
You might also get in with one of the application services as I also know someone who drew their desert sheep tag that way.
Yes odds are long but someone draws a random tag every year in Wyoming.

 

[Mthuntinfool]

Another option is Bighorn Ewe tags in Mt, better draw odds(even so I still haven't drawn) and you get the experience along with some amazing eating if you harvest one.

 

[mr_steve]

The "wait for all the guys older to die strategy in a preference points game" means you also will be an old man by time hit max points pool so you need good health so you are not thinned as well. NM has 2 or 3 bighorn ram sheep tags for NR DIY pool. Wyoming sets aside 20% or the NR bighorn allocation but that is a handful of tags. MT unlimited takes a very fit hunter with weeks of time off. CO has archery-only tags so need to be a bowhunter and for three years are not really in the draw action.

Yeah I am aiming more at the random than trying to reach max points. I would expect to be 65 before I reach max points in certain states and hopefully healthy. I am thinking more about the demographics of people with points. I am not sure if that data exists but the NPR article got me think about the age distribution with the graphic below.

It shows the peak starts at 46 but the numbers are somewhat steady from 24-44. The top of the peak in 2012 graphic shows 52 and would be 57 in 2017. In 20 years I would venture to guess a majority of that peak would be out of the draw. There will still be point creep but it may slow down at that point compared to what it has been in the last 5 years (2037 or so ha). I think we are seeing guys throwing there points at everything looking to draw instead of building as baby boomers enter retirement and health declines for this large generation. I assume that the strong point creep will continue for the next 5 years as guys look to burn points but may taper off in after 10 years or so.

All of this is just theory but stuff I like thinking about. While I dream of some crazy hunts I will just hunt the general tags but in the mean time I like dreaming!

 

[PAGOAT]

Another option is Bighorn Ewe tags in Mt, better draw odds(even so I still haven't drawn) and you get the experience along with some amazing eating if you harvest one.

This is the option I'm planning on starting out at 34 years old. That will be my plan for my "big 3" still get to hunt them I just wont have the horns / antlers I'm good with that.

 

[jmgraham1986]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you Eric, but fortunately Im a resident of NM. I would recommend applying in ID and NM since they dont have points, and spending a as much as your can reasonably afford on raffle tickets.

 

[88man]

Apply Apply Apply, you might get lucky. I drew a colorado sheep tag in 2012.

 

[adubs]

I was you 8 years ago (I'm 38 now) with the dream of hunting sheep and hopefully multiple times with a strategy of apply, apply, apply...I have continued to follow that approach in every state each year (11 to be exact). Its not hard for me because I buy points or apply for over 50 hunts a year so I'm buying a hunting license in most states that offer sheep to get my other points so sending in for sheep is just another species. I realize (even better now) the odds will never be good but that doesn't stop me from trying. I did reach a point this year where enough is enough so...my two brothers and I booked a Dall sheep/Caribou hunt in the NWT for 2020 with stan stevens @ MMO. Everything I have read and learned about sheep hunting is once you go...you will find a way to go again. So, my new strategy is to get my Dall in 2020, save and book for my Stone sheep a few years later (will most likely take more than one hunt as I understand it) and then hope like crazy I can get lucky TWICE and draw the other two tags (desert and rocky/cali) to finish it out. That or I will treat myself to two more hunts one in alberta and one in Mexico as a retirement present. Its a ridiculous amount of money and it makes me want to puke thinking about it (I'm a financial planner) in dollars and cents but at the end of the day its a dream of mine and I'm going to do it as long as my health and finances allow...and my wife ;-)

 

[IK-NWhunter]

It's kind of depressing reading the responses on this thread! I'm in the same situation as the original poster, 30 years old and applied for Rocky Mt Bighorn tags in OR & WY for the first time last year. This year will also include CO, NM, ID, NV, and the WA raffle. Call me crazy, but I'm only applying for the units with the highest trophy potential because I think I'll be able to draw at least one of these in the next 40+ years.

Think about the age class of people at the top of the current point heap Eric, my guess is almost all of them will be too old to get it done in another 25 years when you and I are in contention to draw. Don't smoke, exercise, and keep buying your points. Definitely put in for ID and NM tags. Some of the overlooked ID units have nonresident draw odds for ram tags in the range of 2-3%. If nothing else our application dollars help support sheep conservation, management, and continued reintroductions which expands opportunities for everyone! That's the North American model of wildlife management and it works.

 

[ErictheRed]

I spoke to a BC outfitter that sold out 5 years of tags at $80K each for Cali Big Horns. This make the Stone Sheep at $45K a bargain and the Dall Sheep at $23K a fire sale!

 

[TX_Eric]

Well, this has been both disappointing and reassuring. I think my game plan going forward will be to put in for every tag that i can afford to, and eventually put in for the unlimited tag. I don't have much of a desire to spend 50k on a sheep hunt. I would rather have tried on my own and been unsuccessful than fork out that much cash and someone else have done most of the work for me. Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[Bambistew]

Long odds for sure.

When you see how many permits are actually issued to NR in all of the L48, its very depressing. Its now about 200 a year total, (about 150 of those are in WY, AZ and NV), that is where I would focus, if it was me.

Depending on how badly you want to hunt sheep, I would consider moving to Alaska even if its for a short period. Waiting to be disappointing every time the draw comes out would get depressing.

 

[midwesthunter]

I was in a similar situation you are, age/want. The skinny of it is, apply to states with 100% random draw, hunt the MT unlimited tag, put in for lottery drawing at special events, Spend big $$$ and buy a tag

 

[YoungGun]

I didn't realize my chances would be this poor haha. I wish i would have gotten into hunting sooner, but as in the other thread mentioned above, hopefully my future kids will have that opportunity. I am fortunate right now in that i do get an exorbitant amount of pto from work so maybe my best option would be the Montana unlimited option. Would be a good excuse to spend a few weeks in the back country and least I would be "hunting" even if I don't see anything other than grizzlies.

If as you stated in your initial introduction you're looking for a bighorn hunt, and not just a harvest, then the Unlimited is where it is at. If you hunted it for 20 years, versus applying for 20 years, you'd more than likely end up harvesting one. Not to mention the overall experience you'd get in the unlimited's would be priceless. It's all what you're looking for though. Seems like the folks that start the unlimited trail either bail after a year, or are addicted for life. It's a little spendy for the non-resident, so I'm not sure where you're applying from, but you can hunt sheep on basically an OTC tag! Otherwise, aim for Idaho, NM doesn't have points either, but there's only 2 tags for Non residents, and everyone can apply. In Idaho, you must choose to put in for only one of the big three between Moose, Sheep, and Goat. Plus there's more tags, so you stand a better chance. That's my two cents! Good luck and welcome!

 

[3855WIN]

I just bought a raffle chance for a sheep hunt for my son. Someone will get it, and goes to a good cause, regardless.

 

[Highground]

The only guaranteed Sheep hunt within my personal budget that I am aware of is the MT Unlimiteds. Will take many years if I EVER harvest one...but like you mentioned....Ill be hunting Sheep every single year.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Someone has to draw. It may be you.

 

[Robinhood21]

Move to Alaska and once you bget come a resident you can hunt Dalls every year

 

[arwhntr]

Apply in as many states as you can afford. ID over NM is your best bet for random draw odds. I wouldn't bother with OR, WA or CA. Purchase points in WY and MT if money is tight. Bonus point states like AZ, UT and NV give you a chance to draw every year. Colorado desert bighorn is random but only 1 NR tag, rocky bighorn after your first 3 years gives you a long-odd yearly chance. Join the Wild Sheep Foundation and the <1 Club and also buy a few raffle tickets. You could win a hunt there. Moral of the story is get your name in the hat and in the mean time get out there and chase other critters. The thought of sheep hunting is romantic but chasing bugling bulls or stalking a bedded buck is pretty darn sweet too!

 

[wytex]

Do you buy chances in the Big Time Texas hunts, they raffle a bighorn hunt every year.
You have a chance at a random tag in Wyoming and other states.
It seems daunting but I would start buying PP in a state that has a good number of NR tags and the states with a random draw tag too.