Caribou Gear

Barbary Sheep NM

mdeerjunkie

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Dec 12, 2019
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Colorado
I was lucky to draw a Barbary sheep tag in NM. I’ve never hunted them and am excited to get out, scout and explore the country. For those of who you have hunted Barbary sheep what are something’s you wish you would have known at the start of your hunt? Things you would have done differently? I’d love to see some pics and hear experiences.
 
Everything down there wants to stick you. Depending on the unit, you can go days without seeing them. I hunted 4 days in February of 2024 before I saw one. By that time I had turned up Mule deer, quail and elk. I Was able to kill a ewe out of the first group I spotted which I was very happy with. The units I was in, didn’t seem like passing on legal animals was a smart move. She was much better eating than I expected. Comparable to a whitetail doe but I’ve heard the rams are much tougher.
Write up on that hunt is linked below. Feel free to PM me with any specific questions. And good luck!3BC5D586-9AB2-4923-B2D5-D9897D62B56B.jpeg

 
It’s a cross between a death march and sitting on your ass. I remember sitting in a spot had been there like 3-4 hours hadn’t seen anything when 4-5 bulls get up and start feeding. If I can over look 4/5 big blonde elk I can overlook a ram
 
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I'm not sure how relevant my knowledge is to be honest. Friend on here gave me some pointers that were helpful.

They're like bears, goats, antelope. Anything that's difficult to size up. If you gotta sit there and make the ram into something they're probably not that big. Big rams just look like bosses out there.

Them buggers seem to like rock out croppings and benches or ledges to feed and bed on or near. Anywhere on the hill, more so towards the top.

Find the cactus they eat, if you start to find patches of that stuff chances are they're not too far.

If you've glassed it 50 times and your in an area where you're seeing some trails and that of sheep sign glass it 51 times. Then do it again. They can blend in like you can't believe.

Patience is gonna be key.

I'm not sure of what you're conditions are or the pressure these sheep get where you're at. They're cagy though, very cagy and they have tremendous eyesight.

I'm gonna do it again hopefully more than once. Be careful they're flat addicting to hunt. Like hunting pronghorn in the badlands or cliffs.

Watch were you sit. Good luck!
 
agree with all above...also: practice shooting at distance. take a good rangefinder. glass where you think you can't climb to. be careful on the steep rock-it's easy to get hurt out there. when you fall- don't fall on a cactus!. lots of time I've heard the falling/sliding rocks they kick up before I've seen them. good luck on a fun hunt
 

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