Best Big Horn State

Brachii

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Joined
Apr 25, 2017
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157
Location
CO
Hello-- resident of Colorado here looking to start applying for big horn or goat tags next year. I need advice on which surrounding state to start applying for sheep and goat tags taking into consideration both likilhood of drawing a tag and best chance of harvest success. The idea of Utah appeals to me because of the terrain and beauty.
 
The truth is you must put in for every state you can afford and hope you draw knowing the likelihood of you ever drawing is slim. Either that and/or save your $$ and hunt the species you want over the counter in Canada or Mexico.
 
Apply as a NR in every state that offers a bighorn tag and after 50 years will be around even money to draw one tag. If just want a tag and willing to go after the smallest ram units with least harvests percentages then odds go up more.

Less than even money to draw mountain goat as a NR since fewer states offer tags and less tags unless you apply in AK where you should draw one or more times.

If you are a resident in CO then I would say apply for the next few decades and can draw a bighorn ram and goat tags one or more times.

Of course, can technically hunt rams in MT every year in the Unlimited units until harvest then have a wait period. You could hunt bighorn ewes in CO as Resident as a second choice.

Can be an expensive dream to chase, more so if toss $100 here and there in the sheep and goat raffles. States that create preferential hurdles that punish new entrants such as you make the game even tougher. Looking at you WY but to some extent is true anywhere points come into play for sheep and goats including AZ, UT, MT, NV, WA and CO.

Oh, expect states to screw you over with cuts in allocation of tags and price increases that exceed what hits the residents. WY wants to cut NR tags in half for the Big 3 so the sheep odds in WY are about to get much, much worse for NR. And cost much more.
 
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Bonedogg shhh lol we must not tell the people down south how good it is up here lol. I was suppose to move to Canmore last year and would have loved to Bowhunt that archery only unit
 
Bonedogg shhh lol we must not tell the people down south how good it is up here lol. I was suppose to move to Canmore last year and would have loved to Bowhunt that archery only unit

gotcha.... no sheep here gentlemen. Move along!!!! lol

I've hunted the Canmore Bow zone many times as its open until the Limited entry draw kicks in in November. Also have done the draw hunt close to ten years ago and I am due again next year. They are trying to put the general tags on draw for sheep but lets hope that takes a while.....
 
I had one canmore bow zone hunter tell me that the WT look up into the trees when coming into the clearings... I thought it was funny but he was serious.
 
Apply in as many states as you can afford. Also join the Wild Sheep Foundation and become a member of their <1 club. Every year at the WSF convention there is a party held for the <1 Club. Three very expensive guided sheep hunts are drawn and you must be in attendance at the party to win. These are usually a Stone's, Desert and a Dall's. There is a gear package that goes with them that is worth a couple of $K. The odds are way better here than for any state tag. While the odds of drawing state sheep tags are steep, it does happen. I have drawn Arizona resident Desert and Rocky tags and a NR Rocky tag in your home state of Colorado. I personally know of a gent who drew an Arizona resident Rocky tag with only 6 points, so it can happen. Being a Colorado resident is a help. I have 20 NR pts in NV, maybe next year. FWIW. GJ
 
Ask Jason Matzinger he drew his third Montana Bighorn tag
 
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