Best state to start gaining points

[freu1chr]

i am 23 years old and would like to do a sheep hunt at least once in my life. i was wonder which state would be best to start gaining points in? i was thinking colorado but any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Letthemgrow]

Realistically, none.
You can apply for Idaho and New Mexico every year as there are no points in those states and be on equal footing with other non-residents.
Take whatever money you have left from however much you alloted for applications and buy raffle tickets for sheep hunts. A lot of times they end up being better odds.

Or, don't apply anywhere. Take all the money you would use every year in applications and put it in the stock market.
In twenty years, if you are still not in reach of a Dall hunt hopefully you are making enough to cover the difference.
Then you know you are going sheep hunting.

I realize this sounds bleak, but I'm giving you my opinion after applying for tags for over 20 years. (And I have never drawn a sheep tag.)

 

[belshawelk]

Wyoming and Colorado are fairly easy and inexpensive to gain points and fairly easy as a non resident to draw. ( Elk, Deer and Antelope).

 

[Ladykiller]

Second the wall sheep hunt. Also, why limit yourself to the USA? Other sheep in the world.

 

[Flatrock]

I agree with Letthemgrow.

The problem is that a lot of guys have been buying points for their kids since they were 10-12 years old so you are 10+ points behind those people now.

I'm 35 and have 8-9 points in quite a few states and am seriously considering dropping out of WY and CO.

If I were you, I wouldn't start building points in any state for sheep and instead, save your money, invest it and try to go in 20-30 years. About the only exceptions would be if you already apply for other species in AZ and NV and already buy the hunting license. Then it is a minimal extra cost to apply. CO costs $100 a year and WY is $150 a year for a point. Not worth it there.

 

[jryoung]

I'd never steer someone away from an annual contribution to a fish and wildlife agency, but if it's sheep you want to hunt run a $300/month contribution through an investment calculator for 17 years at 5%.

 

[bigjohn]

I can tell you that you won't get drawn if you don't apply! I have drawn two sheep tags, both desert. The first was in Nevada on the third try as a nonresident, the second in Arizona as a resident on the forty-seventh try. i recommend that you give it a try in as many states as you can afford.

 

[ashersdad]

I'd never steer someone away from an annual contribution to a fish and wildlife agency, but if it's sheep you want to hunt run a $300/month contribution through an investment calculator for 17 years at 5%.

I would absolutely do this! Then be ready to jump if an opportunity comes up. When the economy went in the sh*tter in 08 and 09, there were a lot of hunters that cancelled their guided hunts. Some outfitters were desperate to fill the spots. I was able to do a combo dall sheep, moose, and grizzly bear hunt for $9,000. That same hunt is over $25,000 today.

 

[Bambistew]

You could always move to Alaska and you'd be hunting sheep next year. You can hunt sheep for the price of a couple tanks of gas, and a $48 hunting license. There are no free lunches in sheep hunting, and when it comes to getting tags, the reality is you will likely never draw one. There are about 170 NR sheep tags issued each year in the L48, and about 25,000 people applying. Points or not, those are some really long odds. There are random tags, and "bonus points," but the reality is still slim to none that you'll ever draw a tag. I moved up here 10 years ago, with one of the sole reasons being to hunt sheep. If all goes well this fall, I'll be putting my 9th ram on the wall.

By the time I was 23, I'd lived in 5 states after I graduating from HS... Moving isn't hard, and its not a lifetime commitment unless you want it to be. So many people are afraid of a little change. You're not out anything but a year or two of your current life. If you hate it, move back.

 

[PrairieHunter]

How many nights have you spent in sheep country?
How many times have you gone to look at sheep just because you love them and the wild places they live?

There are 2 kinds of people who talk about sheep hunting. Those who simply want a picture next to a dead sheep, and those who constantly think about sheep and spend time around them without a tag in their pocket.

First you have to decide which one you are.

Then you either spend most of your sheep time complaining about how hard the tags are to get while never actually getting close to a sheep or truly being passionate about sheep, or you spend many nights per year in sheep country even if you don't have a tag and hunt the unlimited units regularly.

 

[LopeHunter]

Let's be honest. Bighorn sheep are not hard to kill. Getting around in sheep country might be hard. No idea why there is such mystic re bighorn sheep. Perhaps is the stories of sheep hunts last Century.

Lots of options if you want something a bit more memorable that an elk, deer or pronghorn hunt.

You can hunt free range Aoudad sheep in NM and a few places in TX. Almost certainly will be more physically and mentally challenging to hunt Aoudad in NM than a typical bighorn sheep hunt.

You can go hunt a Dall sheep up North. Will cost more than an Aoudad.

You can hunt a moose up North and in Eastern Canada will be less than a Dall.

Mountain goat are about as hard to draw as a bighorn sheep but can head up North.

You can go hunt a bison bull though will be a shoot.

My favorite two hunts were a rut deer hunt on horseback and a pronghorn hunt with my City Girl wife. I have shot two billy mountain goats, a Shiras bull moose, free-range Aoudad ram and Rocky Mountain Bighorn ewe. Each of those were interesting hunts and only one of the goat hunts was guided but none of these hunts were the most memorable nor my favorite hunts.

Chase your dreams. I want to hunt a Bighorn ram though mostly due to bucket list. And a bull bison. I look forward to another rut mule deer hunt the most, though.

 

[PrairieHunter]

You can literally go hunt free range aoudad tomorrow for less than $100 with no draw. Just a matter of how bad you want to hunt sheep.

https://www.nps.gov/amis/planyourvisit/hunting.htm

 

[MTGomer]

Lope hunter, there are varying degrees of difficulty in sheep hunting.

There are tags like you mention where tame sheep are standing on the highway, but there are plenty of real sheep hunts.

My dall sheep hunt was easier than any day of bighorn hunting I’ve ever had.


Freu1chr, if you want to sheep hunt, buy an unlimited tag in Montana and go. Or move to Alaska and hunt dalls

 

[mdhunter]

I am twelve years in and have never drawn a tag. I was fortunate enough to head to Alaska and harvest a dall.

I agree with much said on this thread. Pick a strategy and go for it...I wish I was twenty three again.

 

[MTGomer]

I I wish I was twenty three again.

I got married at 23. If it wasn’t for that I’d definitely be living in Alaska (or dead). That would be the best advice for hunting and killing sheep is to move there. Especially for a young single fella

 

[justdada]

I am 20+ years into pp in 6 states and still have to convince myself each year that the odds justify the expense... if I'd saved those costs and that of sheep raffle tickets and I could have been on two AK dall hunts by now.
Odds are not great in any states, so find the one that suits your needs and settle in for the long game.
Good luck to ya!

 

[BigHornRam]

Best state to put in for points. Colorado

Best state to get to sheep hunt. Montana unlimited

Best state to shoot a ram. Move to Alaska

Worse disease to contract. Sheep fever

You have been warned.

 

[Scott85]

I just started with points and post a thread very similar to yours. I'm 33 and I still feel its worth it to apply in about 6 states, since I'm applying for tags already. To me it is worth it.

 

[kimbersig]

the points game is a total SCAM! they draw you in and then you can't get out. Colorado just changed their game big time with their new point fees for sheep. MT even with max points you have 1% chance at best. WY is just like CO horrible odds and they keep adding costs. NM is horrid draw odds. Idaho is still approx. .25% chance to beat the NR cap. NV and AZ are tough to draw but realistic but its spendy to get into NV especially. I've been cutting out states that I feel aren't realistic and putting that money saved towards raffle tickets that have better odds. my strategy is built around odds and other species I can draw and keeping my annual non refundable application costs to $1000. I did what many have said. saved up and went and hunted dall sheep in AK. the next year I drew my rocky tag as a resident of ID so now my strategy is focused more on Desert Bighorn draws and Stone Sheep raffles. you just need to set a budget/goal and do as much as you can and hope for an almost miracle to pull a tag.

 

[kimbersig]

Lope hunter, there are varying degrees of difficulty in sheep hunting.

There are tags like you mention where tame sheep are standing on the highway, but there are plenty of real sheep hunts.

My dall sheep hunt was easier than any day of bighorn hunting I’ve ever had.


Freu1chr, if you want to sheep hunt, buy an unlimited tag in Montana and go. Or move to Alaska and hunt dalls

Agreed! my dall hunt was more like an antelope hunt compared to my Frank Church sheep hunt.