Despite the odds, how many Sheep Tags have you Drawn or Won in your Life?

[MuleyMB]

Just 1 in home state of Wyoming, Rocky 2017, 18 points , other than that I haven’t gotten into any other points games and not gonna cause of age but I do think I’ll look into some of the raffle tag opportunities a little and maybe try that !!

 

[Huntin' Fool]

3 times - Idaho '91 - '07 - '17

 

[Ram 12]

None. But I have one waiting for me. I have max points on desert sheep in Utah, pretty much a guarantee any unit with 2 or more tags.
My drew son Cali sheep resident Idaho on first try, 1/50 odds.

 

[Lawnboy]

I drew a Breaks tag in 2019 (680) with 14 points
My bro lives in Alaska therefore I've been on 8 Dall Sheep hunts as well. I'm do back anytime it's been 5 yrs since my last Dall hunt.

 

[DJ1]

I drew a Breaks tag in 2019 (680) with 14 points
My bro lives in Alaska therefore I've been on 8 Dall Sheep hunts as well. I'm do back anytime it's been 5 yrs since my last Dall hunt.

Let’s see a pic of the breaks sheep. Killed an elk archery season in the breaks saw some awesome sheep.

 

[Lawnboy]

Let’s see a pic of the breaks sheep. Killed an elk archery season in the breaks saw some awesome sheep.

 

[DJ1]

Great ram looks mid 180’s ish? Love the on his right side, tons of character. Hoping to be back out in 2023 or 24 for elk again.

 

[littlebighorn]

Well done Lawnboy!
It's too bad we all can't have one crack at a Breaks ram. They are certainly special.

 

[Letthemgrow]

What were his base measurements?

Congrats on a beautiful ram.

 

[ImBillT]

It can happen but you have to play the game. Buy lots of raffle tickets and apply wherever you can afford.

Don't hate me Hunttalk-

2000 Draw- Colorado Archery ram tag with 3 points - First big game animal with a bow 157 P&Y ram solo on day 27 of 30.
2003 Draw - Colorado Rifle ewe tag with 0 points - Killed a nice ewe.
2006 Raffle - Arizona Desert Bighorn Society - Sold/traded for Alaska Dall sheep hunt - Killed a nice ram.
2008 Raffle - RMBS - Statewide Colorado Bighorn Sheep tag- Killed a 182 B&C ram after 34 days of hunting.
2009 Draw - Colorado Rifle Either sex mountain goat killed nice billy.
2011 Raffle - Full Curl Society - Dall Sheep hunt - First year there was a mix up and I had to return it couldn't have take a Dall and win.
2013 Raffle - Grand Slam Club Ovis Dall Sheep hunt in NWT- Traded up for a 2015 cancelation Stone Hunt in BC. Killed a nice ram.
2015 Draw - NM ibex nanny hunt for chance at a billy tag killed a nanny no luck in the billy draw.
2017 Draw - NM ibex nanny hunt for chance at a billy tag went solo missed a nanny.
2017 Raffle - RMSB Statewide Colorado mountain goat tag. Killed a nice billy
2019 Leftover list - Colorado Rifle ewe tag with 2 days left in the season killed a ewe solo.
2019 Draw - NM Aoudad Either sex tag great hunt passed on several smaller rams no harvest.
2020 Draw - NM Ibex bill archery tag - fun hunt saw several had smaller ones and ewes in range no harvest.
2021 Draw - Colorado Rifle nanny mountain goat tag tough hunt no harvest.

Those are just the sheep & goat raffle wins and draws.....

Sandbrew

This is not a knock on doing it in any way shape or form, but would you mind telling us how many raffle tags you bought in each of the raffles you won? Or single digit number or raffle tags, double digit, triple digit? Just curious. I feel certain that a lot of raffle winners have bought an awful lot of the raffle tags in each raffle.

Congrats on those sheep and goats. The number of days your hunted, and the number of archery tags really shows some serious dedication.

 

[buffybr]

That is an awesome ram and a beautiful mount. Who was your taxidermist?

 

[buffybr]

I've lived and hunted in Montana for 47 years. When I got here FWP only had preference points. With maximum points you were at the top of the draw. Then in the early '80s FWP said that it was too hard to keep track of everyone's preference points, so they were going to drop that system. I looked at the Sheep drawing odds and saw that I had enough preference points for a late season 501 Ram tag. I drew that tag and shot my first Bighorn ram.

I have been applying for another Bighorn ram tag every year since then (38 years) without drawing another tag. Some years later, Montana went to a "bonus" point system, and a few years ago they began "squaring" your number of bonus points, where your name would be put in the drawing the number of times that you have squared bonus points. I guess their computers now can handle WAY more numbers than they could in the '80s. I have the maximum number of bonus points which I think this year is 21, so 21 squared means my name will go into the Moose, Sheep, and Goat drawings 441 times for each species, as will the names of every other hunter that has applied and not drawn for a tag in the last 21 years.

For anyone who has followed my posts, they've seen the pictures of the 3 Bighorn rams on my wall, and I have posted that I have shot 3 Unlimited Bighorn rams. And now I am saying that in 1983 I shot a ram on a drawn tag, which is one of the rams on my wall.

So, here's the "rest of the story"... In 1985 the Hilgard Mountains were in an Unlimited unit. One of my friends was staying with an Outfitter in his camp about a quarter mile from my camp. I had met the Outfitter, the Guide, and their client the day before as I went into my camp. The outfitter and my friend stopped by my camp the 2nd morning, and along with another friend that was with me in my camp, we all walked together to the base of mountain to glass for rams.

After glassing for a while, the outfitter said that he was going up the mountain to check on his guide and hunter. He asked each of my friends if they wanted to go up the mountain with him and they each said no, because they had climbed up there the day before and hadn't seen anything. He was skeptical about asking me because I had my Golden Retriever with me, but he finally did and I said that I was there to hunt sheep, so we started up.

We had to cross about 100 yards of talus rock, and the outfitter led at a brisk walk. I think that he was testing me. He stopped at the far edge of the talus, and I almost stepped on him. He walked slowly after that. About a quarter of the way up the mountain, I saw some fresh sheep tracks, and we split, each going up the timber of a wide avalanche chute.

Farther up the mountain, I came across two legal rams going up the edge of the chute, not 20 yards from me. These rams were just barely legal, and because the two previous years I had killed a 7/8 curl and a full curl ram, so I was looking for something longer than "just legal". So, I picked up a small stone and threw it underhanded and hit one of the rams. They immediately ran up the mountain.

A few minutes later, I heard a shot from higher on the mountain, and then both rams ran back down and stopped not far above me. I could see that one of the rams was wounded and his small intestine were dragging on the ground below him. I had time to get my camera out and take a picture of him before they ran.

The uninjured ran out into the avalanche chute and stopped on top of a large rock. The wounded ram ran through the trees on my right. I couldn't bear to let that ram suffer, so I followed him to the next avalanche chute where he had stopped, and I shot him, so technically I killed him.

I then went back and found the outfitter, guide, and their client, and took them to their dead ram. I then helped them dress out the ram and as their client was a woman, I helped the outfitter and guide, each packing 1/3 of the ram over the mountain and down to their camp. In 9 years of hunting those mountains, that was the first ram that the outfitter had got for a client. He was very thankful for my help, and he invited me to dinner at his camp. He gave me the biggest Porterhouse steak and made sure that my dog had plenty of bones.

The next year I went back into that area by myself and shot the other ram, which is the third Bighorn ram on my wall. His longest horn is not broomed and is only 1 1/2" over legal minimum, but he was 9 1/2 years old.

Long story, but that is how I have shot 3 Unlimited rams, and only have mounts of 2 of them on my wall.

 

[Coveyleader]

In 20 years, in CO I've arrowed two great rams and two Mountain goats as well. I have a ton of points on goats and hope to draw some time in the near future one more go around. Crazy how bad the goat odds have become.

 

[Trial153]

None. I am now 45. I am going to be booking a pair of sheep bowhunts in the next four years, I am done waiting.

 

[BradA]

None. I am now 45. I am going to be booking a pair of sheep bowhunts in the next four years, I am done waiting.

What are you planning on booking? Probably should book soon since most all outfitters are three years or more out

 

[Trial153]

What are you planning on booking? Probably should book soon since most all outfitters are three years or more out

Dall and Big Horn most likely

 

[Coveyleader]

My second bighorn tag in CO was the best hunt of my life. Not because I arrowed a tremendous ram, but there was only one tag for the whole unit, it lasted almost a month, and it was mine. My only fear was the auction guy would show up, but he didn't. Having hunted OTC for the greater part of my life, it was simply amazing sitting there alone watching a ram at a mile away and deciding "I'll wait" even though I didn't see one ram all summer scouting. I knew what was there, and eventually they'd show.

I've drawn some great tags in CO, but none that gave me the solitude and lack of "Hurry up" as that hunt did. I wish everyone could experience that. Especially these days.

 

[Flynarrow]

Over the counter tag 3/4 curl or better ram idaho 1962
Idaho ram 1981
Dall sheep hunt NWT 1984
Colorado ram
Wyoming ram
Montana ewe
Montana ram

It was exactly 50 years between my first and last sheep hunts.

 

[DJ1]

My second bighorn tag in CO was the best hunt of my life. Not because I arrowed a tremendous ram, but there was only one tag for the whole unit, it lasted almost a month, and it was mine. My only fear was the auction guy would show up, but he didn't. Having hunted OTC for the greater part of my life, it was simply amazing sitting there alone watching a ram at a mile away and deciding "I'll wait" even though I didn't see one ram all summer scouting. I knew what was there, and eventually they'd show.

I've drawn some great tags in CO, but none that gave me the solitude and lack of "Hurry up" as that hunt did. I wish everyone could experience that. Especially these days.

I’m putting in for archery as well, I’ll reach out if I get lucky.

 

[Steve O]

My second bighorn tag in CO was the best hunt of my life. Not because I arrowed a tremendous ram, but there was only one tag for the whole unit, it lasted almost a month, and it was mine. My only fear was the auction guy would show up, but he didn't. Having hunted OTC for the greater part of my life, it was simply amazing sitting there alone watching a ram at a mile away and deciding "I'll wait" even though I didn't see one ram all summer scouting. I knew what was there, and eventually they'd show.

I've drawn some great tags in CO, but none that gave me the solitude and lack of "Hurry up" as that hunt did. I wish everyone could experience that. Especially these days.

Made a lifelong friend with a CO resident hunting sheep same as me in S12 archery in 2007. Great great hunt, and neither of us got our ram.