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[Wrong Burgundy]

I have always been interested in giving the unlimited units a good try; who knows, this may be the year. From those who have hunted it or know the areas well, is there a particular HD that one would prefer over the others? Access, general sheep densities, etc? Or, considering that they all have a two ram quota, is it more of a "pick one and hunt it hard" kind of approach?

HD 300, 303, 500, 501, 502....any votes?

 

[MTGomer]

They all suck

 

[BeartoothFront]

Having never hunted them but always wanted to I would say look at the ones closest to you so you can spend more time hunting and less behind the wheel. You either hunt 300, 303, and maybe 500 and you're there in an hour and a half. Or you hunt 501 and 502 and you're there in 2 and a half plus. That doesnt include driving into the mountains on forest service roads. Unless you've got some connections that know 501 or 502 I'd say hunt close. That way you can put in the max ammount time to explore the country and hopefully find some sheep.

 

[BeartoothFront]

They all suck

What gomer said

 

[Wrong Burgundy]

Thanks for the advice -- in a nutshell, hunt close, spend more time on the ground and behind binos, and they all suck! A recipe for a perfect hunt/sufferfest.

 

[KClark]

This was taken in an unlimited zone in 1990:

 

[BeartoothFront]

He's just doing his part to raise the densities up there.

 

[BigHornRam]

I remember seeing a ram on winter range by the Devil's Slide chasing ewes almost 20 years ago. Wish I had taken a picture of him. Not real heavy but about a curl and a quarter, and over 45 inches. Never know what might walk out of the park at just the right time.

 

[MTGomer]

For every day that you are fond of, such as this...



Expect to have a day to match it, like this.


Pure socked in, heavy, wet hell, 18+ miles from nowhere.

 

[KClark]

.....heavy, wet hell, 18+ miles from nowhere

That really sticks out in my memory too. Well that and the outfitters saddle and pack horses that were stampeded in the middle of the night by a grizzly and blasted through my camp at full speed two feet from my head as I lay on the ground in my little tent shivering in a wet sleeping bag.

Good times!

 

[Highground]

After several years of seriously considering this hunt...I may just go for it this year. Just curious, this could double as a backcountry rifle hunt in elk unit 316 right? I was thinking I could go in for a week prior to season to scout and another week to get it done. If I cant locate any Sheep (which Im not confident about yet) I could always go to plan B and take one of the Bulls Ive been hearing while up top. I have not hunted this area so I would be a complete newby to the area. Does this sound feasible to anyone familiar with the area. It looks like 316 overlaps Sheep units 502 and 503...am I missing something? All advice appreciated. I am setup to do about a 6-7 day trip out of my pack. I dont have any pack animals but do have a good buddy and his son who will be joining me if I go.

 

[Highground]

My mistake it appears to be Sheep hds 500 and 501 that overlap 316

 

[KClark]

This elk came from HD 316 in 1995.

 

[Gerald Martin]

After several years of seriously considering this hunt...I may just go for it this year. Just curious, this could double as a backcountry rifle hunt in elk unit 316 right? I was thinking I could go in for a week prior to season to scout and another week to get it done. If I cant locate any Sheep (which Im not confident about yet) I could always go to plan B and take one of the Bulls Ive been hearing while up top. I have not hunted this area so I would be a complete newby to the area. Does this sound feasible to anyone familiar with the area. It looks like 316 overlaps Sheep units 502 and 503...am I missing something? All advice appreciated. I am setup to do about a 6-7 day trip out of my pack. I dont have any pack animals but do have a good buddy and his son who will be joining me if I go.

You will see about as many bull elk as you do sheep. Which is to say, very few. From what I understand it's a world of difference from the numbers of elk in the mid-nineties to today. In a nutshell, it is possible to kill a bull elk while on a backpack sheep hunt. Not probable. Depending on where you are, it is possible to backpack a bull elk out of 316. You will not do it more than once and your good buddy and his son won't be joining you to ever do it again. I've packed two mountain goats out of that country. Don't really desire to pack an elk.

 

[BigHornRam]

You will see about as many bull elk as you do sheep. Which is to say, very few. From what I understand it's a world of difference from the numbers of elk in the mid-nineties to today. In a nutshell, it is possible to kill a bull elk while on a backpack sheep hunt. Not probable. Depending on where you are, it is possible to backpack a bull elk out of 316. You will not do it more than once and your good buddy and his son won't be joining you to ever do it again. I've packed two mountain goats out of that country. Don't really desire to pack an elk.

Acurate advice right there. Not a lot of elk in these mountains anymore. Sheep unit 303 Also overlaps unit 316. Finding a nice mountain Muley is a more reasonable goal and certainly an easier pack out. Good luck on your hunt. Neat country no matter what you end up harvesting.

 

[Highground]

Thank for the advice. I hear you on packing Elk. Not for the faint of heart. Last thought everytime before I take an animal...how far am I from the truck again? Always farther than I wanted to be!

 

[mdunc8]

I saw three sheep, four goats, two deer, and one bull while hunting opening week two years ago. We didn't move around much, but it was over 15 miles back to the truck when we were done so we did cover some ground. Never heard a bugle. Didn't saw a wallow. And only saw a handful of rubs where we saw the bull on the way out. My buddy was toast and there was no way I was shooting any mammal at the point let alone a big bull, which was disappointing at the time considering how big it was. However, once reality set in a few miles later, I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger. Amazing country and I'll be heading back soon.

 

[Highground]

No legal Sheep I take it? Or just logistically couldnt put it together? I will absolutely not be taking a bull in Sept. weather any farther than a few miles from the truck. A Sheep tho...

 

[mdunc8]

Close but not quite

 

[KClark]

That bull I posted a pic of above was just over Boulder Pass, not too bad a pack job. The pics don't do him justice, he's huge! He has a 4" sticker that's not visible so he's actually a 7x8.