Google Bot Data Mined Super-Fund Site

[recurveman]

After seeing the Utah and Idaho sheep tags take a $500-700 hike the last couple weeks I’m really hoping I can pull off a few unlimited hunts and tag a ram before Montana jacks up their prices again. I can do $1250 as a non resident but Idaho is $2625 now and Utah went to $2200.

The big difference between UT,ID and MT is that you will shoot a sheep in UT and ID but getting one in MT will be much more expensive than the other states. Remember that you might as well plan on buying the MT tag for the better part of 5 years. ($1250 X 5 years = $6250.00). That is IF you see one and IF you kill one. Might take 10 years or might never get one. The other states are a bargain compared to the UL hunts......if you can draw a tag. Either way it is expensive to hunt sheep and the percentages of getting either a tag or a sheep are very low...... Might actually be cheaper to just buy a Dall sheep tag and be done with it!!!!!!!!!!!

Other issue with ID is that you spend all the money up front. Then if you don't get drawn you get your money back......Minus about $250 for the pleasure of applying. Still very expensive to have a small chance of getting a tag.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I love the $125 I'm paying haha

 

[MTGomer]

$1250 seems like a fair price for this hunt, but if it was more I’d pay it.

$1250 seems a bit low for the draw tags, when you consider what other states charge non residents and the quality of rams that come from many of the draw units.

 

[shines@times]

I love the $125 I'm paying haha

Sure, that's the way to make friends--flaunt your Montana Privilege!

 

[EYJONAS!]

8th

Like malaria, the sheep bug flares up periodically. I'm skimming through the whole unlimited thread again. Could not help myself pointing out the irony of your "goose chase" comment. Congratulations again on your accomplishment MTGomer. Is your hunting partner continuing the quest?

Not to slight anyone else, because there are a bunch of fine people contributing to this thread and the pursuit of Montana's premier game animal, but I've got to root for EYJONAS to succeed in the unlimiteds this year (and C Bow in Alaska). Are you really switching units this year EYJONAS?

I've got three weeks to decide if I want to both chance getting my hernia fixed (yeah, I know, it's only two years old) in time to recover and get into shape, and take the risk that there might not even be a season in light of the Covid-19 situation. The virus has served to reinforce something I already knew: tomorrow is never promised.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Wanna see how tags shake out a little bit before I decide to move. Looks forward to it!

 

[EYJONAS!]

Perhaps the year of the ram for @EYJONAS! (And the bull, and the goat).

You as well my friend, more deserving of a ram and goat than I! Probably bull to!

 

[recurveman]

Yep I got no problem paying $1250 and I will pay it if it goes up. I am surprised that Montana is relatively cheap on Big 3 tags compared to other states. I mean I’d rather hunt limited draws in Montana that any other state.

Typically the cost of the tag has very little to do with the revenue received by game and fish. The real money made by game and fish is through the draw process. Look at NM. It costs about $250 bucks to put in for sheep. If the draw odds are .1% then the game and fish will get $250 X 1000 = $250,000.00 in fees before a tag is issued. That is for each unit. If the unit gives out 2 tags and $3,000.00 each then they get $6,000.00. The money is really in the fees not the cost of the tag. Now these are really rough numbers and it doesn't take into account the cost of a resident applying but you can see the major revenue comes from the application process for the high demand tags.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to practice social distancing around Sept 15th.....maybe even a few days before that too...

 

[AggieHunter]

If you’re a MT WSF member, the newsletter with this story should be in your mailbox soon if it isn’t already.

Was going through my most recent Huntin' Fool magazine and saw a very familiar photo in the unlimited section!

 

[YoungGun]

8th

Wanna see how tags shake out a little bit before I decide to move. Looks forward to it!

That BC buff isn't going to hunt itself.

 

[andrew11]

I always get excited to see when this thread lights back up. Looking forward to wearing out some boot leather in the Beartooths!
Just got my admission ticket in the mail the other day

 

[timber_hunter]

Just bought a tag for 502 yesterday. Can't wait til the season opens! I have to say, I kinda wish I'd gone for 501 or 500. Looking at the harvest data, the quota doesn't fill in 502 until November most years. I was hoping to get into the mountains right at season opener and cross my fingers for good weather. Any unlimited sheep hunt can feel hopeless I guess, but hunting 502 in mid-September knowing that most rams are south of the border will likely occupy my thoughts most of the time.

 

[EYJONAS!]

That BC buff isn't going to hunt itself.

I got a bit of a distraction this year

 

[recurveman]

Tag purchased. My back already hurts, my feet are cold and my knees are sore.........why is my face red from wind burn all of a sudden?

Can't wait for the punishment!!!!!!!!

 

[AggieHunter]

One of the hunt advisors at Huntin' Fool wrote about 502 in his article about Unlimited sheep saying that's, where he is headed due to the number of rams he thinks are back there

 

[EYJONAS!]

Huntin fool can eff off...... so can Eastmans and GoHunt

 

[timber_hunter]

I saw that Huntin' Fool article with the harvest stats. He chose 502 because it was the only unit he thought would be open after he got back from guiding in September, not because of the number of rams. HF's preferred unit is 501. Not a fan of his content necessarily but I've been voraciously consuming any information on the unlimited sheep units that I can find.

 

[EYJONAS!]

502 is no picnic by any means and while it has produced some historically bigger rams i fear that rough winters and some Wyoming die off will have a fairly negative effect on populations. I know 2 people that have been looking for 502 sheep even in their well known wintering areas and venture well into region 1 and the numbers are bleak..... hopefully they're hiding somewhere. Anyone going to hunt 502 its no secret on when and where to be. It's who's got the drive and who's gonna get lucky and intercept one or two. The real secret in 502 is where do they come from before the migration pin points....... that's a real code I'd like to try and crack, where are they in September October.

 

[AggieHunter]

I saw that Huntin' Fool article with the harvest stats. He chose 502 because it was the only unit he thought would be open after he got back from guiding in September, not because of the number of rams. HF's preferred unit is 501. Not a fan of his content necessarily but I've been voraciously consuming any information on the unlimited sheep units that I can find.

I would take everything with a grain of salt just wondered if that would maybe influence so more people to hunt there.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I would take everything with a grain of salt just wondered if that would maybe influence so more people to hunt there.

You bet your ass it does, did you know that the number of tags that fwp reports for the unlimited units is not accurate either. They only account the people that apply for the tag in the draw not people that outright purchase the tag before hand. So you can bet their number is fairly low that they say people who participate in the hunts.......

 

[AggieHunter]

I'm hoping to get out there some time as it seems like a fun hunt even if extremely hard. If I end up at Montana State I may have more time to explore that country.