Sheep: now or later

[OntarioHunter]

... I have a pretty awesome wife. She is on board with my dreams. Another is owning a farm as I grew up on one and want to retire on one. I've had a farm fund invested since I was 18 and contribute significantly to it every year. As long as that is the source of my hunting budget she's cool with it.

You are a lucky guy.

My youngest brother's POS partner whined at me a couple of years ago to impress on him that he needed to spend more time with her instead of his friends. Well, there was a reason for this but I didn't expound. Instead I pointed out how my late wife was always okay with me working away from home during Park Service stints that sometimes lasted months at a time. She also never complained once about my hunting or fishing. Why? Because she loved seeing the one she loved be happy. That's what a real partnership is about. Ms Battleaxe just looked at me stupid (because she is) and stomped into the other room.

 

[Panda Bear]

How many of you guys have sheep hunted, in particular dall's? Anyone also hunted a moose. Just trying to gauge what you found to be a better experience. Cost wise it's pretty much the same with sheep being a bit cheaper as if I was moose hunting I'd likely add on a caribou as it is so cost effective at that point.

I have hunted both several times and in my opinion your not going to get a large group of people coming down on one side or the other of "which is the better experience" They are different but are both enjoyable. The float hunts for moose will provide one type of scenery, challenges, and opportunities. The horseback hunts a different type of scenery, challenges and opportunities. Actually the horseback hunts will allow you to hunt both. You will float plane in and then ride the horses from camp to camp and can hunt moose, sheep, caribou and bear all on the same hunt if you have the coin. And your wife is welcome to accompany you without hunting. Even if she says no to the offer, she will appreciate your asking her to go with you and she might surprise you and want to go.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

How many of you guys have sheep hunted, in particular dall's? Anyone also hunted a moose. Just trying to gauge what you found to be a better experience. Cost wise it's pretty much the same with sheep being a bit cheaper as if I was moose hunting I'd likely add on a caribou as it is so cost effective at that point.

Thanks for all your words of encouragement. I have a pretty awesome wife. She is on board with my dreams. Another is owning a farm as I grew up on one and want to retire on one. I've had a farm fund invested since I was 18 and contribute significantly to it every year. As long as that is the source of my hunting budget she's cool with it.

Ive hunted AK/YK moose 3 times, once DIY in AK, once guided in AK and once guided in NWT. All 3 hunts were enjoyable. The DIY Ak was the least mostly due to terrain and location. Guided AK was a blast. Guided NWT was best hunting trip i have eve been on.

I have hunted dalls twice, once in AK guided and once in NWT guided. Both trips were a metric ton of fun. NWT was easily the better of the two. The NWT hunt was a combo hunt for sheep/moose/caribou. I have always been fascinated with moose hunting, more so than sheep. But the sheep hunts were more fun than I expected. I would and will go do both again. Not sure I would say one is better than the other.

When i first started going on guided sheep and moose hunts hunts I was in a very similar situation to you. Relatively young, mid 30's. Had relatively high level of income, saved a lot for retirement, had 2 young children that I was saving for as well. My wife was fully supportive of me going on these hunts. Never made demands of what we spent our money on. As long as we were responsible and covered our life necessities she supported these hunts. I too drove shitty old trucks. Never really got too twisted up over what I drove. She does. She really liked nice cars. She has moved on from that to a large degree.

When I went to NWT I told myself this would be a one shot deal. This hunt was crazy expensive. I am already planning on going back again. I think someone earlier mentioned if you go to AK for sheep make sure its in one of the draw units or in an area that the outfitter has a defined area. I would strongly encourage this as well. Not that the OTC units aren't fine places to hunt but the pressure just keeps getting more and more each year. Either way you are spending a bunch of money, spend a little more and make it that much better. Additionally, if you are looking to combo hunts I would strongly suggest YK or NWT over AK. Once again AK combo hunts can be very good but in my experience many AK outfitters book combo hunts where the likelihood of taking or even encountering both animals aren't very good. The CA outfitters with the almost total lack of resident hunting pressure and defined guiding areas can and do control the hunting pressure to a higher degree. They also book many combo hunts as add-ons rather than upfront costs which appears to happen less often in AK.

Another aspect of dealing with cost to consider is the total cost being split over the course of multiple years. For my NWT hunt you paid 1/3 when you booked, 1/3 a year later and 1/3 the year you went. Since the wait time is typically several years the total cost is usually spread out over at least 3 years. For many, myself included, it is easier to produce 3 yearly payments and still cover family needs than to produce one big lump sum. At any rate that's my $0.02.

 

[MTGomer]

I’ve hunted dalls in the NWT myself and in the Chugach working for an outfitter.

The rams we saw in the Chugach were bigger on average.

The remoteness of the NWT is something else though. I would imagine a place like the Brooks is similar. The Mackenzies go on and on forever and you are the only one out there, 300 miles from civilization. In the Chugach, I could have walked to the highway in a long day

I’ve never moose hunted (yet) I’m going in September. I’m sure it’ll be fun but it’s really for my FIL. It just doesn’t trip my trigger like sheep do. Whether you moose hunt or sheep hunt, I think you’d be wise to go somewhere like the NWT or the Brooks where you could combo a caribou. Caribou are cooler than hell. I did in the NWT and loved it. We walked past a bull while stalking my ram... i don’t even want to guess how big he was. Huge. Hunting them again is high on my list. I think they’re so neat and you probably will too.

 

[AKnGunGuard]

Guys and gals,

I have a lot of dreams in life, call me young and dumb if you like, but I'm happy to be an optimist and even happier I've been very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and wanted opportunities I certainly don't deserve.

I've always wanted to go on a sheep hunt ( as well as moose, Mt. Goat, elk and caribou). I've been on two unsuccessful diy elk hunts, have shot a free range cow bison with my bow in wyoming, and now am trying to determine if it's better to wait and save for a dall sheep hunt and maybe go on a guided elk hunt and mt. Goat hunt or go for it and do the sheep hunt now.

If you ask my wife she would encourage me to get a new f150, but I refuse to dump "sheep money" into anything with 4 wheels. I'm quite content to drive my little Ford fiesta deer hunting and get laughed at when I have to load one in the trunk.

What do you guys think. Anyone been on a bad sheep hunt and regretted it? Hoe many of you have been on a good, but unsuccessful sheep hunt that was guided.

I know a Guide who has one opening left for 2021. Very remote lodge, over 25 years in this location.

Any q's - [email protected]

 

[Panda Bear]

was asked and

yes we have goats in The Territories, but the place to hunt Goats is B. C. or Alaska

Goats can be a very difficult hunt. More difficult than sheep ?, maybe-probably, all things considered. The old saying is goat hunts start where sheep hunts leave off

Hunts in The Territories are booked out in 2021 and 2022. 2023 is almost full and if the borders dont open soon, you next opportunity will be 2024

 

[kevinfoerster]

Ive hunted AK/YK moose 3 times, once DIY in AK, once guided in AK and once guided in NWT. All 3 hunts were enjoyable. The DIY Ak was the least mostly due to terrain and location. Guided AK was a blast. Guided NWT was best hunting trip i have eve been on.

I have hunted dalls twice, once in AK guided and once in NWT guided. Both trips were a metric ton of fun. NWT was easily the better of the two. The NWT hunt was a combo hunt for sheep/moose/caribou. I have always been fascinated with moose hunting, more so than sheep. But the sheep hunts were more fun than I expected. I would and will go do both again. Not sure I would say one is better than the other.

When i first started going on guided sheep and moose hunts hunts I was in a very similar situation to you. Relatively young, mid 30's. Had relatively high level of income, saved a lot for retirement, had 2 young children that I was saving for as well. My wife was fully supportive of me going on these hunts. Never made demands of what we spent our money on. As long as we were responsible and covered our life necessities she supported these hunts. I too drove shitty old trucks. Never really got too twisted up over what I drove. She does. She really liked nice cars. She has moved on from that to a large degree.

When I went to NWT I told myself this would be a one shot deal. This hunt was crazy expensive. I am already planning on going back again. I think someone earlier mentioned if you go to AK for sheep make sure its in one of the draw units or in an area that the outfitter has a defined area. I would strongly encourage this as well. Not that the OTC units aren't fine places to hunt but the pressure just keeps getting more and more each year. Either way you are spending a bunch of money, spend a little more and make it that much better. Additionally, if you are looking to combo hunts I would strongly suggest YK or NWT over AK. Once again AK combo hunts can be very good but in my experience many AK outfitters book combo hunts where the likelihood of taking or even encountering both animals aren't very good. The CA outfitters with the almost total lack of resident hunting pressure and defined guiding areas can and do control the hunting pressure to a higher degree. They also book many combo hunts as add-ons rather than upfront costs which appears to happen less often in AK.

Another aspect of dealing with cost to consider is the total cost being split over the course of multiple years. For my NWT hunt you paid 1/3 when you booked, 1/3 a year later and 1/3 the year you went. Since the wait time is typically several years the total cost is usually spread out over at least 3 years. For many, myself included, it is easier to produce 3 yearly payments and still cover family needs than to produce one big lump sum. At any rate that's my $0.02.

Thank you for this. That's what i have thought as well. I just talked with an outfitter in Alaska that has 4 exclusive areas. Running over 90% success on sheep and takes low volume, maybe 5 hunters per year. Was very open and honest about winter kill the last few years and even mentioned a guy he is really close with that went off on his own and guides state land that is otc and everyone hunts there. He said the difference in success rates between guides like that and his exclusive operation is that he scouts all summer and is in the camps 10 days in advance to keep an eye on legal rams. So i've found the outfitter I would use, just a decision of whether to pull the trigger or not. The other avenue, which would darn near be equal cost, would be a combo moose and mountain caribou hunt in B.C. I'm leaning towards a sheep as Alaska may not always be open to nonresidents without drawing a tag.