Sheep Talk

[ARCAT]

Melton is the best in Idaho. Scott has a fly in unit and maybe just hasn't made it to town yet. He will return you call. In my opinion, you need to go 3 days before season, find and ram and be sitting on him waiting for first light opening day. Elk hunters shouldn't mess you up. The temtation to shoot a nice bull you will surely see will be there though or a nice high country buck if you go after sept 15th. Nothing wrecks a sheep hunt like killing a 350 bull and having to take time to pack him out and cape the head etc.

 

[T Bone]

If it were I, I'd plan two ten day trips. The first, go in Labor Day weekend. If unsuccessful, go in late Sept or early October. The weather on the middle fork can be dicey. It can dump big snow in there. I've mostly hunted the higher elevations, and didn't spend much time in the lower country.

Early you run the risk of limited visibility from smoke. You can get serious snow anytime up there in Sept or Oct.

My first trip in, we went early and had 3 days of solid white out, snow, rain, clouds. Weather was fair to very cold for the entire trip. Watched 4 hunters get life-flighted off the west side.

2nd trip in early october, I froze my butt off. Lot's of snow.

3 rd trip was early sept and weather was stellar.

4th trip early sept, weather good, some rain.

5th trip was early oct. we just missed an honest 2 foot dumper of a snow storm from a week earlier.

Borrow a good spotter and tripod set up. I know I've overlooked a lot of animals because I didn't know how to really glass on the early hunts.

 

[brymoore]

The temtation to shoot a nice bull you will surely see will be there though or a nice high country buck if you go after sept 15th. Nothing wrecks a sheep hunt like killing a 350 bull and having to take time to pack him out and cape the head etc.

I will not have a bull tag in my pocket - it would be too tempting. I'll try to convince anyone going with me of the same. I'd bet it would take most of a week to butcher and pack a bull to an airstrip. I won't shoot a mule deer but I'm OK with a buddy shooting one if it is big. I need to throw a little incentive for them to come with me. A MD would be one extra load. I might be doing jumping jacks and yelling RUN when he shoots.

 

[ARCAT]

Sounds like you have a good plan and good understanding of what you need to do. I bet you have a great trip. What airstrip are you going into? Don't be afraid to look low first. there are always some rams right on the river. A famous thread from last year on here had a guy shoot a ram off off the road on the Main between northfork and the confluence with the middle fork wearing flip flops. I still think Tbone drove past that ram on the way to his backpack hunt. The point is some rams hang low and some high year round.

 

[brymoore]

I'm still researching the area but I have one airstrip in mind.

Tbone - Can you give me a short paragraph on how you would glass for sheep and what tricks you have learned? From what I can gather, the sheep will not be in the open but in the mixed forest cover.

 

[Moosie]

Talk to me Bry.... is Sheep hunting harder then you thought ? How tough is Unit 27 ? DID the snow get ya ?

 

[brymoore]

Sold my tag to a guy for $10,000. J/K

They extended the end of the season to 10/31. Several seasoned sheep hunters convinced me to wait and hunt the last two weeks of season. The sheep should be more active and starting to pre-rut. I'm flying into an airstip on the Oct 13th, leaving on Oct 29th if I'm not successful. I have some "ifs" for companions but I'm going even if I have to do the whole time solo. I can't wait!

 

[mtmiller]

I'm flying into an airstip on the Oct 13th...

Hell, fly every day to find your sheep. Seems to be an ethical "hunt" in some areas around here. :BLEEP:

Sorry, I got off topic, best of luck on your hunt. Looking forward to hearing about your trip.

 

[1_pointer]

Good luck! BOY and his pard just came out of that country hunting for sheep. They hiked out in a foot of snow! Definitely be prepared for some weather...

 

[brymoore]

Good luck! BOY and his pard just came out of that country hunting for sheep. They hiked out in a foot of snow! Definitely be prepared for some weather...

They have any luck?

How high was the snow? A little snow may not be a bad thing for spotting sheep.

 

[1_pointer]

No luck. Not sure how high the snow was, just was told they were hiking out in a foot of the stuff. Good luck!

 

[brymoore]

Thanks! 11 days and counting.

 

[ARCAT]

I just got back from Meltons, Guiding Elk Hunters. The Smoke was bad early. really bad. after the rain on the 20th, things are crystal clear now. Melton had a sheep hunter in our elk camp, he got a really nice ram after about 7 days. He was a hell of a guy, resident from New Meadows, ID. No ego, in great shape, good shot etc.

An interesting note was the guy started applying 10 years ago, and applied every year. He then killed a 10 year old ram. If he had drawn 2 years ago he would have killed a smaller Ram....

Does anyone know how T-Bone is doing on the goat hunt?

 

[T Bone]

T Bone is alive and well! Check new post.

 

[brymoore]

I've heard only good things about Dave's operation.

How was the snow?

 

[ARCAT]

cold and wet. We had a great elk hunt, and being in camp with the sheep hunt was cool also. Melton was the cook and he always keeps things lively. Not many outiftters cook in camp as well as guide.

I bet you do well, Really well. just be sure to hunt low, especially that time of year.