Sheep growth
 

I went scouting for sheep with my dad, grandpa and cousin and we found a good herd of sheep. 22 were Rams but most were very young. We figured that one of the sheep was just on the verge of being a legal 4/5 curl. This was on July 13th. I'm just wondering if he will grow enough to be sure he is legal by Agust 25. And also will they stick around the same area? They were out on the middle of a grassy slope. Do they move into the trees or more into the rocky areas, or stay in the same kind of area? Any information would be great!! Thanks

If he is on the verge now he would be real iffy at the end of the month. The band may stick around if they don't get harassed or they may for no particular reason walk 2 ranges over, no real way to predict what they will do. Just keep out of their faces (don't harass them) and keep an eye on them closer to season and the just may be there at that time.

Sheep are like deer, they do many different things for various reasons, figuring that out is far more complicated than saying they move to any certain area at a certain time.

Rams will head to the timber to beat the heat, weather out a storm, retreat from hunting pressure and many other reasons, some spend most of their time there. Others head to the rocks when pressured and others just keep moving and seeking out any area hunters seem to miss.

Best bet is to find as many "ram" areas as you can and keep moving yourself until you find them. Do most of the "walking" with your glass and don't dismiss an area too soon, they have a habit of materializing from nowhere in the wide open where you have been diligently glassing for hours.

The biggest mistake most new sheep hunters make is getting into an area that "feels sheepy" to them or that they have seen sheep in or have been told to hunt and then just staying there the entire hunt, hunting the same empty slopes day after day. Consistently successful hunters have worn the soles off many pair of boots and have found many great spots and remain mobile enough to find the sheep in one of them or find a new hotspot instead of vainly hoping the sheep will find them.

Good luck, sheep hunting is a blast!

Well, unless he is in one of those areas, where 4/5 still applies, not a chance in Hell. :D Gonna be a couple of years of low harvest numbers before the bulk of the rams make full curl.

Grizz

Continuing on with the thought of Rams in the trees, how far down will they wander? Are they hiding in the conifers right below the tree line, or will they ever go right down into the aspens where you would expect to just see elk? Has anyone ever encountered any sheep like the Pinto goats, just hanging out down in the forest not near any slopes?

Lots of variables, but i don't think so. At least not enough to be sure. Maybe November....maybe. but not August. Disclaimer: I'm no sheep hunter, just see them while hiking or hunting other critters.

Rams, where they are hunted, will do much the same as any animal prior to the rut: go into places they aren't shot at daily. I would check your spot, but move on quickly if a good ram isn't there. Opening day in the mountains is the same for any animal, deer/elk/sheep: be there two days early, locate your target, pull the trigger 2 seconds after legal shooting light. You want to be on your way out as the newbies are hiking in. This is how the more successful sheep hunters I've met operate.

Usually if they are down in the valley bottom they are travelling, watering or heading to a lick. If they are living in the trees or using them as cover they will usually be near treeline but could be a few hundred feet below it too. Sometimes in the lower cliffs with the goats or wherever, each spot has its own sweet spot that they like for whatever reason. I have spots quite low, way below timberline, that I hunt and all the way to the top, you just need to spend some time afield and don't rule anywhere out, glass it all and figure your area out. Worst case scenario is you may find a nice deer or elk down low as a bonus. Then again I killed my biggest Wilmore Mulie way above timber living with the caribou, I have seen rutting moose and grizzlies way up in the rocks and a goat on a sulphur pile 100s of kms from the nearest mountain, they are where you find em.