Quote:
Originally Posted by sheephunter
That's what the grapevine says!
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WOW, this went from "always hear this this time of year" to this... I did hear this from the grapevine this year as well and chose to ingnore it as I did not want to believe it. A horrible thing to the Alberta sheep hunting community as buying a general tag was the most enjoyable part of hunting season.
I had always heard that the harvest had to be over a certain amount and I can't recall the #, so please dont jump on me for that. This being said I do know we were always around 100 rams short on this # so never a danger of losing the general licence.
I turn down rams maybe not yearly, but close, and I believe that shooting a ram just because he is legal does nothing but get us closer to the quota of turning this into a draw tag. I believe that after a hunter does finally achieve the ultimate Alberta hunting goal, by shooting a legal sheep, he/she should at least try to better him/herselfand shoot mature rams. This being said that would be a hard one to regulate as no one can seem agree on a system to define a mature ram. This is where "self policeing" comes into effect I guess.
If it is on the grapevine then most likely it will happen, just like the Spray Valley park, that was on the grapevine then... Bang... a park.
We definatly need some help here to keep Sheep on a general tag. I am really pumped about the day I can hunt sheep with my son the way that my Dad and I did. Making successful hunters wait more than the year already imposed I don't think helps out. Guys are talking about shooting rams averaging one every 5+ years... these guys are holding out for big sheep and should feel good about that, as I have looked @ rams in my rifle scope and pondered shooting them and not, I know I made the right choice later. If a ram makes a guy wonder about shooting him, he defianatly should not be shot.
Though long winded I guess I am appealing for help for I believe that hunting bighorn sheep on a general tag here makes Alberta head and shoulders above any other place to hunt. What can we do to curb the decision to change this to a draw season. I for one would be willing to go to meeting, write letters etc, in order for the decisions makers to at least consider another alternative.
P.S
another thing to consider... Where I hunt sheep for the most part I can hunt three different zones all in one day, If a draw system were to take affect this would limit this area greatly and severly change my hunt, I wonder how they would consider this?
A very sad day for sheep hunters in Alberta if this goes through!!!!! We must do what we can to stop this.