Do you think all sheep should be on a draw?

[sheep nut]

This years opening day found my 13 year old daughter and I looking for a couple rams in Forrbiden Creek. By opening morning, there were 27 hunters in that tiny valley,and an outfitter that was doing all she could to screw up the hunting for everyone. We left and went into the Clearwater and it was just as crowded. It seems that it's always a foot race to a squeaker ram, they rarley get a chance to get old. I would rather hunt something else for a year or 2, then hunt sheep when I get a draw. I know there are areas that are on a draw but I think our sheep are under to much pressure. What do you think?

I agree, put them on draw. But 4/5 curl OR a certain age ( 9 years old)

[Bushrat]

I hunted sheep a lot in BC when i lived there and looked forward to sheep hunting in Alberta when I moved here but was soon disillusioned when I started looking around alberta sheep country, it seemed to me there is too little sheep country and way too many hunters. I was used to having a sheep mountain all to myself. Sure theres a few hard to get to places where there are not many hunters but they are far and few between. Any legal ram dosen't cut it for me and far too many are getting shot soon as they are legal, can't get big sheep when they are culled off as cycle heads. I like to see a minimum full curl regulation or 8year old minimum age and some areas could go bridge of the nose or better. If we didn't have parks and mine sites for refuge that the big ones migrate out of we would see very few large rams here.

[hawken]

I think it might be a good idea to have a life time limit of two or so.
that way you might pass on the smaller ones.

[Mintaka]

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[nube]

I would be o.k with a draw. The other thing I have thought of is that if you shoot one that is barely legal you should wait 3 or more years to hunt again and if it was a full curl then only wait 2 years. I would like to see some areas at least open for draw that would make it a trophy area kind of like Elk and if you want to wait abunch of years to get drawn at leat it would be worth it in the end. Nice to see they have opened up some more oportunities the last couple years anyways.

[pika]

putting sheep on full curl in Alberta would be a great idea but draw would basically be the end of sheep hunting for residents in Alberta. IF you want to wait 20 or 30 years to hunt , and then find the WMU you get drawn for just went through a massive die off or complete obliteration by native hunters IE WMU 437, WMU 400 whats the point. Alberta is producing more book rams in the last 20 years than in any other time period, right now sheep hunting is at its best.


NON RESIDENTS TAKE 30 PERCENT of the rams in ALBERTA here's the stats for 2002
http://www.huntingfortomorrow.com/HF...20Feb%2004.pdf

WHY CUT RESIDENT HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES WHEN 30 percent of the rams are harvested by non-residents, MONTANA caps non-resident harvest at 10 percent.

IF YOU ARE AN OUTFITTER WELL THEN OF COURSE YOU WOULD WANT SHEEP IN ALBERTA TO BE ON DRAW, then you wouldn't have to put up with those annoying resident hunters.

Putting sheep on draw is absolutely foolish especially when greater access restrictions are being imposed, full curl restrictions can be utilized, better habitat management ie controlled burns, I've never been alarmed by hunter numbers and always have good opportunities to harvest nice rams every year.

[pika]

THAT 30 percent non-resident harvest is all North of the Bow River!!!

Originally Posted by hawken

I think it might be a good idea to have a life time limit of two or so.
that way you might pass on the smaller ones.

I don't really think it's the experienced sheep hunters shooting them all...I think there are far more first-timers killing rams than anything and nothing wrong with that. There are a lot of sheep hunters in the field that have never killed a ram. Limiting a person to two rams really wouldn't do much to change the overall harvest I don't think. Most hunters I know kill the first legal ram they see and then hold out for something larger. That's why I was 18 years between rams...my first one scored 176. I did take a smaller one after 18 years but only because I was hunting with a muzzleloader. I likely could have killed one every two years in those 18 years but like most that have shot a ram, I chose not to. I did accompany many first timers on successful hunts during those years though. It might stop a few rams from being killed but I suspect the vast majority are taken by first-timers.

[pika]

Originally Posted by sheep nut

This years opening day found my 13 year old daughter and I looking for a couple rams in Forrbiden Creek. By opening morning, there were 27 hunters in that tiny valley,and an outfitter that was doing all she could to screw up the hunting for everyone. We left and went into the Clearwater and it was just as crowded. It seems that it's always a foot race to a squeaker ram, they rarley get a chance to get old. I would rather hunt something else for a year or 2, then hunt sheep when I get a draw. I know there are areas that are on a draw but I think our sheep are under to much pressure. What do you think?

I spent 4 days in that neck of the woods last september and saw 10 rams, 65ewes, 5 elk, 1 wolf and only 2 hunters. Two cranker rams were taken in October right where I hunted BLAH, some guys have all the luck. You must have been NAGYED, hey don't let some chick get you down.

[Pathfinder76]

I spent all of a day and a half hunting sheep this year (killed a ram on day two). I saw exactly no people and 21 Rams.

[gunslinger]

Originally Posted by chuck

I spent all of a day and a half hunting sheep this year (killed a ram on day two). I saw exactly no people and 21 Rams.

may i please be your sheep hunting parnter. gonna get after em this year boys, got three week hunt booked for august and im going deep, ordered my mountain house and counting the days....hopefully the all elusive bighorn is coming home this year. ahhh i love sheep and goat hunting, with over the counter tag.

[albertadave]

Originally Posted by chuck

I spent all of a day and a half hunting sheep this year (killed a ram on day two). I saw exactly no people and 21 Rams.

may i please be your sheep hunting parnter

Can I come too? Please.

It's funny, four of us had this exact conversation when we were out his fall. I was in the "put it all on draw" camp, but some posts here raise some very good points that didn't come up around the fire, and I am re-thinking my position. I don't think making everything full curl is the answer either, as some one already said some rams will never attain full curl. I like the idea of increasing the waiting times after shooting one, should make guys a little more selective, especially guys who have previously shot one.

[bigben]

Here is a interesting note the legality of full curl rams works in the kootenays and this year we had a surplus of big rams and we continue to harvest them every year .............. one area close to me had 9 rams taken off of it this year and I been there seen lots of hunters and there are still many nice legal rams left on the winter range.............as for the broomed off full curl that are in the 180 plus category good for them breeding stock are needed too,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you would want to have a full curl season and not a limited entry season l,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,chances are slim and you might not draw ever......but I like your idea of priority systems in alberta and if it ever went that way it would be a good way to go.... my last remark is the hard core sheep hunters have the time and put the effort in to obtain one ................... remember its the hours you spend on the mountain that can make or break a good hunt .........

[brett01]

put em' on draw except for a few zones open for full curl trophy

[pika]

Originally Posted by sheep nut

I would rather hunt something else for a year or 2, then hunt sheep when I get a draw. What do you think?

I think you are dreaming, if you think you will get a sheep draw in two years, look at 437, how long to get drawn there? What about 408 if you didn't put in first year. When a draw is made for sheep every one and their dog puts in for it even if they've never hunted sheep before, basically your are diluting your chances of getting a tag to almost no chance at all. Your odds of a good ram are much better as it is right now.

[209x50]

I agree with Pika, There are plenty of places to be by yourself if you want to work for your sheep. I believe the hunter success rate is around 4% and the populations are strong, so why put it on draw. Maybe what some of you need is to have them chased off the mountains so you can get at them! LOL

[Mintaka]

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[sheep nut]

Originally Posted by pika

I think you are dreaming, if you think you will get a sheep draw in two years, look at 437, how long to get drawn there? What about 408 if you didn't put in first year. When a draw is made for sheep every one and their dog puts in for it even if they've never hunted sheep before, basically your are diluting your chances of getting a tag to almost no chance at all. Your odds of a good ram are much better as it is right now.

I was drawn in 437 the year after the natives shot all those rams. I just came back from a month of guideing for elk in BC. I hadn't heard anything about that happening. I walked around redcap 10 times looking for a good ram but only found 1 squeaker fullcurl and let him go. I blistered both feet bad. When I found out that they killed all the big rams just because, I was wild. If Ihad seen them do that just to be spitefull (lets just say I would still be doing time). And i am in the first draft of 408 draws.