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Old 12-07-2017, 08:57 PM
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So it looks like a buddy and I are going to be going on our first sheep hunt next season. I know very few people tag one their first season, but I want to give it everything I've got. We have an area and come January, we are going to start scouting the area and learning it inside and out.

There are some real successful sheep hunters on here. So I am looking for resources. Books, websites, podcasts etc.

Basically, on the days I can't be in the mountains.. I want to be reading and learning. Especially on properly judging legal rams, gear, their habits, etc.
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Old 12-07-2017, 09:09 PM
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For gear id check out kifaru cast (Kifaru's podcast) and the first 200 episodes of gritty bowmen. Aron Snyder knows a lot when it comes to backcountry hunting. Rokslide is usually a good form to check out for gear reviews and also they have a section dedicated to sheep on there. Besides the gear I don't know a whole lot about sheep, but there are a few on here that will be able to help you out. Best of luck!
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Old 12-07-2017, 09:23 PM
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There is a ton of info on this forum in regards to gear lists and what people pack for weight on extended trips.. start getting in shape now and when you think your in shape , get it better shape. Put the boots on the ground and wear out some leather , is the best way to learn and get comfortable being in the back country .. getting good glass is gonna be your best piece of equipment . Let your binos do your work..
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Old 12-07-2017, 09:35 PM
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I guess I shouldn't have made gear as crucial as the others. I am comfortable in the backcountry and have %95 of the gear I'd need. Just like to keep an eye on little things that might make my life easier.
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Old 12-07-2017, 09:35 PM
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But thanks for the replies!
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Old 12-07-2017, 09:43 PM
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Stick a tracking device up Blackmamba ass. He always has a bead on the sheep.😂. But actually sheep are everywhere, just not all the time. Keep a log book do some hiking when you see sheep right down date time and where. Likely they will be back in the same place around the same date. It’s about being in the right place at the right time. And knowing what your looking for but there’s lots of tips on spotting sheep just dig through a few threads
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Old 12-08-2017, 08:21 AM
BackPackHunter BackPackHunter is offline
 
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1. Research all you can.
2. Pick a spot, and stick with it, don’t keep looking for a new spot.
3. Glass as much as you can.

Be mentally tuff. Be ready to be in pain, cold, wet , hungry, etc

If you want it, you can make it happen your 1st season.
I still remember my 1st season, and coming into a bowl to find sheep, then to find a legal ram. But after assessing the situation, I wouldn’t have been able to get it home.

Went home , researched gear, got a new pack n boots and made a plain to get it done the next yr, I’ve been filling a tag pretty much every 2 yrs sense.
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Old 12-08-2017, 08:47 AM
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As is the case with almost everything in life.......nothing is better than the actual experience of doing it. Read up, research your area with maps and Google earth and then get out there and put that knowledge to work.
It took me 4 years of hard work to get my first ram!!
Be prepared to be as worn out as you have ever been in your life.

Good Luck
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Old 12-08-2017, 12:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BackPackHunter View Post
1. Research all you can.
2. Pick a spot, and stick with it, don’t keep looking for a new spot.
3. Glass as much as you can.

Be mentally tuff. Be ready to be in pain, cold, wet , hungry, etc

If you want it, you can make it happen your 1st season.
I still remember my 1st season, and coming into a bowl to find sheep, then to find a legal ram. But after assessing the situation, I wouldn’t have been able to get it home.

Went home , researched gear, got a new pack n boots and made a plain to get it done the next yr, I’ve been filling a tag pretty much every 2 yrs sense.

How many rams are you at BPH? Do you always go out there just for the kill? Or do you believe after so many let them go and grow and look for that special one?
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Old 12-08-2017, 12:23 PM
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There is a good deal on a spotting scope in the buy and sell. That's my advice.
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Old 12-08-2017, 12:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lr1000 View Post
How many rams are you at BPH? Do you always go out there just for the kill? Or do you believe after so many let them go and grow and look for that special one?
I always find this an interesting question from guys.
To me all sheep are special ones. I have passed a lot of rams in the past and ended up shooting smaller ones just because of the situation, who I was with or the area I was in. I don't judge success by inches on sheep as they all have their own story. I had a hard time this year passing this one at 28 yards for 5 min. of him walking around me. He's not huge. I think we figured a 10 year old ram but I am glad I passed in the end. Kicked myself for a few days.
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Old 12-08-2017, 01:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BackPackHunter View Post
1. Research all you can.
2. Pick a spot, and stick with it, don’t keep looking for a new spot.
3. Glass as much as you can.

Be mentally tuff. Be ready to be in pain, cold, wet , hungry, etc

If you want it, you can make it happen your 1st season.
I still remember my 1st season, and coming into a bowl to find sheep, then to find a legal ram. But after assessing the situation, I wouldn’t have been able to get it home.

Went home , researched gear, got a new pack n boots and made a plain to get it done the next yr, I’ve been filling a tag pretty much every 2 yrs sense.

Is this a general sheep tag?
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Old 12-08-2017, 03:11 PM
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Is this a general sheep tag?
I would say it is and if you are serious about sheep and know your stuff it's not tough to get one every 2-3 years.....
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Old 12-08-2017, 03:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nube View Post
I always find this an interesting question from guys.
To me all sheep are special ones. I have passed a lot of rams in the past and ended up shooting smaller ones just because of the situation, who I was with or the area I was in. I don't judge success by inches on sheep as they all have their own story. I had a hard time this year passing this one at 28 yards for 5 min. of him walking around me. He's not huge. I think we figured a 10 year old ram but I am glad I passed in the end. Kicked myself for a few days.
That’s fair Phil. Every sheep hunter looks for something a little different in there rams. Your lucky enough to have a ram that pretty much has it all. I personally, after my first ram was looking for 10 and over or above 170. I know what the feeling is like packing a ram off the mountain and nothing beats it! However if I just shoot one that I’m impartial about and it’s just to fill my tag or get my numbers up, that’s not what sheep hunting is about for me. Even if that ram doesn’t make it another year I hope that it’s some others first ram. I know I’ve read somewhere you say yourself if you knew more about sheep management when you were young you might have let a few slide.
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Old 12-08-2017, 03:34 PM
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For sure I would have let some go. I didn't know any better when I was young and was told by many that it takes guys 5-10 years to even find a legal ram lol
My very first ram is my favorite. He shouldn't have been shot at 29 inches and 4.5 years old but I was 15 years old and I didn't know any better. Being with my dad on the mountain and how hard we worked it will always be my best ram. I slept in a freezing storm stuck on the mountain with no food or water and lost the horses and so much more. That is what makes it a sheep hunt not the size in the end.
Like I said, I have passed lots of other rams only to shoot smaller as well. It was all the circumstances at the time. I don't look down my nose at guys for shooting a legal ram even if they have shot lots before. Each ram is their own story and something special.
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Old 12-08-2017, 03:55 PM
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Quote:
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For sure I would have let some go. I didn't know any better when I was young and was told by many that it takes guys 5-10 years to even find a legal ram lol
.
I've heard this many times. I guess it's kind of a way to weed out some of the more fair weather hunters... and kind of coming from a conservation stand point..
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Old 12-08-2017, 03:55 PM
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here is some more reading

scouting areas will pay dividends

use Google earth its a friend

good Satellite ph n GPS

Glasses n spotting scope with stand

spend the time in your area

ghosts of the mountains .. Big Rams

https://www.longrangehunting.com/for...ep-hunting.92/

set up cameras in spots along trails

Patience Persistence Perseverance

David
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Old 12-08-2017, 04:13 PM
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Quote:
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I would say it is and if you are serious about sheep and know your stuff it's not tough to get one every 2-3 years.....
Thanks, had no idea there was a general sheep tag at all.
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Old 12-08-2017, 06:13 PM
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Thanks, had no idea there was a general sheep tag at all.
Pretty sure nube was hunting 408 and I don’t think it is a general tag for the season he hunted this year. But correct me if I’m wrong please.
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Old 12-09-2017, 08:31 AM
BackPackHunter BackPackHunter is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Lr1000 View Post
How many rams are you at BPH? Do you always go out there just for the kill? Or do you believe after so many let them go and grow and look for that special one?
I’ve been hunting rams for little under ten yrs . I’ll let you do the math.
I’m not out there for the kill, I’m out there testing my mental abilities , what I can endure, what I can survive. I don’t have horses, I don’t have a hunting partner, (most my hunting is solo)(half my rams have been solo)i love the fact that I’m not on top of the food chain , that after the kill, I’m covered in blood and now I’m being hunted.
I also love the fact that others find it so hard to make it .
I usually do 3 sheep trips a yr , and I’ve passed up more legal rams then most will see in there life time .
All legal rams are trophies, but I’m always looking for a great ram. After my 2014 ram, I said 180” inch was my goal.
I took 2015 off (only yr I never hunted sheep sense I started)(hunted BC)
Jan 2016 I had to have my right knee rebuilt, I bet I spend over 50 nights sleep on a mtn from June/oct getting my strength back and looking to make book.
I passed up 6 rams that season, because everyone I seen never gave me that feeling I got from my other rams, and was happy to let them walk.

With only a couple day left in the season(2017), I found a 12.5 heavy broomed ram and around 8.5 full curl. I knew he wouldn’t make book, but also didn’t think he’d make the winter. At 1st i didn’t think he was legal, and was debating if I wanted to take the full curl, or if I wanted to go to where all the ewes are.
After a bit the old guy gave me profile . I figured I had a 1/2” of legal on one side. And said I want him to come home with me.

Now I’m looking for double broomed full curl, or book.
But you never know, could find a ram with a huge scar on his face like the bad brother in the lion king , he’d probably need to come home with me.

I once shot the 2nd ram in a band because , the lead had 1 horn messed up n cape wasn’t nice. Took the smaller ram because of his cape(face looks like a stone)
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Old 12-09-2017, 08:32 AM
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Is this a general sheep tag?
Yup
Over the counter tags
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Old 12-09-2017, 10:28 AM
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Yup
Over the counter tags
Cool never knew, thanks for the info!
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Old 12-09-2017, 04:10 PM
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I’ve been hunting rams for little under ten yrs . I’ll let you do the math.

I’m not out there for the kill, I’m out there testing my mental abilities , what I can endure, what I can survive. I don’t have horses, I don’t have a hunting partner, (most my hunting is solo)(half my rams have been solo)i love the fact that I’m not on top of the food chain , that after the kill, I’m covered in blood and now I’m being hunted.

I also love the fact that others find it so hard to make it .

I usually do 3 sheep trips a yr , and I’ve passed up more legal rams then most will see in there life time .

All legal rams are trophies, but I’m always looking for a great ram. After my 2014 ram, I said 180” inch was my goal.

I took 2015 off (only yr I never hunted sheep sense I started)(hunted BC)

Jan 2016 I had to have my right knee rebuilt, I bet I spend over 50 nights sleep on a mtn from June/oct getting my strength back and looking to make book.

I passed up 6 rams that season, because everyone I seen never gave me that feeling I got from my other rams, and was happy to let them walk.



With only a couple day left in the season(2017), I found a 12.5 heavy broomed ram and around 8.5 full curl. I knew he wouldn’t make book, but also didn’t think he’d make the winter. At 1st i didn’t think he was legal, and was debating if I wanted to take the full curl, or if I wanted to go to where all the ewes are.

After a bit the old guy gave me profile . I figured I had a 1/2” of legal on one side. And said I want him to come home with me.



Now I’m looking for double broomed full curl, or book.

But you never know, could find a ram with a huge scar on his face like the bad brother in the lion king , he’d probably need to come home with me.



I once shot the 2nd ram in a band because , the lead had 1 horn messed up n cape wasn’t nice. Took the smaller ram because of his cape(face looks like a stone)


You say you've been hunting sheep for a little under ten years and already preaching that you've passed up more legal rams than people will see in their lifetime.

Boy that's hard to believe and also a slap in the face to them old boys who've guided sheep their whole life I'd say.


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Old 12-09-2017, 04:24 PM
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You say you've been hunting sheep for a little under ten years and already preaching that you've passed up more legal rams than people will see in their lifetime.

Boy that's hard to believe and also a slap in the face to them old boys who've guided sheep their whole life I'd say.


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Old 12-09-2017, 04:31 PM
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Come on boys. A sheep thread that has surprisingly stayed on the rails and offered some helpful advice. Let's keep it that way.
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Old 12-09-2017, 05:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elkhunter220 View Post
You say you've been hunting sheep for a little under ten years and already preaching that you've passed up more legal rams than people will see in their lifetime.

Boy that's hard to believe and also a slap in the face to them old boys who've guided sheep their whole life I'd say.


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Ya I can see some BS in all that too lol If I spent 50 nights on the mountain I would hope to heck I would find a legal ram or 2 or 6 lol

408 has general tag and a Draw Archery tag for those that are asking and not sure. Sheep are pretty tough to find during regular season. One band of rams I was hunting came from about 18KM away to come into the area I was in. They didn't get there till at least a week after the general season and stayed in the park till then. Got some cool pics of the ram I killed and a couple of his buddies during the summer months before they came over. Some of the big ones from other area never even showed and one showed the last day of November after the rodeo was over.....
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Old 12-09-2017, 05:45 PM
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Quote:
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You say you've been hunting sheep for a little under ten years and already preaching that you've passed up more legal rams than people will see in their lifetime.

Boy that's hard to believe and also a slap in the face to them old boys who've guided sheep their whole life I'd say.
I don't think he was talking about the boys who been guiding sheep hunters their whole lives. He's talking about the average sheep hunter who takes a week off in sheep season, is out of shape, hasn't scouted at all let alone spending 2 months actually on the mountain finding sheep before hunting season starts and is in there before sheep season starts and knows where particular rams hang out. Your average sheep hunter goes out the first weekend, parks their truck and walks up the first ridge gets tired and goes back to the truck and sits on a road with a spotting scope somewhere with all the other average sheep hunters who rarely see a legal ram let alone ever shoot one then they go home.
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Old 12-09-2017, 05:48 PM
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No matter what he meant it's nice to hear a guy dedicated. I'd love to see some pics of his ram or rams and what he has shot the last 10 years! Feel free to post a few pics!
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Old 12-09-2017, 07:50 PM
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I'd love to see any photos of legal rams no matter how many years back (or non-legal but close rams you've seen.. just please mark "almost legal" haha). All angles. Helps me learn to judge them!

Edit: Is that bad form? Cause it could give away rams that might be legal today? If so, just photos of legal rams you guys have taken over the years!
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Old 12-09-2017, 08:28 PM
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Any sheep pics are good in my books
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