If you reduce the # of non-resident sheep hunters by limiting the # of permits issued to GOABC for Stone Sheep/Dall/Bighorn, we're much better off in the long-term. They're taking out the best genetics and not incentivised to manage the sheep only the numbers of sheep. Some are pilaging the lands of our collective animals for the almighty $$$$$.$$!
They then accuse the wolves of very poor trophy sheep quality and fewer sheep and we all listen and agree...hmmmm!?
Furthermore, many B.C. guides and outfitters use SALT LICKS to attract sheep for their hunters; while no illegal, it is not ethical as there are very few sources of natural salt way in the mountains. They use hundreds of pounds of the stuff (left over at end of season from salting the capes of other animals)!
Finally, we need to look at ourselves as partly to blame! Very few of us have the courage to do that! Many of us work in dirty industries: Metals and Mining, Pulp and Paper, or else are not giving back to the environment. We are destroying our habitat and providing easier access to remote areas where both hunters and wolves can have a simpler time to kill more animals. We are all part of the problem!
Solution: Form a strong sportsmen coalition, get involved in government to take control of GOAB and put them in their place. Limit # of permits given to guides/outfitters Donate $$$$ to help conserve sheep hunting Write your minister, MNA, MP and tell them about what's going on with GOAB Encourage your employer to give more to the environment Start a <insert your company here> conservation fund for sheep Be more selective in your sheep hunting and skip a few years when you shoot a cranker Shoot/trap wolves Use environmentally friendly products Be a Canadian!
P.S. awesome sheep. Congratulations and let's hope it isn't the last one...
On that positive note, I'm off to bed. Enjoy the fire.
If you really cared about wild sheep, you'd not go to bed, but you'd help do something to keep sheep up on the mountain.
Oh I'll get right on it...........maybe I'll just send the check to you? Or maybe to the RMEF so they can buy another ranch I will never be able to hunt on?I am amazed that there is such an endless supply of outfits that seem to think I owe them some cash for something. Most of our sheep herds are in goods shape with access to tags being a far bigger concern than any lack of sheep. I have belonged to many different organizations over the years, many if not most, seem to do very little with my contributions. My X-mas money is going to the Salvation Army. As far as helpng sheep stay on the mountain, I'll buy another tag.
If you really cared about wild sheep, you'd not go to bed, but you'd help do something to keep sheep up on the mountain.
Mr. brooksrange; I care enough about our local herd of California�s that I�ve volunteered time for transplant work, habitat enhancement projects and have been a team leader for an annual inventory of the herd for more than 2 decades.
Having said that, in those 20+ years, I've found that I do need to sleep sometimes. Without adequate sleep I get first quite cranky and then become as my family puts it, �unfit for human consumption.�
Perhaps Mr. tangozulu suffers from the same weakness I do and needs to sleep once in awhile as well?
Today I can still get a tag for 50 bucks but don't have the time to do it right so will waite
I moved to SW Montana in the late 70's. At that time there were unlimited bighorn sheep tags in most, if not all, of the sheep units just north of Yellowstone Park. I think the resident cost was less than $25. And most of the units did not kill their quota of rams each year.
I bought a tag every year and would go into a sheep area for a few days every season, but didn't seriously hunt them.
Then, in the mid 80's, things worked out, and I killed 3 rams in 4 years. Actually, the third year I passed on two legal rams (at 30 yds). Another (guided) hunter wounded and lost one of those rams. I later tracked and finished the ram, and gave it to the hunter that originally wounded it.
All of my bighorn sheep hunts were DIY on public (National Forest) land, and most were solo hunts with just me and my backpack or me, my golden retriever, and my horses.
Then, in the 90's, sheep hunting became more popular, some sheep herds declined, license costs went up, licenses and seasons became more restricted, and many units closed.
I kick myself for not taking sheep hunting more seriously in the early 80's. Today, those opportunities are gone, and every year the mountains get steeper and higher.
As for the use of aircraft, here in Montana, it is illegal to spot sheep from an aircraft and hunt in the same day, or to have a spotter in an aircraft guide hunters on the ground to sheep. Alaska also has similar aircraft laws.
In 1989, an outfitter friend told me of a cancellation Dall sheep hunt in the Mackenzie Mountains of Canada's Northwest Territories. That was my first ever guided hunt and my guide and I flew individually in a Super Cub from base camp to a "flat" spot on top of a mountain. We then backpacked another 3 miles to the site of our spike camp. I killed my ram another 3-4 miles beyond our spike camp. We then backpacked my ram and our camp the 7 and 3 miles back to the mountain top where the super cub picked us up.
That definitely was not a phone call "Come out, I've got your ram spotted" hunt, or a spot from the air, land, shoot your ram, and fly out hunt.
My outfitter friend called me again in 2001 about a Stone sheep cancellation for $11,000, but I was in the middle of a super nasty divorce and had to pass. I'll never see an opportunity like that again.
Do your hunt NOW. You may not be able or the opportunity may not exist in the future.
Tang, I've been on three sheep hunts (AK, BC and NWT) and two mountain goat hunts. I live in Texas. The only way I'm able to do these type of hunts is with an outfitter. Are you suggesting I'm not doing REAL hunting b/c I've employed an outfitter? Or b/c I spent BIG bucks to do it? Both hunts in Canada, we flew to camp via an Otter. Both times we waited two days to hunt b/c we'd leave that area and travel by horse to the various spike camps. Then backpack up the mountains. My Stone took 14 days. My Dall took 3. My outfitter in NWT (Redstone) was a straight and ethical outfitter. My Alaska outfitter (Ram Creek Outfitters) I wouldn't trust to tie my shoes. Worst experience I ever had. And I do believe he (Bill Burwell - owner) tried spotting sheep since he flew over our area, called the guide and then it was decided that we move to a new area. I left that hunt early with no sheep I was so disgusted.
My personal feelings on the sheep hunters I've met are the most ethical and high quality hunters out there. Sure, some get up on the mountains with helos. While I don't condone it, I don't see much of an advantage since they've blown all the sheep off the mountain with the racket the rotors make.
The gist I get from your comments is you'd like to see sheep hunting done the old way. Well, welcome to 2010 (almost). You can walk out your back door and go after them. I've got a few thousand miles I have to go just to get to sheep territory. And I'm bringing my 300wsm with 4x50 Swaro scope also.
Today I can still get a tag for 50 bucks but don't have the time to do it right so will waite
I moved to SW Montana in the late 70's. At that time there were unlimited bighorn sheep tags in most, if not all, of the sheep units just north of Yellowstone Park. I think the resident cost was less than $25. And most of the units did not kill their quota of rams each year.
I bought a tag every year and would go into a sheep area for a few days every season, but didn't seriously hunt them.
Then, in the mid 80's, things worked out, and I killed 3 rams in 4 years. Actually, the third year I passed on two legal rams (at 30 yds). Another (guided) hunter wounded and lost one of those rams. I later tracked and finished the ram, and gave it to the hunter that originally wounded it.
All of my bighorn sheep hunts were DIY on public (National Forest) land, and most were solo hunts with just me and my backpack or me, my golden retriever, and my horses.
Then, in the 90's, sheep hunting became more popular, some sheep herds declined, license costs went up, licenses and seasons became more restricted, and many units closed.
I kick myself for not taking sheep hunting more seriously in the early 80's. Today, those opportunities are gone, and every year the mountains get steeper and higher.
As for the use of aircraft, here in Montana, it is illegal to spot sheep from an aircraft and hunt in the same day, or to have a spotter in an aircraft guide hunters on the ground to sheep. Alaska also has similar aircraft laws.
In 1989, an outfitter friend told me of a cancellation Dall sheep hunt in the Mackenzie Mountains of Canada's Northwest Territories. That was my first ever guided hunt and my guide and I flew individually in a Super Cub from base camp to a "flat" spot on top of a mountain. We then backpacked another 3 miles to the site of our spike camp. I killed my ram another 3-4 miles beyond our spike camp. We then backpacked my ram and our camp the 7 and 3 miles back to the mountain top where the super cub picked us up.
That definitely was not a phone call "Come out, I've got your ram spotted" hunt, or a spot from the air, land, shoot your ram, and fly out hunt.
My outfitter friend called me again in 2001 about a Stone sheep cancellation for $11,000, but I was in the middle of a super nasty divorce and had to pass. I'll never see an opportunity like that again.
Do your hunt NOW. You may not be able or the opportunity may not exist in the future.
I too was able to hunt back in the golden age, something I know was a blessing. My hat is off to you sir.
Tang, I've been on three sheep hunts (AK, BC and NWT) and two mountain goat hunts. I live in Texas. The only way I'm able to do these type of hunts is with an outfitter. Are you suggesting I'm not doing REAL hunting b/c I've employed an outfitter? Or b/c I spent BIG bucks to do it? Both hunts in Canada, we flew to camp via an Otter. Both times we waited two days to hunt b/c we'd leave that area and travel by horse to the various spike camps. Then backpack up the mountains. My Stone took 14 days. My Dall took 3. My outfitter in NWT (Redstone) was a straight and ethical outfitter. My Alaska outfitter (Ram Creek Outfitters) I wouldn't trust to tie my shoes. Worst experience I ever had. And I do believe he (Bill Burwell - owner) tried spotting sheep since he flew over our area, called the guide and then it was decided that we move to a new area. I left that hunt early with no sheep I was so disgusted.
My personal feelings on the sheep hunters I've met are the most ethical and high quality hunters out there. Sure, some get up on the mountains with helos. While I don't condone it, I don't see much of an advantage since they've blown all the sheep off the mountain with the racket the rotors make.
The gist I get from your comments is you'd like to see sheep hunting done the old way. Well, welcome to 2010 (almost). You can walk out your back door and go after them. I've got a few thousand miles I have to go just to get to sheep territory. And I'm bringing my 300wsm with 4x50 Swaro scope also.
My hat is off to you also, because you expected your outfitter to supply an ethical hunt. We as hunters need to push outfitters to maintain high ethics. It is because many sheep hunters do not ask enough questions as to how the hunt is conducted and what real expectations are that we are on race to the bottom as far as sheep hunting expieriences go. Only as consumers can we slow the outfitting business from reducing the hunting expierience further.
My compliments to all the fine sportsmen here, and especially tangozulu, for this discussion reinforcing the ethics of fair chase hunting by hunter AND guides, and the personal responsibility of both hunter and guide to assure a humane kill.
That lesson, and hard work, were the themes of the Bovey ram story that inspired me to re-tell it and post it here; it was first published in OL in 1955 and most people have never read it.
Hunting today, real hunting, is supposed to be just this way....and by God, some hunters today actually do get it!
My compliments to all the fine sportsmen here, and especially tangozulu, for this discussion reinforcing the ethics of fair chase hunting by hunter AND guides, and the personal responsibility of both hunter and guide to assure a humane kill.
That lesson, and hard work, were the themes of the Bovey ram story that inspired me to re-tell it and post it here; it was first published in OL in 1955 and most people have never read it.
Hunting today, real hunting, is supposed to be just this way....and by God, some hunters today actually do get it!
I hope you will find the way to live your dream. Cheers and Good luck If you like the white ones, here one more.
Rest assured....there are still plenty of us out there that do it right and believe in doing it right....and I'm talking about guides and outfitters as well.
My good friend and hunting companion, Al Klassen from Whitehorse, Yukon and I pose with a ram he shot in the Northwest Territories in 1991. Al is a legendary sheep hunter and guide who has personally been in on over 100 ram kills. He is the epitome of an old school ram hunter....
Results of a hunt Al and I made deep into the Ragged Range of the Northwest Territories in 1990...after a bushwhack up the mountain of over 7000 verticle feet, we found rams. Rams that had never been hunted before....ever! It was a time and place that I will never forget and we savored the moment because we knew it wouldnt last....how true that was...
![[Linked Image]](http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp311/patrickgsinclair/96zvyt.gif)
![[Linked Image]](http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp311/patrickgsinclair/scan0008-4.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp311/patrickgsinclair/SheepHunt2006148.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp311/patrickgsinclair/scan0010-6.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp311/patrickgsinclair/scan0009.jpg)