Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Is there anyplace in North America to hunt sheep for less than $30,000?

Saddlesore, seems I recall a picture of a very nice bull you killed in a limited draw unit a couple years ago....

Congrats! Ego? In your case I doubt it.....but even if I thought so, I wouldn't say it.

Are you any more proud of that animals than I am of the one's I've killed? I doubt it.

Pay and pull a trigger? Never been on a hunt like that....about half my western hunts have been DYI; the other half outfitted.My experience has been that in many instances, guides were not much help at all.....sometimes a great deal of help.

Not everyone who pays to hunt strolls into a fenced canyon and rolls a bull.....some of us actually "hunt".

Yeah it costs me a lot of money even unguided,to hunt the west each year and I am not gonna apologize to anyone for it because I have tried to do it cheaply and it STILL costs lots of money...I have to get there and back, pay for meals trespass fees where applicable,etc;some places I pay nothing at all,processing game and getting it home.,etc.

Some of my best hunts have been the cheapest ones.....

I'm also self employed...so time away costs me in lost income PLUS the cost of the hunt....double whammy.

Do I do it because of ego? No....I do it because I love it,and have been for over 30 years.....So do many others.....If you guys don't know the difference,then you don't like to hunt half as much as I suspected you did.

If I lived there it would be different....but I don't and neither do thousands of others who hunt guided and unguided,all over the world.

What annoys me is people criticisizing other people because of where they live, grew up,and what they have to do to hunt in distant locales...painting everyone with a broad brush and its' never complimentary....directed toward belittling others to make themselves feel somehow....superior...THAT's ego....

I have lived in the West my entire life, but have never drawn a moose or mountain goat tag in over 30 years of applying. Have drawn one bighorn tag, for a ewe. I also never went on a guided hunt until I was 35--when I went on an elk hunt on a ranch in central Montana, my home state. After the first morning the outfitter let me hunt on my own, because I knew more about elk than he did, and I killed a bull that evening--whereupon he asked me to guide for him.

That's the short background. The long background is that after two decades I finally got pissed off about not drawing a Montana moose tag and went to Alaska. Since then it has become almost impossible to bring moose meat back from Alaska at a reasonable price, so when I have gotten pissed off again I've hunted them in British Columbia and Alberta, where I can drive to the hunt and bring the meat back. Ego is not involved, just a love of adventure and moose meat.

In the same period of time (30+ years) my wife has drawn TWO moose tags in Montana. I got to be chief packer on both hunts, one a mile from where we now live. Even so, I will probably get pissed off again about not drawing a personal moose tag pretty soon and pay a few thousand bucks to go hunt another moose in Canada.

I have always wanted a wild ram, but have the same sort of luck in sheep drawings as with moose. And each time I start to think I could afford a sheep hunt, the price has taken another big jump, and I can't. If I could afford it, I'd book a hunt right now, but I can't.

But there is no reason for a guided sheep hunt to cost more than a moose hunt. The only reason for the high price of sheep is ego, the Grand Slam syndrome. So I both agree and disagree with saddlesore. Guided hunts are NOT all about ego--my bull moose have steadily gotten smaller the longer I hunt them. And I know sheep hunters who simply love it, and can afford it. But some guided hunting is about ego, which often drives up the price.

Just costs me time, a tag and some gas...Gotta love it.

Bob.You are too nice a guy to argue with. Your post are always courteous and factual, and you are well thought of on the forum here.So we will just disagree at times.
I did kill a nice bull after a 20 year wait for the tag,but after I shot it and walked up to it,it was very anticlimatic. I did have it mounted as amemory of the hunt and have shown only two people the mount in person as they asked to see it.It went int he freezer ,the same as the cow I shot.

BTW,I did raise ,train and sell mules for many years trying to make a living at it. Never made a lot of money at it,but did a tax time

Congratulations,you just won first place for the most stupid post two days in a row.

So when I went to Alaska and hunted Dall sheep it was because of my ego?

You mean it had nothing to do with my desire to climb a different mountain, it had nothing to do with pursuing one of Natures most Majestic alpine animal?

You mean it had nothing to do with seeing Wolf, Caribou, Moose and Rams. It had nothing to do with 10 days living out of a backpack.

I guess it's my ego that requires non-residents to hire a guide/outfitter in Alaska.

Looking down at the countryside while on a bushplane flight was worth the price of admission alone, Again my ego required that.

It must be my ego that likes seeing new places, new faces, making new friends and hunting animals that are not common to my home state.

As far as your 500 dollar sheep, Good on you.
Did your ego require that you hunt sheep, or was it just desire?

At what price point does desire become ego?

If I was to finally draw a sheep tag in CO as a nonresident the tag would cost about 2 grand. I simply cant do that hunt for 500 bucks.

Since my hunt would cost me more than you spent, I guess that would be my ego stepping in again.

For you to question my, or others motivation, would truly require the use of the "stupid meter"

I guess I'll make a couple of observations. I am not going to deny that there is some "ego" for the sheep hunter. That goes back of course to the Grand Slam. But the price is higher (for sheep) than most because of supply and demand. The logistics of a sheep hunt is more costly than a moose hunt. The Chugach Mts. are a draw, as of 2006. That was added to the Chugach State Park, TOK and the DCUA. There is a good likelihood that some of the Talkeetnas or the Alaska Range will be added.

The OP asked about a $30K sheep hunt. Yes you can hunt Dall Sheep in Alaska for half of that price - even in the Brooks Range. You can hunt a Stone and a Bighorn in Canada for less than $30K - but you'd better get it done in a few years.

The bottom line to sheep hunting is that there is nothing else quite like it. By the way, don't overlook a Mt. Goat hunt. Its not as expensive in general and can give you quite a workout. It is an impressive trophy and the meat can be quite "unique"!

Tell me where? A link please....

If a guy has to pay $10k, he probably ain't very sharp either........



Casey

That's exactly the way I feel. For some, a outfitted hunt is probably the best way to hunt in a state/province/country they are not familar with, and don't have much experience for DIY hunts in the backcountry.

I have gone on two guided elk hunts in BC and Mongolia. Both were relatively cheap (at the time).

I also have done two DIY to Alaska, spending 2+ weeks in the backcountry, for caribou and moose.

Although I killed critters on all those hunts, the Alaska hunts were the most satisfying.

I would like to go back to Mongolia, and have done some research over the years trying to figure out how to do a DIY hunt for Argali.

Casey

Confessions of an Eastern sometimes guided hunter.

Many years ago in the late 70s I saw a picture of a Mountain Goat standing on a precipice, wind blowing his goatee and it fascinated me. That picture is still vivid in my mind. Long story short, the time came when I said it is now or never. A fire member recommend an outfitter, the call was made, a year spent getting in shape, and at 65 I got on a plane to Cordova, Alaska not actually sure what was in front of me. Definitely it was a blessing and a hunt of a lifetime. So much so I did it again last year.

If it was for ego, so be it. I admit I wanted to test myself. I did. Ego? Well when the guide left me to have some time with my Goat, my ego again took over. This time it was my humble ego. I rubbed my hand thru his fur, looked at the mountains around me and the tears started flowing. I thought about how blessed I was to be able to go. How my Father never could have imagined doing so. How his and my Mothers influence, sacrifice and example was a large part of it all coming together. Of course that is another ego problem I have. Pride in where I came from. Even if it was the East.

After two hunts I'm getting a feeling for the logistics of the thing. A Goat mountain is no place to be wondering around alone once one gets a few years on them. However, I do think that now, along with a willing companion we just may be able to get it done. Chris taught me a lot and he and his family have transcended the guide/client relationship and have became friends.

Then their was a time in around 1990 when I stopped in a little gas station in Crested Butte Co. They had a hell of a big Elk on the wall and a plaque said that at the time it was the highest scoring Elk ever taken.

I mentioned that I would like to do that someday and the owner and I talked about Elk. He made a comment, that like the Mountain Goat picture stuck with me. He said you out of Staters do it the hard way, and go up in the Mountains for your Elk. Most of us locals just wait tell the snows drive them down, then the phones start ringing and we go get one and bring it out with a snowmobile. I guess I should judge Western hunters by what he said.

I'm past that point that ego has much to do with anything. I pretty much go after something because I want to. Sometimes it costs me more than others who have different experience and opportunities.

About the only thing that riles my ego, is when others think they have all the answers.

Saddlesore: I understand the apathy...almost anti-climatic after the kill....what is it that guy said?

"Some men fish their whole lives before they realize it was not the fish they were after...."

I agree we can disagree....

Just a quick review with those I have bookmarked:
Indian River Ranch
5 Stone Sheep
Safari Outfitters
Lone Wolf

This is including a trophy fee add-on. I've got more to go through but have other things to do.

bigwhoop, you must be trying to say, "You can hunt a Stone OR a Bighorn in Canada for less than$30K

You can not hunt a Stone AND A Bighorn for 30 K

Lone Wolf, Stone sheep 18,900+7500 harvest fee=26,400 for one sheep hunt.

Safari Outfitters, Bighorn hunts 25,000 to 28,000.

Indian river ranch Stone sheep, 39,500 on sale for 25,000.

5 Stone sheep outfitters, 29,500.

Dont bother replying, because you cant do both sheep hunts for 30 large. We have spent enough time on this one.

What seems to be the future of hunting Stone Sheep? Will there be Stone Sheep 10 years from now? Will the cost be $50k? What is ya'lls opinion on hunting them in the future?

Right. No way I was conveying that you could hunt BOTH for that price. I do have 10 more to add at $30K or less but it is no longer an issue.

The bottom line to this topic is that NOTHING is going to get any cheaper unless we have a flat out depression and/or unleaded goes over $4. Any aspiring sheep hunters should know that it is an addicting as hell-especially after your first success. You better get a good paying job, win the lottery or have a rich uncle die.

A $50K Stone hunt? Eventually. Between supply and demand and the de-valued dollar, it can happen.

The fellows in Alaska have the best situation IF they stay in good shape.

I can't begrudge a guy who wants an adventure in another part of the world for hiring a guide to help him with an unfamiliar area or species. An experienced eye can really help a novice pronghorn hunter judge horns, for example. Safety is a big concern too. If I'm ever lucky enough to hunt really big bears, I'd like to have someone like Mr. Shoemaker coaching me.

On the other hand, prices for a lot of hunts are totally crazy, and I have seen some ridiculous ego trips among hunters - mostly stemming from their judging the success of a hunt solely on the size of the antlers/horns/hide. Those are easy things to measure objectively, but, to me, subjective aspects are a bigger part of the fun. The deer breeding programs in Texas that breed for cartoonishly big racks (somewhat like some cartoonishly large silicone-enhanced racks I've seen), strike me as especially silly ego trips but they're good for a laugh I guess.

I won't hesitate to shoot a big buck if I see one, but more and more I hunt does. They can often be hunted for free or very little, they taste better, and you still get the thrill of being in beautiful country and seeing game.

One final thought about hunt prices: they would drop like a rock if the tax laws changed and disallowed a lot of hunting to be written off as corporate entertainment. Unless that happens, expect hunt costs to stay high and rise.

All you really have to do to shoot a giant ram is to go to game warden school. Then get a undercover job with the Montana Game and Fish. Cheap? Hell they will pay you to shoot a pig of a ram

You can't "buy" a mountain sheep, even if you want to. There's gonna be extensive physical effort and usually decent shooting skills required. Frequently it's a long flight, followed by a bush plane, and/or horseback just to get to where they live. Somebody had to get the horses, the tents, food, and rest of the gear there. Somebody's gonna be cooking and keeping the bears out of camp while you and your guide are hunting.
When you're done , it's all done in reverse unless another hunter is coming in.

Actually, there is a fenced desert sheep operation in Mexico. Just another sign of the times.

The cost of bringing moose home to the lower 48 is not substantial in comparison to the cost of the hunt itself, if you live in the northwestern US and have friends/partners who can drive long distances.

It's 42-44 hours of driving time from Bellingham WA to Anchorage. Gotta be real similar, if a little bit more, if going north thru Alberta from MT. If you take three weekends and the two intervening weeks, there's no reason why you can't go on a super-productive 10-day moose hunt, and bring it all back. Cost? $485 ea for license/tag, $1200 shared for diesel to/from in your crewcab pickup (assume ~15mpg), plus cost of bush access. My 2009 fly in - float - fly out hunt cost $1600 each for four guys from airstrip to airstrip, but we didn't have to rent boats.