Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Tok Management Area

Has anybody hunted the Tok Management Area for Dalls? If so, how long did it take you to draw a tag? On the odd chance I happen to draw this tag in the next 5 years or so, who would you reccomend as an outfitter?

Regards,

Ted

Ted
Draw odds for non resident,about 3-5%.
If I was you,and EVERYONE ELSE,I would suggest you don't put in for it...

What fun would that be? I may never draw, but I am going to try every damn year.

what are the odds for in-staters?

Ted

There is nothing magical about the Tok Management area. They started the drawing there based on quality sheep getting too much pressure. They have kept the herd in reasonable condition, but the focus has created a market for people intent on killing just big rams. The result is a place like many others here with lots of ordinary rams.

For the focused attention and sales hype it has gotten the results are not worth the effort. Look at the draw areas in 14C for better odds and better trophy potential. There are many guides working the areas there to choose from.

There are also many very good areas that have no drawings to contend with. Establish your minimum acceptable sheep and then look at your options. The Alaska Range produces very few book rams, but lots of good rams. The Brooks Range produces even fewer book rams and a much smaller average. The selling point for the Brooks is the hunting is much easier. Less up and down and more gentle up and down.

There are some areas to the East of Denali with very high success rates, fairly easy hunting but dink rams on average. It is all about the minimum you set and looking for your hunt from there, IMO.

If I was set on a true monster sheep I would not look to Tok.
art

tevans
AK draws have no preferences of any kind. Everybody is in the same big hat... Unless you are a name politician and then the odds seem to go way up! There have been plenty of rumors of corruption in the draws for years...
art

That is great info. Me and a few hunting buddies have started to squirrel away a few pennies every year for hunting trips and it looks like we have our sights set on a dall sheep hunt. We did a little research and talked to a few folks and the Tok Management area kept coming up. Therefore, we figured we would apply over the course of the next few years and see what happens. Based on that, we sent our info to Matt Snyder to apply on our behalf for 2006 (l think the deadline is Nov, 30). I apply all over the US for sheep, goats, moose, elk, deer, etc and figured it can't hurt to add Alaska to the list for dalls.

To your point, I don't know what size sheep I am looking for. I have a lot of research to do still. My gut tells me I would be ecstatic about a 35" ram, but all you hear about is the 40 inchers they take out of Tok. Thus the reason for applying there. Again, this is early days for me, so I appreciate the feedback . At some point I would like to chat with you in more detail about this. Also we are not married to the idea of going to Alaska. The yukon and NWT are also options. I hear they shoot monster in NWT every year, but the cost can be prohibitive because of the scarcity of license, etc.

For me, these hunts are huge bucks, much more than I have ever spent on a hunt in my life and I want to make sure I know what my options are. Therefore, we are in no huge hurry, our goal is to go within the next five years.

Thanks again for the advice.

Regards,

Ted

Ted,

Just an observation but Sheep hunting wont be any cheaper in 5 years and may be substantially higher. The baby boomers are charging and on the rampage.

Old Toot

SOme random thoughts about sheep.

Many 35" Chugach (14C) rams do not come close to full curl. They have so much drop and such open curls they do not look as impressive unless you know waht you are looking at.

Wide-flaring, argali style sheep horns are always shorter than they look. Tight curls held close to the head are always longer than they look.

Air between the bottom of the jaw and the top of the horn defines a serious shooter ram, pushing 40, if he is full curl.

The deadline for drawing entry is Dec 6, actually... I would pass on Tok, still. Contact ADF&G and get the sheep harvest reports. They have been measuring the horns for years in Tok and they have been shrinking... a lot! They have beenshrinking statewide since the inception of the full curl rule. The statewide harvest has fallen sharply in the last couple of years. I would not be in a hurry to hunt sheep with the numbers as down as they are.

There is no sheep that can match the looks of the Brooks Range sheep which tend to be small,`but have gorgeous lemon-yellow horns.

PM in a minute with my phone number...
art

Old Toot, good point. Many of these hunts seem go up by as much as 10% a year. They won't get any cheaper, but I haven't squirrled away enough money to go next year.

Thanks Art,
I appreciate that. I would like to chat with you on the subject. At a minimum, I would like to buy you a cup of coffee or beer next summer when I am in Alaska visting family.

I look forward to getting your PM.

Regards,

Ted

Appears the phone call would be worth it to Art, Ted. He's given you some of the most honest reasonable advice I've heard in a while concerning sheep hunts and judging rams.

In the last ten years ive drawen two Tok management area permits. The first ram was late in season and was in the 34 inch range. Three yrs ago i drew another permit and went the opening weekend. This ram was 39 and 39 and a half. I live here so i dont need and outfitter.I did use Jacks flying service out of Delta Junction . He was cheaper than the others id talked to and did a great job.I have also sent other bussiness his way and all have been happy. Id wish you good luck on ur drawing but i intend to apply again this yr,lol. Best to you.