need help sheep hunting

[eagan mn]

First time writer over a year of reading.
My bro lives in wasilla so hunting is cheap for me and my brothers.
Took brothers boat into chugach last year and got one sheep out of 3 guys.
What a great experience, I will be in better shape this year.

Need help on where to go this year. Have been researching the harvest reports ect. Seeing as though I dont live there how do I decided where to go? Bro who lives there thinks maybe we should do a combo hunt in the brooks, sheep and caribou. I dont care all I know is I will be shooting a sheep. Does anyone have advice on how to decide where to go. I need help

If there are any minnesota sheep hunters who read this dont be affraid to email me I would love to talk
[email protected]

 

[Brian M]

You know you will be shooting a sheep? I've been sheep hunting for many years, I live here and know many areas very well, yet I'm never even remotely sure that I'll shoot a sheep when I go into the mountains. I chase them like mad, but success is never a sure thing, especially when the quarry is Dall Sheep.

As for choosing where to go - is the area you hunted last year out of the question? There's a lot to be said for being familiar with an area. Those of us that live here have the luxury of being able to scout areas all summer long. I don't think I'd want to go into a new area blind when sheep season rolls around, unless I had some really good info on it. That's the hard part, of course. Sheep hunters are notoriously tight-lipped, especially about good areas. If you're willing to pony up the money for a fly-in hunt you might get an air carrier to share some good ideas with you, otherwise you'll be hard pressed to find much. You did start in a good place, though, as harvest reports will give you something of a picture of sheep numbers. You should also spend a few hours trolling through the archives of the old forum. While people won't come right out and say which area is great, you can pick up on little things as you read old sheep hunting stories.

As for the combo hunt in the Brooks, maybe someone else can comment on this more, but...I don't think that's really feasible. During August the caribou tend to be out on the Coastal Plain farther away from the mountains, so coming across both species in one place could be tough. Again, are you willing to pay to fly in? I do my sheep hunting on foot, but that's a tough proposition in the Brooks. Guys are successful at it every year, but they go prepared to walk 20+ miles to do so. Also, there will be competition and picking the right drainage requires some good scouting.

I'm not trying to discourage you...I understand the burning desire to get a sheep. I've taken 4 rams now, yet they're still at the top of my list every season! I'm just saying that there's no easy way to find a new area. Have that brother of yours get his butt into the mountains every weekend this summer and find some rams. Otherwise, I'd consider hunting the same area as last year.

-Brian

 

[AkHunter45]

I would do a fly in as B_M recommended. There are lots of places to hunt sheep in the Brooks, you just got to do your homework. As for doing a combo, B_M has it right there too, i've done 2 sheep hunts in the Brooks and not once did i ever see a caribou, only sheep and bears, oh yeah and 3 monster bull moose about a mile from where we put our base camp! B_M, looks like my wife and I are headed into that spot you told me about, going to ride wheelers in there and hike in for some scouting. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Adventures]

What are the odds

What are the odds

I live in Wasilla and my big bro lives in eagan MN. when I was reading your post at first I thought it might have been him until the sheep part. Never hunted them.
Justin

 

[Grizzly1]

Solid advice from B_M! He is spot on about knowing your hunting area and maybe you should reconsider hunting in the same area, after all, your party did kill a ram!

Do you think you could consistently pull out one legal ram a year from your "old" area?

There are varying views on this, but when sheep or goat hunting I prefer a hunting party of two (shooters) or two groups of two that split up. If your doing a grinder, problems (personality, fatigue, jealousy ect.) can arise, or are magnified with three hunters......It can test a solid relationship of two much less three. Unless your hunting a real honey-hole it can be exceedingly difficult to pull out three ram's on a typical 10 day hunt. Hard core sheep hunters (ones I know) that hunt x2 typically will alternate kill years and if conditions are right (terrain, distance) both may haul a ram out.

I really enjoy the proccess of "scouting" out new hunting areas and your on the right track to finding a new hunting area..........Are you leaving a good one though?

-Ron