A lot of hunters are unaware of the Special Mountain Sheep Resident draw. This magic tag allows the hunter to hunt any ram in any public land location (where there is a GOS or LEH season) in BC during an expanded season.
For thinhorns, you can hunt between July 7 Mar 31st, or big horn during the start of the regular season until Dec 20th.
Unlike other draws or tags, a large portion goes to the resource - $10 of the $15.75 goes to HCTF sheep projects and you can buy as many tickets as you want .upping your chances to win and your contribution.
Now to my question: if you were to draw this once in many, many lifetimes tag, what sheep and area would pursue?
If it was me, I would start mid-July up North looking over a bunch of dall sheep. I would be looking for a really old sheep. If I didnt find an exceptionally old ram, I would scout the Koots for big horn and hunt the extended late season once all the GOS guys had to go home.
Dont forget to get yourself a golden ticket LEH and help sheep conservation in BC. $15.75 is worth the dreaming alone.
From the LEH Synopsis :
The Special Mountain Sheep resident draw is available to resident hunters for fall 2019 and the Hunt Code is 6000. Hunters have the option to submit multiple applications for this draw.
There is only one resident Special Mountain Sheep authorization for one Mountain Sheep.
The successful applicant for the Special Mountain Sheep hunt must hold a valid resident hunting licence, a Mountain Sheep species licence and the Special Mountain Sheep authorization while hunting. Please note that, while the Special Mountain Sheep authorization allows the hunter to exceed the provincial bag limit of 1 and harvest an additional Sheep in the same licence year, the hunter CANNOT hold more than one valid Mountain Sheep species licence at any one time. A second species licence may not be purchased until after the first species licence has been cancelled. If an animal is harvested during the special hunt, it will not be considered in the calculation of reduced odds for future LEH applications. All other restrictions, including the location of open seasons, weapons restrictions, species, and sex listed in either the 2019-2020
LEH Synopsis or the 2020-2022 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis, when available, apply to this special hunt. The successful applicant need not follow horn curl regulations that apply in the area hunted as the Special Mountain Sheep authorization will be for any ram. In addition, the successful applicant will have the opportunity to hunt either a bighorn or thinhorn ram Mountain Sheep during the dates listed below. If hunting a thinhorn ram sheep, the successful applicant may hunt up to 21 days prior to the opening date listed below for the intended hunt region.
The non-refundable application fee for each Special Mountain Sheep application is $15.75 (includes GST). $10.00 from each application fee will be directed to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation for projects specific to Mountain Sheep Management.
2019 OPENING SEASON DATES FOR
MOUNTAIN SHEEP
(Subject to Change)
Region 3 Thompson Sept. 10/19
Region 4 Kootenay Sept. 10/19
Region 5 Cariboo Sept. 1/19
Region 6 Skeena Aug. 1/19
Region 7 Omineca/Peace Aug. 1/19
Region 8 Okanagan Aug. 25/19
2019 CLOSING SEASON DATES FOR
MOUNTAIN SHEEP
(Subject to Change)
In all Regions the closing dates are as
follows:
Bighorn Mountain Sheep Dec. 20/19
Thinhorn Mountain Sheep Mar. 31/20
Go to www.gov.bc.ca/hunting for more
information and to find out when the 2019 Special
Mountain Sheep is open for applications.
The deadline for the 2019 Special Mountain Sheep
applications is 11:59 p.m., Friday July 27, 2018