Kamloops Lake Bighorn 3-29B November 2022

[vincentcui]

Hi folks, first off I wish you all good luck in your draws. My buddy (a freshly minted hunter) put in his first ever LEH and drew region 3-29B bighorn sheep! Since the time and zone are different from RyoTHC's draw, I would like to start a new thread to ask for tips / tricks / advices / recommendations, especially since Zone B is much smaller than Zone A therefore the method of hunting might differ. My team info:

Species: Mountain Sheep
Region / Zone: 3-29 B
LEH Time: Nov 1 to Nov 20
Planned Time of Stay: Minimum 5 days, maximum 10 days
Planned Time of Scouting: Sep 11 and Oct 2 (are these dates too early for scouting for November hunt?)

Team members:
- Me: Started hunting in 2013, firearm 300 WSM, notable big game experience Region 7B GOS Moose, Region 1 LEH Elk (friend's tag so I did not pull the trigger), Region 3 GOS 4-point Muley, and two bears per licence year, also enjoys small game hunting and had harvested two coyotes;
- My father: Started hunting in 2009, firearm 30-06 Springfield, notable big game experience Region 7A LEH Moose (his friends tag so he did not pull the trigger) multiple times, Region 8 GOS 6-point Elk, Region 8 GOS 3-point Muley, and two bears per licence year. Worked in farms during his childhood, vast experience in butchering animals;
- My friend who pulled the draw: Some firearm experience but never hunted big games.

Team equipment (other than gun and ammo):
- Proper hunting clothes, footwear, raingear and butchering tools;
- Pickup trucks, but no ATV;
- A good binocular, but no spotting scopes;
- No vehicle build-in radio, but the zone is small enough to be covered by my walkie-talkies;
- Have tents but planning to spend some dollars for city accommodation in order to reduce pack-and-load by removing tents, sleep gears and cookware.

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We would like to know from you (especially those who have hunted/harvested sheep in region 3-29B in November) the following questions:
1. Do I need to purchase any additional gear?
2. Since the area is so limited, do I just glass all day and find the biggest ram? How much hiking uphill is required, or is it a complete "sit-and-wait" game?
3. Are the sheep active all day, or are they like deer that dawn and dusk present the best opportunities to encounter large males?
4. What is the best window to hunt, Nov 1 to Nov 5, Nov 10 to Nov 13, or Nov 17 to Nov 20? Not sure if it is "the colder the better"; my team is willing to wait for colder weather if it increases the chance to spot bigger rams.

Feel free to drop more tips, tricks, advices and recommendation; we appreciate your words of wisdom. Thanks

[RyoTHC]

While I don’t have anything to add, as I’m a total sheep rookie, I’d also like to congratulate you guys! from what I’ve heard that time slot is even better than an already amazing hunt.. can’t wait to hear your story as well.

I will say though, considering how close everything is anything I learn during my time up there, I’ll gladly report back afterwards.

[vincentcui]

While I don’t have anything to add, as I’m a total sheep rookie, I’d also like to congratulate you guys! from what I’ve heard that time slot is even better than an already amazing hunt.. can’t wait to hear your story as well.

I will say though, considering how close everything is anything I learn during my time up there, I’ll gladly report back afterwards.

Thanks, what's crazy about this is that not only it is my father and my first sheep hunt, it is also my friend's first-ever hunt. My father also pulled a doe tag, maybe I could even bring my friend for Nov 1 doe hunt to "warm up" and "get into the mode".

[Planer99]

I think you would do better to seriously scout a little closer to hunt date, as the sheep will moving around and starting to rut.
Best piece of equipment you can have for this hunt will be a good glass/tripod combo as you will be glassing across the lake.

Good luck

[vincentcui]

I think you would do better to seriously scout a little closer to hunt date, as the sheep will moving around and starting to rut.
Best piece of equipment you can have for this hunt will be a good glass/tripod combo as you will be glassing across the lake.

Good luck

Thanks Planer 99, but I am not sure what do you mean by "glass across the lake", like, glassing from Tobiano Golf Course overlooking North of Kamloops Lake? I thought the "scouting" part is done by walking the terrain of 3-29B. Please feel free to educate me here, I had zero experience hunting sheep.

[srupp]

hmmm one thing I noted 3-5 days? not nearly enough time..IMO..this IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT..you would never go to HAWAII for 3-5 days and you could go again next year.
a spotting scope is REALLY almost a must for sheep as are good binos/boots.
find the sheep BEFORE they see you slow and steady like a glacier...i have 2 cali bighorns one is 167 and change..there are bigger rams there.your timing couldnt be better..
hard to sneak uphill to sheep..coming down is easier however sheep spooked from uphill tend to REALLY spook.IMO cali sheep start to escape downhill..while rockies wheel and blast uphill.
put the time and effort in and regardless of the outcome you will be happy.
congrads and goodluck
Srupp

[vincentcui]

hmmm one thing I noted 3-5 days? not nearly enough time..IMO..this IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT..you would never go to HAWAII for 3-5 days and you could go again next year.
a spotting scope is REALLY almost a must for sheep as are good binos/boots.
find the sheep BEFORE they see you slow and steady like a glacier...i have 2 cali bighorns one is 167 and change..there are bigger rams there.your timing couldnt be better..
hard to sneak uphill to sheep..coming down is easier however sheep spooked from uphill tend to REALLY spook.IMO cali sheep start to escape downhill..while rockies wheel and blast uphill.
put the time and effort in and regardless of the outcome you will be happy.
congrads and goodluck
Srupp

Thanks Srupp, your advice is well noted and is passed on to my father and my friend who pulled the draw. We have adjusted the plan and will spend longer time there, one week minimum. If I read you correctly, should I maybe have one person spotting across the lake (in this case me), and have the other two (my father and friend) sneak in on Frederick Rd? And since you mentioned that what likely gonna happen is sheep will show up downhill rather than uphill, is this particularly bad for human scent/sound transfer and also adding difficulty to shoot from top down angle?

[srupp]

hmm basically find the sheep..put em to bed then move on them..sheep found one day will not be far away...sheep feed early am...once full lay down usually up pee/poop at 1pm a few bites and back to resting...dont forget the thermals RISING from 10 am ish then reversing 4 ?pm and heading downhill
sheeps vision is equal to 8 power binoculars..and they REALLY spot movement well.
if you find a group of ewes/lambs..usually there wont be a class 1v ram amongst them..the teen/adult rams will group together usually looking at all directions..for protection....the oldest hence most time biggest tend to be cranky old buggers and prefer sol..but not always..seen 3 big rams together lots.
find rams look where they are ! then ask yourself why...by 10 am they will be starting to rest/bed..look for the obvious white ass..like elk it really gives them away..lol
i believe BHB and BCRAMS are 2 of the finest sheep guys out there..hint hint...where there intel deviates from mine..follow their advice..although 30 years of watching bighorns has left me with obvious information.
local intel simply can not be beat.
please encourage lots of scouting trips and encourage a 10 day trip..best tip
find/rent borrow a spotting scope...find em you can shoot them with a 30-30..lol
walk with packs...break your boots in..practice shots to 300 yardsish
congrads
srupp

[Avalanche123]

hmm basically find the sheep..put em to bed then move on them..sheep found one day will not be far away...sheep feed early am...once full lay down usually up pee/poop at 1pm a few bites and back to resting...dont forget the thermals RISING from 10 am ish then reversing 4 ?pm and heading downhill
sheeps vision is equal to 8 power binoculars..and they REALLY spot movement well.
if you find a group of ewes/lambs..usually there wont be a class 1v ram amongst them..the teen/adult rams will group together usually looking at all directions..for protection....the oldest hence most time biggest tend to be cranky old buggers and prefer sol..but not always..seen 3 big rams together lots.
find rams look where they are ! then ask yourself why...by 10 am they will be starting to rest/bed..look for the obvious white ass..like elk it really gives them away..lol
i believe BHB and BCRAMS are 2 of the finest sheep guys out there..hint hint...where there intel deviates from mine..follow their advice..although 30 years of watching bighorns has left me with obvious information.
local intel simply can not be beat.
please encourage lots of scouting trips and encourage a 10 day trip..best tip
find/rent borrow a spotting scope...find em you can shoot them with a 30-30..lol
walk with packs...break your boots in..practice shots to 300 yardsish
congrads
srupp

Spotting scope and quality glass.
Ten days too

SRUPP offers some solid advise.
Good Luck!

[Sharpish]

Show up a week before the draw opens and don’t leave until you kill a ram or the draw closes. This is one of the most coveted privileges in the hunting world. Make the most of it or don’t apply next time. Thousands of dedicated and deserving hunters dream about this draw their whole lives.