Stone's sheep hunting locations

[stoneslinger]

Ditto what these guys said.

Too many people want something for nothing, and aren't prepared to work to achieve goals. I am not about to cater to that.

Like the old saw about teaching a man to fish....I'd much rather help a guy get started by showing him how to research and how/what to pack and what to look for, etc, then just hand over a map with an X.

Its a lot easier to be generous with folks that do their homework, go out and get blistered up, and rained on for days, etc, etc, and still need more help. And "comparing notes" can be mutually beneficial, instead of entirely one-way.

Not even if they were willing to show you a place to hunt those elusive bighorn rams in the timber away from the flowing water.

[willy442]

You were born into it. And that is why you have the knowledge and skills you do.

Wrong. I was born with the opportunity. 100 plus days a year with sore wet feet, tired legs and eye balls that felt like they had been sucked out of my head at times taught me what I know.

You have yet to face the elements and test yourself as sheep hunter once you do. You will change your mind on my experience or any other successful sheep hunter. Nothing comes easy or for free in the mountains. I must say hunters have better gear now though.

[stoneslinger]

To really be successful at sheep hunting you have to study sheep enough, you are able to think like one. Rams will be in different places depending on the following, time of year, weather, human pressure, nutritional value of feed, predators and others.

The common factors of where you may find Rams are; Along faults in the mountains ( by this I'm talking about places that have steep preferably black shale cliffs on one face and nice grassy fingers on the other). They also require water and many of these types of areas have summer run of in high places or small lakes in the basins that can be easily accessed when needed. When pressured sheep will nearly always go out of a piece of country exactly in the same track they made coming in. This won't hold true if you are standing in those tracks. Very often in the last few years they are moving down into timber on occassion, so glass, glass, glass every where. Stay off sky line and off sheep trails, sheep can see far and will move from sky lined rookies for a couple of ridges.
Sheep once spotted and left alone if comfortable will do the same thing day after day. ie Rams that were laying in a patch of cliffs will come out and go to the same feed they were on earlier. Many times I have taken Rams out of hard places by waiting them out and letting them come to me, while I sit between them and thier feed. One mistake made by many new hunters is to force a stock, often by trying to come from below. To sheep all danger comes from below, so put odds in your favor come in from above or wait until you can put all odds in favor before stalking, after all it takes alot more work to find a good ram then it actually does to kill one. Don't screw up a stalk by taking a chance on spooking the sheep. If you do I can guarantee the sheep will win away more often than not.

Hope this helps a few rookies take MATURE RAMS

Now this is good stuff. Thanks Willy. And yes indeed they do like the timber if it is available. I've seen them cover 500 yards running downhill into the timber in the time it takes to say "WTFWT"?

A bit off topic, but lately I have been stumbling into many a bighorn and lots of tracks while hunting mule deer in the timber. So much so that I will try hunting mule deer a month early this year. Nobody sees these rams. They live in the forest like a cagey old buck. And certainly not in "textbook" sheep country with cliffs, rocks, or steep slopes.

[stoneslinger]

Ok... Seriously I do want to become a guide. I have gone the route of trying to become the camp bitch as a wrangler to work my way up, I have tryed to get into guideing by working for free...

What is the secret to becoming the Guide? I want to REALLY bad, but where, how, who?

I will give up my "princess" status to become a guide ... I would just like to know were to start... any hints?

Dutchie

Go talk to the folks in the Muskwa. Just dont dare show up with a pair of mocassins and a 2 lb. bag of weed. lol

[stoneslinger]

One more comment. Many folks get information because they work within the ministry or know such persons. Lots of folks have very priviliged access to fancy maps, data, photos, inventories, etc.

It has nothing to do with wearing out boot leather. More like licking boot leather.

[bridger]

i think you are wrong on this. there may be a few guys that get inside info but i suspect that access is extremely limited. if you live in an area that has sheep and outfitters and assistant guides they are a better source of info. the other great source of info are hunting magazines like the fnaws hunting reports, the grandslam club etc

[StoneChaser]

BCR and SSS had an awesome story , one thing you should have noticed. They never said where they went. They did there homework busted there balls . Got a great sheep. Thats how its done , and as for where they were , thats for everyone else to wonder about.

I always tell the spot chasers this:

"Finding out where a good ram has been killed is the easy part....finding out where they haven't been killed is the tough part."

I could care less where other sheep hunters kill their rams, and avoid other sheep hunters like the plague....last thing I (or they) want is a footrace on opening day after a 40" ram!

Plenty of country if we spread out.

[Wild Images]

I always tell the spot chasers this:

"Finding out where a good ram has been killed is the easy part....finding out where they haven't been killed is the tough part."

I could care less where other sheep hunters kill their rams, and avoid other sheep hunters like the plague....last thing I (or they) want is a footrace on opening day after a 40" ram!

Plenty of country if we spread out.

AMEN

[StoneChaser]

Stone Chaser: Excellent post a must remember for new sheep hunters and valuable info for the rest. Also congratulations on one heck of a Ram.

Thanks Willy!

[Coming_out_heavy.]

Just replying to someones post about landing on a guide outfitters strip. Through a series of cirmcumstances I was flown in to the Gathto and landed on Barry's tompkins strip. As it is his private land he kicked us off right quick and we had to take off and land over on Kluachesi. If you are not a paying customer there is no chance you can hunt out of his area. The strip to the north of his lodge is rumoured to be out of commission. Lots of wild west stories have come out of that area.

Its very interesting hearing all the reaction to the sudden flow of info. I can tell you with certainty that there are some spots left that very very few people get to. Thinair and skyline know exactly what I am talking about, and it would take more than hunting altruism to pry that gem away. i guess it does no harm to point in a general direction though. Another thing, is not part of the fun of sheep hunting concealing your spot and trying to figure out someone elses? The dock at muncho lake during hunting season is a GREAT place to try your hand at sleuthing out where the sheep come from. Good luck everyone, and finally I say there is significant evidence that sheep in fact CAN fly.

That dock at Muncho is hilarious. Urs lights up his big board in the restaraunt there. Whenever he flies to a lake, he lights up that lakes light, so after you ask the lieing sheep hunter, go check the board before Urs shuts the light off!

Barry Tompkins!!! God I have half a mind to go hunt that area now! Land right there and click my heals along his horse trails. So many outfitters to piss off and so little time........

Hey if you ever see Barry Tompkins again, ask him if he ever paid Dan Bridge for building his big lodge....