Sheep Hunt Timing

[Ron.C]

Hi all,

I am in the planning stages for my first sheep hunt. The hunt most likely won't happen until 2018, but who knows, it may happen this fall depending on how a few variables play out. I'm planning on having about 13 days to hunt. I'm combing maps and other sources looking at potential areas to pack into, and that search will continue for some time.

What I need a bit of help with is the potential timing of a sheep hunt.

What are the merits of hunting sheep a little later, say early to mid September vice heading out early when the season opens?? Never having seen the country before, I see no point at being part of a race into the mountains for opening day.

[Rob]

We're also heading in the first week of September this year. Normally we have focused on getting in there for the opener. I'm hoping the benefit of the later time will be the crowds have gone home and the sheep have calmed down.

[Alfonz]

No bugs is a nice touch when hunting later in the season. The worst thing would be snow that you are not prepared for. Sometimes it seems that rams no one has seen surface later in the season and can be a pleasant surprise!
The end of the season can be good, but the days are getting short and I have found they do not seem to be as tasty the last week of the season.

Al
QUOTE=Ron.C;1896605]Hi all,

I am in the planning stages for my first sheep hunt. The hunt most likely won't happen until 2018, but who knows, it may happen this fall depending on how a few variables play out. I'm planning on having about 13 days to hunt. I'm combing maps and other sources looking at potential areas to pack into, and that search will continue for some time.

What I need a bit of help with is the potential timing of a sheep hunt.

What are the merits of hunting sheep a little later, say early to mid September vice heading out early when the season opens?? Never having seen the country before, I see no point at being part of a race into the mountains for opening day.[/QUOTE]

[Wild Images]

Come up for a coffee one day and a bullsh.t
Might know a bit on the subject

[Steelpulse]

I am heading in on first sheep hunt this sept, and I already know that two outfitters are in the same area I'm going in August, I am hoping the sheep will have relaxed a little and that at least one legal ram has been hiding, there are quite a few topics on this, use google as search and NBC topics come up as one sections, there are many great ram hunters on here that have shared this exact pro con argument of sept oct, vs August hunts

[71_camaro]

Be over ready for snow and just above zero rain.dont want your trip ruined because ya got wet then froze

[.264winmag]

Seems there are some great rams taken the first few days of the season, for obvious reasons. Only done one trip early season, weather was hot, bugs were horrendous, Rams were not as 'sharp' as usual and their hair was thin. Snowpack left behind was another bonus.
Other 3 trips have been late August/early sept. Great weather but be prepared for anything. Rams seem to be a bit smarter, very few bugs mostly flies left, water a bit more scarce and rams are starting to fill out hair wise. Our taxidermist gets a good bunch of quality rams later in the year too. Our timing might be off too as we've only harvested dinkers' HA
Would love to see some last week of the season ram behaviour someday. But snow in early sept every trip keeps me from planning for that time!

[boxhitch]

Would love to see some last week of the season ram behaviour somedayEarly October sheep are still on summer range, though food choices are changing as leaves change or drop. Watching them target dwarf birch before the red leaves hit the ground, you would think they haven't eaten in a month. The sheep have to move a bit more in elevation but not changing drainages yet ....IME, ymmv

Hair is definitely thicker and often darker already too. Makes for quite a contrast to an August kill.

[David Heitsman]

I'm with Boxhitch on this one, the cape is almost half the trophy and years from now when you look at that rich, haired up October ram, you'll wonder why anyone would want to kill a skinny one. A little snow in the grip' grin looks tough too!

[Ron.C]

Thanks guys,

I'm just not a huge fan of hunting when it's warm. I used to hunt the archery elk seasons in the east Kootenay, but hated how warm it was some years. Sure, if the season opener is the best time to go then so be it. But I'd really like to have some cooler weather to make meat care a little easier . I think for what I am looking at, I'll probably end up planning for a mid Sept departure.

[smoothbor]

I'm no seasoned veteran on sheep hunting but I did harvest a nice ram a few years ago. If weather and meat cooling is an issue. We awoke the morning before the opener in August to 3-4 inches of snow it was gone by later in the day though. We took 2 rams opening day the weather was clear and sunny but was heavy frost and icy in the morning which made walking on the steep frozen rocky ground fun lol. There was a big snow patch in a crevasse where we killed our Rams. We processed the sheep and placed meat bags in the snow and ice hiked back up over the mountain to our camp spent the next got packed up and returned to our rams the next day and headed for the lake for pickup. The meat was in great shape when we got out. It was a great hunt but be aware it can be cold in August just maybe not every August lol. Good luck and play safe.

[goinghunting]

Thanks guys,

I'm just not a huge fan of hunting when it's warm. I used to hunt the archery elk seasons in the east Kootenay, but hated how warm it was some years. Sure, if the season opener is the best time to go then so be it. But I'd really like to have some cooler weather to make meat care a little easier . I think for what I am looking at, I'll probably end up planning for a mid Sept departure.

good choice, I prefer the later hunts. Sheep are up feeding more during the day and the big rams seem to come out of hiding

[.264winmag]

Early October sheep are still on summer range, though food choices are changing as leaves change or drop. Watching them target dwarf birch before the red leaves hit the ground, you would think they haven't eaten in a month. The sheep have to move a bit more in elevation but not changing drainages yet ....IME, ymmv

Hair is definitely thicker and often darker already too. Makes for quite a contrast to an August kill.

May very well be the case in some areas, but where I hunt there are rams on their same wintering ridges on opening day.

[sheep hunter]

I like the early hunt, if I'm not successful in August I can head back up in October

[.264winmag]

I like the early hunt, if I'm not successful in August I can head back up in October

Tough to argue with that rationale:razz: