Sheep hunt logistics

[spear]

So say I want to start planning a DIY sheep hunt for 2011/2012, This is for Stone Sheep
How do you veteran sheep hunters start your prep?
What should I expect for cost, single hunter?
Is this something I should attempt solo having never been on a sheep hunt before?

[bridger]

hunting alone is a personal choice although for your first stone hunt you may want to reconsider. in my experience here are a few things you may want to consider. first get prepared mentally make sure you really want to become a sheep hunter (you will be glad you did), second start getting your equipmment together. there are lots of threads and lots of guys on hbc that can give you good advice on equipment choice. you will need to research and decide on which area you want to hunt. rent lots of sheep hunting video's and pay attention to the habitat where the rams are being taken ( this is a key part) read as much about sheep hunting as you can to get a feel for the experience. get to know and talk with as many experienced sheep hunters as you can. you will learn a little from each guy. study as many sheep heads as you can so you can identify a legal ram by horn length- if you shoot on age your first trip you may be disappointed. get in shape!!! Join the grandslam club their hunting report magazine is full of good information .the experienced and sucessful sheep hunters I know live and breathe sheep hunting that's about all we talk about other than how many big rams we see and never get. I guess in the end remember that if you are going to become a sheep hunter it is not a one time adventure. if you get hooked it will become a way of life. good luck

[swampthing]

Dont be worried about doing it solo. If you dont have a top notch partner to go with, do it alone. Take a "spot" for safety and have fun.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

If you plan on going solo you'd better make sure you train hard since you won't have anyone to share the common gear with. Train well passed your starting pack weight so your body won't give you any surprizes. If you are successful, expect a pack in the 130-140 lb range coming out.

Cost wise it really depends on where you want to go.
Hike-in(cheapest), fly-in, jetboat in?? Fly-in costs vary a lot......depending on the distance and plane required.
Since you're travelling from the south Island your fuel costs will be fairly high....but you could certainly get away with taking a "cheap-on-fuel" car.

SSS

[safarichris]

If you are a first time Sheep hunter. It would be best to get off on the right foot and have somebody with you who knows sheep so you DO get the best ram and not an immature ram. At least thoroughly question a person who has done it or contact Bridger on one of his clinics. That would really help you in a lot of things and preparation. You'll get your ram if you do it right. Piece of cake pard.

[spear]

Some really good info guys thanks.

[bigwhiteys]

For a hike-in hunt stone mtn - top end of muncho driving from the Island you've got roughly 5500-6000kms on your vehicle round trip (includes a dip at the hotsprings), and at least 2-3 nights hotel/camping (roundtrip) or drive right there in 18-22 hours or so. Don't forget the ferry both ways.

Depending on what you're driving/hauling your fuel could be cheap or really expensive.

Gas in the area will cost you 30-40cents more per liter. Keep that in mind too.

January is usually when I get off my butt and start training with my packs... I've done quite a bit of hiking over deer season so am I ready to go.

There are several drainages that would be appropriate for a solo hunter right off the highway. Day hikes if you wanted... Take a SPOT and you're good to go.

Carl

[Orangethunder]

Train, train, train and then train for a little longer. Buy the best gear you can afford and make sure it all works. Take a weekend pre trip to see how the pieces fit together. SPOT is a great idea or a sat phone if you can spare the weight. Read the sheep gear forums and start studying your maps.

Good luck!

[porcupine]

Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. You may find that some outfitters will give you a guided hunt for a reasonalbe cost. It's not much different than going on a guided fishing trip. Yes, you can do it yourself successfully, but if you plan to do it many times , what you learn from a guided trip is a great investment.

As the others say, get in GREAT shape, buy top of the line equipment, and be safe.

[rusty3547]

if you are sure you want to go for sheep i may be in the market for a new partner as my old partner is a very busy buisness owner and our tips always seem to get cut short and a stone sheep hunt isnt something i would recomend solo. if you are interested you can get in touch with me the pm. and we will chat about it

[spear]

So far its looking like Muncho Lake/Fort Nelson Area, lots of great advice from guys on here. Still waiting to hear from a few friends if they're into it. Only big ticket item that i may have to upgrade after a few years will be scotting scope

[moose2]

I would recomend the best scope and tri-pod you can aford. I went with a 40 power to save space , weight and money. It was around $500.00 . I am not happy with it for this task. When your trying to ID goats or count rings on rams its just not clear enough at far distances. A couple of my partners use a swarovski 65 and in my opinion thats the way to go. I will be getting one myself before next season. I thought I was saving money, but now it looks like I spent $500.00 I didn't need to.
Mike

[boxhitch]

The better optics will save you some boot leather, thats all. Lesser optics means you just have to get closer. They work fine out to ranges longer than most should be shooting. Put the difference in cost toward another charter.

[luckofthedraw]

Nice thread....I'm going to pay close attention. I also am looking to explore the sheep hunting. I have a lot of gear already and am looking for some tips and tricks from the well travelled. Any adivice is helpful. I will be searching old threads to gain info, as well as looking for for videos or books. I found a great thread on here, http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=33192&highlight=sheep , it has already answered a ton of my gear questions. Some questions I have are: How do you go about hunting these animals, I have lived in the Lillooet area for 2 years and have seen my fair share of sheep around there. Do you just go ridge to ridge trying to sneak on them? I have no friend or family to look at for some good experience, and doubt the wife will let me spring for a guided trip. What are some tips for spotting? Determining legal to not can be tricky. Tricks for treating the meat for the hike out? Best time of year to go, or best time of day? Any info is appreciated...I understand...train train and train some more. :)

[bridger]

find the sheep hunting tips post that is on the site and you will get a ton of practical sheep hunting tips it was posted last spring.

[moose2]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=50330&highlight=sheep+hunting+tips