Sheep Hunting. Were do I start?

[Quesnel Kid]

Hey all I m hoping to pick your brains a bit. I would like to go after big horn sheep next year, but do't really have any place to start. I have lots of backcountry light weight hiking and climbing trips under my belt, but have never been in the mountains looking for sheep. Were do you start? Been hunting Elk and Mule deer for the past few years out here in the East Kootenays but have only seen sheep a hand full of times.

You all have any tips on locating rams? best habitat, time of year, elevation, food sources, ruts, feeding times. What caliber of rifle do you use? think I already have my hart set on a browning X bolt stainless in 300wsm but am open to different opinons.

Thanks

[guest]

Wow thats opening a big can of worms.
Lots of very good to expert sheep hunters on here of which I do not claim to be either but might share a bit of info with you.

For one thing, Bighorns, that is a tough one to fill your 1st tag on. You may want to try for the more plentiful Stone sheep ... just a suggestion, the seasons are longer and far more area to hunt for options. For sure for one thing put in an LEH for hopes of increasing your odds. You must need to decide are you after Rockies or California bighorns. Read the regulations and be sure you understand the regs on F/Curl, Mature Big horn, 3/4 Curl, 8 year annuli. That said, the responsibility is on you to not make a mistake and shoot an illegal Ram, you do not want to be made an example of. Watch as much video, read books, examine pic's, go to the Wild Sheep Society of BC website and take the judging sheep exam over and over.

There is a ton of stuff to cover on this subject and you have a starting point. Good luck to you in your quest for a Ram. Some are lucky and harvest one right away, others it's years and years.
Enjoy some of the most incredible country in the province and the challenge these critters demand

Good luck too you

CT

[BiG Boar]

http://youtu.be/_7zqLiWcs7g

http://youtu.be/zJCN_hJ4fd0

basically most hunters on here have polled this animal to be the hardest in BC to hunt. Not impossible. But highly desirable, few of them, and hard to hunt over all.

Worth the effort??? Yes.

Start with some books on the subject. You will learn a lot more there.

[Call of the Wild]

Here’s a link with a lot of info on gear. Search the forum to find old threads about sheep hunting, how to sheep hunt, sheep behaviour and habits etc.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?33192-sheep-pack-weight&highlight=drifter

For rifle if you’re going to do backpack hunt style, I strongly suggest to consider the Tikka T3 light in stainless. Best bang for your buck on weight and quality plus affordable too.

Best of luck and remember success is not about having horns on your backpack!!!

[BlacktailStalker]

Quality optics and boots. Be prepared for weather like no other place. Keep safety in mind and go with a partner or consider a SPOT. As mentioned, oodles of info on here with a search. Best of luck.

[bruin]

Man, that's a broad topic! There's some fantastic country to explore in the koots. You might have a tough time prying locations out of anybody but hopefully some locals can help you out with some starting points. You might also think of contacting the bio. Also, try looking through one of the BC record books and see where and what drainages the bighorns are coming from. That might give you a starting point. Some say the year you start hunting sheep is the year your first ram is born. Not always true but it might be a long road to your ram.

[Quesnel Kid]

Thanks for the info so far. I agree that big horns maybe a bit lofty but as I live in Fernie they are what I have the most access to.

[The Dude]

I would start by reading the 800 threads on HBC about sheep hunting, and go from there.

[bighornbob]

Thanks for the info so far. I agree that big horns maybe a bit lofty but as I live in Fernie they are what I have the most access to.

If you live in Fernie then you are already off to the races. You can easily hunt sheep every weekend. Shit you can even go glass for rams after work in September. More then a few places to glass for sheep right from the road. One tip starting off is when ever you see guys pulled over and looking through a spotter make a note of where they are looking and keep track of it. The regular sheep spots will always have a few guys glassing the same hills. There is a reason for it.

No real secret hidden basins that you will be hunting sheep alone. Hunting sheep in the kootenays will have you glassing the same same hills a numerous guys and once a ram is spotted it is usually a race to the top. That being said look for areas next to these well known spots that the sheep will go to with a bit of pressure.

The China Wall (I am sure you have heard of it) right outside of Elko has sheep on it and some decent rams come off of it every year. The one problem everyone knows of it and everyone glasses it from the bottom and they look in the classic sheep areas (high grassy basins). My dad and uncle were there one year and there were about 6 other trucks glassing for rams. They all had their spotters aimed at the top. My dad not being the keenest sheep hunter starts glassing the rest of the hill for elk or deer. He spots a moose a couple hundred yards up from the road. As he is glassing the moose, a big ram steps out of the willows behind the moose. As my uncle gets the spotter on him and they notice another few rams bedded in the willows. This is all within a few hundred yards above the haul road and about 500m in elevation from the typical sheep looking areas.

No real need for specialized gear as most trips can be done in a day. My uncle started bighorn hunting when he was about 50 and he took 4 rams out of the koots and helped with two other 180 inch rams before age caught up to him. He had some decent camping gear, hunted with a 12 pound gun, carried salami and cheese for meals, had the best optics money can buy and he had the desire to kill some rams. Only one of the following is needed to kill sheep.

BHB

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Most guys I know who hunt the EK on a regular basis for sheep hunt the late part of the season.
In fact, I can't recall any rams getting taken in the early part of the season over there...although I'm sure the occasional one does hit the ground early.

SSS

[yama49]

Most guys I know who hunt the EK on a regular basis for sheep hunt the late part of the season.
In fact, I can't recall any rams getting taken in the early part of the season over there...although I'm sure the occasional one does hit the ground early.

SSS

I agree, all the pics i have seen are mostly late season..Why is that?

[goinghunting]

There are rams killed all through the season, but yes there are alot killed at the end when the snow pushes them around.

[MacMtnHunter]

Try some of those road closures up the elk valley, this might be your best bet for getting away from the crowd. There is some great sheep country from between the elk valley around elko over to Columbia lake. Some good areas down in Flathead country as well. Really there is no one bad place that you can go in any of these areas. i've been way back out of the main valleys on ridges where I have never even heard of sheep and seen rams so that just goes to show that they can really appear out of anywhere. If you are in Fernie though I would focus on the elk valley. There are lots of rams to see there.

Sounds like you have you mind made up over the gun...I've got both the Browning and the Tikka and they are both great guns. My only recommendation is that you consider a 7mm wsm over the 300wsm. I wish that I would have got the 7mm, a little less recoil which could make it nicer to get dialed in on.

AS far as gear goes, a good spotter and tripod are key, probably a good set of binos as well if you don't already have them. Cheers man and good luck, lots of fun to be had sheep hunting!

[Reggy]

I don't know what is funnier. People asking about sheep hunting tips or people actually giving them unformation. People hunt sheep year round, get out and learn.

[oclarkii]

try around clearwater, heard of a couple HOGS from up there this year

[pro 111]

@ the bottom of the hill.

[Duk Dog]

Here is a thread with a pile of gear info etc in it.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?37948-Sheep-Hunting-Gear-good-bad-amp-ugly-from-recent-hunts