Dall sheep success?

[DXH]

Needing some encouragement here to decide to go with the archery hunt vs rifle.
Pics or it didnt happen 

[newhouse114]

Depends on how hardcore you are. I've taken one dall with archery gear 25 years ago. Wouldn't dream of using anything else if I ever had the chance to do it again. That said, I've killed over a dozen with a rifle.

[Gehrke145]

Man you will get plenty of guys saying take the bow, but I'd honestly take the gun.  Unless you can keep going back year after year to get it done with the bow. The mental toughness it takes to do this hunt is no small feat in itself.

Now if you've already taken a ram, get it done with the bow.

[DXH]

That's kind of my thoughts honestly. Pay the money learn a thing or to..and at least come back with some meat in the freezer...try the bow when I know more of what I'm doing

[Roy from Pa]

I look at this another way.

I'm a trad bow hunter, so if I want a real challenge, I'll take my bow.

Anyone can shoot animals with a rifle and a scope.

Besides that, this is Trad Gang territory....

 

[Terry Green]

I don't have pics because I've never been....

But I have friends that have been and they've got plenty a pics....

Oh....it happened alright....Stories on TG about them.

 It all depends on how much of a challenge you want....but we can't talk about guns here....

[Terry Green]

I remember one of my friends shot a sheep... it passed through and the arrow broke off in another sheep....

He got his sheep but he didn't get his self knapped broadhead back from the sheep that took it with him....

 Another got here read the story....

Later that guy killed a sheep and found his broadhead embedded in it......

Now how cool is that????

 That story is  Here on  trad gang

[bigbadjon]

I don't believe for a second that anybody can do it with a rifle, it's going to be a tough hunt regardless. You get to decide how tough. You get serious street cred from me either way.

[Gehrke145]

^^^ agree some of these hunts are a lot harder then people realize.  There are plenty of guys that have done it with a bow though. 

I'm getting ready to start talking myself into a few bigger hunts (sheep and the big bears) and it's hard to justify going (not wealthy) let alone knowing it could take a handful of trips to get it done with a bow. 

[scot52075]

I am in the same boat, I think my biggest concern is finding a guide who wants a traditional bowhunter and would enjoy that kind of a hunt.  Also finding a guide who guides in territory which is broken and best for stalking close.

[Gehrke145]

Terry, can you bring those sheep stories to the top.  I'm having a heck of the time finding them, like I need more excuses to be broke.....

[Steve O]

Denny Sturgis most recently, his partner in TVQ Randy Cooling will have his this year I’m sure; he’s due. Yote Robertson, Dick Robertson, Doug Bourland, Fred Asbell, Fred Eichler, Nathan Andersohn, Rick Duggan, Marv Clyncke, Barry Smith, Ron Rockwell, Peter Iacavazzi, Tom Vanasche, Larry Jones (old Utah guy not Dwight Schuh’s buddy), Monty Moravec, Paul Brummer, and Paul Schafer off the top of my head but I dont remember any Dall sheep stories on TG. It can be done but not many do it. If you want to do it with a bow you need to leave the rifle behind and be very firm with your guide, basically letting him know he will not be getting a tip if he offers you his rifle to use.

[TradBrewSC]

Denny Sturgis most recently, his partner in TVQ Randy Cooling will have his this year I’m sure; he’s due. Yote Robertson, Dick Robertson, Doug Bourland, Fred Asbell, Fred Eichler, Nathan Andersohn, Rick Duggan, Marv Clyncke, Barry Smith, Ron Rockwell, Peter Iacavazzi, Tom Vanasche, Larry Jones (old Utah guy not Dwight Schuh’s buddy), Monty Moravec, Paul Brummer, and Paul Schafer off the top of my head but I dont remember any Dall sheep stories on TG. It can be done but not many do it. If you want to do it with a bow you need to leave the rifle behind and be very firm with your guide, basically letting him know he will not be getting a tip if he offers you his rifle to use.

Yep! if I remember correctly Yote has taken three with a stickbow. one last year.

[skookuminak]

I think a lot of it depends on your mountain abilities and fitness. for fit hunters who are decent in the mountains dall sheep hunting with a rifle is not difficult. I have grown up in Alaska and have done a lot of mountain hunting. in my opinion the biggest challenge by far of sheep hunting is finding a legal ram. once he's located, getting into rifle range is usually pretty easy. they are pretty wary at bow range but patience and patterning them goes a long way. to be clear, getting into and staying in sheep country can be challenging but the actual stalking of them with a modern rifle (or even a modern bow depending on terrain) is not particularly difficult. personally I would never consider killing a dall ram or Mtn goat with anything but a trad bow. it's not much of a hunting challenge and I don't rely on them for meat (we have plenty of deer, moose and caribou for that) and they don't require people to control their population.  I also love spending as much time hunting as possible and as soon as the arrow or bullet finds it's mark, the hunt is over.  There's really no reason to make it easier. the enjoyment of sheep hunting has little to do with killing a sheep and everything to do with being in the mountains and spending time around these amazing animals. if you only bring your bow you'll have a lighter pack, way more fun and interaction with the animals and if you don't get one at least you'll have hunted every day of your hunt and on your terms (and you'll have a light pack on the way out!). it's a personal decision but I'd leave all the firearms at home. there's nothing better than chasing sheep and goats with a trad bow! I also much prefer to do these kinds of hunts solo but non-resident guide requirements preclude that. (I can recommend a great guide if you're still looking) I'll try to enclose a pic from a recent solo hunt:
All the best with whatever you decide!

[DXH]

Thanks for the responses guys, keep the pics coming. .Wasn't trying to start a post about rifle hunting per say....was trying to get talked into taking my recurve..wanted to see how successful fellow members are..

This hunt isn't pocket change...

[Orion]

How important to you is how you hunt?  When how you hunt becomes more important to you than how big or how many or how much it costs, etc., you'll have your answer. 

[newhouse114]

Soookuminak, Is that a Brooks range ram? Looks awful flat compared to where I used to hunt.

[Bobaru]

Hi Dax.  How have you been? 

Everyone's different.  Myself, probably 10 years back I realized I'd shot enough animals that I just wanted to use a bow.  I don't need to come home with an animal anymore.  But, I surely understand that side of it.  BTW, Richard's antlers came out perfect with velvet attached thank to your help.

Have a good day!!

[GCook]

Take what gear YOU feel comfortable with on the hunt you are paying for.  The animal wont care what you killed him with.
However realize that regret runs both ways.  It would give me nightmares for life to let a moose walk because he was at 40 yards and out of range of my longbow.  On the other hand I have a beautiful blackbuck on the wall I still kick myself for because he isn't a bow kill.  Should have let him walk.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Bobaru]

Gary, I was like you in my 40's and maybe 50's.

In 2017, I had two bull Caribou go past me.  Knowing they were being driven two miles back, I used my White tail knowledge to set up.  After a few minutes, I realized, no, they're not whitetail - they will go down the center of the meadow rather than the edge.  But, too late, there were the two.  Busted. 

So, I moved.  And, later came the huge bull.  And, like large whitetail, he came obliquely to the meadow, not down the center.  But like Quebec Caribou, he headed to the top of the rise.  Knowledge gained just a tad too late.

Yet, I don't have any regrets.  None.  Don't ask why.  I can't explain. 

So, it's all in the eye of the beholder in the end.  We all like success.  But, for me, anymore, success with a rifle is not really success.

And, Quebec Caribou hunting is ended, perhaps for my lifetime.