I drew a Desert Sheep Tag in Nevada

[randyflood]

After 20 years of applying as a non-resident, I drew a desert sheep tag in unit 268 outside of Las Vegas in the Muddy Mountains.  Even with squared bonus points the odds of drawing this tag were 0.19%.  So I am feeling pretty darn lucky and fortunate and I wanted to make the most out of the experience. 

Making the most of it has vastly different meanings and definitions for hunters.  While a harvest would be nice, a phenomenal life experience is my goal, I am thinking.  In unit 268, it is a 42-day season from Nov 20th - Jan 1st.  For a traditional bowhunter, I believe this is the unit to be excited about, because there are 500 + animals, of which they are 200+ male bighorns, (78 6+-year-old rams).  So, there are many opportunities if I am looking for the right 25-yard shot on any ram.  The biologist is suggesting holding out for a 6+ year-old ram.  There are 37 total hunters in this unit, each with their swat team of spotters, family, and friends.  The biologist is telling me to forgo the first 10 days, and have the unit all to myself after the first 10 days.  Harvest success (all weapons) for the last 10 years is a 98% success ratio.  I am thinking of recurve or a longbow, and being there with all the other hunters, as I would not be competing for "their" ram.  I am seeking the terrain that allows a 25-yard shot opportunity.  I think most of the other hunters will not look at me as competition when I am carrying around my recurve or longbow, so they could share info on rams they might be passing up on.  I would be happy to share what I am seeing as well.

I want to just see if any traditional bow hunters have hunted desert bighorns, and if I could glean any wisdom from them/you.

Randy Flood
208-720-0776
[email protected]

[LoneRanger]

No wisdom on hunting rams to share, but I’m excited for you! That is long odds of drawing. My wisdom—aim small miss small. Happy hunting!

[Trenton G.]

That is awesome! Congrats on the tag! Learn lots so that when I draw in 20 years I can pick your brain!

[smokin joe]

Wow! You have already beat very long odds by drawing a tag.
I hope you shoot thousands of photographs AND one accurate arrow.

[Jim Wright]

Bring really good binoculars and get in really good shape. Then make sure you spend more time in a comfortable position on your ass  using the binoculars than climbing around, covering ground.

[Hud]

Use a good spotting scope, hunt from above if possible.
Beware of altitude sickness above 7500 ft., Dehydration, wind, sun and storms, and Good Luck.

[Shinken]

 

Most-excellent tag!

 

[Wudstix]

Hud has it right.  Also, spend more time glassing then walking.
 

[awry]

No experience or wisdom here but congrats and please update us!

[Gib]

Congratulations on the tag !!! I don’t think I’d listen to the biologist about forgoing the first ten days? I think you could gain valuable information about the sheep and what’s been seen and where from a successful hunter, if I waited ten years for a tag I’d spend every minute I could trying too find an animal to hunt,, anyway congratulations again and I hope you enjoy the hunt of a lifetime and as someone else said please take tons of pictures and keep a journal of days events so you can relay them to the people that only dream of a hunt like this, shoot straight and enjoy the ride.

[Homey88]

Best of lucky to you! Please take pictures!

[ozy clint]

Ask this on the Rokslide forum. I'm sure someone there knows the unit or has even hunted there. It's a mountain hunting oriented forum.

Congrats and good luck!

[Friend]

Congrats on being afforded an opportunity to pursue one of the finest animals in North America.

I will be looking forward to reading of your hunt and wish you to have ultimate success.

[Tim Finley]

In 1981 we were driving out side Las Vegas and I seen a sign, helicopter rides $10 for 10 minutes I had never been in a helicopter before so I went . I asked the pilot if he ever seen desert bighorns and he said he sees them all the time so he flew us right over a herd of about 20, and we were very low I got a good look at them .
   Good for you on the draw and good luck !!!

[Todd Brickel]

Never hunted Desert sheep, but have hunted Rocky Mountain Bighorns 4 times. Happy to help how I can. Biologist advice is solid. Sheep hunting is mentally taxing, don’t burn yourself out too early while others are chasing them all over.  Having undisturbed sheep to yourself is critical for traditional Bowhunter success.

Hunted my first hunt 23 days. That is a long time, don’t fool yourself. 42 day hunt sounds fun and romantic but hunting every day is exhausting. Be strategic.

Happy to discuss any questions.

[HornHunter]

Congrats on a great tag! ,Todd is spot on about sheep hunting, it is a mental toughness game, Ive had 5 CO Bighorn tags, and I would take 5 more!
Listen to the biologist that is step one, spend those first 10 days locating and watching sheep, with that many tags that first week is going to be pure hell, I dont know if NV has location of previous kills, but if they do thats what you need to be map marking right now, along with the dates of each kill, contact previous hunters both successful and unsuccessful, these are all valuable resources to help you eliminate areas, my guess is 99% of the hunters are going to be watching water holes, thats all find and dandy but sheep do not need to drink out of a water hole everyday, they can get the moisture they need from the dew on the browse in the am, I know this my wife is a retired sheep biologist, and last piece of advice for now dont hold out for the biggest ram , if you see a ram thats a fine representee of the specie and you like him SHOOT HIM!

[randyflood]

Hornhunter,

Thank you for your response. 

I have been watching as many sheep hunting videos as possible, and gleaning as much information.

The sheep use the watering guzzlers from mid-summer to mid-fall, and then they have beaten up the feed, and they move elsewhere in the unit.  There is also a state park, the Valley of Fire, where no hunting is allowed.  I wonder how many sheep live in the state park?  This is a little mini preserve.  I have been digital stocking post from the recent 5 months, just to see what the people in the state park have been seeing.  For an example, I attached a photo of an 8-year-old ram videoed in the last 5 months. 

Rutting for desert sheep takes place in July and August, in intense heat, like 110 degrees.  At that time there could be 200 animals on a guzzler, and the biologist told me to go check out the action then. 

Thank you so much!

Randy Flood
208-720-0776

[elkken]

Congrats on your tag draw .... 

In 1977 I drew a California Big Horn sheep tag in Washington state, that was back when user groups had their own draw. The archery tag was in September and there were 3 tags. I hunted 10 days and saw every sheep that was in the Clements Mountain unit, at least according to the game guy. I also saw lots of deer and a few rattle snakes  On the first day, going down the first ridge I heard some rocks tumbling below me. I slipped up to the edge and looked down, there about 25 yards below me stood a 3/4 curl ram standing broadside to me looking the other way. On one side he had a badly broken horn and I thought to myself .... if it's this easy I am not going to shoot a ram with a broken horn, who wants a one horn sheep 

that was the beginning of a ten day ass kicking hunt. I had one more opportunity at a full curl ram on day 9 but shot high over his back. I was joined by my best hunting buddy Rocky to keep me company and help glass, we were young and in shape but that hunt was still extremely demanding. We did meet one of the other tag holders out hunting, he and I became good friends and killed several nice elk together in the early elk seasons that started in Washington in the mid 80's. Never saw the third hunter and we both assumed they did not hunt.
It was important to get high ground and spend LOTS of time glassing. What took us hours to travel seemed like the sheep could cover that ground in minutes when spooked. I could not imagine sharing that unit with rifle hunters during the same time. We probably could have shot every ram in the unit with a rifle. A good friend of mine drew a tag for a unit in Montana. Randy is an animal when it comes to hunting and is the toughest guy I have ever hunted with. He hunted two weeks with his bow and finally switched to his rifle and shot a really nice full curl ram. He said it was the hardest hunting he had ever done, he was hunting solo.
I wish you the best of luck and i hope you are young and in shape ... I look forward to reading your story of the hunt.

[Undomesticated]

This is so awesome.

I can’t believe you got the tag with a relatively low amount of points. I can’t wait to hear your story.

Of course it is your decision, but ai don’t think I would take a rifle to remove temptation (I’ve been applying in NV for 12 years or so. Hopefully some dayI  am in your position.)

[randyflood]

https://youtu.be/Wn8cZ7DuD8I?si=yzR57xl9sk19Dzi6

This is a link to the training with the three bows, a schafer recurve, a two piece a&h acs longbow, and a Robertson longbow. I am sending it to Tom Klum to brush up on form and break any bad habits prior to sheep hunting which is a ways out.  I wanted to get the right "in the bow" form before ordering up dozens of arrows.