Sheep Changes Coming

track said:
You can go sheep hunting every year, by following what I do when not drawn for a tag............... I go hunting with a camera. I don't hunt sheep (not very smart animal) however I get out and capture others on film. Another option is tag along with someone who has a tag, or venture to BC and hook-up with a resident who can take you out.
Maybe you can just sit it out until drawn, just like with other animals that require higher priority points. Another option is, if your not drawn for sheep in Alberta, you can also hunt elk, moose, mule deer, antelope, black bear, whitetail deer, cougar, mountain goat, coyotes, wolf, wild buffalo, migratory birds, upland birds.........................
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I do sheep hunt every year. Even tho next year I won't have a tag, I will be doing everything in my power to try and connect my old man on his first ram. I am not in sheep hunting for the kill but for the excperiance. One of the joys of 4/5 curl to me is to pass up on legal sheep because you know they are not mature. However not to many guys are going to be passing up on just legal full curls and I imagine more sub legal Rams will die with this new regulation. It will be interesting to see how many Rams that go to get registered will not have there capes on them...
 
That seems a little condescending track. What makes you think lr1000 or anyone else on this tread doesn't already do that. I don't think we need a pep talk on being a hunter and conservationist.
 
Lr1000 said:
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I do sheep hunt every year. Even tho next year I won't have a tag, I will be doing everything in my power to try and connect my old man on his first ram. I am not in sheep hunting for the kill but for the excperiance. One of the joys of 4/5 curl to me is to pass up on legal sheep because you know they are not mature. However not to many guys are going to be passing up on just legal full curls and I imagine more sub legal Rams will die with this new regulation. It will be interesting to see how many Rams that go to get registered will not have there capes on them...
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No capes, meaning that they are not going to mount them? If so, I guess the same can be mention regarding others spices of big game. I, like you, agree about the experience more than the kill, the kill is only a micro-second of the hunt. The draw system has worked immensely well with other big game species, in some cases to well: Suffield Elk. It's a wait and see for now, however I believe that there will be a production of bigger rams in the future.
 
track said:
No capes, meaning that they are not going to mount them? If so, I guess the same can be mention regarding others spices of big game. I, like you, agree about the experience more than the kill, the kill is only a micro-second of the hunt. The draw system has worked immensely well with other big game species, in some cases to well: Suffield Elk. It's a wait and see for now, however I believe that there will be a production of bigger rams in the future.
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That has hardly anything to do with the draw system.

Also to your previous post about sheep not being smart, can you elaborate on that?
 
Lr1000 said:
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I do sheep hunt every year. Even tho next year I won't have a tag, I will be doing everything in my power to try and connect my old man on his first ram. I am not in sheep hunting for the kill but for the excperiance. One of the joys of 4/5 curl to me is to pass up on legal sheep because you know they are not mature. However not to many guys are going to be passing up on just legal full curls and I imagine more sub legal Rams will die with this new regulation. It will be interesting to see how many Rams that go to get registered will not have there capes on them...
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From my discussion with the bio it doesn't really matter whether it is full or 4/5, there are similar amounts or short sheep killed. And it kind of stands to reason.

And good on you Lr1000 - lots of guys don't pass legal 4/5 sheep like you.

One benefit of moving it to full curl in all the south is it removes the temptation for some guys to take nice 4/5 rams in 400 and say they harvested them in adjacent zones.
 
track said:
No capes, meaning that they are not going to mount them? If so, I guess the same can be mention regarding others spices of big game. I, like you, agree about the experience more than the kill, the kill is only a micro-second of the hunt. The draw system has worked immensely well with other big game species, in some cases to well: Suffield Elk. It's a wait and see for now, however I believe that there will be a production of bigger rams in the future.
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Even tho a bighorn cape is worth a pretty penny on the open market that's is not at all what I'm getting at. I'm both going to say on a open forum how to cheat the system a little bit a sheep hunter likely knows what Im getting at.

You can even compare elk to sheep. Elk can be hunted on a general tag in 90% of there zones, so it's easy to wait out your turn on a draw tag. Sheep however have a very small range in alberta and shrinking with forest encroachment. With the limited supply of bighorns, if put on draw you will get to hunt them every 30 years. Maybe easy to deal with for someone like yourself who has no interest but would put in for it because it's such a small price to pay to enter... Maybe learn a little about the animal being descussed before joining the conversation.
 
Lr1000 said:
Even tho a bighorn cape is worth a pretty penny on the open market that's is not at all what I'm getting at. I'm both going to say on a open forum how to cheat the system a little bit a sheep hunter likely knows what Im getting at.

You can even compare elk to sheep. Elk can be hunted on a general tag in 90% of there zones, so it's easy to wait out your turn on a draw tag. Sheep however have a very small range in alberta and shrinking with forest encroachment. With the limited supply of bighorns, if put on draw you will get to hunt them every 30 years. Maybe easy to deal with for someone like yourself who has no interest but would put in for it because it's such a small price to pay to enter... Maybe learn a little about the animal being descussed before joining the conversation.
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I think we all agree that they need to really sting these guys from shooting short sheep.

And I couldn't agree more - once in a lifetime tags solicit additional interest. Just look at the goat draw. And in the US, you draw one of the "coveted" tags, you quickly run out and drop 10 grand (or more) on someone to hold you hand so that you get that nice ram. No thanks - those types of hunts exist already, so folks that want that should go hire a outfitter and check them out. Lets try and maintain hunter opportunity.

A buddy of mine who is a very successful sheep hunter is talking of taking his 12 year old daughter out for a few days on the opener to see if she can find a ram. I can guarantee they will have fun whether they harvest a ram or not, but the real trophy will be the experience of doing it. Would sure suck if they had to wait out a draw and possibly never get that chance.
 
patty59 said:
That has hardly anything to do with the draw system.

Also to your previous post about sheep not being smart, can you elaborate on that?
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Sure. I lived in the Crowsnest Pass for 8 years where I hunted and hiked above timberline for all those years. Many times I bumped into sheep and all they did was chew their cud and stare at me, as I walked by. This was in the 1980's, however things have not changed since. My son was drawn for the Mountain Goat tag two years ago in that area (Sincline Mountain) where he experienced the same, a full curl ram and others chewing their cud staring at him. Oh, BTW, goats are grey matter challenged as well.
The Crowsnest Pass area has many whitetails, mule and elk, however it's only the sheep on the highway licking the salt and getting hammered by vehicles. I've witnessed domestic sheep more skittish than wild big horns.
 
What does the skidishness of sheep have to do with anything. If they are ur cup of tea that's fine. Stay out of it. If you don't think sheep is a hard animal to hunt why do u think they have the lowest harvest average?
 
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I guess there are full curl rams on every mountain then, and all I have to do is walk above the tree line at Syncline - and a proponent of a draw system to boot. LOL
 
Lr1000 said:
Even tho a bighorn cape is worth a pretty penny on the open market that's is not at all what I'm getting at. I'm both going to say on a open forum how to cheat the system a little bit a sheep hunter likely knows what Im getting at.

You can even compare elk to sheep. Elk can be hunted on a general tag in 90% of there zones, so it's easy to wait out your turn on a draw tag. Sheep however have a very small range in alberta and shrinking with forest encroachment. With the limited supply of bighorns, if put on draw you will get to hunt them every 30 years. Maybe easy to deal with for someone like yourself who has no interest but would put in for it because it's such a small price to pay to enter... Maybe learn a little about the animal being descussed before joining the conversation.
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Selling the cape? It never crossed my mind until you mentioned it. I only thought of hunters walking out with the horns and meat. Small range, shrinking, forest encroachment, limited supply; however you still want to hunt them without the draw. I appears to me that your personal agenda is more important than the conservation/ welfare of the sheep. Learn a little about this animal?........ This thread has been around longer than you, I've learned quite a lot. What I've learned the most on this thread is not only about sheep, but human behavior of one individual. It appears that your agenda reflects his.
 
norskie said:
I guess there are full curl rams on every mountain then, and all I have to do is walk above the tree line at Syncline - and a proponent of a draw system to boot. LOL
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You had asked me a question, and I gave you an honest logical answer. Sheep are not a smart animal.
 
Lr1000 said:
What does the skidishness of sheep have to do with anything. If they are ur cup of tea that's fine. Stay out of it. If you don't think sheep is a hard animal to hunt why do u think they have the lowest harvest average?
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They have the lowest harvest rates because there are very few of them.......hence, a draw system is required.
 
Well that's good you learned a lot from this thread. Maybe the most is how to go off topic with useless banter.

Fyi I have been sheep hunting and had a invested intreset before this thread started up, even tho I was not a member when it started.

Also yes the habitat is small and shrinking. However we have a healthy number of sheep and hunter so far. So I see no need for change at this point! That is my stance. Or can you add something to value to this conversation other then sheep are dumb put them on draw before they all get hit by vehicles.
 
track said:
They have the lowest harvest rates because there are very few of them.......hence, a draw system is required.
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Limits on harvest are required, I think the common consensus is that there are lots of other options without jumping to a draw system.
 
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