What dates for dalls?

I am booking a hunt far enough in advance I have my choice of dates to dall sheep hunt alaska (Chugach).

What dates would you pick (10 days) and why? I am leaning towards end of August (2nd hunt with outfitter). Avoid crowds somewhat but not really late.

I prefer to hunt sheep that have not been hunted since last year. Go for the first hunt that opens August 10th.

My opinion...for what its worth..

I assume you are not banking on drawing a 14c Chugach tag and that you are looking at a hunt in the OTC areas of the Chugach. Take the first hunt. Once the season opens your odds of success get slightly lower with each passing day. While hunting pressure drops off as the season gets underway, the ratio of legal rams to hunters will be highest on August 9th. The ram hunting in that area is usually a two day climb from your point of departure. Beg, borrow, bargain or pay extra and get the hunt extended to fourteen days. Go in five days before the season, hopefully find a legal ram...and sit on him until the tenth. The legal rams you are after were probably just a shade below legal the year before. They have seen their older buddies shot at for 6+ years. Once hunting starts they head for very rough and dangerous country. Some unlucky hunters have spent their entire hunts watching legal rams in inaccessable country ...just waiting. The less fortunate spend their entire hunts glassing thick cloud cover. When it comes to weather there are no guarantees, but statistically the weather is better the earlier you go. There are usually good reasons why the earliest hunts book up first. Good Luck!

PS Go ahead and apply for a 14c permit in the yaer of your scheduled hunt. If you do not draw you are still going hunting. But if you do draw you have just done yourself and your guide a favor.

I am applying for special draws, but not planing on drawing. From what I here my guide tags all his rifle clients out the first day, no matter what hunt. I booked the second since it was a year sooner. I do completely agree with you, after checking with previous hunters, even the later ones, they all said they saw plenty of legal rams and guide had backup plans with other legal rams.

I can chane my mind though (as long as I let him know well in advance which I can), so keep the info coming.

I understand the theory of sitting on a ram, however, I think a lot of the advantage of doing this is outweighed by the hunting time wasted when season is not in. 2 days sitting on a sheep is 2 days not hunting (assuming rams are always located).


From what I here we fly into a remote area, then hike for a day.

If I had a choice, it would be for the opener. UPHILL's advice is solid and with sound reasoning. Don't think for a second that getting in a few days early is not the optimal thing to do on big rams. Now a days, dalls are seeing increased pressure and they don't screw around if they get buggered. Some of these older rams are highly educated. Its an entirely different ballgame in those areas accessible from roadside and within driving of Anchorage. Northwest territories rams aren't even comparable to some of these highly educated local rams.

Statistacally the big rams are not killed until September. If you are after a truly huge ram in Alaska later in the season has a proven track record. Weather as well as hunters push sheep around. However the odds of shooting a 40+ ram is low no matter what time of year you go. Decide for your self what you are after. As for weather it depends where you hunt. August in the Chugach is often very wet, althought the 4 years prior to 2006 found clear blue skys and high temperature through out the state. Any legal sheep is a good sheep. Fewer hunters in September. Less day light in September. If you could call the weather you would be a rich man. Stick with the date you picked and go have fun! Find some books and videos on sheep hunting and get your gear and fitness dialed in. Fitness is level has the greatest impact on success.

JB

What are your goals as far as size of sheep?

If you have hired a good outfitter I do not think it matters what week you go they will find a good sheep for you. I was just after a decent sheep and this is what I shot on the second hunt (August 20th) in 2006.

I booked a hunt, going the second hunt this guy offers, roughly Aug 20-30 I believe FYI

Thanks for the input, bad news is I have 5 more years to wait!

Don V,

Who did you book with?

Braun