Bighorn population management hunt

diehardhunter · Feb 28, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Feb-28-18 AT 06:57PM (MST)[p]Got a call from game and fish yesterday for this hunt. I went a head and took the tag. Probably the only time I'll be lucky enough to hunt a sheep. Units 49,50 and part of 53. Pretty much the gorge. Female sheep only. It is this weekend so I will take any pointers you all have since it is so short notice. Anybody else get the phone call?

Bowdeadly · Feb 28, 2018

Take your bow and drive from Questa to Red River and you will find them on the hill sides or even on the road. Just make sure you chase them 40 feet away from the road before you shoot. LOL.

BigDaddyL · Mar 1, 2018

I second taking your bow. I had the Ram hunt last august for the same area. I was able to walk to within 15 yards of the ewes and their little ones. I was able to get to about 25 yards of a decent ram as well. They are all up and down the gorge.

Here's my ram.

bobby · Mar 1, 2018

Just curious on the population mgm hunts. What guidelines does GF use to select hunters? is it a draw random type thing ? I couldnt find any info how how they select hunters for these. Ive been checking that dam box for a long long time and never got the call

diehardhunter · Mar 1, 2018

Great ram! I thought about taking my bow but the hunt is only 2 days. Plus I have not shot in a few months. I would hate to take a chance and wound something. They call hunters who selected yes on their 5th choice for bighorn applications. They start at the top and work down till they have someone for every tag.

BigDaddyL · Mar 2, 2018

Sent ya a PM

diehardhunter · Mar 2, 2018

Pm sent back. Thank you

swampokie · Mar 5, 2018

How?d it go?

Dropem · Mar 5, 2018

One of my buddies got called for this hunt also and killed a ewe on Saturday.

diehardhunter · Mar 6, 2018

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2018/740852018030311.08.391.jpg

Success!! I was hoping to have this big story of adventure and a long pack out but that is not how the hunt turned out. We arrived in plenty of time to the meeting area Saturday morning. The biologist went over why this hunt was happening. They sheep population is growing and spreading up and down the gorge which is a good thing but becoming a problem. The sheep had really moved into the area around the Taos junction bridge. This is a problem because of the domestic sheep and goats and the possible spread of pneumonia. Objective was to harvest some of the growing population in that area and get the sheep moving north. Long story short I end up shooting this ewe just north of the bridge and just off the road with the state bighorn biologist watching. Not how I would have liked to take my first sheep but it accomplished the objective of the hunt. He aged her at 7 years old. Horns were 10.5 inches and 11 inches long.