OTC 2014-15 barbary

NMTopPredator · Jan 23, 2015

So I'm looking into the year round tag for next year. I've never hunted these guys befor and really don't know much about them but since it is a year long tag maybe I can catch on eventually. If I do this hunt i I would like to backpack in and make week long hunts in the backcountry. It's just how I like to hunt. Since I am very novice when it come to Barbary I have a few questions. When do they usually rut. Hopefully I will be able to focus my hunts around this time.
Can you recommend an area that I can hunt these guys where I can get way off the beaten path and do my thing? My main concern for an area to hunt will be if there is water around that can be purified for drinking and cooking. Of course I'm not looking for any honey holes just some hazing in the right direction.
I appreciate any help you can give.

ToneafterBone · Jan 24, 2015

Hit the Canadian River Gorge if you really wanna get off the beaten path. Take climbing gear you'll find em if you really put effort in there still there just gotta put boots on the ground. Munster Sheep in there...

NMTopPredator · Jan 24, 2015

Where is that located exactly. Never heard of it

NMTopPredator · Jan 24, 2015

Ok I found it. Thank for the tip. Looks like awesome country. Looks like I can walk and glass for days with all the fingers in that canyon. Plenty of water and hopefully plenty of sheep.

NMTopPredator · Jan 24, 2015

Since I have never hunted sheep I'm not really sure what to expect in their behavior. Would they be like deer in their patterns? As far as when they water or if they bed down most of the day in the heat. When they rut? Herd sizes? Anything you be sure to pay attention to when your on the hunt? Sorry just really can't find much information on them.

mozey · Jan 25, 2015

Hunt for them the same way you would deer. I've seen both species herding together several times. I don't know this is fact, but it seems to me that barbarys have much better eye sight--they'll pick you up from a mile away, while deer have a better sense of smell and hearing. I think they actually rely on each others senses, but you still need to respect the barbarys sense of smell same as you do deer. I don't know when the rut is, but I see a lot of new born lambs in the later part of February/early March. They move around more frequently than deer during midday, but they're mostly active in the morning and evening hours. I've seen herd sizes from one to 40, but for the most part rams hang in bachelor groups of seven or less.

dmaxarchr · Jan 26, 2015

I've been on the Canadian quite a bit looking for these sheep that once were there. Your going to see that the Canadian is 90% all private, very little public land. It has a lot of trees and is very hard to hunt. The sheep in the SE part of the state are easy to find compared to there. Good luck if u do give it a try and post a pic if u ever do find the few that are left.