Barbary Sheep

[TurkeyHuntin]

Just wanted to see if anyone is hunting them and what part of the state would be a good place to start.

 

[balz]

Most of the hunting for them wont start for a couple more months
Jordan

 

[TurkeyHuntin]

This might sound dumb but isn't there a year round tag. I was looking in the proc. and there is a year round tag but i might of read wrong.

 

[balz]

Your right like I said though most of the hunting doesn't start till Febuary but if you did find one off the regular hunt areas you could kill it.

 

[TurkeyHuntin]

I wasn't to sure if I had read that correct. I was gonna try and go down south to scout in November I was hoping to get a little help on where to start looking. I am not looking for someones honey hole or anything but any advise would be greatly appreciated. And thanks for the input balz I would not liked to of been out there poaching and not know it.

 

[Cookie2]

The sheep herds are always moving around especially once season opens. If you find one it will become YOUR "honey hole!" Ever since everything has gone to a draw barbary sheep has become WAY popular. Good luck getting anything other than a very vague general area to start in. Get yourself some quality optics and some tough boots and hike your butt off looking as far as you can see. I have walked twenty miles in a single day without seeing a single sheep and other days I can find dozens. It's all about MILES!!

 

[mozey]

+1 on what Cookie said. The herds move around after the shooting starts. I've seen as many as 50 in one weekend; took friends back into the exact same area the following weekend and saw zilch.

Unit 30, which seems to hold the most sheep, is only open during February. The other units with good numbers (29, 31-34, 36 and 37) are open from February to March 15. There are some herds outside of these units such as units 9, 18, and 42 that are huntable year-round, but unless you live there or know someone that does, it's really hard to keep track of the few barbarys because they move around so much.

Invest in some tough all-leather boots and briar shun pants. Chollas, prickly pears, yuccas, and every other conceivable "pokey" seems to abound in the terrain these critters like to inhabit. Plan to put in at least 10 to 15 miles per day. The eye-sight of these beasts is pretty amazing--seems like most every one that I've glassed out to a mile is staring straight back at me. Concentrate your glassing about a half mile + in front of you.

The other thing that I think is more than just coincidence is the number of desert mulies that I've actually seen mixed in and around with herds of barbary. They seem to either both like the same terrain, or actually like hanging around each other. Could be that deer use the sheep for their superior eye sight, while the sheep use the deer for their hearing or sense of smell. Who knows?

 

[TurkeyHuntin]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-14-08 AT 02:55PM (MST)[p]Thanks Mozey and Cookie I can honestly use all the advice I can get. One thing I am ready for is the walking and I got good optics. I figured I would try hunting barbary sheep it seems like fun and my elk hunt was a blast but like it was said everything else is on a draw and I just am not ready to put my boots up yet. Thanks again for the info!

 

[Cookie2]

No sheep in 31 that I know of. I think mozey meant 32!

 

[mozey]

I'm just going off of the NM Proclamation and a few other sources that I've been fortunate enough to cultivate--didn't say that I've actually hunted or seen barbarys in all those units. Personally, I've only hunted three of the ones I mentioned... ;-)

 

[mozey]

P.S.: check out Cookie's "Decent" barbary:

http://www.monstermuleys.info/cgi-b...w_thread&om=341&forum=DCForumID34&archive=yes

He's the one I need to be bribing for info on where to go...

 

[TurkeyHuntin]

Dang Cookie thats a nice sheep! Hopefully I will have some pics to share with everyone.

 

[vinihunt]

Turkeyhuntin..here is my best sheep! that was 8 yrs ago but still my best one! 38" and harvested 4 between 21" to 27"..

 

[mozey]

Holy crap, vini! That's a nice sheep. At 38" that's gotta be close to the state record, isn't it? Biggest one I've heard of before in either NM or TX was 37".

 

[TurkeyHuntin]

Holy crap is right thats a huge sheep. Thanks for sharing vinni, what unit or units have you hunted in if you don't mind me asking. I would like to start scouting next month and I plan on looking at a few different places. And hopefully by February I can have a good idea of where I should be.

 

[nmelktrout]

D@mn Vin, that IS a monster of a sheep...Still gots to get me one of them bad boys...