Help with a Dall Sheep Hunt

Dreamin_of_elk · Oct 4, 2015

I'm looking to book a Dall Sheep hunt for either 2016 or 2017. I've been researching for the last few months and to be honest I'm totally overwhelmed. There seem to be so many different options as far as outfitters and locations.

I'm not looking for a bargain hunt necessarily but would like to get the best bang for my buck. I've been saving for this hunt for a long time and really can't afford to have to go 2-3 times to take my Dall. I'm in good physical condition and can get about anywhere the outfitter would need me to go. I'd like to have a chance at a mature, heavy ram.

If the outfitter offered a moose combo or as a trophy fee that would be an awesome bonus.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I would really appreciate any help that the monstermuley family can provide me!

Thanks,

Brady

cbeard · Oct 5, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Oct-05-15 AT 07:44AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-05-15 AT 07:39?AM (MST)

Basically the choice to be made on a Dall hunt is: Alaska or Yukon/NWT?

Alaska is in general more economical but is becoming increasingly more hit and miss - so if you choose Alaska pick your outfitter carefully. Ask a lot of questions about RECENT success rates, terrain, etc. The southern mountains can be tough - the Brooks Range hunts are usually less taxing physically.

The Yukon and NWT in general have better success rates and better overall ram quality. Also, in general the terrain will not kill you. The tradeoff? These hunts are usually 5-10K more expensive than Alaska.

I took a nice Fannin ram in the Yukon in 2006 and, like you, am going Dall hunting in 2017. I have narrowed it down to a couple of outfitters but have not made my final decision. I want to give myself every opportunity to take a nice ram so am going to the Yukon. The thought of doing all it takes economically and physically to go on a sheep hunt and still coming home empty handed is not a pleasant one. That is happening with alarming regularity in AK these days, much less so in the Yukon/NWT.

Disclaimer: all of the above is broad brush. I know there are great rams taken in AK every year so you AK fans please don't skewer me.

I will probably go with Tim Mervyn in the Yukon. Since you mentioned a possible combo hunt, the Yukon/NWT outfitters usually provide more opportunities for that than one can find in AK.

WVHUNTER · Oct 5, 2015

+ 1 to everything cbeard said.
There is a thread a page down concerning "dall sheep hunt help" that has lot of personal experiences posted.

cbeard · Oct 5, 2015

Forgot about that thread. Just read it, as it has lots of great information.

littlebighorn · Oct 5, 2015

Yes,
If you search Dall Sheep Hunt Help by Trohpy_Taker you will find the exact same topic of conversation.
Best of luck

bigmoosie · Oct 5, 2015

Go to the wild sheep convention,most of the outfitters are there you can talk to them in person. Talk to others who have hunted with them. Get a lot of very good information right from the horses mouth. I was going to go with an outfitter one time and after meeting him there, I wouldn't have gone with him, if he had guven me a free trip.

bobby7321 · Oct 5, 2015

Stan Stevens / MMO in the NWT or Mervyns in the Yukon.

that would be my suggestion. Had the same questions as you a few years ago. Decided to go to NWT. Pay a little more but chances are only need to go once...

jims · Oct 5, 2015

Another thing you can research and figure out is how exactly you want to hunt? Backpack, horseback, floats, helicopter, super cub drops, etc. I just about choked after looking at how much they are asking for NWT hunts....$24,000....wow! That doesn't include the license, flights, etc.

Dreamin_of_elk · Oct 5, 2015

Thanks for a the comments I really appreciate the help. It's a scary decision when I finally have to put years of saving on the line in hopes of an awesome experience!

downsouth · Oct 6, 2015

There is a lot of great info in this post and in the previously mention post. I gave my $.02 in the previous post but have subsequently gone on my sheep hunt in the NWT.

A couple other items to consider when looking at Alaska versus Canada is the travel. On the Canada hunts I think you can plan on it taking at least two days just to get up where your outfitter is going to pick you up. The remoteness limits the amount of flights daily into those areas. This in turn increases the costs and length of the trip (flights are more expensive, hotel rooms, days off, etc). You have a lot more daily options when flying into Alaska. I was told when researching my hunt that you can plan on spending another 25%+ of the hunt cost on flights, hotels, tips, etc., and when everything was said and done I bet it was at least than.

I don't know what you fitness level is but you need to take a hard look at it as well. Some of the outfitters in the NWT utilize helicopters. I think they can drop a guy a lot closer to the sheep than a guy could with a plane. If your fitness level is lacking this could be a huge deal. The helicopter can also allow you to be moved easier mid hunt if you are not in the sheep. On a hunt out of a plane or on horseback the odds of moving to a completely different area are slim. One thing you do need to question your outfitter about is the cost of flying, regardless if it's a helicopter or plane. If they move you mid hunt (either to try to get you into sheep or move you after you kill a ram and want to hunt caribou or moose) are you going to pay an extra fee? Some of them charge for this and some don't. And please don't take this above information about the helicopter hunt to mean that it makes the hunt any easier, because it doesn't. Some of the guys in camp were absolutely beat after killing their rams, even with the use of the helicopter. It just opens up a couple doors that I personally don't think are as much of an option if you are using a plane or on horseback.

The planning itself is half the fun. It is a big decision to make when you finally pull the trigger and book the hunt. I can honestly say though that it was truly the greatest hunting adventure I've personally ever been on! Good luck with you planning.

mulecreek · Oct 6, 2015

All I can speak to is my experience so take it as one guys input with one operation in Alaska. I hunted for 14 days and in that time we moved to new drainages, by plane, 3 times. We simply could not find a legal ram. This is getting to be an issue in many areas of AK. We also had occurrences of other outfitting operations moving into areas we wanted to hunt. There is nothing wrong with this as AK does not have defined outfitting areas. According to my guide this had not become a problem except for the last few years as the popularity of sheep hunts has increased and population in many areas has dropped. We also had several locals that were hiring planes to bring them into the area. Once again there is nothing wrong with this but it does put more pressure on the sheep population and if you are spending a lot of money it can weigh on your mind. From my research these issues are much less, if not completely non-existent in the Yukon or NWT. This was the main reason I booked my next sheep hunt in the NWT.

Even with all of this there are still many great operations in AK and it is still a great hunt but it is starting to look more and more like the lower 48 hunts every day. Whatever you decide good luck and have a great hunt.

jims · Oct 6, 2015

One other consideration that you may want to ask the outfitter and possibly even biologists is how healthy is the sheep herd....especially in Alaska! As an example, it's fairly well known that sheep numbers in many of the Chugach units in Alaska are on a dramatic decline. Biologists are trying to sort through what is going on. Some of the things I've heard that are killing sheep are eagles, disease, and ice storms. It would be good to know before you spend thousands on a hunt how healthy the sheep herd is!

WVHUNTER · Oct 7, 2015

For many people a sheep hunt is a once in a lifetime adventure. Due to age, health or money you won't get a chance to go again.

My Alaska sheep hunt was the most disappointing hunt I was ever on. Not just because I was unsuccessful because I've been on other hunts that I didn't harvest an animal. But because I put more time, effort and money into this hunt than any other.

The time and effort put into this wasn't just the 14 days I was gone from home for the hunt. It was the getting up at 4:00 AM before work and getting on the treadmill for an hour and every weekend putting on a pack and hiking the hills for 8 to 10 miles. This hunt consumed me for a year.

When I got in that Piper Cub to start home I knew there wasn't going to be any sheep trophy on my wall. At least not in this lifetime. It's been five years and I still get depressed every time I think about.

My advice to you is since these hunts require so much of you is to spend the extra money and go where you think the success will be the highest.