I am planning on starting to put in for both species of sheep in Arizona this year in hopes that in the next 40 or so years I will eventually draw a desert sheep tag. My first question is where can i find draw odds? I've looked everywhere but can't come up with anything. Also can someone explain how AZ's draw works and are a certain number of tags allocated to NR's such as myself? Finally are AZ's Desert Sheep doing horribly bad or what? I see in 2007 they only gave out 82 tags total. Last I knew AZ had more desert sheep than anywhere else, somewhere above 6000 animals. Has there been a huge dieoff and they had to cut tags drastically or does AZ just only give out very few desert sheep tags? I just applied in Nevada who has less sheep but gives out around twice as many tags as AZ and from what I can tell still has pretty good quality in most areas. And come to think of it here in Wyoming we have around 6500 rocky's and give out about 200 tags a year and I consider the sheep quality good in WY. One more thing, if I apply online am I still required to pay the full permit fee upfront or is it just billed to my card if I am successful in the draw? I could not find the above information on AZGFD website which is why I came here. Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for the help.
Sheep Hunting
- Thread starter Wyo
- Start date
The allocation of sheep tags is a complicated issue. It depends on what unit. A max of 10% of tags can go to non-residents. I believe there are only a handful of units a non-resident can get a tag. You can't find info because the 2008 regs wont be out for few weeks. Draw odds are 1% or less. AZ will not allow online apps this year. You will have to mail in your app, and yes the fees need to be paid upfront. Plus you will need to purchase a hunting license before or during your application and submit the fee for that. Check back in a few weeks, the regs should be out.
It's Bush's fault!!!
It's Bush's fault!!!
fisrtcoueswas80inches
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Draw results.... .001%, res or non res!
OutdoorWriter
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LAST EDITED ON Apr-03-08 AT 10:25AM (MST)[p]The largest # of permits ever issued for sheep in AZ was 113 in 1995. So there never was a large allocation. There have been problems with population declines in some key hunting units, thus the lower number of permits in recent years.
In regards to applying for "both species," some clarification:
You're allowed ONLY ONE application for a bighorn permit, regradless of species. And you get bonus points for sheep, not by species.
That said, you can mix the hunt choices on that one application. IOW, you can apply for desert as #1 choice and RM as #2 choice or vice-versa. There are three other choices but filling them in is a waste of time because they are only used in a SECOND drawing if permit(s)are left from the first. That doesn't happen. ;-)
The 10% NR cap for sheep and buffalo works completely different than the one for other species. Instead of by hunt #, the cap is by species. That means if there are 90 permits allocated, NRs can draw UP to 9 of them.
Along with that nuance are two other rules in place. 1. A NR cannot receive a permit for a unit with only ONE permit. 2. NRs cannot draw more than two permits in ANY unit, regardless of the number.
Example: a unit has six permits, thus under 10% species cap, all 6 could feasibly go to NRs. BUT, the 2-per-unit rule prevents that from ever happening, even though the likelihood is minimal. -TONY
In regards to applying for "both species," some clarification:
You're allowed ONLY ONE application for a bighorn permit, regradless of species. And you get bonus points for sheep, not by species.
That said, you can mix the hunt choices on that one application. IOW, you can apply for desert as #1 choice and RM as #2 choice or vice-versa. There are three other choices but filling them in is a waste of time because they are only used in a SECOND drawing if permit(s)are left from the first. That doesn't happen. ;-)
The 10% NR cap for sheep and buffalo works completely different than the one for other species. Instead of by hunt #, the cap is by species. That means if there are 90 permits allocated, NRs can draw UP to 9 of them.
Along with that nuance are two other rules in place. 1. A NR cannot receive a permit for a unit with only ONE permit. 2. NRs cannot draw more than two permits in ANY unit, regardless of the number.
Example: a unit has six permits, thus under 10% species cap, all 6 could feasibly go to NRs. BUT, the 2-per-unit rule prevents that from ever happening, even though the likelihood is minimal. -TONY
DonMartin
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Tony:
You pretty much hit it on the head.
I tell the NR folks that why apply for RM sheep here UNLESS you've already taken a desert.
Heck, you used to be able to buy a RM tag over the counter in Montana, so why apply here?
Nope, if I were a NR I'd be looking at units with two and preferably three or more tags and apply for them as my first and second choice.
We all know what applying for a third, fourth, or fifth choice in AZ is a waste of ink.
Don Martin
You pretty much hit it on the head.
I tell the NR folks that why apply for RM sheep here UNLESS you've already taken a desert.
Heck, you used to be able to buy a RM tag over the counter in Montana, so why apply here?
Nope, if I were a NR I'd be looking at units with two and preferably three or more tags and apply for them as my first and second choice.
We all know what applying for a third, fourth, or fifth choice in AZ is a waste of ink.
Don Martin
OutdoorWriter
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LAST EDITED ON Apr-03-08 AT 12:35PM (MST)[p]Don,
I agree. Until I get my permit for a desert after 35 years of trying, I won't be wasting bonus points on a RM. ;-)
For a NR to apply for RM here is even more goofy since the NR cost for RM in states with more RM permits is pretty much a push. Plus, there are a lot more of those states where RMs are available to NR.
I should have also added to the #2 nuance above that it's either 2 or no more than 50% of the tags in any one unit. The latter would come into play in a unit with only two or three tags. In these a NR can get only ONE permit. For any more than three available permits, the two-permit NR limit applies. -TONY
I agree. Until I get my permit for a desert after 35 years of trying, I won't be wasting bonus points on a RM. ;-)
For a NR to apply for RM here is even more goofy since the NR cost for RM in states with more RM permits is pretty much a push. Plus, there are a lot more of those states where RMs are available to NR.
I should have also added to the #2 nuance above that it's either 2 or no more than 50% of the tags in any one unit. The latter would come into play in a unit with only two or three tags. In these a NR can get only ONE permit. For any more than three available permits, the two-permit NR limit applies. -TONY
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