The Truth about Arizona Region 3 Sheep!

[CraigS]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-03 AT 09:44PM (MST)[p]The truth is numbers are down, way down. I have a friend that has a sheep tag in 15 CS. I did not know he put in for this unit or else I would have stopped him. But thats that!

We have scouted a total of 11 days, so far, between our group & have seen a grand total of 25 sheep. Three sicole horns & one 3 1/2 year old ram. Game & Fish flew the unit this past month & saw 24 sheep in ten hours of flying in a copter. Compare the numbers.

1997-173 sheep surveyed
2000-114 surveyed
2003-24 surveyed

The numbers are way down & don't let anyone tell you other wise. Unit 15 CS should not even be hunted this year or for the next 5 years. I spoke with a FORMER well known sheep guide,(I am good friends with his nephew),this past month & he told me he & his crew picked up 30 RAMS out of 15 CS & 12-15 out of 15CN last year. The majority of the rams were Class IVs'& died with in the last year. Game & Fish has a picture of the pick up heads & confirmed everything. This is not Bull crap this a fact.

I am not sure what is up in 10,13A&B, 15A&B or 16A. I have not been in this units looking for sheep for the past few years & have not looked over any survey information.
I hunted with a family friend in 15D last year & saw a decent amount of sheep but the numbers are still down in this unit too. He harvested a 9 year old, 159 point ram. The size is also down in all of the units but that is caused by drought & there is nothing we can do about it.

If anyone tells you REGION 3 is in good shape, call bull crap. I will be glad to set any of them strait! I am not kidding this it is a real mess in 15CS & it is not over yet!


Thanks,
Craig Steele

 

[Bura Nut]

Craig, there will be a commission meeting on proposed 2004 hunts. I suggest you inform them of your findings and also get ahold of someone (if you havent already) like Pete Cimarello with the sheep society so this info gets to the right people now before the commission sets next years seasons. I will pass this info along to the few people I know that may make a difference......Send me a note if you need any phone numbers....... Allen Taylor......

 

[showgun]

I have talked to the poeple that were on that survey flight, they did report not seeing many sheep. However, they feel there were two major factors: 1. Very hot and sheep not moving much. 2.Time restriction in the air.. I do agree with you that things appear to be on a serious decline.. We had several scouting days and have seen about the same number of sheep.However, we have spotted of few rams in the 150ish range. I also agree that if they have picked up that many heads this past year, and have serious concerns, they sould not have issued any permits.I have permit #1 and feel like maybe this was not a good time to draw, However I will continue as planed..Some people that live in the area report seeing many mature rams, so how knows....

 

[CraigS]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-25-03 AT 07:58PM (MST)[p]My friend is planning on going to the comission meeting. Don't get me wrong there is still a possiblity that there is a 160-170 caliaber ram out there but that is not the point. The point is the Unit is to low to be hunted. We saw seven rams today & one may have been 154.
I talked with game & fish and know they flew on a hot day but the fact is if you get close enough with a copter the dang things are loud & the sheep will get up. I just hate to see us shoot the only 160-170 ram out of the whole unit but if they want to let us hunt than that is what we are going to try & do.
Showgun,
I don't know if you have ever hunted 15CS with anyone before but the main thing is just keep looking. I am not trying to tell you that there are no sheep in the unit but just there is extremly less than what has been before. I wish you the best of luck. We will probably run into you some time.

Also I live in Kingman & you have to becareful who you listen too!

Thanks,
Craig Steele

 

[bullwidgeon]

My uncles guide for Dry Creek and they had hunters in the unit last year. What Craig says is true the sheep have all but disapeared and died off. It was so bad that last year Dry Creek didn't even attempt to book hunts there this year.

Bret M.