WY units 1 for sheep/goat

DonV · Nov 18, 2003

Are there sheep and/or goat outside the wilderness in unit 1 in WY? I am looking for a place to apply as a NR and not need a guide if I get lucky and draw.

PleaseDear · Nov 20, 2003

You could really species group up and go for the #50 elk either the type 9 or type 1 or it is a Gen. elk tag too. Region 'F' for deer and then if you stuck with this plan for the years it took to draw the Sheep/goat in #1 you would certainly know the unit well enough to decide if your sheep/goat tag was do-able. To many dang Grizzz in those woods for me! haha

Plus just across the border in Mt. is one of the 'Unlimited' units for sheep and you could use your max. points you have built up on sheep in Mt. to draw for sure in 1 of the Unlimited unit tags and hunt both sides of the border. That way there would be one less max. point person in the max. pool!! haha hey what are friends for!

ElmerFudd · Nov 20, 2003

You would be fine on the goats, there are goats you can see from the Beartooth highway well away from the wilderness. As for sheep??? The area #50 type 1 is a late November/early December hunt. It would be tough to get to the goat areas, so you would not learn much.

PleaseDear · Nov 20, 2003

El-Fd when do the sheep/goat dates end in #1?? vs the #50 type 1 dates? $20.00 for the bow validation and you get the last 2 weeks of Sept. and the rifle dates Nov. 1 thru Nov. 30th.

I've gotten curious about the #22 for sheep? Isn't that the unit Dwight Shu bow hunt his Ram in off the Wilderness hassle?

ElmerFudd · Nov 21, 2003

The sheep and goat seasons are the months of September and October. Archery elk is the month of Septenber, so September would be common. The 50 late rifle hunt is Nov 18-December 6. You would likely need a snowmobile to get up on the Beartooth Plateau, then hike through snow drifts up to the goats. I would forget that one as a scouting trip. You would be better off just hunting the general elk rifle season if you wanted to combine it with the sheep or goat and use a rifle. You can find all the dates on the WY webpage, under the regulations link.
As far as 22 for sheep, I have heard it is hit and miss. Depending on the year, you may be SOL. I do not know about Shue's hunt. Private land makes access a problem. I read that Duncan Gilchrist drew it not too many years ago, and was skunked because of the access. He said he would not reccomend it. I am one point off the top pool due to a rubber check a few years ago, so I am not too worried about WY sheep yet. I do know for a fact that nonresident unguided hunters have taken sheep in units 3 and 5 off the wilderness.

PleaseDear · Nov 21, 2003

I'm reading the draw odds and harvest stats as 22 being a new unit this year??? One could hunt in #5 with a #22 tag after Sept. 30th or something like that.

Makes sense the snowmobile gig overlapping the late 50 rifle hunts......well in 'normal' years! Good thoughts Elmer....

DonV · Nov 23, 2003

Thanks for the input everyone, trying to figure out where i can hunt w/o a guide, draw odds for such units seems particulary worse since I am guessing lots of other guys are shooting for the same thing.

PleaseDear · Nov 27, 2003

I went back thru to my '99--'04 procs. and 22 has had tags one year and been a 'Closed Area' the next year. I pulled out my Dubois area BLM landownership map and there is very little private ground???? I wonder why Duncan G. had so much trouble with private ground??? Why would a guy like him, with all the knowledge of sheep and sheep units put in for a unit he felt would be private ground hassles? maybe the sheep hang on a big ranch area and wonder off only now and then?? I'm tempted to go for it this '04 appl. I guess I could just run up to Dubois for a day or two and get a better feel from the locals and bioligist.

ElmerFudd · Nov 28, 2003

I wrote to his son, and it looks like the article was lost. I am 90% sure it was the same unit. Oh well. I do not remember all the details. Anyway, good luck. I am debating on it too, but ..... $1900 plus losing all my points...? I am young enough I should get one hunt in any unit some time if the points system is not changed, but not two...?????

Blank · Nov 29, 2003

Unit 22 has several problems. You can see lots of sheep right from the highway about 2 miles out of Dubois, but usually only after they come out of the Badlands around Nov. 15th, or later. I don't know when that hunt closes. I have seen them right in town at the dump on occasion. The entire Wind River bottomland around where they winter is private, and lots of the people are transplants who don't hunt or others who like to watch them. You might have to go about 10-15 miles out of your way to get back to them by going up the East Fork, and around. There are some roads back in there, but most of it is closed to motorized vehicles and it would be a horse trip. Getting down into the Badland canyons might be tough also, once you got there. They only gave out one tag before when it was open, and if it is the same now with the preference system, you wouldn't have a chance unless you are in the maximum pool. I'd prefer to spend my money on Units 1-5.

ElmerFudd · Nov 30, 2003

Sure, picking unit 22 would be a definite boner, for someone in the top points pool. The thought would be that you may get a tag with less points. Some units have had no people with maximum points apply the last couple of years. I have definitly made up my mind to send them $7 and wait, as I am only one point off the top pool. If memory correct, Duncan did mention that accessing public land behind private was a big issue. The landowners were antihunters.

PleaseDear · Dec 1, 2003

My bud drew 128/129 late buck tag 3 years ago. We had no problem with private ground once we got off the river bottoms and on the mountain. This hunt was in Nov.. We saw sheep and a couple good Rams (160-170 class) northeast of Dubois. BLM and State ground up in that area.

I really don't think I'll be hunting during the Nov. timeframe if I drew the tag. Winter range isn't my focus for a decision on this unit. I'm thankfull for the input and really appreciate it.

Being in the max. point pool, I'm looking to draw a unit. I keep getting advice to go with # 1 or 5 but I can hunt #5 with the #22 tag if drawn.....I don't sit on the bench and go for points!! I'm always in the game. The 25% rule is only good for units with 4 or more tags and that is great for res. but doesn't do non-res. any real good. Name a unit with 4 non-res. tags?? Sheep or Moose or goat??

I'll E-mail ya before I come up for a look around and maybe we can hook-up?? ElmerFudd ya wanna go? probably this month.

kilbuc · Dec 2, 2003

FYI...sheep units that offered random draw tags in 2002.

hunt area # of tags
1 1
2 1
3 3
4 2
5 4
7 1
10 1
23 1

compiled by K. Hurley 5/07/02

the 2001 tags were similiar, except area 7 had 2 tags. 2003 was similiar.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming'

ElmerFudd · Dec 2, 2003

Well, I would like to, but can not get away for long enough to make it worthwhile before the draw. Good luck if you go for it. Thanks for the offer.

PleaseDear · Dec 3, 2003

Thanks Kilbuck, thats res. 25% tags correct.

El-Fd, I'll get back with ya at the house on what is what. I think I'll spend a day up around Cody too. With all the snow, they should be down lower towards winter range and rutting areas by now.

kilbuc · Dec 4, 2003

PleaseDear...

The above figures are for tags available for the nonresident random(25%) draw. When posting the columns didn't convert correctly. Example the way it should read is Hunt area 1 has 1 tag available, and so on down the list. For those of you that were confused or from Rio Linda.

bottom line...there are 8 areas, for nonresidents, that don't have max preference points that have between 1-4 tags available.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"