How can this be possible? Colorado Unit 17 Bighorn Sheep tag!!

[npaden]

Was just in a meeting and a phone call from Colorado Parks and Wildlife pops up on my phone. Said I needed to take the call and answered it. Very nice lady in charge of the Reissue Program tells me that someone has turned back in their Unit 17 Bighorn Sheep tag and I have 24 hours to decide if I am going to accept it or not.

Of course I already have a SUPER busy fall as I've already mentioned several times but I had pretty much decided that I was never in my life ever going to draw a Bighorn Sheep tag and now it looks like I did!

Unbelievable! Work is going to suck but I can't not do everything in my power to make the most of this tag.

About to get on the phone with the district biologist and talk to them.

Pulled up GoHunt's predictive odds and I was at .79% odds to draw the tag. Still in shock and trying to figure it all out.

 

[npaden]

Okay, Just looked at harvest success and that isn't super promising. 17% for a OIL tag is pretty low. The district office is at lunch so I am looking at other sources for now.

 

[WildWill]

Was just in a meeting and a phone call from Colorado Parks and Wildlife pops up on my phone. Said I needed to take the call and answered it. Very nice lady in charge of the Reissue Program tells me that someone has turned back in their Unit 17 Bighorn Sheep tag and I have 24 hours to decide if I am going to accept it or not.

Of course I already have a SUPER busy fall as I've already mentioned several times but I had pretty much decided that I was never in my life ever going to draw a Bighorn Sheep tag and now it looks like I did!

Unbelievable! Work is going to suck but I can't not do everything in my power to make the most of this tag.

About to get on the phone with the district biologist and talk to them.

Pulled up GoHunt's predictive odds and I was at .79% odds to draw the tag. Still in shock and trying to figure it all out.

Man you're on fire this year! Did you end up going guided in AZ? If not maybe use those funds to either get a few scouting trips in or probably more realistic with your schedule hire a guide for the sheep tag. A local guide should be able to up those harvest odds some.

 

[cgasner1]

Respectfully of course……

 

[Diablo]

Wow - congrats! Assuming you already said yes to the tag?! First question I’d ask is why has the success dropped off to below 20% the past two seasons.

 

[brownbear932008]

There is probably a well known guy here that can answer some questions. Handle name reflects a tree or something like that.

 

[npaden]

I talked to the only outfitter working that area that I could find and he is currently booked up. He was very helpful and is going to see whether he can find a guide or not that knows that area. According to him it is a pretty difficult to hunt unit and the sheep can be hard to find and are generally up high during the hunt season. Said that they have had good success when they have guided that unit and that there are some decent rams to be had.

Got a hold of the district wildlife manager and he was very helpful. Said that there was no big reason like a die off or anything for someone to have turned the tag back in, said you never know why people do that. He mirrored what the outfitter said and mentioned the low success rate the last couple years and said that the rams in the unit tend to get in 1 big group and finding them can be an issue. He also said that there are some good rams in the unit. Another thing he suggested was that I might want to work on the weekends and hunt during the week to keep from having issues with other people recreating with ATV's and hiking and scaring the sheep off while you are trying to stalk them. He said that without time spent scouting it would be a difficult tag but not impossible DIY.

 

[Oak]

I don't know a lot about S17, but I do know that one of the issues sometimes is that the rams can get in the trees and be difficult to find. It's also just really big country. I think there are four 14'ers and at least a dozen 13'ers in the unit.

 

[Oak]

I have a friend who drew it this year. His brother had the tag several years ago and they did not kill a ram. I asked why he applied there this year and he said because he already knew something about the unit.

 

[npaden]

I accepted the tag. Can't imagine not even if it means not hunting anything else the rest of the fall.

 

[Baerman]

Exciting and good luck!

 

[HappyCamper]

Congrats! I hope it’s the Fall of your dreams. If other obligations in life can’t handle it, tough! I’m confident you’ll find an awesome adventure and sheep regardless of the stats you reference.

 

[cgasner1]

Better start training

 

[Mudranger1]

congrats!

 

[ashersdad]

I accepted the tag. Can't imagine not even if it means not hunting anything else the rest of the fall.

Congrats!! You made the right decision! Never turn down a sheep tag! Most of us will be lucky to hunt sheep once or twice in a lifetime. Super happy for you!

 

[Gr8bawana]

Awesome! Congrats on the tag. That's the same reason I got my desert bighorn tag, someone turned it back in.
Good luck on your hunt.

 

[npaden]

Ouch. I didn't remember how much the tag fee was! $2,758.50! Anyone have a discount code I can use?

 

[Mudranger1]

Ouch. I didn't remember how much the tag fee was! $2,758.50! Anyone have a discount code I can use?

OIL

 

[npaden]

Congrats!! You made the right decision! Never turn down a sheep tag! Most of us will be lucky to hunt sheep once or twice in a lifetime. Super happy for you!

I had really thought I would not have a chance to ever hunt sheep in my life. The odds were for sure against me. Sure happy to draw with some life left in my legs. That was the first thing the outfitter did was ask me how old I was and what kind of shape I was in. He said go out and start working on your cardio tonight, you'll need it at 10,000'+.

 

[rogerthat]

Congratulations! You’re in for an adventure! Can’t wait to follow along.