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

[rjthehunter]

The outfitter claims a very high success rate for that unit. They just don't always end up with a hunter in the unit.

They are completely booked up though and are looking to see if they can find a guide for me. He has a guy that he thinks would be very good but he doesn't guide for them routinely. They don't have a hunter for this unit from what I understand, but they have like 3 or 4 sheep guides and they are all booked in other units. We are working on the schedule as well so see the options there.

There is one other outfitter that is for sure a different outfitter that I have a call in that I haven't heard back from. There are a couple other outfitters that say on their website that they don't normally guide this unit but that they can probably add it if needed. I haven't contacted any of those yet, just the 3 that list this unit on their website as a unit that they guide for sheep. 2 of those are the same outfitter (Flat Tops Wilderness Guides and Horn Fork Guides). Horn Fork Guides are who I've talked with on the phone and they are based out of Buena Vista which is right at the base of unit 17.

I'd make it clear that you're looking for someone with first hand experience in this unit. Not just someone to hold your hand while you hunt. I'm assuming that's what you're looking for!

 

[npaden]

I'd make it clear that you're looking for someone with first hand experience in this unit. Not just someone to hold your hand while you hunt. I'm assuming that's what you're looking for!

The guy the outfitter is trying to get was actually in the unit this week (or maybe last weekend) and had told the outfitter about where the rams were and that there were some good ones in the group. Just need to figure it all out.

Doing my best playing the waiting game to see what gets sorted out!

 

[rjthehunter]

The guy the outfitter is trying to get was actually in the unit this week (or maybe last weekend) and had told the outfitter about where the rams were and that there were some good ones in the group. Just need to figure it all out.

Doing my best playing the waiting game to see what gets sorted out!

That sounds like your guy!!!

Best of luck, keep us posted!

 

[rogerthat]

With only 1 of 6 of the ram tag holders being successful the last 2 years and the crazy fall I have, I really think going guided is the way to go. It will completely blow my hunting budget for like the next 5 years but the chances of drawing tags like this is so low I might not draw any other tags for a while.

After never hiring a guide before (other than Africa) I might end up going guided for me or my son on 3 different hunts this year. 4 if you count New Zealand. If this was my only tag I would be more tempted to try it DIY, but the very low success rates the last 2 years have me concerned a bit even with a guide.

Just my .02 but the experience of the sheep hunt is the real prize. You can wreck a sheep hunt if you focus on the harvest. I wpuld approach your decision on diy vs guide based off the experience you want to have. I think you won’t get the full experience with a guide but DIY would take more time? maybe you don’t have the time?

 

[npaden]

Just my .02 but the experience of the sheep hunt is the real prize. You can wreck a sheep hunt if you focus on the harvest. I wpuld approach your decision on diy vs guide based off the experience you want to have. I think you won’t get the full experience with a guide but DIY would take more time? maybe you don’t have the time?

It is just a bad year for attempting to put in the time and effort scouting that I would need to. Logistically it is going to be difficult but not impossible. Don't really have anyone that can take the time off to help for 7 to 10 days. Sounds like where the sheep have been hanging out is a place you really can't day hunt. Even the outfitter said that most likely it would be a backpack in and spike camp type setup. Talking with the CPW wildlife guy he said that it gets busy on the weekends and he would suggest working on the weekends and hunting on the weekdays if possible. It still might come down to that and I have a brother that said if I needed him that he could take some time off to help, but he is 66 years old and although he has always impressed me with how fit he is when it comes to hiking, I think this is going to be a stretch for him to be a lot of help on a hunt like this.

Our New Zealand trip coming up and then a family bible camp we go to every year for the last 30 years (except CoVID and our Africa trip) and then a work conference is going to tie up 4 weeks out of the 9 weeks remaining before the hunt starts. At some point in there I do actually have some work that I need to get done. I could probably get one weekend of scouting in during the middle to end of August, I might still even try to do that even if I do go guided just to get a feel for what it is going to be like and to hike around in the unit and what it is like getting there and back. It's right at a 9 hour drive for me to get to the closest part of the unit so not terrible.

I do enjoy the planning and strategy of the hunt but the one guide that I've used in my life so far (Africa) it ended up feeling pretty much like hunting with a friend. Time is for sure my most scarce resource right now and being able to pay someone to spend the time needed to get the animals located in a big unit with low success rates seems like it is the way to go to me. I think I will still get the feel of the hunt with the backpacking in and chasing sheep at 10,000'+.

I might not get a choice though and could end up being DIY if the outfitter can't find a guide and the other outfitter is booked up too. I haven't gotten a call back from them so that might be the case.

 

[brymoore]

I noticed there’s a Sheep Mountain in your unit. Free hint!

If you’ve never sheep hunted before, you’ll probably drive yourself crazy trying to figure out how/when/where to sheep hunt.

Hopefully you have good optics. Be prepared to glass over lots of country.

 

[Oak]

@Khunter just hosted a hugely successful RMBS Sheep & Goat Hunter Meet and Greet with over 300 people in Golden last weekend. Looking at his registration roster, it appears that he had 3 current tag holders and 6 people familiar with S17 in attendance. I think he typically shares contact info of those who have agreed with RMBS members who draw. But I think he's currently atoning for his absence while planning the event and is out of town with his lovely wife, haha. So he might not reply here right away.

 

[MaddH]

I sure wouldn’t hesitate to hire a guide. It’s once in a lifetime hunt and I look at it like a chance to make a new friend too. Do these tag justicefor sure

 

[GrantK]

I'll second @Oak The RMBS is a great resource for connecting with past hunters, I found everyone I talked to was incredibly willing to share info, well worth the time to do some homework.

 

[npaden]

@Khunter just hosted a hugely successful RMBS Sheep & Goat Hunter Meet and Greet with over 300 people in Golden last weekend. Looking at his registration roster, it appears that he had 3 current tag holders and 6 people familiar with S17 in attendance. I think he typically shares contact info of those who have agreed with RMBS members who draw. But I think he's currently atoning for his absence while planning the event and is out of town with his lovely wife, haha. So he might not reply here right away.

Of course I didn't have the tag last weekend or I would have made an attempt to be there. I've spent some $ on raffles with you guys but not sure if I have ever signed up to be a member or not. I think at one point I was because I seem to remember getting a newsletter or something but don't think I am now. Sounds like something that needs to be remedied pretty quickly.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Congrats! I hope you get one.

 

[Oak]

Of course I didn't have the tag last weekend or I would have made an attempt to be there. I've spent some $ on raffles with you guys but not sure if I have ever signed up to be a member or not. I think at one point I was because I seem to remember getting a newsletter or something but don't think I am now. Sounds like something that needs to be remedied pretty quickly.

Bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and moose tags were not historically reissued when turned in by successful applicants until the hard work of @Sandbrew on behalf of RMBS was successful in convincing CDOW (at that time) to change the policy. A lot of hunters, including you, have had gained opportunities to hunt these OIL species thanks to him!

 

[Hyhunter]

I say do a guide, maybe after the season runs a few days if possible. I hunted sheep solo last year, loved the experience but knowing it's likely an oil tag sucks when its unfilled. Only thing I could have done better to try to be successful would have been get a guide. Wish I could be sure I'd get two sheep hunts in my life to experience it both ways.
S17 isnt easy at all either. I know in s11 I've seen ewes down on 390 during elk season. Luckily you have no wilderness areas but it's still big country.

 

[Khunter]

@Khunter just hosted a hugely successful RMBS Sheep & Goat Hunter Meet and Greet with over 300 people in Golden last weekend. Looking at his registration roster, it appears that he had 3 current tag holders and 6 people familiar with S17 in attendance. I think he typically shares contact info of those who have agreed with RMBS members who draw. But I think he's currently atoning for his absence while planning the event and is out of town with his lovely wife, haha. So he might not reply here right away.

Of course I didn't have the tag last weekend or I would have made an attempt to be there. I've spent some $ on raffles with you guys but not sure if I have ever signed up to be a member or not. I think at one point I was because I seem to remember getting a newsletter or something but don't think I am now. Sounds like something that needs to be remedied pretty quickly.

Congrats on the tag!

Oak is correct, on vacation with family after a ton of work pulling RMBS meet & greet together. We at RMBS definitely have prior S17 hunters in our database chomping at the bit to help RMBS member tag holders. Join and we can hook you up. Maybe I have known your name in the past but do not recall so cannot look up your member status but sounds like you are not a member or it would be obvious to you already?

PM me your info and that you are a member and we can pick this up next week when I return.

 

[Sandbrew]

Of course I didn't have the tag last weekend or I would have made an attempt to be there. I've spent some $ on raffles with you guys but not sure if I have ever signed up to be a member or not. I think at one point I was because I seem to remember getting a newsletter or something but don't think I am now. Sounds like something that needs to be remedied pretty quickly.

I bet Khunter has a couple names on that list of guys who have hunted or helped in S17 you should really get signed up. I was there a couple years ago and helped a first time sheep hunter connect on her first Colorado big game animal on opening day. We found a nice band of rams in the trees and she was the only one to connect on a ram that year and he was a 10 year old broomed ram.

 

[hunter49]

Sometimes the dice land snakeeyes. Good luck, hunt hard, and make it your own.

 

[npaden]

Just signed up for a 3 year membership.

Thanks for all you guys do for sheep!

Thanks @Sandbrew for getting this through so people like me have a chance at getting one of these returned tags!

@Khunter whatever I need to do to get a list of names or add my name and information to the other membership with the tag this year let me know.

Still don’t have a guide lined up so I may end up doing this DIY whether I want to or not.

Thanks! Nathan

 

[Bluffgruff]

Just signed up for a 3 year membership.

Thanks for all you guys do for sheep!

Thanks @Sandbrew for getting this through so people like me have a chance at getting one of these returned tags!

@Khunter whatever I need to do to get a list of names or add my name and information to the other membership with the tag this year let me know.

Still don’t have a guide lined up so I may end up doing this DIY whether I want to or not.

Thanks! Nathan

There seem to be a couple general areas to focus on, but I bet with some previous tag holder input, you could narrow it down to a few basins and glassing points. What altitude are you coming from?

 

[npaden]

There seem to be a couple general areas to focus on, but I bet with some previous tag holder input, you could narrow it down to a few basins and glassing points. What altitude are you coming from?

3,200’ so it could be worse. Previous experience with mountain hiking tells me I’m decent up to 9,000’ish and then it starts to get hard to breathe a bit from there on up.

Ran 3 miles this morning. I was up to 4 miles earlier this spring but slacked off a little in May and June. Going to start throwing in some lunges for sure and maybe some squats and our treadmill goes up to a 15% incline so might do some walking at full incline in addition to getting back up on the miles running. Should be in better shape but not starting out at zero at least. Lost 20 pounds so far this year already so that should be helpful too.

Did some shooting last night. Working on stretching out to at least 400 yards. First shot with a 10-15 mph crosswind and I hit 3” right and dead one vertically. Thought that was good.

 

[Bluffgruff]

3,200’ so it could be worse. Previous experience with mountain hiking tells me I’m decent up to 9,000’ish and then it starts to get hard to breathe a bit from there on up.

Ran 3 miles this morning. I was up to 4 miles earlier this spring but slacked off a little in May and June. Going to start throwing in some lunges for sure and maybe some squats and our treadmill goes up to a 15% incline so might do some walking at full incline in addition to getting back up on the miles running. Should be in better shape but not starting out at zero at least. Lost 20 pounds so far this year already so that should be helpful too.

Did some shooting last night. Working on stretching out to at least 400 yards. First shot with a 10-15 mph crosswind and I hit 3” right and dead one vertically. Thought that was good.

I've heard from some folks that walking an incline with a decently heavy (40-60lb) pack is better than running the same distance. Also, you're looking at 11000-14000ft in that unit.