Idaho 27-1 Sheep

[jzelina]

Hey all, I was fortunate enough to draw 27-1 in Idaho this year! I am working on getting my feet underneath me scouting wise, and would appreciate any suggestions on where to start gathering information. Also, any books or other information on general bighorn sheep behavior would be very beneficial as I don't have much experience with them. I do have some experience DIY hunting dall sheep, but from what I'm beginning to understand these bighorns behave quite differently. Again, any suggestions or resources for where to start looking and learning would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Josh

 

[tdoubled]

Good luck on this hunt. I've read and heard that this is a very difficult hunt, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. If you can get a hold of a biologist out of the McCall office or Salmon office, they should prove helpful. I know at times they are busy and may take some time to respond to emails or call backs. You've got the right idea though, you'll just need to scout and try to get eyes on as much of the unit as possible during the summer. There's an old book called Bighorn Sheep in Idaho, by Dwight R Smith. It's somewhat helpful, but focuses on different portions of the Frank. I found it online in PDF format for free. It should still be out there.

 

[brymoore]

DM me. I’ve hunted the unit for sheep

 

[Nambaster]

The best way to find rams in the unit is to hike and listen for rocks sliding or falling. Your rams like to intentionally kick rocks down the hill at times. It’s as steep as any terrain gets out there.

 

[1_pointer]

The best way to find rams in the unit is to hike and listen for rocks sliding or falling. Your rams like to intentionally kick rocks down the hill at times. It’s as steep as any terrain gets out there.

That last sentence is very much true!

 

[Merk]

I drew this tag this year wondering if anyone has any advice they care to share

 

[44hunter45]

I drew this tag this year wondering if anyone has any advice they care to share

Rope up. That's GMU 27 on the left.

 

[44hunter45]

And welcome to HuntTalk
Be prepared for some newbie ribbing. Hang tough @Merk

 

[Merk]

And welcome to HuntTalk
Be prepared for some newbie ribbing. Hang tough @Merk

Hey thanks we flew over the unit once already definitely looks like rugged country

 

[Bwillig]

Good Luck!

 

[IDMULEYMAN]

Hey I was just curious how your hunt went?

 

[BAKPAKR]

Hey I was just curious how your hunt went?

Based on the profile photo @Merk now has, I am guessing his hunt went pretty well.

 

[IDMULEYMAN]

Fair enough! I was just reading through a couple threads on different units and there tends to not be as much follow up after the fact.

 

[littlebighorn]

It's always disappointing to me when I read an excited thread of someone who draws a great tag, but then there is no end of story.
Probably some hunts just end badly, but even those are good reads to me.

 

[Merk]

So I should have done this a long time ago but I'm not much of a writer. But I'll try and give a short version of the hunt and some pictures.

My dad brother and myself flew in 3 days before season. We spent a day and the next morning hiking in to a area I had scouted out and started seeing ewes lambs and small rams right away. Next day we left base camp and spike camped on top of a mountain. We we're in this area for a total of about 5 days and never saw anything biger than half curls ewes and lambs. Seemed a bit unusual because everyone I talked to said if you're seeing ewes and lambs to go higher. But we were literally as high as we could go.

So we packed up went down picked up base camp and hiked about 10 miles to a area I was going to hunt later in the season. We got there a little before dark and did some glassig didn't se or here anything. Than just before we hit the hay my brother herd 2 but heads way of some where. So next morning we all split up and about a hour later I spotted 3 rams on the other side of the drainage. So we got back together and watched them for a while to figure out what they were going to do. Than we hiked in to about a mile away and my brother stayed and watched them. While dad and I snuck into 600 yards and we were afraid we couldn't get closer without spooking them. They we're beded by this time and it was 1 in the afternoon. So we got set up and about Than the ram I liked the best stood up. There was no wind and I had shot the exact same distance 2 days earlier. So I knew I could do it if I could keep my nerves under control. So I squeezed one of and and he only went about 5 yards.RAM DOWN!!

We hiked over took a bunch of pictures worked it up and went hiked about half mile andade campe. Than about noon the next day a wolf went running across a creek we were hiking down and I was able to shoot it got back to our airstrip just as it got dark. I know it's not the biggest ram but im supper happy with it . And that is a RUGGED unit and I really wanted my dad and brother to be along. They probably wouldn't have been able to come in a second time.

 

[huntandfly]

Well done and thanks for coming back to tell us about it!

 

[gonhunting247]

That's very cool and a wolf too! Congrats

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Awesome, looks like a fun adventure! Thanks for the follow up.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Congrats on a hunt of a lifetime. That is some amazing country.

 

[SCliving Outdoors]

That's awesome. Congrats to you!