BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

Goat hunter · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Youngstown,NY

I am considering an Alaska Dall sheep hunt for 2009.Does anyone know of a reputable guide service? I have been to B.C. on a Mt. Goat hunt so I am somewhat familiar with this type of hunting but would appreciate any tips.What is a good rifle choice?Tag availability etc.Thanks.

aksheephuntress · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 20 Location: seward alaska

As far as a guide to suggest...We always have sheep hunted DIY, But if you research the Alaska Outdoor Forum on the web, you can talk to /contact lots of guide services and just regular folk that are local,that can can help you. I am not advocating one forum over another, by any means...just adding an option to your search....We're all in this together!!...-
...glad to help...
...As far as rifle caliber for sheep...we like the .270, or 7 mm....also, the Kimber Montana rifles, which are excellent , as far as light in weight(.270, or even 325 wsm...nice to have a little x-tra, for a possible bear load). Ask prospective guides for possibility for a combined hunt.(sheep/griz,etc).
...And non-res tag availability without a draw permit is pretty good, in all areas of the state....highly recommend getting on the Alaska Fish and Game website, it has pretty extensive info for all of this.
....You mentioned you are familiar with goat....so you know about packing as light as possible,....oh...if $ is no object....make sure you have the best scope you can get, that holds up good in wet / variable conditions.We carry a lightweight spotting scope,as well, for lots of glassing.
....we have found that our average shot range for taking sheep is between 300-425 yds.
....hope this helps...and THINK SHEEP!!!-you can feel free to PM us, if you would like.

Goat hunter · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Youngstown,NY

I would love to learn more about DIY sheep hunts. I have been getting some major sticker shock from the outfitters I contacted but I would hate to have a bad experince because I went uneducated.Any advice on areas to apply with good public access without a ton of hunting pressure?Thank you very much for your help.

Chuck-n-Alaska · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 60 Location: Alaska

None residents are required by law to have a guide for sheep, goats, and brown/grizzly bear. I have known Gary at wildak.com for over 20 years he is good and his prices are fair.

WILDAK

aksheephuntress · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 20 Location: seward alaska

[quote="Chuck-n-Alaska"]None residents are required by law to have a guide for sheep, goats, and brown/grizzly bear. I have known Gary at wildak.com for over 20 years he is good and his prices are fair.

[url=http://www.wildak.com]WILDAK[/url][/quote]

-Yes...!- I did not mean to mislead you that hunting diy for sheep was legal in AK as a non-res..........I just wanted to point out the possibilities of coming up and hunting sheep without thinking that you had to pay an arm and a leg for an opportunity...take Chuck in Alaska's advice....and,THINK SHEEP! :yes: ...AND, REMEMBER, I recomended contacting the AK F&G website!-Take Care!!

waterrat · Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 18 Location: Lake Iliamna

You could ck out a few of Waterrats post on the sheep thread and go from there. Jim

numbnutz · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 136 Location: portland,oregon

nice sheep, :thumbsup1:

AKbowman · Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 7

I've hunted areas with malk-in access 6 times the past 10 years. I hunt with a bow so I have only been successful once with an average sized sheep. The areas I hunted recently became permit areas. A good guide is essential, unless you have a plane or have access to one it takes years to figure out an area enough to really figure out sheep patterns. In most walk-in areas there are few legal rams and getting close enough for a shot is not an easy task.
I never hunt with a guide. I killed a goat on the second day of my first hunt...I've killed one sheep in 7 tries. I would recommend spending a few more dollars for a reputable guide, I would think it would be better to spend another $1,500 and have a safe, succesful hunt where you see some rams rather than skimping on costs and not seeing sheep. And oh yes 1 more thing...get in the best shape you can it will mean all the difference between being misreable and being completely misreable!

tim · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 313 Location: north idaho

ask lots of questions of your outfitter.

How many years of expierence does your guide have? Have the packers been packing before?
What size tent does the outfitter require the guide to use?
If this is a backpacking hunt, how many days of food are you to carry?
What type of spotting scope and magnification does the guide have? Does the guide have a spotting scope?
Is this a backpack hunt or horseback hunt or out of a cabin? What kind of backpack do i need.
Will you have coffee in the morning? This was the only question i asked.
Does your outfitter have a packing list for your guide?
Does your guide have a first aid kit?
IS your guide a resident of alaska or not?
To me it is ******** that the guide doesn't have to be a resident of alaska.
tim

TBinKodiak · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 37 Location: Kodiak, AK

tim wrote: IS your guide a resident of alaska or not?
To me it is ******** that the guide doesn't have to be a resident of alaska.
tim

I think a lot of the other answers will make more sense if you ask this question first. I happened on a conversation between a "guide" and his client a couple falls back that was absolutly hillarious. I mean just basic stuff that any local would know off the top of his head, the guide was just pulling cr@p out of his @$$ and the guy was taking it as law.