205 Nevada sheep tag!

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 22, 2023

littlebighorn · Oct 24, 2023

FCFS???
That's fantastic!

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 24, 2023

No man had 22 points

Homer · Oct 24, 2023

Soooo.....want to talk about it??

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 25, 2023

Yeah have you ever hunted it before?

littlebighorn · Oct 26, 2023

Jeffnvhunter said:
No man had 22 points

Well 205 is a good unit and one I've applied for several times. I've never actually been in the unit, but I have helped with a hunt in 181 just north.
If you've never hunted sheep before I'd encourage you to connect with any experienced sheep hunters you can find, especially in that area.
Great tag and best of luck!

eshunt · Oct 26, 2023

Did you attend one of the sheep seminars? If not, look at the ones from 2020 or 2022 on YouTube. They have a lot of good information.

Call the biologist. I think the biologist for the unit I had is the same as for your unit. He was very helpful and willing to talk about the general conditions and habits of the sheep.

And if you actually put a little effort and thought into your posts on here, there will be people that reach out with some information. Let us know what you have done to prepare so far. Have you been there scouting yet? Found any rams? Know where the water sources are? Access points?

Look at the previous checkout summaries to understand what the averages are for the rams in your area. Age, score, horn length, base circumference, etc. What is most important to you in the hunt? Score? Age? Hunt experience?

I had a blast learning as much as I could over the summer as soon as I found out I had drawn my first sheep tag. Scouting, watching, talking to others etc. It's a journey and there's no shortcut to the end result. Enjoy every moment and all aspects of it.

All this is advice I was given and I followed through on most of it. I managed to have a great experience and as icing on the cake, I tagged a ram that was way above average for the unit I was hunting.

Good luck on your hunt!

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 26, 2023

I’ve been on 13 ram hunts. Never hunted this unit I’ve hunted 181 a 3 times 183 3 times I’ve also hunted down south 263 244 283 and 253. I know what I’m looking for been out scouting 13 days seen 51 rams I’ve seen 2 great rams.
I just wanted to see what others had to say about this unit. I’ve got 40 days to hunt so I’ll be picky. I’ll killed a big ram I’ve done my homework

Homer · Oct 26, 2023

Have fun....

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 26, 2023

I will it’s a sheep hunt! Thanks man

littlebighorn · Oct 26, 2023

Congratulations Jeff!
No question you will have a great hunt and I hope that you will share your experienced (and pictures) with those of us who only dream of getting that tag.
Obviously you are not a novice when it comes to sheep hunting so you already know how important that is. As I mentioned, I don't have any specific first hand experience in 205, but my friend from Minden Nv reports that unit always holds a few big rams and he recommended it this year as one of my choices to apply for.
I'm sure you will have a great hunt. Please keep us posted.

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 26, 2023

I killed 167 ram with a guy in there 4 years ago badass sheep country man. I’ll look for a pic

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 26, 2023

I killed 167 ram with a guy in there 4 years ago badass sheep country man. I’ll look for a pic

Homer · Oct 26, 2023

Nice ram.....how'd you get 22 points in 4 years.....lol

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 26, 2023

I took an old guy in there that had the tag

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 26, 2023

I’ve got some info about 181 if you want it I’ve hunted it 3 times

littlebighorn · Oct 26, 2023

That's an old ram for Nv. I'm curious what the Nv state guys aged him at. Lots of stacked up rings at the base. He's also really short haired. Was the season earlier that year?
Great ram.

Homer · Oct 26, 2023

He's obviously 7....

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 26, 2023

Ndow had him at 9 years old. It was a November hunt

Homer · Oct 26, 2023

Stevie Wonder could age that ram……

easy_money · Oct 27, 2023

Jeffnv, was that 2109? or 2020? I hunted with a friend in there those years too.

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 27, 2023

2018 man

littlebighorn · Oct 27, 2023

Yep,
I had him at 9 as well.
Some would ignore the stacked rings at the base, but that's why I asked. His white face makes him look like an old lab dog. He's definitely an old mature ram, especially for Nevada.
Well done.

Jeffnvhunter · Oct 27, 2023

For sure man those rings around the bases are stacked tight. He’s an old mature ram.

Homer · Oct 27, 2023

He's 7.....lmfao

Homer · Oct 27, 2023

So…..which one is it…..2018 205 check out

Crampy · Oct 28, 2023

I know almost nothing about counting annuli.

For those of you that see this ram as 9 years old. With rings 7, 8 and 9 stacked up near base. Would those rings only space out later? Why would those 3 be so close together when 6 & 7 have so much space between? Does a ring only gain space when that ring is 3 years old?

Homer · Oct 28, 2023

Uh...there is no 8 or 9 ring yet....he'd get the 8 ring in a year and the 9th in another year.....

littlebighorn · Oct 28, 2023

According to Jay Scott who is a well respected expert in desert bighorns, "Space between rings vary which reflects the quality of nutrition that the animal experienced during that year of his life.
Also, as the bighorn ram matures to about eight years old, the ring gaps become smaller and smaller. Once the ram reaches a certain age, the horns will continue filling out in thickness and mass, but stop growing much longer as time goes on."
Thus rings stack up at the base.

None of us know for sure how old that ram was, but the stacked rings at the base have to account for something.
I'll trust Jay's experience.

Crampy · Oct 28, 2023

Jay Scott does have helpful free education on annuli counting.

Here are a couple of Jay’s markups from GoHunt. The rings definitely get closer together with age, but I haven’t seen any that are nearly as close as the three “rings” in the ram above.