Yukon Dall Sheep

TMAN · Jan 21, 2003

Anyone been to the Yukon to hunt dalls? How did you do, who with and how'd you like it? I hunted dalls in the Wrangells in 2000, but heard the Yukon is the place for trophy rams. Looking to book for 2004 and trying to get as much info before I book, as I can. Looking at the 3rd week in Aug. for a 10 backpack hunt. Any comments are appreciated.

hunterjmj · Jan 21, 2003

Chugach Mtns. probably produce the biggest horns in Alaska. If your looking for 40+ inchers with great mass that would be the Mountains were you could have the best chance probably.
Jer

kilbuc · Feb 1, 2003

Hunted with Reynolds Outfitting but about 20 years ago. Great outfit. But they are probably booked up thru 04 and probably into 05. another area is just next door is Blackstone Outfitters, they may have an opening in 04. Both take good, old rams.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"

sheephunter · Feb 1, 2003

My wife took this ram in 2001 with Kluane Outfitters.

Good hunt and saw lots of rams. The area just sold so not sure what's up but their web site is www.kluaneoutfitters.com

MattB · Feb 2, 2003

Sheephunter, thats a nice ram your wife got, who was her guide? I met most of the guides that work for Kluane as the outfitter i worked for owned kluane and ruby range as well. Thats a nice ram!

Kluane outfitters has a lot of sheep, ruby range has way more though. If you want the best chance at a trophy dall go with ruby range. I worked for Rogue River Outfitters in the Yukon last year, my boss also owned ruby range, and kluane as well. I didnt know he was selling kluane though, he had umm I dont remember his first name but his last name was reeder outfitting kluane, and another guy named shane buchanan or something like that running ruby range. But if you want a trophy sheep from the yukon those are definetely the 2 best outfits to go with. Last year Rogue River took a lot of moose, i heard 2 should make top 10 in boone and crockett, but im not sure. I have a picture of the 20 biggest moose and 20 biggest cariboiu taken last year, there are some monsters in it. When i get the time i will scan it.

sheephunter · Feb 2, 2003

Our guide was Lucas Lougheed. Fritz just sold all three areas to Kevin Olmstead. At least that's what I heard at FNAWS convention.

MattB · Feb 2, 2003

Me and lucas were pretty good friends, hes the 21 yr old guide right? Just making sure they dont have 2 guides named lucas! Hes a real good guy, and im glad he got your wife that awesome ram!

You wouldnt happen to have the new owner of the 3 outfits address would you??? If you do could you send it to me at [email protected]
i would like to try and work in rogue river again, its an awesome area to work in. The only thing that was keeping me from going back was a few problems with the management and how they managed the outfit, not that it was bad or anything. Did you ever hunt with rogue river at all T.J.? I have an interview this week for a forestry job in fort nelson, i only want to work there so i can hunt stone sheep on the weekends though. So im hoping i might be able to get that job.

Thanks a lot for the help!
Good luck in all your draws!

sheephunter · Feb 2, 2003

Yep that was the same Lucas.

Kevin Olmstead from Prophet/Muskwa Outfitters was the buyer. I don't have his address handy but you should be able to look it up on the net.

I've never been to Rogue River but have heard great things about the moose. Beautiful country up there!

ramslam · Feb 2, 2003

I agree with hunterjmj, I would question if the Yukon is the place to go for big dall sheep. Chugach in Alaska definitely has the bases to score high. I would take the NWT over Yukon for big white sheep.

sheephunter · Feb 2, 2003

Book sheep are far and few between in both NWT and Yukon but for numbers of sheep, I doubt you could beat either.

T.J.

MattB · Feb 3, 2003

I think the reason to there being not many book sheep anywhere is that there arent any really remot sheep hunting areas, all the areas in most of the outfits get hunted now. Where i would go though would be ruby range or kluane, as they have kluane national park there, and you could hope that over summer some of the sheep from in the park will head into either of the 2 concessions, then your chances of a book ram will be good!

The moose in rogue river are awesome, i saw a lot of big bulls in the 2 months that i was in there. I didnt see any sheep in rogue river though. I think it is more of an area for moose, bear, caribou, and wolf. But if i were to want a trophy moose theres no area i would rather go than rogue river. I saw 6 really nice bulls in one group, and that was the group we took that 58" bull out of. I also saw one really wide bull around 65-70" but it didnt have very wide palms.

Thanks for the info T.J.

ramslam · Feb 4, 2003

If a guy is looking for a big sheep, I still think the odds are on Chugach sheep. I would like to hunt in the Yukon or NWT as the rams sure look good up there. I would go with Kelly Hougen at Artic Red River or Lancasters at Nahanni Butte (both in NWT).

Here are pics of my Chugach ram taken August 10, 2001 with Dan Montgomery.

41 5/8" x 41" with 14" bases and still 13 1/8" at first quarter--official score of 170 5/8. I was luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuky to take a ram like this.

Splash · Feb 4, 2003

Hey Ramslam,

That is a Dall of a life time. That ram has it all!

Thanks for sharing the picture.

TMAN · Feb 4, 2003

I've been reading all your inputs and appreciate them. Anyone hunted with Blackstone, Mervyns, or Bonnet Plume in the YK?

What were some of your ram sizes and were they plentiful?

I've heard alot about the Chugach but isn't that a draw area?
How do you go about drawing?

Still contemplating which outfitter.
Thanks,

Tman

hunterjmj · Feb 4, 2003

LAST EDITED ON Feb-04-03 AT 07:30PM (MST)[p]Since everyone is posting their pics I will to! This isn't a book ram but a dandy Ram at that. I took him in the Brooks Range, they don't have the drop the other ranges produce, but their are some book sheep up their for sure.

sheephunter · Feb 4, 2003

Mervyn's reputation is second to none. He doesn't always kill the biggest sheep in the Yukon but runs a great camp in a great area. Blackstone has been producing some real good rams and there is a chance at a Fannin there. Bonnet-Plume is pretty well just Stone sheep.

ramslam · Feb 5, 2003

What a ram. Man, congrats. Who did you go with and what year? What are the measurements of that pig. I bet he looks good on the wall.

ramslam · Feb 5, 2003

Parts of Chugach is a draw area. I went with Dan Montgomery of Alaska Trophy Adventures in Wasilla. He and his crew are great. When you book a hunt with him, he has you apply for the Chugach Park 14-C. If you draw thats the area you hunt. Dan also has areas outside the park that are still in the Chugach Mountains. I did not draw so I hunted outside the park. Will get you the phone numbers you need later.

[email protected] if you have any other questions.

gutpile · Feb 5, 2003

ADF&G permit info is at: http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/wildlife/geninfo/permit/03draw.pdf

The permit applications are due in Dec for the Sheep...gives you time to plan your hunt. In years past the winners were notified in July and only had 1 month to plan the hunt.

The Chugach Mountains are all GMU 14 hunts. This is where the big boys live. All of the sub areas are good...access is OK. These are mean mountains guys...the ponies & airplanes don't help here. Plan on starting out at 1000 feet above sea level...you'll see hundreds of ewes & kids but the men hang out between 6000'-8500'. These areas are only for folks in real shape.

Not feeling lucky on the tag draw? Try the Wrangell Mountains in GMU 11. Non-residents can take a full curl critter here...lots of large rams here. Guides are required for non-residents. http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/wildlife/geninfo/regs/gmu11.pdf

DonV · Feb 6, 2003

I am trying to draw almost every rocky mountain bighorn tag in the U.S., and one day, when I have some more $$ I will go on a dall sheep hunt. I very much enjoy stories, and pic's from the hunts.

I have one question, it seems to me that rocky mountain bighorns (and for that matter desert bighorns) tend to have broomed horns a LOT more then dall sheep. (Correct me if I am wrong but broomed is basically when the tips break off - most likely from fighting). Why is this? Dall sheep horns are thinner which would make it seem like they are easier to break, but on the flip side they naturally tend to come to more of a point.

Do Dall sheep fight less, thus brooming their horns is much more rare? What gives?

NMhuntnutt · Feb 7, 2003

To all of you , those are all GREAT RAMS , thanks for sharing . Ram hunting is a dream , I'm 30 and hope to someday be fortunate enough to draw . I put in here in NM , we have a nice sheep managment program , but just to hunt sheep , somebodys got a draw right . Thanks for sharing , and keep posting , maybe a story or two .....NMhuntnutt

sheephunter · Feb 7, 2003

I think it is more a matter of vision. Bighorns tend to have horns that grow closer to their face, impairing their vision while Dalls and Stones tend to have horns that flare out. If you look at my wife's Dall, however, he is heavily broomed and so where the majority of rams in that area. It seems you hit areas every now and then where thin horns broom a lot but for the most part they don't.

I don't think brooming only happens while fighting either. It is something the rams do on purpose. I once saw a ram wedge his horn tip in between two rocks and he kept turning his head until the tip broke.

DonV · Feb 7, 2003

Sheep hunter, that is very interesting - thanks. I know little about sheep other then what I read - more then enough to keep my dream alive of huntig them though! I just guessed that they were broomed by accident when fighting. Seeing one do it would be weird. Your explanation makes sense to me!

TMAN · Feb 8, 2003

Hey sheephunter,

What do you know about Mervyns? I talked with Tim M, by email. Sounds like a good hunt, but so does blackstone and bonnet plume. you say B.plume is mostly fannins?? I'm talking with an outfitter who I mule deer hunted with this year that says BP is an excellent Dall area and I am trying to get in touch with the owner, curt thompson now. Do you know anything different. Have you hunted with Mervyn or Blackstone. Like to get you comments about either and/or BP>
Thanks.

sheephunter · Feb 8, 2003

Sometimes I should get my brain in gear before posting. I was thinking of another Yukon area that has mostly Stones, not Bonnet Plume . Curt Thompson's area does have Dall sheep and some great ones at that. I have not hunted with any of these outfitters personally but know they all have very good reputations and it is a tough decision as to which one to pick.

Talk with lots of references and choose the outfitter that best suits your needs and expectations.

sheephunter · Feb 8, 2003

I was thinking of Thompson's Trophy Stone Safaris outfit as the one with the Stone Sheep.

akguide · Feb 12, 2003

I guide Dall's sheep here in AK, i've seen them sleep on there horn tips. lay them forward to support there head, that migh thave something to do with why some dalls just have the tips worn a touch. for the biggest baddest sheep, chugachs and wrangells. check the books, that'll tell ya where the biggest have come from. minerals have alot to do with growth.