How do you afford it?

Just wondering what all you sheep hunters do for work and how do you go about affording these hunts. My dream since I was little is a dall sheep but with two little kids and all the things that go with them its hard to imagine a way to put that kind of dough aside. Even though I still plan on it

No way I could have afforded it, so I did all I could to move to Alaska. I will be able to hunt them next year as a resident.

I don't go sheep hunting every year, but I do take $250 out of my paycheck, every two weeks, and put it in a separate account to fund my annual hunts. By the time the hunting season comes around I usually have more than enough money to play with. The money that I have left over from that years savings I just roll over into the next year. As an Alaska resident, sheep hunts aren't as expensive for me, but they still aren't cheap.

My upbringing would never have prepared me to shell out money like a sheep trip costs. I credit an office manager that I've had for 20 years that told me to just do it. Of course having the right wife has also helped. With that said, she (wife) reminds me of the fab vacations that we could be taking TOGETHER with that kind of dough.
I am an ENT physician, I started duck and squirrel hunting in the swamps of my native Arkansas in grade school. I probably have read every "Hunting", Shooting Times, Guns and Ammo, Sports Afield, Outdoor Life, and Field and Stream available since I was a little shaver and Dall Sheep are my favorite. I adore the whole process.
I put a deposit down on this trip about three years ago and planned to go in 2012. Well, the economy tanking and my rotator cuffs blowing out dimmed the cash flow, and I actually tried to sell off the hunt for a bit after my second surgery, and second daughter went to college (thank God for scholarships). But the Outfitter was patient, and the wife and office manager kept saying "you work so hard, you need it", etc that I bowed to the pressure ;-), and snuck out the dough in small payments, and voila it's done.
A modest/conservative type banker friend that went on this same trip about 4 years ago told me he saved for 12 years, every paycheck. It can be done.
Don

Like the Nike slogan says, "just do it!! Some outfitters will book 4-5yrs out. I booked 3yrs out and I leave in 48hrs. The 3yrs has flown by. Can't believe its already here. Thankfully, I have been blessed and at a point in my professional careers, emphasis on careers, that the money part was doable. It hurt, but it was doable. I am a police officer and an Asset Protection Manager for a big orange box company. I have four awesome kids, a dog and I have always had two jobs, even when I was single. Side businesses of cutting grass, plowing snow, rental properties, etc, etc. Sure that means I don't have tons of free time to sit around, but we have really never wanted for anything. Solid middle class living. I don't own a credit card and if I cannot do it cash, I don't do it.

Before you commit to it, discuss it with the wife. Make no mistake, it's a family commitment. For me, time was the biggest enemy, not necessarily the money. The last 4 months, if I wasn't working, I was training. Luckily my wife and kids have been super supportive. I think they are as excited as I am, maybe not the wife so much. Its a big commitment any way you slice it. Just the reality of not seeing my kids for 17 days is gonna be terrible. All the time and money and effort will hurt, but if dream hunts were easy, they wouldn't be dream hunts.

If you're younger, don't sweat it. You have plenty of time. There are a ton of cheap, DIY hunts to do in the lower 48 that will build your hunting skills and knowledge up to the pinnacle of a sheep hunt. If you're serious about it, set a time line, figure out how much a month you need to save, and save it. I suggest picking an outfitter and sending him a couple grand at a time so you can't spend it on something else. Assemble gear as you go.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is DON'T THINK ABOUT WHAT ELSE YOU COULD DO WITH THE MONEY. It will give you a stomach ache. And I have said on here before, the only guarantee with money is they WILL NOT be putting it in the coffin with you. Spend it while you can. Just commit to your dream of chasing sheep and never look back. Best of luck to ya, Dan

Check out this video. One can't help but notice the sheer joy and peace of mind this hunter was experiencing on that mntn top. And know that Jersey John passed away shortly after returning home from his dream hunt. We are here for a short time. Just Do It!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVDEcc-SR4g

Luckily I moved to Wyoming and was able to do the elk and mule deer hunting that I always dreamed about but sheep is something I have always wanted as well. I need to convince myself to do it, but honestly I know myself and if I saved up that money I would find a bill to pay off or a family vacation to take. But at the same time you are here for a little while and then your not. I like the quote from Shashank..."Get busy living or get busy dying" but I have a hard time spending that much money on a hunt. There is that guilty feeling. but my wife is one of those that says "you deserve it" I just can't convince myself of that.

Move to Alaska. My partner and I each tagged out last year and I scored a grizzly. That hunt would have cost $45k but we were self guided and it cost about $2k in gear and $500 in gas and food each.

Sheep hunting requires you to be selfish, no other way to describe it. If you don't believe me, go to the Sheep Show or GSCO show and find out how many of the dedicated sheep hunters are divorced. Generally, most sheep hunters are going to: 1. live in a state or province where they can draw or buy OTC on a regular basis, 2. get luck and draw in a state drawing or win a raffle, 3. save up over a period of years, or 4. have enough money to go when they want to and find the time.

My wife is very understanding and has probably made more of a sacrifice with me going hunting (I go have fun and she takes care of the kids) than me. She is the best and I periodically am reminded of that. Yesterday was our 19th anniversary and she will be going to New Zealand with me for our 20th, me to hunt and her to sight-see.

I generally dedicate so much time and money each year towards hunting and have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to hunt Stone's twice and Dall's once. The bad part of sheep hunting is that doing it once only creates the "need' to do it again. Forget that "trip of a lifetime" B.S. I've done so many those that my wife just laughs.

If sheep hunting is a priority in your life, basically you will need to make sacrifices to get it done. If you are not willing to make the sacrifices, then you may look back some day and wonder what it would have been like..... Sorry, but life isn't fair, but it is what you make out of it.

The video of Jersey John really put things in prospective. Like was said "Just do it". I had several conversations with John prior to that trip. I believe he also was planning a Stone sheep hunt in the future. He never made it but he sure enjoyed the Dall sheep hunt. You just never know when your time is up. The comment about being selfish and divorced does have some validity as sad as it is to say but the other alternative is to treat your wife and family good when you are home and to have them involved in your passion. Tying the two together makes all the difference. At a convention in 2005 or 2006 they gave a Grand Slam award posthumously to a guy from Texas. I believe he was 53. My wife was there with me and heard everyone talk about how sad it was. I had three sheep and needed a desert.That's when she leaned over and told me to book the hunt, just give her some time to save the money. Her reasoning was do it while I could and not wait until it was to late. Well I booked it, we saved the money and I got my Desert. Did I say I have a great wife! Point is make a plan. It may take a year, two, three or more but if you don't start planning it will never happen.

As much as I would like to, I likely will never hunt any other sheep than dall sheep due to I would rather spend my $$$ elsewhere and a super slam while cool is of very low priority for me. That said I am going on two maybe low odds of success local walk in sheep hunts this year and just to be able to chase them for 20+ days this year for a couple hundred in gas for me is enough. I truly enjoy it bit just the being in the mountains is more what it's all about than the actual hunting of the animals. I am just as happy going as a packer for someone else or just going to shoot pics in a new area that is not during the season to take pics and spend a week to 10 days hiking in their mountains homes during the summer than to be actively hunting them.

I feel sorry for those that claim to "LIVE" for those 10 days once in a lifetime or even once a year to pursue the sheep when really to me the actual essence of a sheep hunt revolves VERY little around the actual harvest. However is realize we all hunt for different reason. Just see so many the claim to "LIVE" to hunt sheep yet only get out in sheep country 7-10 days a year, seems kinda sad really to only spend such few days a field doing what you love to do when just spending time observing and watching them can be done for so much less.

Work hard and convince your employer to move you to BC! Then you can hunt Dalls, Stones, Rocky Mtn and California bighorns all in the same province.

My wife is pretty understanding, she bought me kuiu chugach nx rain set for Father's Day. $14000 understanding is a whole other deal. I'm currently employed at my dream job as a firefighter paramedic in MA, so the relocation to BC probably isn't going to happen. When I'm on my days off I have my two boys, while my wife works, so no second job for me. Just have to rely in OT. I'm going to have to just start picking away and see if I can get there. Keep you stories coming its nice hearing how other people do this stuff.

luke moffat said:

I feel sorry for those that claim to "LIVE" for those 10 days once in a lifetime or even once a year to pursue the sheep when really to me the actual essence of a sheep hunt revolves VERY little around the actual harvest. However is realize we all hunt for different reason. Just see so many the claim to "LIVE" to hunt sheep yet only get out in sheep country 7-10 days a year, seems kinda sad really to only spend such few days a field doing what you love to do when just spending time observing and watching them can be done for so much less.

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I'm gonna try to be politically correct here Luke. For one, when and if you have a couple or four kids, trust me when I say you will cherish your reduced days afield. Sports, increased work load to support those kids, keeping the wife smiling, college funds, schools clothes and the thousand other resources the kids use up, will all affect your amount of days afield. You're blessed to live in AK where these animals are just a jump in the truck. Enjoy every minute. But that is not real for most folks. And I am sure the guys that only spend 7-10 days chasing sheep, are like me and chasing many other animals throughout the ENTIRE year, whether it be with a weapon or a camera. So don't feel sorry for us. Additionally, like you, I have been a "packer" on a few elk hunts when I didn't draw a tag and may have had a better time on those hunts. Sometimes its awesome to be in the back seat.

And we all HUNT for the same basic reason: to harvest an animal. If a person is searching a wild place, carrying a weapon and a tag, they are HUNTING. Pure and simple. But this may be a topic for a more philosophical thread.

Best of luck to ya this sheep season.

It may take you some years but you can do it. In our area in PA there is a face book yard sale site. My wife sells stuff every week an can easily make $100 a week. They meet in parking lots twice a week to exchange goods. You would be amazed at what people buy and pay good money for. She buys things at regular yard sales and good will store and flips them. She also sells all my daughters old toys and clothes.

Can't afford it. Hence why I put I for Colorado, if I ever draw someday it will cost me $250.

bcimport said:

Work hard and convince your employer to move you to BC! Then you can hunt Dalls, Stones, Rocky Mtn and California bighorns all in the same province.

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Say how hard is it to become a canuk? Is the Canadian Government like the U.S.??? If I pay some dirt bag to smuggle me in and look all disheveled and claim I came from a bad place will they just hook me up with some free stuff and citizenship?....Maybe?

I'm lucky enough to live in a province with OTC Big Horn tags. And yes I guess I'm a little selfish, I take the time to train year round for this hunt. On the less selfish side of things sheep hunting has actually brought my marathon running wife and I closer together for after 20 years of being a drunken no good pipeliner the last 8 years I've been an in shape running with my beautiful wife no good pipeliner.:-D

JWP58 said:

Say how hard is it to become a canuk? Is the Canadian Government like the U.S.??? If I pay some dirt bag to smuggle me in and look all disheveled and claim I came from a bad place will they just hook me up with some free stuff and citizenship?....Maybe?

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Disheveled is my natural state and I come from Chicago. Every time I cross into Canada, they ask me repeatedly when I'm going to leave. No free stuff. No citizenship.


Kids require some sacrifices. Sometimes tough sacrifices. Hopefully your hunt will be temporarily delayed. Keep working towards it. Don't give up. Everyone needs a carrot. You just gotta get past the stick.

JWP58 said:

Say how hard is it to become a canuk? Is the Canadian Government like the U.S.??? If I pay some dirt bag to smuggle me in and look all disheveled and claim I came from a bad place will they just hook me up with some free stuff and citizenship?....Maybe?

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Just find yourself a sweet little (or big that's a personal call ) Canadian gal or guy ( again personal ) and head north. You don't even have to get married anymore, just prove you're in a relationship.