Dall Sheep - Why so Expensive?

[Stalker69]

Dall Sheep is the finest game meat in Alaska, bar none (personal opinion of course, but I'd venture a guess many Alaskan's agree with me).

Just saying...

Many say that about liver also, I am not one of those either. I have eaten dall sheep, caribou ( several times) at an Alaskan convention we used to attend. I have also eaten big horn sheep, domestic sheep, aoudad. To each there own, we all have our own reasons for doing (or not doing ) what we do. You obviously enjoy it, as do many many others and that’s great. Again not sure why I even clicked the sheep thread, and surly don’t want to offend anyone. I am done posting on this.

 

[Kotaman]

Hunted all my life, defiantly not a tree hugger
Don’t care what others do with their money, I have no desire to hunt sheep of any kind. I don’t like eating sheep of any kind , it just is not appealing to me. I would not hunt any sheep even if the hunt was free. And many a sheep hunter don’t eat the meat, and it goes to waste. And I have been to many banquets and fund raisers and know the type, that most sheep hunters fall under. I am in no way jealous/ resentful ( unless you consider not eating the animals, and killing for a trophy only resentful, then yes I am that) Always exceptions,

and yet you’re hanging out in the “sheep forum”. Dall Sheep is some of the finest table fare there is. And yet another “generalization” that “many a sheep hunter don’t eat the meat”...Shame...

 

[Blockcaver]

Bighorn, Stone and Dall were exceptional meat in my opinion... ranking up with the best meat on the planet for my taste buds. My NV Desert was arrowed post rut in mid-Nov and was skinny and not as good but still OK. Every last bit of all 5 rams was boned out, packed out and packaged by my wife and I at home.

On the NWT Dall hunt I took a small 5 Cubic-Ft freezer and Honda Generator along to keep the meat frozen on the 3-day drive from the NWT, down thru the Yukon and back to BC. Assumptions the meat was wasted is just wrong.

 

[Kotaman]

On my Dall hunts, my meat has been practically gone by the time I head for home! Two meals a day for myself and anyone with me for the remainder of the hunt and you knock out a big chunk of ram in a week! The rest comes home in a cooler. I would venture to bet there isn’t a lot of sheep meat going to waste anywhere.

 

[NUGGET]

I go sheep hunting every year mainly because it’s an August opener. If it opened in sept like other species I probably wouldn’t go very often. Hell my 2019 ram I threw the horns in the backyard for the dog to chew on. I feel lucky to be able to chase sheep every year. Can’t wait to get my kids out on the youth hunt here in the next few years.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Hunted all my life, defiantly not a tree hugger
Don’t care what others do with their money, I have no desire to hunt sheep of any kind. I don’t like eating sheep of any kind , it just is not appealing to me. I would not hunt any sheep even if the hunt was free. And many a sheep hunter don’t eat the meat, and it goes to waste. And I have been to many banquets and fund raisers and know the type, that most sheep hunters fall under. I am in no way jealous/ resentful ( unless you consider not eating the animals, and killing for a trophy only resentful, then yes I am that) Always exceptions,

then why waste your time coming into a sheep hunting forum and posting BS that you know nothing about???

Just seems like a strange thing to do for somebody who dosent care about it.

 

[Lead Drifter]

Super Kodiak That is Absolutely a myth , 5 grand My Azz , The State of Ak is so tight with the permanent fund ,do your homework ,you need to be here a year before even qualifying for it , and don't miss the deadline for applying or your SOL , I could tell you some stories about that and the great state of AK , Back when I moved here in 1998 , I used to go on several fly out hunt's a year for 1000 buck's or so / trip right out of Lake Hood , now those same trip's are 3000 plus thousand / trip just to fly you out , yep those Day's are Long Gone unfortunately , used to hunt the Mulchatna Caribou herd every year for meat or Trophy Bulls , now there's a Moratorium on them because of over harvest from the 30 year's of good old day's which I missed the tail end of , Heard Story after story of guy's flying supercub's over the herd and dropping client's a mile or two in front of the Herd and having there way with the herd's best Genetic's , You just can't do that for decade's and expect it to rebound , Alaska is a Fragile environment it does't do Volume well , Heck back in 2002 I did a Moose hunt up on the Noatak River out of The village with Art Fields Master guide for 2 Grand , Try and do that this day and age , heck we can't even hunt there anymore as non native resident's , Thing's have changes a lot up here ,and the heavy hitter's coming out of the Cities Don't help the Blue color guy's trying to fulfill a life's dream , Price's keep going up and they just keep writing those check's and everyone else is supposed to keep up , it's all about supply and demand and demand is up ! as supply is dwindling , the state does what it can but can't possibly satisfy the Masses Demand for the last Great State .

 

[VernAK]

If you read back into Alaska's history, you'll find in the writings or stories of Sheldon, Glaser and Karstens about the taking of numerous dall's sheep for meat as they were very numerous in the lower foothills. Climbing into the peaks was not required and dall's sheep fed many mining camps and road crews in the early 1900s. Then they mention their first sightings of coyotes in the 20s and 30s. I don't think it's been the same since IMO.

Last month ADFG was capturing short yearling moose to weigh and they reported seeing abundant coyotes in the high country of DCUA. That along with this bitch of a winter may not have been kind to our local dall's sheep herds.

 

[DoubleBroomedMountainRifles]

Hunted all my life, defiantly not a tree hugger
Don’t care what others do with their money, I have no desire to hunt sheep of any kind. I don’t like eating sheep of any kind , it just is not appealing to me. I would not hunt any sheep even if the hunt was free. And many a sheep hunter don’t eat the meat, and it goes to waste. And I have been to many banquets and fund raisers and know the type, that most sheep hunters fall under. I am in no way jealous/ resentful ( unless you consider not eating the animals, and killing for a trophy only resentful, then yes I am that) Always exceptions,

You have not a clue what you are talking about. You say don’t hunt sheep or have a desire too but here you are reading and commenting on sheep hunts....in a dedicated sheep thread.

44 rams later and not one has been left to rot, or left on the mountain to go to waste.

 

[Gobbler36]

I think I’m about to the point where a home equity line of credit is going to pay for my sheep hunt

 

[BuzzH]

Can someone explain why Dall Sheep hunts cost $17K plus, even in the units where it's walk in? I realize sheep guides are probably the most experienced/well paid, insurance, charter costs (~$2K) and show/advertising costs....I'm just not seeing the math still, as most of the tags are OTC in AK. I'm guessing there must be a cap on the amount of outfitters or an expensive permit involved?

Its all supply and demand. The outfitters in Wyoming hunt sheep out of their elk camps. They charge 8-10.5 because its a sheep tag, not because the hunt costs them anymore to do. They charge significantly less for their elk, deer, and bear hunts in the exact same country.

Same thing in AK. You're paying for the "mystic" of hunting a ram...goat hunts in the exact same areas are much less and yet, the outfitters still make money.

Same in Canada.

Same in the US.

People have put sheep on a pedestal and because of that, we either pay the premium, apply for decades and decades, or we don't get to hunt sheep.

As far as the discussion about the meat quality...its fine, but on par with the "mystic" of hunting rams, the meat quality is also grossly exaggerated. Its about like eating a mule deer, perfectly fine, but its not as good as moose, elk, pronghorn, muskox, oryx, or even whitetail.

I think what makes eating sheep meat appealing and special, in particular while on the hunt is couple things:

1. anything tastes better than freeze dried crap.
2. You're in some of the best country in North America...a piece of stale cornbread, that you would hurl in the garbage can at home, is awesome when you're out hunting in that kind of place.

IMO, its a shame what we've allowed sheep hunting to become. Price has outpaced making it possible for the average working class hunter. Glad I did it when it was within reasonable reach of just about anyone that had some fiscal restraint and a working class job. Glad I've been fortunate to keep my health and get lucky a couple times in State draws and was born at the right time to get in on, or close to the ground floor, on point schemes.

 

[Lead Drifter]

Vern , I think your right about them Coyote's , Back in early 2002/2003 I used to hunt ER when a tag showed up in the mail and saw many a sheep being chased around by coyote's in them their hills and the river bottom is full of em , for example back then they used to give 7 tag's per season in a 3 season hunt now they give 3 tags total for the hole season , that's a big change in 20 years , I realize hard winters have it's effect but I think predation is the bigger culprit , I asked a similar ? , Post a hunt in the Brook's this past fall for sheep and was informed that the biggest predator was Eagle predation , if that's the case them bird's need to go on the hit list along with Wolve's / coyotes .

 

[idelkslayer]

I know a bunch of “regular” working guys with “goals” like completing a Grand Slam. Doesn’t have anything to do with how much money they have or don’t have. One of them won two species in raffles, drew one species and bought a Dall Hunt to complete his “Grand Slam”. General statements like you are making are usually one of two things:

1. You’re a tree hugger/anti, posting on a hunting site. OR
2. You’re a very jealous/resentful person.

I set goals for myself and try to accomplish them. I love the mountains and love the challenge a mountain hunt brings in different geographical locations of the world. Sheep hunters are a different breed for sure. Making generalized statements about them shows your ignorance. Sorry for the strong words, but I’m passionate about sheep hunting.

I would say that buying only 1 sheep hunt and winning 2 sheep in raffle and drawing 1 is not typical of how most "slam" hunters achieve this goal.

 

[ericthered]

I think I’m about to the point where a home equity line of credit is going to pay for my sheep hunt

A year ago or so I posted a question if it was okay to use the line of credit for a sheep hunt. I was trolling but the answers were very serious and a few folks were like “go for it!” Pretty funny.

 

[Blockcaver]

I would say that buying only 1 sheep hunt and winning 2 sheep in raffle and drawing 1 is not typical of how most "slam" hunters achieve this goal.

My now deceased sheep hunting buddy Ray Alt, had a pile of rams... one was the former archery world record Bighorn and Ishi award winner. He drew all his sheep tags for Bighorns (MT, WY & CO) and Desert (NV). He then worked in Alaska and got a DIY Dall. Finally, he joined the Grand Slam Club and ended up winning a Stone sheep hunt with Stone Mt Safari back in 2014. Probably one of the cheapest Grand Slams ever. A couple of Bighorns were arrowed, at least one was taken with a handgun and the rest were taken with a rifle. Ray loved to hunt sheep....and help others out if they drew a tag.

 

[Kotaman]

I would say that buying only 1 sheep hunt and winning 2 sheep in raffle and drawing 1 is not typical of how most "slam" hunters achieve this goal.

yeah...I assume everyone knows that’s an exception. My point is that I know a regular dude that got a Grand Slam that way and a majority of the guys I know chasing the Grand Slam aren’t doing so to “show someone how much money they have”. His case was probably one in a million. But I also know plenty of regular guys trying to achieve a Grand Slam by drawing, winning or saving. For some it may take a lifetime. I also know a guy that took all 4 in 8 months with a bow. The last thing you can do with sheep hunters is generalize the population. Everyone’s situation is different. To say that “anyone chasing a Slam is just doing so to show someone how much money they have” is either jealous, resentful or ignorant.

 

[BuzzH]

yeah...I assume everyone knows that’s an exception. My point is that I know a regular dude that got a Grand Slam that way and a majority of the guys I know chasing the Grand Spam aren’t doing so to “show someone how much money they have”. His case was probably one in a million. But I also know plenty of regular guys trying to achieve a Grand Slam by drawing, winning or saving. For some it may take a lifetime. I also know a guy that took all 4 in 8 months with a bow. The last thing you can do with sheep hunters is generalize the population. Everyone’s situation is different. To say that “anyone chasing a Slam is just doing so to show someone how much money they have” is either jealous, resentful or ignorant.

Its pretty hard to argue, that generally, if you want a slam of sheep, you're not going to do it by picking up beer cans on the side of the highway to fund it.

So, yeah, generally if you plan on actually getting a grand slam of sheep done, you're going to need a fat wallet. Its not a matter of showing anyone you have money, its just a fact that for the most part, that's exactly what it takes.

Always the rare exception that are just lucky in draws/raffles or started hunting sheep in the 80's.

 

[Wapiti1]

Keep in mind the raffles are being gamed as much as possible. Odds are so low for normal draw tags, it's worth buying a stupid amount of entries to get the odds up and a lot of the guys going for a slam now do that. Most have a specific want to fill as well, like a desert in the US, or some trophy potential.

The ultra cheap grand slammer shoots ewes and eats well. Not prestigious, way easier to draw, and with no trophy pressure, fun as heck.

Jeremy

 

[Jimss]

I can vouch that non-guided sheep hunts can be relatively cheap vs guided hunts. Alaska residents can do a self-guided trip for the price of a plane ride drop and pick up. It's possible to dall sheep hunt hiking off the road system in Alaska for the price of a tank of gas. Obviously outfitters have a lot more expenses...insurance, guides to pay, etc...which add up in Alaska and elsewhere.

 

[KNOPHISH]

Good thing ya didn't ask the price of a bighorn or desert sheep.