Judging Legal Dall Sheep

Cascade340

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Does anyone know of any good articles or videos for judging legal dall sheep in Alaska? Other than the Alaska Fish and Game one? Drew a dall sheep permit in Alaska and this will be my first dall sheep hunt so just looking to understand it as best as I can before I get out there.
 
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You might google "judging stone sheep" as there are some documents and videos there. They are a thinhorn just as a Dall is. Good luck!
 

stvnshnn

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I like the Proving Trail Adventures first DVD, Lace Em Up. There's a few hunts on it and there's an "Extras" feature that covers field judging rams.
 

Bambistew

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Jan 5, 2013
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Alaska
Look at every sheep mount you can find, and every picture/video you can scour of live sheep. When they look at you head on, look at the tips, they should come up past the eye, or at least past the bridge of the nose. If the tips are really thin and hard to see. Good chance its a dink. There are threads on there and other places with "is it legal."
IMO, if you have to spend much time deciding if they are legal, you will be disappointed in the outcome unless the outcome is to just fill a tag. Everyone has their own bar for measuring success.

Mature rams have a swagger, and pot belly/swayed back. The horns will look massive at first glance compared to a younger ram, more mass down lower. Bases on younger rams are usually pretty smooth, not many ridges.

My only advice for a draw a tag (which have far better age class than OTC areas), is if you have to spend more than 30 seconds trying to figure out if they're legal... look for another ram. Squeekers don't look big, and your brain will try to make them legal. Don't fall for it... :D

Good luck on your hunt!
 

Wingert

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Go to a local Cabelas, Bass pro, etc.. Look at as many mounts as you can from afar. Also, dont shy away from calling the closest ADF&G area office to the hunt you drew and ask for the Area Biologist. They have lots of great tips and can help you with questions you have about the hunt. Another important consideration: get into sheep shape! Best of luck.
 
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Cascade340

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Thanks for the resources and advice! I’ve read the Tony Russ book and jack wilsons book so far. Trying to get my hands on Duncan gilchrist’s book now.
 

Silver

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Feb 1, 2018
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Northern BC
No other resources to share beyond what's already up there. Two pieces of advice that I've learned over the years.

1) patience - take the time to confirm from many angles that he's legal - I've found that unlike other game you've usually got plenty of time to look rams over.
2) if you have to work at all to convince yourself that he's legal, he's not legal.

Have a great hunt - my Dall hunts in BC is probably my favorite trips.
 

Wingert

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Feb 17, 2014
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I forgot to include Duncan Gilchrist's video - Field Evaluating the Thinhorn Ram.

 
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+1 for checking out every mount you can. Most of the mounts are going to be big, so keep in mind what different horn configurations look like as well as counting rings. Also watch all the videos you can and my suggestion is to go through them and put them on Mute to judge the sheep, then go back and watch with sound on to pick up insight the guide/hunter has to say.
I agree with the post from above that mentions talking to the Area biologist. Getting a good idea of caliber of rams in the area and insight to horn growth/configuration is always good. There are areas where rams have wide horns and rarely get full curl even when older than 9 or 10 years old. Info that is good to know before going into the back country.
 

AKjon

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Jul 8, 2021
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North Pole, AK
Does anyone know of any good articles or videos for judging legal dall sheep in Alaska? Other than the Alaska Fish and Game one? Drew a dall sheep permit in Alaska and this will be my first dall sheep hunt so just looking to understand it as best as I can before I get out there.
Cascade, what tag did you draw if you don't mind sharing, and were you successful?
 

BBob

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