Mexico Desert Bighorn - Here We Go!

[PSH]

I just completed a desert sheep hunt in Mexico last week. I was hunting on the Seri Indian reservation near Kino Bay Mexico. I flew into Hermosillo from Phoenix. Never had any concerns about safety, everyone was friendly. I was informed that it was near impossible to bring your meat back, so we ate as much as we could and then donated the rest to some local residents. According to my outfitter, I could not leave with the cape and horns as they had to be dried/tanned out and a CITES permit had to be obtained after the hunt. More than likely you will have to use and expediter to ship cape and horns back to the U.S. This process can take several months from what I understand.

I am a rifle guy, but if this is a true free range sheep hunt (lots of shenanigans going on down there on supposed "free range" sheep hunts) and you pull it off with a bow, you are the man. The Sonora Desert is one of the nosiest places I have ever hunted. Every step is noisy/crunchy, every plant wants to snag you clothes, literally everything you do is going to make more noise than you are used to. Sounds weird that the desert can be so noisy, but you will soon understand. With that being said, I would take a rifle for backup. Usually on desert sheep hunts you have a team to help you, there is always a willing hand to help pack an extra rifle.

Hope this helps, congrats on winning the hunt.

 

[tam9492]

I just completed a desert sheep hunt in Mexico last week. I was hunting on the Seri Indian reservation near Kino Bay Mexico. I flew into Hermosillo from Phoenix. Never had any concerns about safety, everyone was friendly. I was informed that it was near impossible to bring your meat back, so we ate as much as we could and then donated the rest to some local residents. According to my outfitter, I could not leave with the cape and horns as they had to be dried/tanned out and a CITES permit had to be obtained after the hunt. More than likely you will have to use and expediter to ship cape and horns back to the U.S. This process can take several months from what I understand.

I am a rifle guy, but if this is a true free range sheep hunt (lots of shenanigans going on down there on supposed "free range" sheep hunts) and you pull it off with a bow, you are the man. The Sonora Desert is one of the nosiest places I have ever hunted. Every step is noisy/crunchy, every plant wants to snag you clothes, literally everything you do is going to make more noise than you are used to. Sounds weird that the desert can be so noisy, but you will soon understand. With that being said, I would take a rifle for backup. Usually on desert sheep hunts you have a team to help you, there is always a willing hand to help pack an extra rifle.

Hope this helps, congrats on winning the hunt.

Super helpful! The more I’m reading, the more I find info similar to what you said regarding meat. I’ve also come across some photos of sheep in fences, but all signs point to true free range for this hunt. Absolutely something I will verify with the outfitter. And it’s going to kill me having to leave horns behind for months! A buddy is planning on coming along, and I know he’d be more than happy to be my rifle mule.

 

[PSH]

This is a little different due to you winning the hunt, but for those who purchase a free range hunt, they need to ask lots of questions. On the free range issue, you won't see many fences anymore. Most outfitters that had fences have taken them down. It's the "put and take" operations that are of concern. There are some outfits that release farm/caged raised sheep prior to the hunt on isolated mountain clusters. Happening more frequently than the hunter knows, just ask lots of questions.

 

[tam9492]

I just completed a desert sheep hunt in Mexico last week. I was hunting on the Seri Indian reservation near Kino Bay Mexico. I flew into Hermosillo from Phoenix. Never had any concerns about safety, everyone was friendly. I was informed that it was near impossible to bring your meat back, so we ate as much as we could and then donated the rest to some local residents. According to my outfitter, I could not leave with the cape and horns as they had to be dried/tanned out and a CITES permit had to be obtained after the hunt. More than likely you will have to use and expediter to ship cape and horns back to the U.S. This process can take several months from what I understand.

I am a rifle guy, but if this is a true free range sheep hunt (lots of shenanigans going on down there on supposed "free range" sheep hunts) and you pull it off with a bow, you are the man. The Sonora Desert is one of the nosiest places I have ever hunted. Every step is noisy/crunchy, every plant wants to snag you clothes, literally everything you do is going to make more noise than you are used to. Sounds weird that the desert can be so noisy, but you will soon understand. With that being said, I would take a rifle for backup. Usually on desert sheep hunts you have a team to help you, there is always a willing hand to help pack an extra rifle.

Hope this helps, congrats on winning the hunt.

Also, let's see your sheep!

 

[Sleghammer]

Nothing to add except congrats!

 

[ttmannan]

Congratulations! It is nice to know of a real person winning one of these.

 

[PSH]

Also, let's see your sheep!

 

[PSH]

One last tip I just remembered. If your outfitter has the ability, see if you can add a coues deer to your hunt. If you are not from that Sonora desert area, you probably don't have many opportunities at these ghost. They are a challenging little critters, very stealthy due to the desert brush. If you have early success on your sheep hunt, this will give you another animal to hunt, and more time to eat your sheep.

 

[Wyoming Hart]

Time to re-read this gem!

View attachment 253247

Congratulations on winning the hunt. I noticed the PSU Mont Alto wording at the bottom. Do you live anyways close?

 

[tam9492]

Congratulations on winning the hunt. I noticed the PSU Mont Alto wording at the bottom. Do you live anyways close?

Had it transferred up to the law school library at main campus and grabbed it there.

 

[tam9492]

Updated WLHunting brochure arrived. Keeping it oven to the Sonoran sheep section on my desk...

 

[Rosey]

Congratulations!!! Should be the trip of a lifetime. I believe I read that copy of Sheep and Sheep Hunting when I was a student at PSU Mont Alto back in the dark ages of the late 1980's. It fueled me to save after I graduated and I made my sheep hunting trip 25 years later.

 

[tam9492]

Congratulations!!! Should be the trip of a lifetime. I believe I read that copy of Sheep and Sheep Hunting when I was a student at PSU Mont Alto back in the dark ages of the late 1980's. It fueled me to save after I graduated and I made my sheep hunting trip 25 years later.

Too funny! You were probably the last person to check it out before me - it’s in mint condition.

 

[tam9492]

I received answers to a few big questions I had, and I figure they might be helpful for others to know.

1. I cannot bring meat home. We’ll prepare and eat as much of it as we can while I’m there, but the remainder will be donated. I’m not sure why it’s different than coues deer, but it is what it is. I hope I tag out early and get to eat it all week!

2. It will take about 6 months and $1000 to get the hide and horns across the boarder. It’s gonna suck having to wait, but it will give me more time to save for the mount I want.

 

[tam9492]

We won’t be booking hunt dates until the beginning of 2022. They only book a year out - 2022 hunts are through winter of 22/23.

At least we have a date to set a date! Based on my schedule, I think I’d prefer sometime in February of 2023. Any insight on that time of year in Sonora?

 

[Kotaman]

Good luck! I just got back from my second Desert sheep hunt a few weeks ago. I wish I could hunt them every year.

 

[tam9492]

Good luck! I just got back from my second Desert sheep hunt a few weeks ago. I wish I could hunt them every year.

Any photos?!

I haven’t even gone yet, and I’m already considering moving to a certain place where I can regularly hunt sheep. Life’s too short to not hunt sheep.

 

[Kotaman]

Sure!

 

[tam9492]

Sure!

I was gonna ask if you used your Hoyt, but then I saw the ear protection. Thoughts on chasing them with a bow?

 

[Kotaman]

Doable, but tough. I’ve had 6 buddies kill them with a bow though.