NRA Alaska dall sheep hunt/guides

[ksteed17]

I'm thinking of starting to apply in AK for dall sheep. First off I'm wondering is it even worth it? Looking at the draw stats it looks like I have anywhere from 1-6% chance of being drawn. So not super good odds. Second it's just straight lottery no point system right? Then third what area would you guys suggest and who to guide? Thanks

 

[luke moffat]

The draw areas a good, but you can go OTC just as easily. Gonna cost ya the same amount of money ($10K+). If you want to apply I'd say go for it, but lots of good options not for draw.

 

[ksteed17]

So for cost of guide, flights, etc you think I'd still be over 10K? And being a canadian resident i was under the impression that i cant go the OTC route? Do you have any recommendations for a guide? Thanks luke

 

[luke moffat]

You can hunt the OTC areas, but still are required to hire a guide whether you draw a tag or not I guess is what I'm saying. So might as well try to apply for a tag with the idea that you'll hunt with a guide that year if you draw or not to use the ak hunting license you are required to buy to even apply for a draw tag.

Yes the draws are random and do not have a points based system. Lots of good guides out there, but I haven't hunted with any of them as I am not required to have one. Several members here and many on other sites have great suggestions for guides though. Sorry I'm not more help.

And yes most of the guided sheep hunts are around the $10K mark with a few exceptions of some being in the $7500 range but those are usually last minute cancellation hunt opportunities if you are able to jump on them. Many are more like $12K mark as well.

 

[MattB]

So for cost of guide, flights, etc you think I'd still be over 10K? And being a canadian resident i was under the impression that i cant go the OTC route? Do you have any recommendations for a guide? Thanks luke

A friend of mine guides for Ultima Thule and coincidentally will be guiding a couple of Canadians this year for dall sheep. They have a fantastic area (right up against the Yukon I believe) but are a bit more expensive than some. Let me know if I can connect you.

 

[Yellowknife]

My two cents on this, is NOT to bargain shop sheep hunts. To provide a guided sheep hunt is an expensive proposition, and the guys that are good charge what they need too to make a profit and that can be well over $10,000. In remote, expensive to hunt areas, guides like R&R Hunting are charging $18,000 this year.

Guides that the offering hunts on the lower end of the price scale might be doing it because the have a good, low overhead, spot to hunt, but most are either cutting corners on the service or are running an excessive number of hunters in their area to try and turn a turn profit. I'm met my share of disgruntled sheep clients in the field, so buyer beware and check references extensively. There are plenty of top notch guys out there, so no need to settle on second rate.

"All in" costs for any guided sheep hunt are going to typically run WELL over $10k, once you add flights, lodging, NR tags etc. Many locations will require a flight to a village and/or a charter to the base camp that is not included in the guide fee but can often be quite expensive.

Yk

 

[tstowater]

YK is right on point. One thing to consider is difficulty of getting to camp. Is it charter in and out or drive? If drive, you may run into quite a bit of resident pressure. As YK pointed out, the charter aspects can be a PITA, especially if you end up double or triple charters and lay-overs in between. Coordinating flights can become a nightmare if weather issues arise. Whatever you do, check references before you go. Part of the pricing game has to do with outfitter "costs", quality of animals and demand. Plan on lots of contingencies. Unless you are used to things not running on schedule, these hunts can drive you crazy. Not trying to scare you off, but this was my personal experience. As Luke and YK live and work there, their experience is much more extensive.

 

[Daniel_M]

My experience is that guided sheep camps are NOT drive in, but I have "heard" that there is a guide service that works from the road in unit 13D. But, there's much better places with higher percentage for success.

 

[Yellowknife]

One thing to consider is difficulty of getting to camp. ..... As YK pointed out, the charter aspects can be a PITA, especially if you end up double or triple charters and lay-overs in between. Coordinating flights can become a nightmare if weather issues arise. ...... Unless you are used to things not running on schedule, these hunts can drive you crazy.

He's right about this. The majority of sheep hunts are fly-in, often with 2-3 legs to the journey and stops in between. Weather can play havoc on travel plans with small planes and getting temporarily stranded on either the journey in or out is pretty normal. I'm used to it, since I do fly out jobs for work, but it drives the typical Type A businessman/client nuts.

There have been a few times I've had to get pretty creative to get the the final destination in the bush, and have often arrived on a completely different mode of transportation that I started out on. Managed to escape gravel runway on a canadian arctic island one time by hitching a ride on a Falcon biz jet that happened by. Flew out sitting on a white leather seat wedged between a large Inuit woman with a lap infant and a mining company executive. On the flip side, last year I booked a nice safe scheduled 737 flight only to end up arriving by sea sometime the next day. Have spent more days killing time waiting on bush planes than I care to think about.

The key is to take a mental step back about a 100 yrs, and realize that travel wasn't always as convenient and fast as you are used too!

Yk

 

[Snyd]

Ya, boy.... Makes it tough to come up with a "Plan B" on fly-ins. If a guy has to book with a guide there is no "Plan B". I've only flown in twice for sheep out of 9 hunts. A friend flew us in. Last year we drove up the haul road to a spot we had in mind only to see 4 rigs parked there already. Plan B... keep driving, hiked in somewhere else.


ksteed17- Question... just out of curiosity. What your desire to hunt AK for Dall Sheep? Isn't there some great sheep hunting in BC and the Yukon? Have you already killed Dalls in Canada and just want to hunt AK? I could understand that. I know from an AK sheep hunt perspective it would be awesome to hunt CAN for Stone.

Hope it all works out for you.

 

[ksteed17]

Ya, boy.... Makes it tough to come up with a "Plan B" on fly-ins. If a guy has to book with a guide there is no "Plan B". I've only flown in twice for sheep out of 9 hunts. A friend flew us in. Last year we drove up the haul road to a spot we had in mind only to see 4 rigs parked there already. Plan B... keep driving, hiked in somewhere else.


ksteed17- Question... just out of curiosity. What your desire to hunt AK for Dall Sheep? Isn't there some great sheep hunting in BC and the Yukon? Have you already killed Dalls in Canada and just want to hunt AK? I could understand that. I know from an AK sheep hunt perspective it would be awesome to hunt CAN for Stone.

Hope it all works out for you.

I live in alberta and we don't have dalls and I can't apply in the other provinces but I can in Alaska. I was hoping it would be the cheaper way to go by drawing a tag then hiring a guide but sounds like its almost as much as buying a hunt. Thanks for the info guys.

 

[Daniel_M]

Yep. With the Non-Res requirements for the state, tag/no tag is still a big check to write.

 

[Snyd]

I live in alberta and we don't have dalls and I can't apply in the other provinces but I can in Alaska. I was hoping it would be the cheaper way to go by drawing a tag then hiring a guide but sounds like its almost as much as buying a hunt. Thanks for the info guys.

Wow, I had no idea you couldn't hunt other Provinces. Bummer. Just doesn't seem right does it.

 

[Shrek]

Can you move to another province ? Maybe move to BC or the Yukon and hunt as a resident.

 

[todd kelly]

Wow, I had no idea you couldn't hunt other Provinces. Bummer. Just doesn't seem right does it.

Nonresidents can hunt in some of the other provinces with out a guide. All you have to do is have a friend or relative that lives in the province you want to hunt in apply for a host license. Some provinces also allow nonresidents to apply for draw tags and others are only GOS tags.

You see a lot of guys on forums looking to do a hunt swap with someone. You come hunt with me one year and the next i'll go hunt with you.

If I was ksteed17 I would be looking for a forum that has a lot of Yukon hunters on it and offer to do a swap for one of those big Alberta whitetails they grow out there for a sheep hunt.

Stone sheep in BC is also another option as BC has "accompany to hunt licenses".

 

[ksteed17]

Nonresidents can hunt in some of the other provinces with out a guide. All you have to do is have a friend or relative that lives in the province you want to hunt in apply for a host license. Some provinces also allow nonresidents to apply for draw tags and others are only GOS tags.

You see a lot of guys on forums looking to do a hunt swap with someone. You come hunt with me one year and the next i'll go hunt with you.

If I was ksteed17 I would be looking for a forum that has a lot of Yukon hunters on it and offer to do a swap for one of those big Alberta whitetails they grow out there for a sheep hunt.

Stone sheep in BC is also another option as BC has "accompany to hunt licenses".

Bc does have permit to accompany but not for sheep unfortunately. Hopefully do goat or caribou one day with a buddy. I'd move there in a second but like my job to much right now haha.

 

[goatboy]

Nonresidents can hunt in some of the other provinces with out a guide. All you have to do is have a friend or relative that lives in the province you want to hunt in apply for a host license. Some provinces also allow nonresidents to apply for draw tags and others are only GOS tags.

You see a lot of guys on forums looking to do a hunt swap with someone. You come hunt with me one year and the next i'll go hunt with you.

If I was ksteed17 I would be looking for a forum that has a lot of Yukon hunters on it and offer to do a swap for one of those big Alberta whitetails they grow out there for a sheep hunt.

Stone sheep in BC is also another option as BC has "accompany to hunt licenses".

There are no accompany to hunt licenses for sheep or grizzly bear in BC, guided only for non res.


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[ksteed17]

Wow, I had no idea you couldn't hunt other Provinces. Bummer. Just doesn't seem right does it.

Ya it sucks. I can hunt other provinces but the species available are pretty limited. Alberta by far allows way more non resident hunting opportunities than any of the others.

 

[todd kelly]

There are no accompany to hunt licenses for sheep or grizzly bear in BC, guided only for non res.


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learn something new every day.

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

I live in alberta and we don't have dalls and I can't apply in the other provinces but I can in Alaska. I was hoping it would be the cheaper way to go by drawing a tag then hiring a guide but sounds like its almost as much as buying a hunt. Thanks for the info guys.

If you watch and are quick you can pick up a cancellation hunt in Yukon for close to half price.