View Full Version : East Kootenay Bighorns
Just a question regarding sheep hunting in the East Kootenays. Is it possible to find areas that hold bighorn rams that are not crawling with other hunters? Or are virtually all known ram areas hunted hard? I am really new to sheep hunting and want to know what kind of experience to expect. Thanks.
Jetboater
10-23-2008, 01:37 PM
there are a lot of sheep in the kootenay that never get seen or touched....the easy ones get shot, but there is a few legal rams around each year....gotta get in with the old boys to get good sheep tips... or ya gotta look alot...I honestly think the first few years of hunting sheep in the Kootenays you wont even see a sheep ... let alone a ram...(unless you take the radium tour)
budismyhorse
10-23-2008, 01:49 PM
Is it possible to find areas that hold bighorn rams that are not crawling with other hunters? NO
Or are virtually all known ram areas hunted hard? YES
buuuuuut good luck! finding them is addicting.
Do mature rams hang-around with ewes and lambs in September?
budismyhorse
10-23-2008, 02:10 PM
rarely, but it does happen.
at least you know you are in sheep country.
bighornbob
10-23-2008, 03:45 PM
Most of the rams areas are known by more then one person. OK more like 10-20 diehards.
Areas that are connected to these rams haunts that are marginal habitat might not support a band of rams but it will definately support one or two rams. So as most of the guys head up the mountain to look at the band of rams that can be seen most of the summer, the big boys are probably hundreds of meters lower down the mountain on a chunk of realestate that does not look like sheep habitat. This is where you could spend a lifetime looking for sheep and not see another hunter. In the same regards you may not see a sheep either. Its pretty hit or miss but the rewarde could pay off huge.
BHB
Kody94
10-23-2008, 03:58 PM
Agree with Bob and bud.
There isn't a square inch of sheep habitat in the EK that isn't "known". You are not going to find a place that hold sheep that at least a couple dozen other guys don't know about.
That said, not every sheep is "known" and there isn't someone hunting everywhere, all the time.
I personally don't hunt sheep that winter in towns (not on purpose anyway...they can disperse a fair ways), or summer on mines. And I hate sheep hunting around people. So I hit the marginal areas and see few legal rams as a result. But its worth it to me. Makes hunting the sheep a hunt....rather than a foot race to a semi-tame animal.
GoatGuy
10-23-2008, 04:36 PM
Just a question regarding sheep hunting in the East Kootenays. Is it possible to find areas that hold bighorn rams that are not crawling with other hunters? Or are virtually all known ram areas hunted hard? I am really new to sheep hunting and want to know what kind of experience to expect. Thanks.
Saw 3 sheep hunters this year on the same 'visible' slope this year - otherwise haven't seen any in the passed 3 years.
There are a few diehard sheep hunters out there, but they're few and far between. Everybody has their favorite spots to check. Usually you won't see them as their glassing spots are tucked away in the timber and they're trails are impossible to find. :razz: That goes for the rams too!
There are a few high access spots where people will sit and glass - put 10 kms on your boots and other than the odd guide you won't run into another hunter. If you do they're generally horse hunters or flat-sackers.
From what I've seen in the passed couple of years there are a few legal rams and up and comers running around. I think the sheep hunting will be awesome in the next couple of years and there's really nobody hunting them.
Sheep hunter numbers in region 4 are less than half of what they were in the early 90s.
The real popular hot spots will be crawlling with hunters in early September and sometimes during the last week of the season there's guys cruising the winter ranges in certain areas hoping for an early migrating easy one.
Considering the above, there's still spots you can have to yourself if your willing to give your boots a real serious workout, and I mean serious, hunting sheep in the EK is not like hunting Stone's on Sugarloaf mountain, it's more like hunting the Tat for Dall's, there's some pretty rough country in the EK and lots of access management. Horses would be very useful to get into some areas, but there's not many places in the EK where you can ride a horse to the top of the mountain like I did once in Stone Sheep country. Be prepared to work your guts out and don't hesitate to hunt the timber.
There are 2 MUs where half the annual harvest is shot, and there's 4 MUs where 90 % of them are shot. If I told you more than that Budismyhorse and SSSSter would kill me immediatelly.
boxhitch
10-23-2008, 04:51 PM
Is it possible to find areas that hold bighorn rams that are not crawling with other hunters?
Why, yes it is. This is relatively new activity, call it modern, that few of the ancients would be involved in. The EK is a big area, and most of the locals go elsewhere for better sheep hunting, so the hills are clear. And as we know, also the mountains are ever changing with time, weather and erosion so new oppurtunities come up , or down, all the time.
The recent discovery of optics has also allowed more hunters to observe the fact there are no sheep, from longer distances.
boxhitch
10-23-2008, 04:53 PM
Sorry , I thought we were still on the road-hunter-humour-type-thead
Kody94
10-23-2008, 05:30 PM
The recent discovery of optics has also allowed more hunters to observe the fact there are no sheep, from longer distances.
HF!...I nearly pissed my pants!
That was great. Thanks. :D I may have to steal that one for my signature. :D
Kody94
10-23-2008, 05:41 PM
If I told you more than that Budismyhorse and SSSSter would kill me immediatelly.
:D
Lets not have any BCRam's-esque maps on this one either....unless its Line Creek. I believe they named it that after the long line of hunters waiting for rams to step off the mine property.
I think I already know of two areas. One I hiked into (about 2 hours) looking for elk. I only saw two other guys hunting mulies. I saw about 25 sheep...but they were over a kilometre away, so I couldn't tell if any rams were in the two groups. It looked like fairly huntable country.
The other I am "guessing" at...but it's close to sheep winter range.
I'm going to put an effort in next fall.
Lets not have any BCRam's-esque maps on this one either.
Unless it's for the nice sheep country just east of Radium along highway 93.
budismyhorse
10-24-2008, 08:11 AM
I think I already know of two areas. One I hiked into (about 2 hours) looking for elk. I only saw two other guys hunting mulies. I saw about 25 sheep...but they were over a kilometre away, so I couldn't tell if any rams were in the two groups. It looked like fairly huntable country.
The other I am "guessing" at...but it's close to sheep winter range.
I'm going to put an effort in next fall.
Looks like your halfway there buddy, if you have seen sheep in an area like that (2 hrs hike) stay on it and that will pay off.
budismyhorse
10-24-2008, 08:17 AM
If I told you more than that Budismyhorse and SSSSter would kill me immediatelly.
Oh Andy, we wouldn't be that upset! I think Chris and I hunt sheep the same way. We'll take less rams if it means hunting unmolested. I am a total fringe hunter.
I also see the need to recruit more sheep hunters as we need the "voice" around here......but just don't get into creek names and ranges....Let them use Google Earth like the rest of us....its more rewarding.
If I see a "Jelvis" or "BCrams" type map.....then we'll have to chat. :wink::-D
riflebuilder
10-24-2008, 10:16 AM
there are good sheep here but the good rams will be in the ugly spots where you wouldn't expect anything to be. In the early season they are by them selves or in small groups not with the ewes and lambs. Good optics are worth more than gold as you can cover a lot of territory to find sheep. Keep a joiurnal and note where you see sheep they keep paterns. I have had rams follow almost to the day from year to year. And most important always buy a sheep tag. Good luck and graovelling for someont to take you helps too.
GoatGuy
10-24-2008, 10:25 AM
Unless it's for the nice sheep country just east of Radium along highway 93.
What about east of Golden?
Practically behind every bush!
What about east of Golden?
Practically behind every bush!
Yah, couple of good rams in that bunch.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=9999&cat=500&ppuser=3468
cwocarsten
10-24-2008, 11:00 PM
I am still haunted from when I saw 7 LEGAL rams in the kootenays and did not have a tag. They were less than a 100 yds and all I could do was stare in awe. On that note I have been obsessed ever since and have yet to see a legal ram. But I have patience.
mark4
10-25-2008, 06:09 AM
There are quite a few sheep hunters here in the koots. It is a tough go -and I don't want to discourage you, but just let you know that you need to be fully prepared for a very tough hunt physically, and also be fully prepared to not get anything or even see any legal rams. That said there is always the chance of things coming together while you are up there. I always take lots of pictures and enjoy the whole experience -so that I am not bummed when I don't tag out !!!! This seems to work- I enjoy the hunt no matter what the outcome.
There are quite a few sheep hunters here in the koots. It is a tough go -and I don't want to discourage you, but just let you know that you need to be fully prepared for a very tough hunt physically, and also be fully prepared to not get anything or even see any legal rams. That said there is always the chance of things coming together while you are up there. I always take lots of pictures and enjoy the whole experience -so that I am not bummed when I don't tag out !!!! This seems to work- I enjoy the hunt no matter what the outcome.
Good post Mark4, if it was easy big rams would be just like any other game animal, but they're something special because you have to work long and hard to be consistently successful, and success is not just measured by horn size, there's no place more beautiful then high elevation sheep habitat.
srupp
01-18-2012, 01:05 PM
cant believe all the reading available on the EK sheep..sure seem to have highs and lows in #s....
reading for months now..lol
Srr
kennyj
01-18-2012, 01:16 PM
cant believe all the reading available on the EK sheep..sure seem to have highs and lows in #s....
reading for months now..lol
Srr
Good for you Steven. Research is fun and important. I hope to hunt bighorns in the EK soon as well.
kenny
srupp
01-18-2012, 01:42 PM
certainly no shortage of reading even found harvest #s...and even flights and GPS locations and age category....have a couple "out of the way" locations adjacent to regular areas..but maybe just off the beaten pathg enough to not be a race omongst hundreds...a couple weeks of camping and spotting....I love glassing its kind of a art some cant do..Tim would rather walk the 4 kilometers than glass it..lol
lots of work left..and if that fails BRIBARY...ha ha ha cold weather has got to my little brain.......
srr
Bchunter3006
01-18-2012, 03:36 PM
You planning on coming out here this year Steven?
91Jason91
01-18-2012, 04:37 PM
prob help to have horses to get away from the other hunters
srupp
01-18-2012, 06:01 PM
hmmm simple answer is"one sheep hunt/year..put in LEH for TAT and if unsuccessful... yes... like has been said it will take years to even see bighorns..let alone harvest one..spending 2 weeks behind a spotting scope doing some hiking...
I will be making my first foray into the EK from Radium south this spring...
steven
I'll be there this year on my way back from Montana.Unless i have a successful stone sheep hunt first.
Bchunter3006
01-18-2012, 06:36 PM
hmmm simple answer is"one sheep hunt/year..put in LEH for TAT and if unsuccessful... yes... like has been said it will take years to even see bighorns..let alone harvest one..spending 2 weeks behind a spotting scope doing some hiking...
I will be making my first foray into the EK from Radium south this spring...
steven
You'll love it down here, beautiful country. Finding bighorns shouldn't be that hard, finding the right one is entirely different.
wiggy
01-19-2012, 12:15 AM
I go down every year; this year was the worst for total amount of rams seen. Just didnt happen but i also couldnt get or should i say didnt go into one of my favorite holes cause of some unexpected traffic. Still had a great time and seen a few that will all be crankers in about 4 years lol. Normally i see at least a couple and sometimes more legs but this isnt what its all about to me. If you can go spot em on the winter range and then see a true monster it should be impossible to crank on the babies. Only seen pics of one ram this year from the ek that i would call a dream ram. Absoluetly booner boomer boy. PS still aint had coffee with anyone where i crawl and know there were at least 3 honkers that had to go through; greatest needle in the haystack game ever and im tickled i get to play even though the misses knows we aint eaten off it and its the one thing she cant stop me from doin
Going Stone's sheep hunting again this year, but will try for bighorns next fall one way or another.
There are quite a few sheep hunters here in the koots. It is a tough go -and I don't want to discourage you, but just let you know that you need to be fully prepared for a very tough hunt physically, and also be fully prepared to not get anything or even see any legal rams. That said there is always the chance of things coming together while you are up there. I always take lots of pictures and enjoy the whole experience -so that I am not bummed when I don't tag out !!!! This seems to work- I enjoy the hunt no matter what the outcome. Sounds like the rewards found in bowhunting. It's not a sport, it's a way of life. Enjoy every moment and every moment is a reward. Taking an animal is the objective but pleasure is found in the entire experience.
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