Dall Sheep

 

Dall sheep and sheep hunting are truly a passion of ours at ABO.  We choose to offer only 3 dall sheep hunts annually to maintain trophy quality, and to ensure hunts are conducted during the most productive portion of the sheep season.  

The Guide Use Area (GUA) that ABO operates in currently offers guaranteed, over-the-counter sheep tags.  This is likely to change on an Alaska state-wide level, in the next couple years.  If you are serious about doing a dall sheep hunt, book soon, because dall sheep tags are going to a drawing or registration system of distribution state-wide.

There is a reason a dall sheep ram in the trophy room is a pinnacle of North American big game hunting.  It represents an adventure few hunters are physically or mentally capable of.  It represents an adventure that requires you to climb frighteningly steep mountains, cross frothing glacial streams, and wait out feeding sheep on windy ridge lines.  It is an adventure that takes you to to some of the wildest, glaciated, tumble-down wicked, breathtaking, giant, scary, beautiful country in search of one of the most elusive game animals on the continent.  

This hunt is not for everyone. 

Be realistic in assessing your physical ability, and by all means make the time to do a “sheep shape” training program prior to arrival in Alaska.  On dall sheep hunts in particular, the hunters physical ability is the most limiting factor in the success of the hunt.  The better shape you are in when you arrive in sheep camp, the better your odds of success. Being fit also significantly increases your overall enjoyment of the adventure.  

Dall sheep hunts begin with a supercub flight into sheep country, where guide and hunter are dropped off with everything necessary for a week of backpack sheep hunting.  Camp is set up in a strategic sheep location, where different drainages can be explored on day trips from camp.  This allows packs to be kept light while hunting, allowing you to go farther, faster.  If your dream ram is located from the first sheep camp, fantastic. If not, depending on our location, we either pack up camp and hike to the next sheepy area, or call in the supercub for a move to another drainage.  Once the ram of your dreams is located, it often takes a day or more of watching and patterning the ram to develop a plan for the stalk.  Shots range from 250-400 yards, so practice accordingly.

A hunter in good condition can expect to see 100-150 sheep, and 20-30 different rams over the course of a hunt.