Sheep fever, once afflicted, can possess you, control your innermost thoughts, and will often bring about life changing experiences. It has taken me to all parts of the world in an attempt to find resolution within lofty mountain vistas or rock-strewn hilltops. I have even moved my family, lock, stock and barrel, just to live within the heart of sheep country — not once, but twice. Hunting mountain sheep, in all their various forms, from the massive Altai argali of Mongolia to the diminutive European Mouflon engenders, in my mind, is the ultimate embodiment of all those qualities that encompasses the sport of hunting. Taking a mature ram in places where surely the gods must live brings about its own special reward — dare I say, like no other.

Western Canada is blessed with some of the finest sheep hunting in the world.  There are two species of North American wild sheep in Canada; American thinhorn sheep, of which the subspecies Dall’s and stone sheep belong; and bighorn sheep, to which the subspecies Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep belongs. (I know that there are those who would also like to add California bighorn to that list, the Boone & Crocket Club does not recognize it as such. And then there are those that would like to define the fannin sheep as a separate subspecies whereas, in reality, it is an intermediate colour phase of the stone sheep.) Alberta only has Rocky Mountain bighorn; British Columbia has Rocky Mountain bighorn, stone and Dall’s; the Yukon has both Dall’s and stone; and the Northwest Territories has only Dall. All in all that is a lot of sheep country for those of us who can’t live without hunting this majestic animal.

Wild Sheep Chase

Sheep inhabit just about every mountain range in Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and the western Northwest Territories. They can be found right from the 48th parallel to within a few miles of the Bering Sea. That was the easy part — finding and getting to within shooting range of a legal ram in this sea of mountains is what makes sheep hunting the sport that it is. My best advice here is: if you have never hunted sheep before, hire an outfitter, or at least talk an avid sheep hunter into taking you under their wing. (On second thought, you might be best to hire an outfitter, as seldom can one find an accommodating sheep junkie.)

Of course you can, as I did, move into the heart of sheep country and learn through the school of hard knocks. Thinking back, my first efforts at bagging a ram are almost laughable and were certainly humbling experiences. Thankfully I survived, albeit there were a few close calls. Bu through this I learned to read maps and aerial photos. Plus I talked to everyone out there that I could find who might shed some light on where to at least concentrate my efforts, including Conservation Officers, biologists, trappers and most importantly, every sheep hunter who would talk to me. When combined they weren’t the perfect answer either, but in many cases it was a leg up.

Physical Conditioning

Getting in and out of prime sheep range is no small feat. You can drive to road’s end then walk — or should I say climb — ride a horse, or fly-and-climb into sheep country. This is where the hunter who either hires an outfitter or packer with a string of horses, or who has his own pack string is the sure fire winner. A sturdy mountain horse can eliminate miles of lung- and limb-busting hiking and occasionally can even get the hunter within striking distance of a ram. Furthermore, you are able to pack in a better camp setup, but also you are a lot more mobile when you’re there. My second choice of getting to sheep country is to fly into a remote lake and then hike from there. It at least allows one to establish a decent base camp and can often eliminate miles of preliminary hiking.

Just remember that once you get there you also have to get back out. If you were lucky enough to take a fine ram, the meat and horns also need to ride out on your back. On one such occasion, after a 12-mile hike out of the mountains, I weighed my pack. Crammed full of precious boned out sheep meat, the horns, the cape and my sparse camp gear, it collectively weighed in at 128 back-bending pounds, so plan accordingly. It took me the better part of a week to recover.

That’s why one of the most important aspects of a successful sheep hunt is that of physical preparedness. Sheep hunting will often stretch the endurance of even a well-conditioned hunter, let alone, dare I say, a couch potato. I once read that after their first sheep hunt a hunter will either never hunt sheep again or they will become addicted. A lot of that relates to the conditioning of the hunter. If you can’t climb the mountains sheep find home, or if you develop blisters in the first hour, the rest of the hunt will be sheer misery.

Prior to every sheep hunt I would fall into a routine that always included jogging several miles each day as well as climbing every flight of stairs I could find. Additionally, I would load up my pack with 40 pounds of gear and hit the trail (During your hunt, your pack should be kept to less than 35 pounds.) It paid off, as I was able to get in and out of a lot of sheep country over the years. Oh yes, there were still times when I was sure that my lungs were about to collapse or that my legs were about to liquefy into a pool of jelly, but I made it, and in the process I collected unsurpassed memories for a lifetime.

Your next prep-step is to spend sufficient time on the range and in the field with your sheep rifle in order to develop complete confidence in shooting either up- or downhill, right out to the maximum ranges you feel comfortable with. While I have shot more rams at less than 50 yards than over 200, on occasion your only shot may be across a canyon, so be prepared.

Finally, remember that when hunting in sheep country help is seldom close at hand; envision success but plan for the unknown. Whenever possible hunt with a partner, let someone know exactly where you are going and when you will be back and, most importantly, plan every move you make as a mere misstep or accident can be very costly.

Ram Spotting

Hunting sheep is largely a matter of finding the ram of your choice — although what that may mean depends on you. For many first-time sheep hunters, particularly after they have endured seemingly endless days of climbing, a legal ram is just fine, thank you very much. But most veteran sheep hunters keep upping the ante by looking for those extra inches of horn each year — and of course we all strive for that magic 40-inch mark that few attain.

Rams usually like to hang out as bachelor groups in lofty, out-of-the-way reaches, within a given mountain range. They will usually hole up together in these areas for much of the summer and fall, but hunters, predators or even weather can move them out prematurely. So the trick is to be the first hunter in the area. I always like to arrive a few days prior to the season and spend those days glassing every nearby mountain until I have a group of huntable rams picked out for opening morning. As a result, I have taken the majority of my rams on the first day or two of the season.

Plan on spending the majority of your hunt simply glassing. It may take days of vigilant effort peering over empty mountainsides before a band of rams miraculously appears as if out of nowhere — it’s an awesome sight. At times, due to either extremely hot weather or a premature snowfall, sheep will move down below the tree line, so don’t hesitate to glass these areas as well. Once located, the rest is up to your stalking ability. Wherever possible, work your way to above the ram or rams you are hunting, even if it means circling around the mountain. On a number of occasions I have even belly crawled up to within 25 yards or less of bedded rams. On one such occasion, during a windstorm, I quite literally had them at my fingertips; an encounter I will never forget. But fail to recall for a moment that sheep have terrific eyesight and unquestionably they will make you pay. Such is the way with this, the ultimate hunt.

Written by Mark Hoffman