We are all sheep hunters on this tread. That being said everyone on this tread will have a different opinion of what a "trophy" ram means to them. What we can agree on is that've all love chasing those Phantom Rams. We all just want the chance to go out to gods country year after year. So as we all have a different idea of what a trophy is let me bring up a management plan that my buddy and I have recently brain child.
2 Rams of any size in a life time. Hunters that have already shot a ram (or seven) are now knocked down to 1 ram left.
Reasons for this idea- This will keep hunter oppourunities available while also increasing older sheep on the mountain. Our thoughts behind that is once you have filled you first tag I can't imagine a lot of us would settle for anything less that a TRUE trophy knowing that it would be out last ram. There would be a lot of 5 year old Rams that are now considered legal being passed on. Sure there would be a few half curl Rams shot, but that is enough to satisfy a lot of highway banging sheep hunters. Full curl won't work because a large population of Rams will never reach full curl but will reach full body mass and dominate the rut. We still aren't gaining anything there. If we go to a draw we will all be waiting 15-20 years for a tag. Every legal ram shot there is always something wrong with it. "It's a 6 year old full curl, should have left it for a few years" "it's a heavy broomed barely 4/5ths ram that didn't grow fast enough" Leave the "trophy" hunting to what the hunters think is the trophy. But limit the number of trophies. 2 a lifetime. Any hunters who have already filled a ram tag is only allowed 1. hunter opportunity remains the same. Big sheep will be passed on leading to older sheep on the mountain. Just our humble thoughts.
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