Big sheep changes

[BackPackHunter]

Originally Posted by crazy_davey

Pretty funny. When you guys shot that ram you really had no clue what you were looking at. I remember the story clearly. Now just a few short years later your a big sheep expert...

This post get my vote for " Like"

[ksteed17]

Originally Posted by crazy_davey

Pretty funny. When you guys shot that ram you really had no clue what you were looking at. I remember the story clearly. Now just a few short years later your a big sheep expert...

Haha I love the jealousy. Glad you know ALL about me... Never claimed to be an expert just a situation im very concerned about. Maybe put your snide comments aside and come up with something useful to contribute.

[Roughneck Country]

I see a couple problems with the full curl rule, first young barly legal rams with lamb tips will be shot on site, second this is just like when they went from 3/4 to 4/5, In the long run it mde no difference to the conservation of the species just increased trophy caliber...maybe.

I have seen a few old past breeding age rams that were tanks that didn't make 4/5. If there is a rule change it needs to be so a hunter can harvest one of these types of old brutes vs encouraging people to shoot 6 year old full curl rams with lamb tips.

Also the idea that there will be that many more mature rams the next year is a farce. I have hunted one particular drainage for several years. In the fall there is usually 60-80 almost legal rams (4-5 yr olds) the next year only a fraction of that population makes it (or at least is back) and the almost legal guys are broomed to be sub legal again. Maybe only see 3-5, 4/5 rams a year there and that has been consistent every year. I have never ever seen one in that dranage that made full curl regardless of age.

Some more thought needs to be put into this one before rules change. There is still a lot of sheep and a lot of good rams out there. What problem are they trying to fix exactly?

[albertadave]

Nobody has even mentioned, unless I missed it, what kind of pressure the northern zones (436 and north) are going to be subjected to if this actually happens.

[antlerguy]

Originally Posted by pottymouth

More k country rams will die of old age and lightning , with a full curl restriction. Those genetics of huge loopy curls in k-country, will be the worst place to chase sheep..legal rams will be as plentiful as albino sheep....but im sure the flower sniffers and genetic harm gang are dancing now.

Lets not forget, they are pushing an agenda here, without any proven information. They will not allow any independent studies to be preformed...nor will they release any of their studies and information. They still cant even agree how to properly age a ram... each officer and office does it differently.

This is nothing but a pipe dream from the gentic harm gang, to manage hunters...nothing more.

Totally agree

[ksteed17]

Originally Posted by albertadave

Nobody has even mentioned, unless I missed it, what kind of pressure the northern zones (436 and north) are going to be subjected to if this actually happens.

Ya I imagine the pressure will increase a ton. Wouldn't want to be there opening week. Especially with the early start in the north most guys will take advantage of the better weather and 4/5 Rams. Last year in red deer at the banquet we were told that they don't even know what the carrying capacity for sheep on their ranges is, so why are we trying to reduce hunter success if we don't even know if it needs to be done? To me this change is all about making higher scoring Rams which equals more money to outfitters. I have zero issues with outfitters earning a living, one day I'll book a hunt or two myself, the problem I have is when they get something out of it and as residents we lose opportunity.

[albertadave]

Originally Posted by ksteed17

Ya I imagine the pressure will increase a ton. Wouldn't want to be there opening week. Especially with the early start in the north most guys will take advantage of the better weather and 4/5 Rams. Last year in red deer at the banquet we were told that they don't even know what the carrying capacity for sheep on their ranges is, so why are we trying to reduce hunter success if we don't even know if it needs to be done? To me this change is all about making higher scoring Rams which equals more money to outfitters. I have zero issues with outfitters earning a living, one day I'll book a hunt or two myself, the problem I have is when they get something out of it and as residents we lose opportunity.

The outfitters that I have heard from are actually very upset, and are against these changes.

[Justahunter]

There are a lot of ways to preserve our sheep pop. SRD is famous for taking the easy way. Recent changes to the cougar hunting has offered more harvest in all areas except eastern slopes. By SRD own surveys there are cats out there that kill a sheep /week or more. That means that 4 cougars could kill as many Rams as all licenced hunters do annually in Alberta . YET no increases in quotas or opportunity in sheep areas. Habitat loss is huge due to old growth ,yet it takes YEARS AND YEARS TO GET A SUBSCRIBED BURN DONE. There is an election coming up. Let the politicians know that the wildlife beaurocracy is not doing an acceptable job. BEFORE something like a full curl reg. gets in place.
FULL curl does not work . example being Nordegg. Full curl rule came in . NO full curl Rams ever. Season is now closed. Which WMU is next. By the way , it is Nordegg where the collared cat was killing a sheep every 3-7 dAYS.

[SLH]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

How well has the full curl system worked so far...... it has failed....

Could you explain this comment

[Justahunter]

Sure, SRD continuously prefers to manage game populations by reducing hunting opportunity rather then managing the resource itself. If 4 cougars can harvest as many sheep as ALL legal hunters in Alberta annually and if there is a population problem with sheep ,would it not make sense to harvest more cougars in the sheep zones. Restricting hunters will make NO difference if it is Cougars or habitat loss that is causing the sheep decline. CASE in point is NORDEGG. FULL curl regulation did nothing to help. Cougars and habitat loss has led to a complete closure of the season . Which WMU is next to get closed due to MISMANAGEMENT. anything else need explaining ? Happy to do so

[ksteed17]

Originally Posted by Justahunter

Sure, SRD continuously prefers to manage game populations by reducing hunting opportunity rather then managing the resource itself. If 4 cougars can harvest as many sheep as ALL legal hunters in Alberta annually and if there is a population problem with sheep ,would it not make sense to harvest more cougars in the sheep zones. Restricting hunters will make NO difference if it is Cougars or habitat loss that is causing the sheep decline. CASE in point is NORDEGG. FULL curl regulation did nothing to help. Cougars and habitat loss has led to a complete closure of the season . Which WMU is next to get closed due to MISMANAGEMENT. anything else need explaining ? Happy to do so

Great post. It's way easier for them to say hey look were saving more sheep by severely reducing the numbers that sheep hunters kill. Then it is to actually face the problem and deal with the predators and habitat loss. Every year WSFAB has money set aside for burns but they never happen. They've contributed money to do cougar hunts in the mtns to specifically focus on the sheep killing cats but access is limited and the hunting is difficult, more needs to be done.

[Wild Images]

They could also follows BCs lead with Cali Rams, full curl open season and a limited amount of 4/5th tags with the hope that the winners will concentrate on the older broomed rams.
Some areas also have an any ram draw as some rams never even reach 3/4 curl but are broomed monsters !

[Roughneck Country]

Originally Posted by Wild Images

They could also follows BCs lead with Cali Rams, full curl open season and a limited amount of 4/5th tags with the hope that the winners will concentrate on the older broomed rams.
Some areas also have an any ram draw as some rams never even reach 3/4 curl but are broomed monsters !

An any ram draw would be great! If it were in addition to the open general season

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Roughneck Country

An any ram draw would be great! If it were in addition to the open general season

But the proposal is NOT for an additional draw whatever the definition.


Interesting how quickly people will jump onto a bandwagon, offering suggestions on how to decorate the cart while ignoring where the horse is headed....

[Roughneck Country]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

But the proposal is NOT for an additional draw whatever the definition.


Interesting how quickly people will jump onto a bandwagon, offering suggestions on how to decorate the cart while ignoring where the horse is headed....

No just saying add the draw for any ram to what we already have today. I knowits not on the table and I am not in favor of theproposed changes as I undersand them

[rcmc]

Originally Posted by Wild Images

They could also follows BCs lead with Cali Rams, full curl open season and a limited amount of 4/5th tags with the hope that the winners will concentrate on the older broomed rams.
Some areas also have an any ram draw as some rams never even reach 3/4 curl but are broomed monsters !

This is what my preference would be also.

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by crazy_davey

Pretty funny. When you guys shot that ram you really had no clue what you were looking at. I remember the story clearly. Now just a few short years later your a big sheep expert...

Pretty funny that you flap your lips Daily on here and Canadian gun nuts,but I have yet to see you contribute anything on either forum in regards to pictures of harvested game.....I guess you really are the man without a face.

[BackPackHunter]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

Pretty funny that you flap your lips Daily on here and Canadian gun nuts,but I have yet to see you contribute anything on either forum in regards to pictures of harvested game.....I guess you really are the man without a face.

What I find funny .
Is that I take a few days to write out one of my adventures
And it doesn't get a 100 post, but stupid arguments will go into
The many hundreds , it's turns into a big peeing match and who
can yell the loudest... Most times I post on here , I think why do
I even bother, (because I'm board at work)

[crazy_davey]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

Pretty funny that you flap your lips Daily on here and Canadian gun nuts,but I have yet to see you contribute anything on either forum in regards to pictures of harvested game.....I guess you really are the man without a face.

Lots of members here and there get my pics yearly. I don't give a flying **** that you don't get to see them.

[Lr1000]

Originally Posted by BackPackHunter

What I find funny .
Is that I take a few days to write out one of my adventures
And it doesn't get a 100 post, but stupid arguments will go into
The many hundreds , it's turns into a big peeing match and who
can yell the loudest... Most times I post on here , I think why do
I even bother, (because I'm board at work)

I can't believe how some of the threads get so many posts. By the way your stories are up there as my favorite threads. If I remember correct tho you never finished season 3 of sheep hunting I believe it was. I'm still wondering how that year turned out.

[BackPackHunter]

Originally Posted by Lr1000

I can't believe how some of the threads get so many posts. By the way your stories are up there as my favorite threads. If I remember correct tho you never finished season 3 of sheep hunting I believe it was. I'm still wondering how that year turned out.

Ur right I never did finish the thread
I got to the point , of why do I bother...

I've had a couple emails back n forth with magazines about sending in my writings, but they don't really pay well. Figure I'd write a book after I'm old n grey...

But this one is this season

[shooter]

Originally Posted by BackPackHunter

Ur right I never did finish the thread
I got to the point , of why do I bother...

I've had a couple emails back n forth with magazines about sending in my writings, but they don't really pay well. Figure I'd write a book after I'm old n grey...

But this one is this season

Congrats on the sheep. Love the dark cape!

[shooter]

I'm not a sheep expert but certainly have had a long passion for them and plan on hunting them for a long time to come. As Pottymounth mentioned, very few k-country sheep will ever make it to full curl as they're usually much looser curled sheep than say Wilmore rams.
The sheep population seems stable from the reports I've read which most current I could find was from 2012. Harvest rates seem to fluctuate between 5-8% success each year. From the stats, the same amount of sheep are harvested annually by hunters without huge spikes. Number of hunters stays consistent as well plus or minus.

Providing the sheep with better habitat should be the governments first priority. Manage and improve the habitat... not the hunters. Second would be to implement a plan to reduce predators in key sheep habitat.

[Roughneck Country]

Originally Posted by BackPackHunter

What I find funny .
Is that I take a few days to write out one of my adventures
And it doesn't get a 100 post, but stupid arguments will go into
The many hundreds , it's turns into a big peeing match and who
can yell the loudest... Most times I post on here , I think why do
I even bother, (because I'm board at work)

Yep, I enjoy the stories, other peoples adventures inspire me to try new hunts, wish there were a few more of those type of threads.

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by crazy_davey

Lots of members here and there get my pics yearly. I don't give a flying **** that you don't get to see them.

Thanks Again for your contribution to the forum.....

[Lr1000]

Originally Posted by BackPackHunter

Ur right I never did finish the thread
I got to the point , of why do I bother...

I've had a couple emails back n forth with magazines about sending in my writings, but they don't really pay well. Figure I'd write a book after I'm old n grey...

But this one is this season

That's a great looking sheep congrats!

[BackPackHunter]

Originally Posted by shooter

Congrats on the sheep. Love the dark cape!

Thanks

I gave him the pass on Aug 27
With plans on going to BC for a goat, but decided to push the goat
One more yr as I still had a sheep tag, with his tricker cape n a tiny
bit more horn, he got the nod in Oct.... This oct was the best 10-11
days I ever spent in the mountains... Still can't believe the weather we had

[BackPackHunter]

Originally Posted by Lr1000

That's a great looking sheep congrats!

Thanks LR
2016 I'll show you a full curl

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

Thanks Again for your contribution to the forum.....

You have no clue.....

Some simply choose not to put their pics up. I've seen lots of Davey's hunting pics....he's legit.

[Ryry4]

Guys, this is more than just about changes to sheep. It's a perfect opportunity to shut down sheep hunting in Alberta. Sure you'll be able to buy a tag and go out, but good luck finding a legal ram in lots of areas. No different that walking around with a cougar tag in your pocket while out deer hunting.

We've already lost our grizzly hunt based on bogus science and now we are on the verge of loosing sheep hunting opportunities.

Until the government can give us some sort of quantitative evidence that changes need to be made, I cannot and will not support it. We've given up too much in the province and the government couldn't care less about us as a group. We as a group need to realize that.

We need predator control and better habitat, not less hunting opportunity.