Bighorn Guide

[THOR]

Bravo,

 

at 33 years old (according to your profile), unless your parents started applying for you as an infant, odds are you have a long ways to go.

 

I would wait to draw the tag first instead of jinxing ones self.

If you where born in 1981 and have put in every year since you where 10 and went through the hunter safety course you could have max on bonus points for sheep, antelope and elk if you were never drawn.

[Becker]

Since this popped up again. If you are serious about big sheep and do your RESEARCH, you will want to check out Double H Outfitters, Chris Harlow and Tyson Hatch. They have an awesome record. Three Years in a ROW they have taken the largest sheep in the state!!! For 2011 they have taken the top 3 rams!!!!!! If you want to hunt with people serious about sheep and serious about the BIGGEST sheep possible give them a call!

[Tines]

I don't understand how there's a "max points advantage" for sheep other than more random numbers in the draw?? "Max points" for sheep doesn't give you an advantage like it would for most other AZ species. On a side note, good luck with the draw and hunting with your bow. AWESOME!!

 

It's different in that in 20% bonus pass with sheep it is 20% of the total amount of sheep tags instead of 20% of each units tags. So as history has shown the more popular "trophy" sheep units usually all go to the max point holders. Like unit 22, all three tags usually go in the 20% max bonus pass so there are no tags available for the remaining 1-2 bonus pass. However it is not guaranteed to happen this way but usually does.

 

Brian

 

Thanks for the explanation, Brian. I'll still cross my fingers and hope my measly 13 points gets me somewhere.

[ehunt]

Since this popped up again. If you are serious about big sheep and do your RESEARCH, you will want to check out Double H Outfitters, Chris Harlow and Tyson Hatch. They have an awesome record. Three Years in a ROW they have taken the largest sheep in the state!!! For 2011 they have taken the top 3 rams!!!!!! If you want to hunt with people serious about sheep and serious about the BIGGEST sheep possible give them a call!

 

Ya Double H does a great job. Both outfitters would be a great choice!

[azbighornhunter]

I recommend this to all people who successfully draw a sheep tag. GO TO THE ADBSS SHEEP CLINIC!!!!! You will learn a lot about sheep hunting. You will meet lots of good people who know a lot about sheep hunting and would probably love to help you find a good ram. You will also have the opportunity to meet with guides to see if your personalities would sync. Many of the people in the ADBSS have already harvested their Desert sheep, (like me), and since it's a once-in-a-lifetime tag, they would do anything to help you and experience the hunt again.

 

Even if you don't draw a tag, if you want to know more about sheep hunting, go to the clinic. It is free. Sheep hunting is very similar to Coues hunting in many ways.

[cw4192]

firstcoueswas80 is that the biggest so far for You. You talk a big game but I doubt u got any

[THOR]

Since this popped up again. If you are serious about big sheep and do your RESEARCH, you will want to check out Double H Outfitters, Chris Harlow and Tyson Hatch. They have an awesome record. Three Years in a ROW they have taken the largest sheep in the state!!! For 2011 they have taken the top 3 rams!!!!!! If you want to hunt with people serious about sheep and serious about the BIGGEST sheep possible give them a call!

 

Ya Double H does a great job. Both outfitters would be a great choice!

All I have to say about Double H Outfitters is, check out there portfolio of crazy huge rams from all over the state and other states as well. If I would ever need a guide for a ram, they would be by far the top of the list. Double H and the team work there butts off, they just love big sheep and are great at it!

[Big Tub]

So are all 5 choices considered in the 20% or just the first 2?

[EBB]

Since this popped up again. If you are serious about big sheep and do your RESEARCH, you will want to check out Double H Outfitters, Chris Harlow and Tyson Hatch. They have an awesome record. Three Years in a ROW they have taken the largest sheep in the state!!! For 2011 they have taken the top 3 rams!!!!!! If you want to hunt with people serious about sheep and serious about the BIGGEST sheep possible give them a call!

Just curious. What were the final net scores on those 3 rams, and were they all deserts?

EBB

[azcouesandelk]

http://kouryguideservice1.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-sheep-results-are-final-here-are.html

 

Here is a link to the 2011 Sheep Harvest Data

 

The 5 biggest desert sheep on there that I saw were

 

188 7/8 - 24BS (auciton tag)

182 - 22

179 - 24BN

178 - 43B

177 3/8 - 24BS

 

I know for a fact that 1 of these hunters was guided by Littlehorn outfitters and another was guided by Southwest Hunting Adventures. Also 1 of these was a DIY hunter. I know these are not official scores, but I am interested in the 3 rams taken by Double H Outfitters and what units they were harvested from.

[EBB]

http://kouryguideser...l-here-are.html

 

Here is a link to the 2011 Sheep Harvest Data

 

The 5 biggest desert sheep on there that I saw were

 

188 7/8 - 24BS (auciton tag)

182 - 22

179 - 24BN

178 - 43B

177 3/8 - 24BS

 

I know for a fact that 1 of these hunters was guided by Littlehorn outfitters and another was guided by Southwest Hunting Adventures. Also 1 of these was a DIY hunter. I know these are not official scores, but I am interested in the 3 rams taken by Double H Outfitters and what units they were harvested from.

The 177 3/8" was incorrectly measured by Game and Fish by a total of 2 5/8". They used the length of each horn to figure the quarter measurements. This ram actually netted 180 0/8 after the 60 day drying period. This was the Little Horn guided ram.

EBB

[Becker]

Talking Desert Sheep Only. The original discussion was about outfitters. My stats were based on rams taken by outfitters. I was also going off what Game and Fish has posted for scores....First Two were Double H, the third ram I was told was DIY (which does not count if you are talking about outfitters). Forth ram was taken with Double H. Thus you have the top three for Double H if you are basing your conversation on outfitter statistics alone. If Mr. Wright was guiding, than no they have the top two (My apologies), and number 4 by Game and Fish's postings. We can really get nitty gritty here because I know that The number 4 ram also officially BandC measured bigger then what Game and Fish has posted. But Again I was going by GandF posted scores. Did not by any means look for some fight just was raising points to Double H's Record.

 

I did some digging just for myself and found posted on LHO and SWA website they have posted their top rams since 2006. There are three 2011 scores of sheep they harvested with Mr. Bunches Ram on top, then Mr. Rogers, then Mr. Rufer. So I don't see how there could be an LHO hunter, a SWA Hunter, A DIY, And Three Double H???

 

So I have it

 

188 Double H

182 Double H

179 DIY SELF GUIDED

178 Double H

177 LHO

According to GandF measurements.

[EBB]

I guess I should have taken him to Mesa where they have the opportunity to measure more sheep. Double H is a fine outfit but don't discount Little Horn. The sheep in the units these came from are sneaky big. I would expect the auction tag holder to get the biggest sheep.

EBB

[azcouesfanatic]

Unless I missed something I do not see where anyone discounted Little Horn Outfitters or Southwest Hunting Adventures. Both are fine outfits and have produced some giant rams. With that being said there is no one that can even come close to Double H's track record. No one has been kiling big sheep for as long and no one has killed as many big rams. I am not saying they are the best but they definately have the best success on big rams in Arizona.

 

I would also expect the auction hunter to kill the biggest ram in the state but it does not always happen that way, because after all it is still hunting. I think it is important to find the best guide for the unit you drew a tag in, since no one guide can know every unit.

 

Good luck to all of those who are fortunate enough to draw one of these amazing tags. In my opinion any one of the three outfitters that I discussed would do everything in their power to get any client the biggest ram possible.

[matthewp45]

From talking to someone that has very reliable information, there are around 150-180 people that applied last year that had max points. A real close family friend dropped his name in the bucket for the 45th year in a row with out getting drawn. In the sheep draw the first thing they do is take all of the max bonus point holders and put them all in the draw first. Then they draw 20% of all the sheep tags so probably 19 guys out of 150 will get a tag. Then once 20% of the total tags are drawn they put all of the rest of us in for 80% of the tags. It will take 8 or 9 years for all current max bonus point holders to be drawn and i believe it is somewhere around 25 or 26 bonus points? (do not quote me on those numbers) Once all of those are drawn then it goes down to the guys that currently have one less than max points and God only knows how many that is. So even if you have 20-22 bonus points you will be in the exact same boat as somebody with 1 bonus point and it could be 30 years before they get to your bonus point number at age 33. I think I would wait until I got drawn before asking about Outfitters because you may have a long time to go. Sorry I am a nerd and studied up on this because sheep are the ultimate to me. Good luck in the draw.