Hunting ewes???
Contributors to this thread:Wild Sheep
From: ChasingFAHL
09-Sep-19
Id love to chase a sheep but the price tag is fairly steep and my midwestern status puts the draw a long ways out. Are there any great opportunities to hunt ewes? Im as interested in the space that they occupy as I am in the trophy and think this might be one way to try my hand at sheep hunting. Ive debated the same thing on moose since it might be a touch more budget friendly. Thanks!
From: yooper89
09-Sep-19
You can do a bull moose hunt in Ontario for $6k.
Sheep, I imagine you’re going to pay big money for regardless due to time and effort, and the fact that you need a guide in Canada or Alaska.
From: Sandbrew
09-Sep-19
Colorado non resident ewe tags can be draw on 1st choices no guide needed. The tag fee is the same a ram tag. Adventure is the same. They are blast to hunt. I killed a ewe during my wait period after taking a ram. I've been on 2 ewe hunts with my kids since I think those may be the only sheep tags they ever draw. Sandbrew
From: Glunt@work
09-Sep-19
Only issue with ewe tags is you are almost guaranteed to have a nice ram stand at 20 yard broadside. It's like they know :^)
Fun hunt, same country, just less horn to pack.
From: Sandbrew
09-Sep-19
From: IdyllwildArcher
09-Sep-19
There's good odds on Nevada Ewes as well, but the price is high at $1800 for the tag.
From: LINK
10-Sep-19
NR is $2211 for goat and sheep in Colorado. I can justify a $2000 cow moose tag with 400 lbs of meat but a 2k ewe tag, holy crap.
From: Tilzbow
10-Sep-19
+2 on the comment above!
I had a 165” Desert Ram at 25 yards during my NV ewe hunt a few years ago. The unit isn’t known for big rams so he was probably the biggest in the unit.
I was damn near as excited drawing on the Desert ewe as a Stone Sheep Ram a few months earlier...
From: TwoDogs@work
10-Sep-19
I did a Colorado ewe hunt in 1991. I know that was a long time ago. I did it for the reasons that you mentioned. I actually drew it as a second choice. I doubt you could do that today. I am glad I did it as it is the only sheep hunt I will experience. I didnot fill the tag although I probably should have done so. The experience is something no one can take away from me.
From: Rock
10-Sep-19
Glunt, I went along on a Ewe hunt with a friend years ago and a really good Ram stood up between us and the Ewe my friend was going to shoot, keeping him from shooting it. Disappointing but still pretty cool.
From: Vids
10-Sep-19
If you want the experience go for it. I did a ewe hunt a few years ago and it was a blast. Doubt you will save much money as mentioned above, but the drawing odds are much better. Sheep live in beautiful country.
From: M.Pauls
10-Sep-19
How many years for some of these ewe hunts, could a guy “expect” to draw a tag?
From: wildwilderness
10-Sep-19
Not all hunts are the same. I had a friend draw an archery ewe tag and go home empty handed, except for the experience of bowhunting sheep!
From: Rock
10-Sep-19
M. Pauls, a NR could draw a Ewe tag in Colorado the first year they apply or at least within a very few years depending on demand.
From: M.Pauls
10-Sep-19
Thanks Rock. That could be a pile of fun. I may have to dig into that a little for the future
From: backcountrymuzzy
10-Sep-19
as a resident, it looks like you can reliably draw one with 3 points or so, that's what I will be doing next year or the year after. I'd rather hunt a ewe now than a ram in 15-20 years
From: INDBowhunter2
10-Sep-19
Drew a desert ewe in Nevada a few years ago. Saw tons of sheep. Not sure they even allow non-residents to apply in the unit I drew now. It was a fun hunt, saw one huge ram, quite a few good rams. Had a 140ish ram at 30 yards. Ended up shooting a 8 1/2 yr old ewe if I remember correctly. I drew the very first year applying, the very first year the allowed non-residents to apply for ewe tags
From: Yellowjacket
10-Sep-19
Ewes are a fun hunt! I also drew a ewe tag in Colorado on a 2nd choice tag years ago (late 90's I guess, I forget what year). It was another 10-12 years before I drew a ram tag. All the experience of a sheep hunt but no pressure on a ewe hunt to decide if it's big enough. Well other than horns have to be 5" in Colorado. The ewe I shot is on the ledge to the left partially obscured by a boulder.
From: Kurt
11-Sep-19
Drew a CO resident ewe second choice the same year I drew 5 other tags in CO, UT and AZ. Should have turned it in as I never had the time to hunt it. Would have been fun in the same unit as I arrowed 2 rams.
I would go on a ewe hunt in a heart beat if The tag was available.
From: BNicely
11-Sep-19
Alex Nicely Ewe
Alex Nicely Ewe
My son Alex took this ewe at the Trinchera Ranch hunt in Southern Colorado a few years ago. It is a January hunt, so it's a unique adventure that late in the season. The other 8 hunters here were rifle hunters so it took several days for things to 'settle down'. He was able to tag this one on the second to last day of the 9 day season.
From: Yellowjacket
11-Sep-19
Great picture Brian. No snow in January that year.
From: yooper89
11-Sep-19
The more times I come across this thread, the more tempting the idea of a ewe hunt has become. Burn the points on a ewe then put in for a random DBHS tag for the rest of my life. The only thing that's holding me back is that RMBS ram might be my favorite animal on earth. I so badly want to hunt a ram someday but just don't ever see myself in the financial position to pay for a hunt. Something about those thick bases and full curls that just gets me all riled up.
From: INDBowhunter2
14-Sep-19
Drew a desert ewe in Nevada a few years ago. Saw tons of sheep. Not sure they even allow non-residents to apply in the unit I drew now. It was a fun hunt, saw one huge ram, quite a few good rams. Had a 140ish ram at 30 yards. Ended up shooting a 8 1/2 yr old ewe if I remember correctly. I drew the very first year applying, the very first year the allowed non-residents to apply for ewe tags
From: INDBowhunter2
14-Sep-19
Double post??
From: plenty coups
18-Sep-19
Got a ewe tag a few years back when I lived in MT. Tag cost the same as hunting a ram. Odds of the draw were 50/50. ewes and rams were together so no different than hunting a ram in my case. Neither are large animals body wise. She was the best game I have ever eaten. Absolutely fantastic. Spectacular views from the cliffs down to the river. Altitude wasn't bad were I was but it is STEEP. Go for it!
From: Treeline
18-Sep-19
Like many above, I drew a ewe tag on second choice back in the early 90’s here in Colorado.
Same unit as Kurt.
Only hunted for a long weekend as it was cutting into mule deer and elk hunting and I really didn’t give it much credit as it was a second choice tag. Heck, I thought I would be able to draw a ewe tag every year on second choice for a point and a tag! It was a fun couple of days but did not close the deal.
Kicking myself for not staying focused and killing one back then... Drawing a ewe on second choice is a thing of the past. Most of the ewe hunts actually take points to draw these days!
Until I draw and kill a Rocky and Desert in Colorado, ewes in Colorado are likely off the menu...
From: DonVathome
24-Sep-19
Yellowjacket where is the ewe in your pic? Great pic!
I drew CO ewe as a 2nd choice. By shear luck (lots of luck) I drew Desert sheep in NV the same year so I did not hunt CO.
Lots of easy ewe tags to draw, sometimes cheaper and when you get over the horn ego there sooooo many amazing hunts you can do - a little to a lot cheaper. More importantly you can hunt instead of build points and dream.
MT ewe & cow moose WY cow elk Doe antelope several states.
And they taste better!
From: Yellowjacket
24-Sep-19
Thanks Don! Maybe this will help see her better. Couldn't locate a better resolution picture on my computer. That was a long time ago.
I agree on hunting the ladies. ;0 I burned the max points you could have on a Colorado cow moose this year. Funny thing is I told my buddy probably 20 years ago I should put in for cow moose and I'd probably kill several moose in Colorado in my life time. He was along for this hunt and he still hasn't drawn a bull tag either. Wish I had listened to my younger self's advice!
From: Yellowjacket
24-Sep-19
Enlarged picture
From: Ucsdryder
24-Sep-19
Woah cool picture! What was the outcome? Did you bounce an arrow off the boulder?
From: Yellowjacket
24-Sep-19
Ha ha...no. But initially I thought I had missed because the arrow passed through her and bounced off the rocks behind her. After the shot she stayed on that rock ledge and we had to climb up as far as we could and repeatedly fling a rope at her to get her to stand and move until she toppled off the ledge. Otherwise I'm not sure we could have climbed up and got her!
From: Wapitidung
17-Jan-21
I've got 3+9 in Colorado and considering burning them on a Ewe hunt. I'm getting up there in years and have back and hip issues that are only going to get worse. No more surgeries for me. I suppose after the waiting period, I can start putting in a for Desert tag.
From: kscowboy
17-Jan-21
No waiting period for Deserts after harvesting a Rocky. I’m sitting in timeout (happily) and applying for Deserts every year in the interim. Go for it!
From: Quinn @work
17-Jan-21
Congrats kscowboy! Can you post up a picture of what it took you to be placed in timeout?:)
From: kscowboy
17-Jan-21
I was a resident at the time. After having my rear handed to me and picking up the pieces in life when the oil markets crashed in the DJ and elsewhere, at least I got a consolation prize. I would’ve come out ahead had the markets stayed strong and I paid to play in Canada.
From: Wapitidung
17-Jan-21
Hear you on Oil and Gas. Plus, consider the attitude of our Colorado "Leaders" towards the Industry going forward. Got raped myself. Nice Ram.
From: Quinn @work
17-Jan-21
Great ram! The photographer is questionable though? :) Thanks for posting.
From: Jeff Holchin
17-Jan-21
I also drew a CO ewe tag as second choice years ago and had a great hunt, but after ten days of hard hunting with my recurve, muffed a shot that I should have made. Couple years later, drew a ewe tag in MT, loved the lower cost and had a great hunt. Was covered up with BIG rams in easy recurve range, of course......CO DOW called me that same summer and offered me a turned-in ewe tag and like a dummy, I declined. Regret that decision! I prolly won’t ever draw a ram tag, but at least I was able to hunt bighorn sheep with my bow!
From: steve
17-Jan-21
My wife, youngest daughter and myself drew ewe tags the first time we put in for them here in MT, in an area that gave out only 20 ewe tags. There were north of 250 sheep in that unit, no problem killing a ewe, they with rifles me with a longbow. And yes I had 14 full curl rams walk past me single file in the wide open at less than 20 yards ! The unit is almost completely devoid of sheep now, pneumonia got em .
From: DonVathome
17-Jan-21
I drew CO ewe, second choice a few years ago as a NR. MT ewe cheaper and easy to draw first choice.
From: Royboy
17-Jan-21
Oregon is offering ewe tags this year but only one non- res tag. $172.00 for the license and $8.00 to apply then the tag would cost $1513.50. Probably not good odds but if you buy the license to apply for other hunts or points then $8.00 for a chance is reasonable.
From: kscowboy
18-Jan-21
After the whole Cecil thing, Quinn, I crop my face out of pics. Even if I get a trophy pic of someone I don't know with a trophy animal, I will black-out their face out of respect for their privacy before forwarding--strange world we live in today where we can be crucified by social media over our love of hunting.
From: Hunts_with_stick
21-Jan-21
Best meat I ever eat!
From: LKH
21-Jan-21
Before their numbers dropped, a friend had a lot of muley does and you could get a permit. I did as often as possible. I hunted them in open/brushy country with my longbow. It was tough and a lot of fun.
Seems like the ewe would be similar and isn't that what you want, meat and a good time?
