Stone sheep cost
Wild Sheep
After seeing the topic on Desert sheep cost, thought I'd post. Not new news, but I have to say I was absolutely shocked at the price jump for Stone's this year at the SCI convention. A hunt that was $40-45k 4 years ago is now $68.5k. Supply and demand, I guess, but wow, that is off the charts. I booked mine back in '18 and had to push it to this year due to COVID. So glad I booked when I did because I probably wouldn't be going at today's prices.
Hey if one can afford 50 to kill one they can afford 70
Any NR sheep hunt is a mind-numbing $ figure. I don't even look at them. That's like looking at Lamborghini's. What does it matter?
Another species to add to the sheep farm list....someone somewhere has to be making some coin breeding and selling these various sheep to the states.
Sure increases the pucker factor for those seeking to bow-kill one.
Yep, in 2017 you could have booked just about any of the top Stone sheep hunts in N. BC for $32-35. The very next year is when they jumped to the mid 40's, now its just getting insane.
Big 9 is now $85k with a waiting list….. (they probably won't call you back unless you have connections)
Maybe that video hunting game ain’t so bad now...lol
Dall Sheep hunts will be $40-$50k soon. Supply and demand. The price of other sheep species hunts will put pressure on the Dall hunt prices to increase. It will never be cheaper to hunt sheep than it is today - ever.
Desert Sheep have come down… thanks to increased numbers as seen in my other thread
Doubt there will be high fence pen raised Stone hunts (or Dall) any time soon to drive the price down. A big economic downturn might at least put the brakes on the increases
With the way Dall’s populations are going in Alaska maybe they should supplement the herds! :)
I heard that the auction tag for Rockies sold for over $300k at the Sheep Show this year which is nearly double what it was a few years ago. Pretty spendy, but then again those aren't your "average joe's" bidding on those hunts. And at this rate, not too many "average joe's" going to be hunting sheep in the near future. Or ever.
saw a stone for $70,000 plus the charter fee at Dallas Safari Club. It was a great outfitter but that is still a bunch of money for a hunt.
With a lot of these auction tags, the high bidder looks at it as a donation to help with the conservative and preservation of wild sheep. They have fat wallets and are willing to help with conservation efforts.
Everything is going up, I've seen moose hunts for 30+! Its getting ridiculous! Ive gave up on sheep unless i draw a tag in the lower 48.
$75 grand is what one hunter paid
With that kind of fee I sure hope that the success rate is very good.
$75 grand is what one hunter paid
What frame of mind does anyone have, willing to spend that kind of money to kill an animal, albeit rarer animal? Is it bragging rights, or stupidity that has taken "hunting" to this level? And anyone who defends this sort of hunt, either has more expendable money than me, or less brains.
Not gonna get any sympathy from me complaining that $50K hunts have inflated to $70K. I doubt Warren Buffet or Charlie Munger would spend that kind of money on a hunt even if they were hunters. To each their own.
one can't easily equate what is excessive vs. pocket change to another person.
I was on a muskox hunt once. eating dinner with booking agent and fellow hunter in town the day before we went hunting and the talk turned to stone sheep. The hunter started asking questions and costs came up. It was like 50K at the time / 50% down. he did not really know too much about the hunts, but thought it may be fun to do someday. The hunter said he need to check one thing on dates and he'd likely book tomorrow.
fast forward to breakafast the next morning ........we were together again and the hunter said he's in, the dates fit, and his wife was mailing the 25K check that day. signed sealed delivered on a hunt the guy was not even contemplating or ever researched until the evening before.
For that guy, a multi multi multi millionaire who sold a company and proprietary drill bit technology used in oil fields worldwide, that $50K commitment and $25K check was no more of a decision for him than if i decided to put down $1,000 deposit on next year's bear hunt. The money was nothing. his only issue was the time of the hunt and if it fit his schedule.
totally different fact sets and where-with-all levels.
Yup and most of us don’t have Lear jets either. Just how it is in the US or Canada.
Not sure about Buffet or Munger....but by their appearance, they probably won't be scaling any mountains with loaded packs. But if I had their coin, I'd be doing a Stone hunt (or two) every year, for as many years as until my legs give out. I sure as crap wouldn't care what it cost. Plus every other species of Sheep ;-) It's hard to believe that anyone who loves mountain hunting, and was in that position, could feel otherwise.
I feel bad for the guys that still need sheep for their slams. But then again, I feel bad for anyone that's going for their slam. I remember when Jake added up all of his cost and it came to like .5 million. I bet it's 3x that now.
You feel bad for them? Really? Yeah, that would be awful if somebody can't get there "slams". If that happens, hopefully they can get the proper counseling.......
Ok, smart ass. I'll rephrase to say I don't envy them. Feel better?
Pat - There are some folks on here that are missing a sheep and haven't spent nearly what Jake has. I've killed 3 of the 4 NA species and my sum total is less than $20K. Still hoping to draw home state desert or a non res desert tag or win a raffle in the next 20 or so years. A guy has to dream....... Current prices I saw at WSF this past month for run of the mill average hunts ballpark - Dalls $20-30K Rockies $50-60K Stones $55-65+K Deserts $60-70+K Assuming 1 hunt for each at those average prices $205K not including tips and expenses.
Sandbrew
It would seem like with rising costs, it's going to be difficult for the average hunting stiff to accomplish any type of a slam in the future. I was just looking at WTA's site. Polar bear hunts start at $50K plus transportation to get there, tags, tax, etc.
The economy has been booming for last 10yrs or so that increases the demand on premium hunts. I would think if their was another recession that prices would pull back a bit. Right now their is 2yrs pent up demand in sheep especially so that factors in as well
economy won't really matter for the highest end hunts or highest end anything.
guys that can pay the ultimate premium in good times of a good or service can generally afford it in bad times....... particularly if the good or service is limited which these hunt tags are.
if someone can afford 50 to kill an animal, and wants to, one they can afford 70 to kill an animal if they want to.
If you take money out of the equation, guys who may be interested in the slam are unable to finish it now due to the politics that shut down the Quebec Labrador caribou. Hopefully one day they will open that back up.
There are several guys on this post whose posts I have noted in the past and have even helped me with advice . (Sticksender for one) Respect them all even when I disagree. Like all of you I am stunned by the cost of so many hunts and at my age and near retirement they will exclude me. Don’t know Sandbrew but 3/4 sheep on that budget is badass. Inflation is crazy in all areas but seems even worse in premium big gamehunts and buying hunting land. Boomers are cashing out, stock market is at an all time high , US Govt is printing money , TV shows are promoting high end adventure hunts etc. But I also remember the early 90’s, the early 2000’s and especially the GreatRecession of 08 and 09. That year I got called by friends to see if I wanted discounted tags to great archery elk hunts when guys that had yearly tags (a private ranch and a Native American reservation) felt the crunch on their business wouldn’t allow them to go. Not bad enough to give up their tags and lose their annual spots but bad enough to offer a big discount to a cheap ass like me. Took them up on it with a buddy and had helluva hunt I think that day might come again with an economic correction that will have some degree of correction on these hunts. Will be interesting to see if history repeats itself or if this old goat is living as a chicken little who says the sky is falling.
I love his posts but will disagree to a small extent with Bou on the 50k hunter who will pay 70k. Have been on several hunts ( not 50k! )where the multimillionaires joined in with their pocket change,, middle of the roaders like me begged the wife for forgiveness , and the young realtor/contractor/ plumber / farrier did whatever it took to get there. Another grand or two and they were out. A 34 yo man was on my one and only AY moose hunt with a Dall sheep tag and MTcaribou. Sold his hunting jeep to make it. He clearly valued that opportunity and the guides loved him. Around a fire pit in NM on an archery elk hunt in 2011 were 3 guys that arrived on individual private jets , a TV personality , an accountant, me and the farrier. I knew all the guides and after the hunt they told me the farrier was their favorite ( including me! ) and gave a great tip too. He told me what it meant to him to have that tag and scrimp to be on the hunt, even though he was invisible to some of the hunters. Hopefully if a correction comes it won’t be too bad on the average hunter and will have some positive effects. I certainly hope so for the hunter on the recreational edge financially, and for my sons. Well, looks like time for another brown water.
Hunters are currently allowed to substitute a wolf for the Quebec-Labrador Caribou. Not certain that’s doing anyone any favors as taking a wolf with a bow is quite a challenge.
There are several guys on this post whose posts I have noted in the past and have even helped me with advice . (Sticksender for one) Respect them all even when I disagree. Like all of you I am stunned by the cost of so many hunts and at my age and near retirement they will exclude me. Don’t know Sandbrew but 3/4 sheep on that budget is badass. Inflation is crazy in all areas but seems even worse in premium big gamehunts and buying hunting land. Boomers are cashing out, stock market is at an all time high , US Govt is printing money , TV shows are promoting high end adventure hunts etc. But I also remember the early 90’s, the early 2000’s and especially the GreatRecession of 08 and 09. That year I got called by friends to see if I wanted discounted tags to great archery elk hunts when guys that had yearly tags (a private ranch and a Native American reservation) felt the crunch on their business wouldn’t allow them to go. Not bad enough to give up their tags and lose their annual spots but bad enough to offer a big discount to a cheap ass like me. Took them up on it with a buddy and had helluva hunt I think that day might come again with an economic correction that will have some degree of correction on these hunts. Will be interesting to see if history repeats itself or if this old goat is living as a chicken little who says the sky is falling.
I love his posts but will disagree to a small extent with Bou on the 50k hunter who will pay 70k. Have been on several hunts ( not 50k! )where the multimillionaires joined in with their pocket change,, middle of the roaders like me begged the wife for forgiveness , and the young realtor/contractor/ plumber / farrier did whatever it took to get there. Another grand or two and they were out. A 34 yo man was on my one and only AY moose hunt with a Dall sheep tag and MTcaribou. Sold his hunting jeep to make it. He clearly valued that opportunity and the guides loved him. Around a fire pit in NM on an archery elk hunt in 2011 were 3 guys that arrived on individual private jets , a TV personality , an accountant, me and the farrier. I knew all the guides and after the hunt they told me the farrier was their favorite ( including me! ) and gave a great tip too. He told me what it meant to him to have that tag and scrimp to be on the hunt, even though he was invisible to some of the hunters. Hopefully if a correction comes it won’t be too bad on the average hunter and will have some positive effects. I certainly hope so for the hunter on the recreational edge financially, and for my sons. Well, looks like time for another brown water.
The wolf thing is a joke. If the animal can’t be hunted due to laws and conservation issues then it should not be on the list nor should a make up species. If wolf were a legit quarry they should have been on from the git go and it should have been the NA 30 not 29
$ is not the only obstacle....pay attention to the political world as well. As previously mentioned, the Q/L caribou hunts. I first booked and got F'd by the Inuits ( as many of you found out a couple years later) and realized if I didnt get it done soon, I may never...booked with Jack Hume a few yaers later, got it done.... the rest is history. the world is changing fast for hunters, you better get to gettin if you have goals!!
Wolves can be hunted in many provinces and territories in Canada and at least a few states. Not a joke, but a real tough animal to bag with the bow!
When I inquired about a Stones, I got some advice from a cousin who has all NA with a rifle except a Roosevelt Elk.
He said. Put your deposit down now!
Then he said, you buy a new truck once in awhile, right? Then take a low interest loan. Think of it like a truck payment. Just pay it off.
I guess, if you want it bad enough. Hmmm
Did a Yukon dall sheep hunt a few years ago by sending the outfitter a 500$ check every month for a few years. I will be forever grateful to that man for letting me pay that way. Amazing country that i knew i needed to see. It is the only way I could afford it as a mechanic. Thought it might be my only sheep hunt but I found an Alaskan outfitter who is allowing the same set up. So so grateful for outfitters like that so guys like me can go on some of these expensive hunts.
I was in BC when Nathan Anderson killed his stone with a recurve….2004? Not sure.
Said he paid $13k for the hunt…..
Back in 1979 l paid $140 a day for a 28 day Stone hunt in B.C. Guide figured it would take 3 or 4 weeks to locate one. Government allotted one tag per year for that area. Got it done in 11days.
Mine was $10,500 for 12 mixed bag hunting days in 2002 in the Yukon. My salary did not come close to keeping up with any sheep hunt prices.
Beendare, Nathan used a longbow...Boy 13,000 seams awful cheap, even for 2004.
I’m not going for the super slam at all, nothing wrong with it, but not interested. If I were, I’ve arrowed nine and likely will get one more species. I did get a Quebec caribou years ago. Rifle shot a Dall and mountain caribou about ten years ago, think the total was about $16,000. No way in hell I’m paying $40-75 grand to hunt anything.
An old Bighorn longbow at that for Nathan.
Spent some quality time at the Grand Slam convention with my old CO friend Nate A….First and only long bow super slammer and #30 archery super slam.
We did some math and bowhunters from WI (6) have the most SS’s, CO is second with 5. And all 3 of the Trad SS’s are CO guys.
