I spend a lot of time in the mountains so it isn't unusual for me to see sheep. I have seen them from a distance when one or more have spotted me and they seem undisturbed. I have also more often than not, spooked them. My wife and I saw several yesterday on the skyline in a canyon not far from here, they were watching us and were unconcerned. Today I was heading up the same canyon and there they were in the bottom not far off the trail. I watched them for a while with the binoculars and then got my camera and walked toward them. I talked a little to them in a low voice, stopping and then taking a step and slowly closed the distance. They milled around a little and then just watched me. They shifted there attention to a bull coming up the canyon until he lay down in the junipers and then focused back on me. I was able to get within 30 yards of the five rams. Eventually they laid down one after the other in the knee high sagebrush. There were two young rams a couple 3/4 curls and a full curl. I don't know a lot about sheep but this seemed to me to be inexplicable behavior.

So I want to ask any sheep hunters here, was that really unusual or is it more or less a normal behavior? Either way it was a great experience to me and one I won't soon forget.



I would like to post pics but the focus was terrible and even if I knew how my satellite internet is so slow it would take an hour.

Pictures or it didn't happen.

Depends on the sheep and how often they see people. We have sheep herds in Colorado that will eat ships right out of your hand.

Fairly remote area, probably no more than a couple vehicles a week weather permitting. I have seen them a few times during the winter but always on the ridge near the skyline. Maybe next weekend I can get a friend to post up the pictures from his computer, I couldn't get the damn camera to focus so they aren't sharp.

Weird - We have a canyon herd that sees 100s of people a day an they are always looking for a hand out. Are they in a  hunted unit? If so I may need to apply there this year.

Yes the unit is open but it is a lottery that usually takes years to draw a tag. If you are serious about applying you have to do it now. I think all of the applications have to be in soon for this year. I spent the day today about a dozen miles from there on a volunteer crew building a sheep guzzler. I am going back in the morning to finish up a little fencing. We have a great program consisting of volunteers and donors who supply the materials and labor and work with the Dept. of Wildlife to build big game guzzlers. Because of this we now have more sheep than any state except Alaska and this county has the highest population in the state.

The hardest part about hunting big horns is getting drawn.  Barbary sheep are a tougher hunt IMO.

Xtrastout- I've been putting in for years in several western states of all species of sheep. The NV deadline is 4/20 and I'm picking hunt units now.  I've spent plenty of time working for sheep and know well how great the Nevada herds are doing.

There is a heard in the Lake Mead area that spends a large portion of the year in and around the parks in Boulder City.  They are pretty much used to Humans.  The wife and I have driven down to the lake on several different occasions to take the dog swimming.  About half the time we have come across a heard of at least 100.  Last time I counted 2 Ram that were full curl, 4 or 5 that were at least 3/4 curl and one that looked to be quite old as tips of his horns were starting to grow outwards.  
I have been putting in for tags since I moved here in 2004 and have yet to drawn for anything other than the middle finger.  I am hopeful that I will draw before the second coming.  I know people who put it for both Mountain goat and Sheep for 20 years+ and never were drawn.

Palladin8 - Keep the faith. I apply as many places as I can and play all the extra draws on I can on raffles I can afford. I've been very lucky and have drawn several primo tags including 1 mt goat 3 moose 3 sheep tags over all the years.  I've harvested on all of them except one a Wyoming moose. Other than that I've been lucky and have a bow killed P&Y ram and a rifle harvested B&C bighorn. I've also bow killed a B&C moose and a nice Mt goat with a rifle all in my home state.

I keep putting in every year and will continue to until i'm not able to hunt.

Most sheep are dumber then a bag of rocks. I've been on 3 hunts and the hard part after drawing a tag is finding them. Once you find a ram you can stalk on its game over.