How much does it cost the outfitter to bring you on that $30-$50k hunt? Use your head! They might feed you a couple meals each day, but that can of pork n beans and bag of potatoes is pretty cheap at Walmart!

Huh?? You obviously dont know much about the business. I've been in it for 30-plus years. So many expenses I couldnt name them all, but think about keeping 30 head of horses all year, trucks, trailers, repair bills, guides wages ( anywhere from 250 -450 a day). In our country there is air charter costs on top of all the rest. I know outfitters that spend $200 k a year just on air charters. Then of course there is insurance ( a big one) in some areas they have to pay park fees, firewood permits, lease fees on camps, and even water use permits, and thats just the tip of the iceberg. Outfitters are not getting rich believe me. Just advertising for one year can cost 50K plus. The SCI show alone will set you back 20k. Up here a good hunting area will set you back 1.5 to 7 million. Hunting isn't cheap anymore. Last winter every one of the big sheep tags sold for over 200K....thats just for the tag! The buyers still have to hire an outfitter.

Send into all the states that you can afford . Alberta and B.C have bighorns but your odds of getting a sheep are just as good in the states if you draw a tag.Join FNAWS and ck into every raffle with your budget.
If nothing else hunt MT> unlimited areas. It can be done!
!

I have a mountain goat and Dall's sheep on the wall, and at my age I appreciate the less-physically-demanding hunting in Africa. The most demanding part is the long flight there.

Have to quibble with your numbers though. An elephant costs $30k and up, depending on tusk size. Figure $15k for the buffalo, $50 and up for a good lion, $35k+ for leopard, and $100+k for a rhino. Most rhinos these days are shot "catch-and-release" with dart guns for much less.

Still, you can do a RSA plains game hunt for multiple species for $10-15k.

My sheep and goat hunts were do-it-youself hunts years ago, since I was in better shape then, and had too many financial obligations for a guided hunt. I've been on five sheep hunts, but one goat hunt was enough for me.

Recently, I hunted Africa for ten species of game, including kudu, sable, and buffalo, for less than the amounts quoted here for a guided sheep hunt. Still, going after mountain sheep is the ultimate hunting experience. I wish the best of luck to anyone who tries it.

Jim

To each their own as the saying goes. Spending the 30k+ for a hunt of any sort is simply out of the question for me. Are the hunts priced that high worth it? Apparently they are for some. I'm not going to knock an outfitter for where they set their prices. As for Africa, I'm sure more critters could be taken for the same price as a single critter hunt in the US. I'm more of a 'home turf' kinda guy. I'll stick to this continent for the time being. The options are unlimited as are the prices associated with them.

You can quibble if you want. I only spent around 15k for both trips together. Wife included. If you know the right people. RSA is very inexpensive.

You were talking about the Big Five, so I gave the numbers for the Big Five, last I heard. There is no way you can hunt the Big Five for the price of a sheep hunt, not even close.

Jim

A buddy just got back from his third trip to Africa. This last trip cost him $1600 USD. He got it at an auction at SCI

I have a mountain goat and Dall's sheep on the wall, and at my age I appreciate the less-physically-demanding hunting in Africa. The most demanding part is the long flight there.

Have to quibble with your numbers though. An elephant costs $30k and up, depending on tusk size. Figure $15k for the buffalo, $50 and up for a good lion, $35k+ for leopard, and $100+k for a rhino. Most rhinos these days are shot "catch-and-release" with dart guns for much less.

Still, you can do a RSA plains game hunt for multiple species for $10-15k.

My sheep and goat hunts were do-it-youself hunts years ago, since I was in better shape then, and had too many financial obligations for a guided hunt. I've been on five sheep hunts, but one goat hunt was enough for me.

Recently, I hunted Africa for ten species of game, including kudu, sable, and buffalo, for less than the amounts quoted here for a guided sheep hunt. Still, going after mountain sheep is the ultimate hunting experience. I wish the best of luck to anyone who tries it.

Jim[/quote]

One goat hunt is enough for any man. LOL Mountain Goat hunts I have been on are the most physical demanding and dangerous hunt I have been involved with. No room for weak and wusses for those hunts. LOL

Depends on where you tag out at, here there are places that you can walk off the road and tag out, takes about an hour, your not out of breath, your hunting and your easily bringing your game back.

Not all hunts are equal in attaining success however the success is the same for most when reached !

^ that would be the goat hunt to sign up for. LOL

I agree, if I was filthy arse rich I'd do a sheep hunt but not going to knock back retiring at a good age to do it. As for AFrica, that'd be a good experience but not a challenging hunt. I will take my Turkey, Deer and pheasant hunting over any expense in Africa. Nothing wrong with those that do but that's just my opinion.

Unless you have expierenced Africa and the North American hunting it is impossible to judge the expierence

Not saying the experience wouldn't be absolutely awesome but as far as a challenge I don't believe for a minute that a trophy whitetail or turkey is not more of a hunt than African animals. My buddy that sold his company for 40 million goes and has gone about every year and shoots about any animal he wants. I honestly can't say he's ever not shot what he was after? He obviously loves it over there but he hardly hunts the rut or turkey hunts anymore.

Good Luck man!

Hopefully one day I can afford to go the guided route in Canada. I talked to some folks that are familiar with the ins and outs of Big Horn hunts in the States and I decided it would be better for me to save the money it would take accumulating points.

I will be thrilled to someday hunt moose.

If you want a wild sheep hunt and could forget the bighorn part of it. An Alaskan dall hunt would be much more economic and equally satisfying. I could put you in touch with the fella I used to guide with.

X2 !!



If you were looking for a Dall sheep i could point you in the right direction for about 20K

When I hunt sheep I try and get one between the highway fence and road!

That's my kind of pack out!

Isn't this the guy that was spending 3k on a mattress?