Self-Guided and Fully-Guided Sheep Hunts - a Comparison and Contrast

© Jeff R. Filler, 2004

Moscow, Idaho

The task of comparing and contrasting un-guided and fully outfitted-and-guided bighorn sheep hunts is strangely problematic. I do not have a lot of experience with guided-outfitted (g/o) hunts, and I suspect in general the g/o hunt would be a lot less work (for the hunter) than the un-guided, or self-guided hunt ... animal for animal and area for area. But the wild card is the particular animal ... bighorn sheep. The outfitters out here warn the curious pretty sternly that even the g/o hunts require top physical condition and the acceptance that meals may reduce to MREs. Probably the main difference - or perhaps the only difference one should expect - is all the work beforehand ... scouting, etc. With sheep, you will probably end up with your animal breathing its last in a place the outfitter can't get his horses ... and, then, in a moment of silence, he may very well look at YOU for the closest pack animal.

My dad and I got bighorn sheep this year - mine self-guided, and my dad - on a fully outfitted and guided hunt. I went on both hunts - and so offer this comparison contrast.

In comparison, my dad and I drew tags in the most rugged and remote units of Idaho (and perhaps of the lower 48 United States), units 27-1 and 26. The sheep dwell in rocky terrain in those units in an elevation band between 5000 and 7000 ft. The canyons themselves in which they dwell are some 6000 ft deep (from 3500 ft to 9500 ft). At the eastern and bottom end of our units is the Middle Fork of the Salmon River; at the western and upper end, are a few dirt roads that wind in far from civilization.

Both units are hundreds of square miles in size, are mostly designated wilderness, and have about 30 miles of common boundary. Common to both units is the sobering fact that the sheep are at eastern (roadless) end. The best access to both units is by back country airstrip, where one meets either his starting point up a trail, or an outfitter and guide with a pack string. Both units are beautiful and so remote that they are timeless. Both units have been ravaged by forest fires, and both are 'ground zero' in terms of impact from the wolf re-introduction.

As a bit of contrast, Unit 27-1 is probably the most difficult hunt of the State (maybe States?). Twelve Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep tags are drawn each year (for the main early hunt) and typically only two are filled, including those involving outfitters and guides. Unit 27-1 is probably the easiest to draw, perhaps related to being the hardest to hunt.

In contrast, Unit 26 is harder to draw but the success rate is much higher; nearly all tags (2 early and 2 late) are filled. A higher proportion of the 26 hunts are outfitted/guided, probably related to the greater difficulty of drawing, and the need to 'make it count'. Both units are not scoutable on a weekend, and so the hunter is dependent on either scouting in pre-season, for the self guided, or the years of experience of the guide and outfitter.

My hunt was self-guided, and in another article I describe in detail the ingredients of a successful self-guided hunt. In short, it required a lot of preparation in terms of scouting, information gathering, and planning. It required a lifetime accumulation of hunting skill and savvy, and everything in me physically and pertaining to experience of the outdoors.

On the outfitted and guided hunt my dad went on, and on which I went as an observer/photographer (and writer), in contrast, we basically had to just show up. (Well, that is not entirely true - we had to be in reasonably good shape, and have decent hunting skills. Selection of a good outfitter is the topic of articles by others.

On a self-guided hunt, everything is on YOU. You have to evaluate the conditions and the progress of the hunt, determine options, and then decide, and then bear the consequences of your decisions. On the guided hunt, you may offer input, help spot, and eventually pull the trigger, but the hunt rides essentially on the outfitter and the guide. It may be your tag, but it is also his (or her) tip, and reputation, when the hunt is over.

A big contrast in a self-guided versus a fully outfitted/guided hunt is getting your animal out. My hunt was early and hot (August/September). A MAJOR part of our planning involved dealing with a sheep in warm weather (should we beat the odds and get one). We had to work quickly with our downed animal to get it cool, and we had to keep it cool (and protected from critters) until we got it to an airfield, and then to civilization and a cooler. And yes we did beat the odds (and get a sheep), and yes it was a lot of work hauling it and our stuff to an airfield on our backs.

My dad's hunt was later (mid-October) with the full beauty of fall colors and benefit of cooler weather. A sheep hunt is perhaps a bit unique in that your backs may still be called upon to serve as a pack animal if the terrain is too difficult for horses (as was the spot my dad got his ram). Otherwise, the outfitter hauls the animal out - and with the cooler weather, the task needed not be done in a panic.

Whereas my self-guided hunt drew on a lifetime of experience and skill, an outfitted - guided hunt typically draws deep on the average lifetime savings account. My dad could afford such a luxury; I, in contrast, went economy class, shooting only camera (well, not entirely).

A big contrast is, or at least can be, food. I say 'can be' because, first, outfitting and guiding may be decoupled. An outfitter is typically hired to `outfit' you with a camp, perhaps groceries, and the means to get you and the stuff in and out (pack animals). Outfitters have designated areas of operation in Idaho. A guide's job is to guide you to your quarry. In Idaho guides are sponsored and subcontracted by outfitters. I describe my hunt as self-guided, but I am not a licensed guide, so, strictly speaking, I can only guide myself. Perhaps I should refer to my hunt as un-guided. (But that would suggest blind wandering in the wilderness, which isn't true either.) But on my hunt, in which the only pack animals were ourselves, all our food went on our back, and thus was either dried or stripped down Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs). Arghh … (but you do what you have to do). By contrast, depending on the number and strength of an outfitter's pack animals, all kinds of yummy food can be packed in. My dad's hunt was complete with all the wonderful milk, juices, pancakes, bacon, sausage, bread, cheese, lunch meats and mayo, chicken, fresh vegetables, canned pop and beer, and on and on … all that you would want in a camp. The only thing lacking was chocolate milkshakes. On the final stalk, however, food was reduced to what you could carry in your pockets.

Both guided and un-guided hunts require a list. On a self-guided hunt you must come up with the list yourself. On an outfitted/guided hunt, they should send you one - of what to bring. On our hunt, 60 pounds is about all we could put in our packs on our backs, each. On an outfitted hunt, you will each typically be required to get all of your stuff into two medium size duffel bags, also not to exceed 60 pounds. For both hunts you'll need the appropriate rifle, ammo, optics, etc. You will also need to be able to hit your prey (if you want to bring it home). A guide's job is typically done when he (or she) has presented you with a reasonably decent opportunity to shoot the animal you hired him (or her) to help you kill.

On both types of hunts you will need to decide (ahead of time) what animal you will take, and what you will pass on. The outfitter/guide can help you with this decision as he or she has a good idea of the trophy potential of your hunt. Alternately, your selection of an outfitter/guide may have already been governed by trophy potential. On my hunt I wanted a ram with unbroomed horn ends, better than barely legal. I passed on a smaller ram, and then got what I wanted. My dad said he would take any legal ram, and he did. On a self-guided hunt, you will need to have a taxidermist lined up - and know what to do with your trophy in the field. On an outfitted/guided hunt - they will help you with your trophy in the field. They may also have recommendations on taxidermists - but remember - it is your trophy, going in your living room (or wherever), not theirs - so do your homework.

On my hunt we spent five days scouting-looking and got my ram on the second day of hunting. We saw only one group of rams and were at our turnaround point some eleven miles in. We spent a half a day dressing (or undressing?) the animal and getting it down to a trail, and then three full days [back-]packing it to a backcountry airstrip. Once to civilization we got the animal on ice and then spent a full day retrieving our vehicle left at trail's end. On my dad's hunt we flew by backcountry charter to a small landing strip some 75 miles by dirt road and 25 miles by trail from `town'. We met the outfitter at the strip. The guide was already in sheep country scouting. We saw six or seven rams, plus 20 to 30 ewes and lambs, and my dad got his ram on the first full day of hunting. This opened up time to hunt other stuff, and on the second full day he got a bull elk. While waiting for the outfitter to bring our gear and dad's elk to camp, I bagged a deer. My dad and I both own our own businesses, and while this allows us to hunt and otherwise take time off whenever we want to, it also requires us to work sometimes when we don't want to. So we opted to come out early.

In all we both had fabulous hunts. We both `beat the odds'. I took a ram un-guided (wandering around?) in a difficult unit. My dad had the benefit of outfitter and guide, but taking the ram on the first full day was definitely `ahead of schedule'. In fact, we bagged my dad's ram as part of what would have probably been a two or three day stalk on some other rams. Though the guide had rams spotted before we arrived, the ram my dad killed was one I spotted en route. The cool thing about our hunts was that we were able to experience the whole range of trophy sheep hunting, and much of it we did together.
 

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