# Poll - cow moose or ewe bighorn?



## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

The rules state that you can apply for one or the other, but not both. I'm curious as to how popular the new ewe hunt will be. Thoughts?

Personally, I'm more than happy to bail on my four cow moose points to have a shot at a ewe tag.


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## weaversamuel76 (Feb 16, 2017)

No doubt you won't be alone in swapping over to ewe. 
I wish they would have forced people to choose and kept it a oil like they do for female mt goat & bison.
Over 4000 applicants and over 2000 points only for anterless moose last year. Ewe odds look to be similar to drawing a ram tag


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## johnrr65 (Nov 7, 2019)

Cow moose


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

I’ll be sticking to cow moose since I’m in the max points bracket.

However, something to consider, is over the last few years it’s shown with the cow moose how jumping in to a draw when points are first offered can be very beneficial in the long run. For that reason, I think you’ll see a mass exodus from the cow moose applications and into the ewes. Which I would assume in the long run, make the ewes a harder tag to draw than any of the moose tags are. Maybe this would be a great species to start moving towards a full random draw and offer no bonus or preference points of any kind for this hunt and make it 100% random and see how it works out. Especially since I highly doubt there will be large amounts of tags offered for this type of hunt.


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## brisket (Mar 3, 2015)

Clarq said:


> The rules state that you can apply for one or the other, but not both.


Really? That blows. I guess they don't want my extra $10 donation every year.

Ewe Bighorn all the way for me. Bye bye cow moose points.


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## treedagain (Nov 21, 2009)

On my waiting period for my 2nd cow.moose tag so the sheep is an easy choice.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Cow moose, up there in points and I consider them meat hunts and you get a lot more meat from a moose.


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## weaversamuel76 (Feb 16, 2017)

Did anyone see the price of the tag yet? Would you pay $513 the same as a ram tag to hunt a ewe? Only ask because most other states price sheep tags equally.

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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

weaversamuel76 said:


> Did anyone see the price of the tag yet? Would you pay $513 the same as a ram tag to hunt a ewe? Only ask because most other states price sheep tags equally.
> 
> Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk


Haven't seen the price yet, but I'd gladly pay it just to have the experience to hunt sheep. I started with Mountain Goat points in the OIAL pool so the reality is that I'll likely never draw a sheep tag in Utah. I know it's not the same as hunting a ram, but it would be worth it to me.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

From the site


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## weaversamuel76 (Feb 16, 2017)

Raptorman said:


> From the site


Thanks. At that price they'll set new records for applications

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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

I had max points for cow moose and drew that tag in 2017--I got lucky drawing that even with max points. I'll be putting in for the ewe--lady luck be with me!


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

You really think a NR is going to pay $1000 to shoot a BH ewe when they can pay $700 for a cow moose?

Silly DWR...


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## weaversamuel76 (Feb 16, 2017)

High Desert Elk said:


> You really think a NR is going to pay $1000 to shoot a BH ewe when they can pay $700 for a cow moose?
> 
> Silly DWR...


Well it's actually one of the cheapest ewe tags available. It'll certainly have more applicants than the moose tag

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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

For myself being a non resident I would not go for a ewe sheep tag for a meat hunt. It would be a cow moose all the way.

When there is no real trophy other than the meat why pay more?


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

A trophy means different things to different people. Whether you get a ram or a ewe tag, both are a chance to hunt wild sheep--and that is something very few hunters get to do these days. It's a lot cheaper to go find a moose hunt opportunity OTC than it is to get any native sheep tag in North America.

The difference between hunting a ram and a ewe is really only about placing the cross hairs on a different body in the group.


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## brisket (Mar 3, 2015)

Critter said:


> For myself being a non resident I would not go for a ewe sheep tag for a meat hunt. It would be a cow moose all the way.
> 
> When there is no real trophy other than the meat why pay more?


I don't see it as meat hunt, it's a chance to chase sheep. An opportunity I'll probably never have in my lifetime with a tag in hand.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I know what you mean but if you want to chase sheep grab a camera and go chase sheep, no tag required 

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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Critter said:


> I know what you mean but if you want to chase sheep grab a camera and go chase sheep, no tag required
> 
> Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


With that logic, why hunt at all? Just go buy some local, organic, sustainably raised beef/pork/etc and head into the woods with your camera? Save the hunting costs entirely, and chase whatever you want whenever you want with no need to agonize over point systems vs random or credit card charges in early May.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

johnnycake said:


> With that logic, why hunt at all? Just go buy some local, organic, sustainably raised beef/pork/etc and head into the woods with your camera? Save the hunting costs entirely, and chase whatever you want whenever you want with no need to agonize over point systems vs random or credit card charges in early May.


Because I like eating moose, deer, elk, rabbits, grouse, ducks, geese, and whatever else I have a tag for.


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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

i'd pay $100. not likely to draw a cow moose anyway. at least you're on the ground floor this year


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

High Desert Elk said:


> You really think a NR is going to pay $1000 to shoot a BH ewe when they can pay $700 for a cow moose?
> 
> Silly DWR...


I owe everybody a correction. Looking in the rules, it appears that nonresidents are allowed to apply for both cow moose and ewe bighorn. Turns out the DWR isn't so silly after all...

https://wildlife.utah.gov/r657-62.html#18

Some stats for those who are interested:

Nevada charges $1,200 for nonresident ewe tags. They got 190 applicants in 2019.

Colorado charges $2,240 for nonresident ewe tags. They got 21 first choice applicants and quite a few more second/third choice applicants in 2020.

Montana charges $1,250 for nonresident ewe tags. I haven't looked for awhile, but last I recall, they didn't have any problem selling them.

Considering all of the above, I think there will be a decent handful of nonresidents who apply for that ewe tag. I'm curious to see just how many. o-||


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## Isuckathunting (Sep 15, 2019)

I'm really curious to see how this works out. Just over 4000 residents put in for 33 cow moose tags last year. Majority had 5 points or less. I'll be interested to see how many bail out of that and choose the ewe hunt. Any guesses on how many will put in for each? I'm thinking it has to be around 2500 in each, maybe a touch more in the moose pool as people are attached to their points.
I'm kind of a nerd and like to download all the draw statistics. For me, this one will be fun to look at later. That being said, I have no idea what to do for myself, tough choice.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

I shot my cow moose back in 2008, so I'll let someone else have that chance now. Glad they didn't overprice the ewes for residents. IMO, I would never pay $500, let alone $1,000 for a ewe, but to each their own.

Honestly, I think I'd rather have a friend draw and help them on the hunt. You get the experience, and don't have to pay for the tag. Ewes really aren't that big at all. Great meat, but serious lack thereof!


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Isuckathunting said:


> I'm really curious to see how this works out. Just over 4000 residents put in for 33 cow moose tags last year. Majority had 5 points or less. I'll be interested to see how many bail out of that and choose the ewe hunt. Any guesses on how many will put in for each? I'm thinking it has to be around 2500 in each, maybe a touch more in the moose pool as people are attached to their points.
> I'm kind of a nerd and like to download all the draw statistics. For me, this one will be fun to look at later. That being said, I have no idea what to do for myself, tough choice.


Interesting question. I'll take a stab at it.

From last year's data (residents only):

- 33,202 hunters applied for or bought points for bull moose.
- 6,745 hunters applied for or bought points for cow moose.

So, we have about 20% as much interest in the cows as we do in the bulls. Not sure how much that relates to the question, but something to keep in mind. There's not going to be nearly as much interest in the ewe tags as there is in the ram tags.

Looking at last year's sheep data (residents only):

- 9,764 hunters applied for or bought points for desert sheep
- 8,257 hunters applied for our bought points for rocky mountain sheep

Comparing the total of 18,021 sheep ram applicants to the 33,202 bull moose applicants shows that there's about 54% as much interest in sheep hunting as there is in moose hunting in Utah.

That being the case, I doubt it's an even split between ewe and and cow moose applicants.

I think there will be other factors that keep people in the moose pool, including:

- People who already have a lot of cow moose points
- People who feel more physically up to moose hunting than sheep hunting
- People who are more familiar with moose hunting/habitat than sheep hunting/habitat
- The fact that there have consistently been more cow moose tags offered in the past, and probably will be offered more in the future
- The quality/quantity of moose meat compared to sheep meat
- The remoteness of the Newfoundland sheep unit

All that being said, my projection is as follows:

800 applicants for ewe tags
700 applicants for ewe points
3500 applicants for cow moose tags
2400 applicants for cow moose points

If I remember, I'll bump this thread when the odds are released, and we'll see how I did.

I honestly think the cow moose pool will give better odds in the long run, because there will most likely be a lot more tags offered over the years. I'm just jumping over because my moose points are few enough to be meaningless, I think sheep hunting is way more fun, and I can always jump back to moose during years when there are no sheep tags offered.

Lots of compelling reasons to stick with the moose, though (especially if a lot of people do bail on the points pool).


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

Clarq said:


> Some stats for those who are interested:
> 
> Nevada charges $1,200 for nonresident ewe tags. They got 190 applicants in 2019.
> 
> ...


I suppose if it were a feather in your cap sort of thing then it is probably worth it. Ewe tags are supposed to be "easier" to draw and most people that live out west usually put in for their states of residency. Easteners are another story.

Because of that, $1000 for UT is a poor investment for me when I can pay a little over $100 in my home state with the same chances to drae year after year.

We won't discuss what NM charges for a NR ewe tag. Now that's ridiculous -O,-


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## cedar (Jul 29, 2013)

Is ewe application drawing going to be random or are there people with some points applying for this tags? looks like this is a new hunt in utah.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Based on the responses I would say first time offered.


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## super chicken (Nov 5, 2014)

I lied on the poll. I voted for Cow Moose, but there is no such tag. it is antlerless moose. the lie is because I drew antlerless moose last year so i wont be putting on for that for at least 5 years. the antlerless tags are a meat hunt and i prefer eating moose not sheep. I guess I will put in for Ewe, and if I draw I will mentor someone if it is within the rules. Gotta go now, Bear hunt started today and Im itching to get one.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I initially thought this was a no-brainer. Why go for 60 pounds of mutton when you can have 250 pounds of moose meat? However, after reading some other posts, I can see the draw of hunting sheep even if you can't shoot the big ram. 

Still, if it were me I'd go for the moose, but I'm not going for either. I'll chase antlerless elk instead.


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## BearLakeFishGuy (Apr 15, 2013)

If I'm shooting a slick head, I'm doing it for meat. A cow moose is much meatier than a ewe bighorn.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

BearLakeFishGuy said:


> If I'm shooting a slick head, I'm doing it for meat. A cow moose is much meatier than a ewe bighorn.


But ewe bighorns aren't slickheads.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Just a couple of toothpicks sticking up 

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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Critter said:


> Just a couple of toothpicks sticking up
> 
> Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


Most of them have bigger horns than the biggest billy mountain goat. They're cool and have a neat character of their own. I'd love to hunt down a big ole grandmammy queen of the mountain.


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## buck (May 27, 2020)

I'll probably put in for cow moose, but Iv never had moose or Bighorn sheep meat. I wonder which tastes better, obviously a moose has more meat overall which is tempting.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

johnnycake said:


> Most of them have bigger horns than the biggest billy mountain goat. They're cool and have a meat character of their own. I'd love to hunt down a big ole grandmammy queen of the mountain.


Bighorn sheep definately is not the same as mutton and actually quite tasty.

I would say cross between elk, oryx, and antelope so the flavor of elorxelope.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

High Desert Elk said:


> Bighorn sheep definately is not the same as mutton and actually quite tasty.
> 
> I would say cross between elk, oryx, and antelope so the flavor of elorxelope.


True. Wild sheep is tasty eats from the chunks I've had shared with me. But that was actually a typo from my phone, and I was intending to refer to their horns as having a NEAT character of their own!


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Clarq - how is the meat from the ewe you killed last year?


I put in for cow moose and put my Dad in for bighorn ewe.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

CPAjeff said:


> Clarq - how is the meat from the ewe you killed last year?


Pretty dang good - better than I was expecting it to be. It has a mild flavor and isn't tough. I've only eaten lamb a few times, but if memory serves me correctly, wild sheep is quite similar to domestic lamb, but leaner and much less oily. It will dry out if I don't cook it carefully, though.

I have both sheep and antelope in my freezer at the moment, and I find myself going through both at about the same rate.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

I know for a fact that tenderloin from a fresh killed ram cooked with bacon is excellent 8)


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

High Desert Elk said:


> I know for a fact that tenderloin from a fresh killed ram cooked with bacon is excellent 8)


Anything cooked with bacon is excellent


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Critter said:


> Anything cooked with bacon is excellent


If it doesn't taste like bacon it must taste like chicken!

I do like to try recipes for different game but to be honest if you bury something in enough spices, marinade or rubs anything will taste good.

My wife has a saying if you don't like vegetables you just haven't had them fixed right.

A bit of salt and pepper and maybe you get the idea how much everything tastes different. Or I guess just leave it medium rare with nothing else added.


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