# Sheep in hunting areas?



## bow&muzzyhunter (Mar 28, 2009)

I may get a lot of heat or flack for this but I am going to throw it out there. This may have been brought up before but here it goes. What needs to happen to get the sheep off the mountain before the hunts start. The area I hunt has sheep all over it and very little game. Just when you think you are getting into elk or deer you come across sheep. I know elk and deer don't like sheep and the sheep destroy everything. You can tell when sheep has been in the area. What are your thoughts about this?


----------



## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Hunt somewhere else.


----------



## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

lunkerhunter2 said:


> Hunt somewhere else.


That's what I was going to say............you ARE NOT going to get the sheep off the mountain so you had better just figure out how to deal with it. Yes it sucks but that is life with living amoungs other intrests in the mountains.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

About the only way that you will get the sheep off of the mountain before October is to buy up the grazing rights for where you hunt from the BLM or Forest service. But from what I have seen the deer and elk will stay in the timber and the sheep will stay out in the meadows.


----------



## gmanhunter (Dec 27, 2007)

I hunted the soapstone area that had sheep in it, and found deer all over the area. At one point we seen deer mixed right in the middle of the sheep. I maybe wrong, but it seems to me that the sheep seem to affect the elk, but not the deer. The problem I have with the sheep, is when they over graze the area. Hunting in this area didn't seem to make much differece.


----------



## Rabbit_slayer16 (Oct 18, 2007)

I know a sheep rancher and he claims that the big white dogs will run the deer right out of the area most of the time.


----------



## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

I went out to an area last week and was showing my buddy another spot that he might find a big bull (on the Wasatch LE) and lo and behold the place we camped last year had 2 sheep trailers in the exact spot. At 5am when we pulled up the dogs were going nuts and the coyotes were fighting with the dogs. We later found a dead sheep. Yep, sucks that the sheep destroy with disregard but we found good elk sign just beyond where they were and I jumped into some deep dark thick steep pines and zero sign of sheep with a great wallow and elk sign everywhere. Find the edges of the sheep mayhem and you may be likely to find elk/deer. 

Oh yea, knowing Spanish comes in handy as well. We've gotten good beta from the sheep herders in the past on where they are seeing elk and deer and when. I'd bet if you took them a sixer of their favorite malt beverage and some snacks they'd be vigilant on looking for game for you.


----------



## bloodtrail (Sep 20, 2007)

I have been told that deer and elk prefer the re-growth that comes in 2 to 3 weeks after the sheep leave. Does anyone know if this is true or just what the ranchers say to keep the hunters happy?

My favorite area had sheep on the opener this year and I am hoping that the animals will return by the end of the season.


----------



## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

bloodtrail said:


> My favorite area had sheep on the opener this year and I am hoping that the animals will return by the end of the season.


Yeah, my elk spot had sheep a couple ridges away but I figure its only a matter of time before they move back into where the elk are at. I did see a few deer in the meadows around the area the sheep were grazing so maybe it is just elk that get bothered. I saw elk and deer in with moo cows on the opener so apparently beef doesn't really negatively affect either of them.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

So sheep ruin your hunting huh? Try telling that to the dozens of bozos who try to trespass on my families sheep infested private property every year when they have thousand upon thousands of acres of sheep free land to hunt elsewhere. Go ahead buddy, tell them!


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Its what critter said, if you want them off the mountain buy all the grazing permits before the sheep owners do. 
I don't like the sheep on the mountain but I have learned to deal with them. Moo cows don't have much effect on deer or elk but the sheep seem to make the deer and elk move out of the area until they are gone. Plus they sure do stink.


----------

