Tid

Also put in for Bezoar ibex in New Mexico. Cheaper than going to Turkey, if you can get drawn. But one booking agent has advertised a special area, any size Turkey Bezoar ibex for under $11,000. Maybe that price is coming. I'm sort of like you, and I'm sure a lot fo others ... looking for things to do on this continent and trying to get closer to doing an aoudad hunt. Plenty of choices but who to go with? I envy your Mongolia hunt. Must have been an awesome adventure. My wife says I can go if APPLE goes up another $100 a share.

Have a good time on your hunts to Montana and Wyoming. I got an 81 1/2 pronghorn in Central Wyoming in 1983 on a DIY hunt. When it comes to Montana, I've been derelict. Which is nuts since I have 2nd, 3rd and 4th cousins scattered all over that state. My Dad was born in Malta. In 2008 I finally did some deer hunting on one of their Milk River ranches. Got to go back. Also have a friend Russ Smith in Butte who is a MT outfitter and international hunt booking agent. He has had clients go for Marco Polo, sheep in Russia, and other sheep and ibex in many other places.

You got to get out-of-town and at least go to the FNAWS convention in Reno. Stay downtown. Reno is a small town. There is a bus that runs right out to the convention center. You will bend elbows with a lot of really nice people. Las Vegas is okay; just got to ignore the lights and noise. There is a lot (i.e., people to meet and visit with, etc.) to keep you busy at GSC/Ovis in Las Vegas. My wife prefers the lights and action so that is what we follow.

I live amongst the million plus people of Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA. My wife Anna was born and raised in Brooklyn. Guess why I live in Portland? But I am a small town person. Raised in central Washington in town of under 10,000. Deer and elk hunting in the foothills overlooking the Kittitas Valley. First deer at age 13. Bicycled all around the valley with friends for fishing, including the now restricted and world famous Yakima River. Have eaten many fish out of that river.

Who was it that said ... the times they are a changing? But there is still no better place to be than in the good old U. S. of A. today.

Have fun whatever you do, wherever you go ...

OregonCarl

Carl & Group,

Okay, when is the FNAWS convention? Where do most visitors stay---nothing fancy for me--just a shower and cot will do...Ha. That my work for me but the wife likes to relax. So where is a good place to stay? And if ya have dates that would be nice. The show is outfitters, firearms, clothing and general hunting necessities? Don't know that I care for all the formal dinners and raffles and that sort of thing. I like a slow pace and a relaxing atmosphere. Obviously, I have not been out in several years. Not promising anything but it would be nice to chat with a couple of you guys face to face--are you attending?

Don't know that APPLE is going up a hundred or not...but if ya want to go...you had better get there. The prices are not getting lower and ya just never know whent they might close the hunting. I think the aoudad, antelope or maybe gemsbok in New Mexico are all great adventures and you get to see a few animals along the way. The ibex in Mongolia were just an add on in the 80's. Now hunters travel there just for that goat...makes me wonder..and it is not cheap either. Bezoar goat would be fantastic---not sure on the pricing--but still fun. Hunting is for fun anyway. I think we all get caught up in the "I need a whatever" animal because others are chasing them. Not my style. I have my own wants and mostly they are the fun stuff...another sheep(as many as I can afford), or elk (always fun), muley (gonna do it again this Fall) maybe bison. I have taken all but the bison and I just don't know about that---what do I do with all that meat? Do ya think Russ Smith could help with that? Maybe a pack-in trip into Idaho for a big black bear in the Spring. That would be nice...You get the best...a horseback trip and will probably get a bear. If you are luckey and can shoot: two bear. And the price is pretty reasonable. About $400.00 plus lic..

Carl what are you looking to do?

I am rambling...just an old man...thinking out loud.

tid

Tid, click on the GSCO home page. There is a whole section on the convention and all that goes along with it.

You are right about hunting for fun, my hunting partner is in BC right now on a horseback Moose/Mtn caribou hunt. I was not able to go due to work and another upcoming hunt. Sure love the north country this time of year though...

I was having fun reading this post and your comment about apple prices ocarl inspired me to "pipe in". I think it would be very difficult selling them for a profit if I had to pay that for them but I do think 25-30 cents/lb you probably get paid for them is WAY to low. But, it could be like the prices of sheep hunts. It doesnt matter what the price is there is always someone out there willing to pay it!
I'v also have wondered why this discussion board doesnt get much attention. I do think it is mostly because the group of people capable of consistantly hunting sheep is very small compared to other species being hunted on a yearly basis. I know when I decided to get serious about my sheep hunting I gave up lots of other hunting/fishing oppertunities because that is what it was going to take for me to afford sheep. I'm so glad I made that commitment to myself because I've met lots of great people and seen country I would never have dreamed of seeing befor the "sheep bug" set in. I'm just thankful I was steered in the right direction at a fairly early age. I'll keep climbing those sheep mountains as long I can!
Bryan

Starbailey & group,

Tidbit here, been a few days..the whitetail deer have been keeping me busy.

Wanted to chat about making the commitment to hunt sheep: Wow...wish it was me. I too tried that for a couple of years; it did not turn out too well for me. I like the sheep mountains and the views and the stalks and just about everything about sheep hunting. The only thing that holds me back is funding. I like most on this board have been fortunate enough to hunt some sheep---not as many I would have liked. Cost is a factor for most of us...and my wife would tell ya I have been luckey in life. But it is $$$$$$$$$ that powers most of society. Going to the mountains has never been cheap. Used to be you could hunt many places and cost was not too far fetched. Prices are going up on everything...have you priced a new vechile lately? Silly, but we pay the price and that is what drives the market. Dall sheep $17,000, Blue sheep---in China---$7900(if China is open), Snow sheep---Russia---$13,000 the list goes on and on. I have not gotten the opportunity to do those either. I have settled for other pursuits. I am now trying to figure out if I REALLY need that Desert sheep or not? It is perplexing. I can wait for years trying to draw a tag here in the USA or I can spend the "big bucks" and go to Mexico and collect the sheep. Or I can go Ibex hunting---that is Gobi Ibex and Siberian Ibex for about $9000. Then there is Tur in the Caucasus $10,000 (that is two Tur) and then back to Texas for Aoudad. I guess I am rambling on and on about what we al know: sheep hunting is not CHEAP. Giving up the other hunts for sheep is not for me. I am not gettin any younger, the mountains are still steep and the I want to hunt again this year...not next year or two or three years from now. It is all for fun anyway.

Some of my hunting partners are going after elk, or caribou or a mountain lion...again. It was fun the first time and will probaby be better the second time around because you have an idea of what to expect. Your expections are not too high and you end up having a great hunt without all the pressure of having to collect that animal because you will not be comming back. Plus, you get to go! Something can be said for going "without" the pressure to harvest. When I go on a sheep hunt...I do expect to get the animal. No excuse and no kidding aside---I want the sheep. Yes, this is about hunting and yes, I have been on a hunt or two and not gotten the animal...but honest..if you can hike and shoot you usually get the game.

I just watched a show on Pursuit channel (not sure of the channel) and the hunter went to Africa; His first animal was an elephant. Then he went on to hunt the other members of the Big 6...that includes the hippo. Now the point of the show was that hunter was returning to collect plains game: what a thought. Do the big stuff first. Wish I would have figured that out. But my pockets were not that deep then...as with most of us. When we get to the point that we can go hunting we are getting older and the mountains look higher than ever. Ha.

Forgive the ramblings of an old man. Wish I could hunt those sheep every year...with ya