Sheep Hunting With Bow or Rifle?
- Thread starter lukew
- Start date
In 1993 I spent 30 days on the mountain hunting sheep with a rifle with no success so I would definitely recommend a bow.
I hunted the entire 2007 Colorado S12 season with my recurve. My hunt would have been over the first day with a rifle. I did not come home with a ram but I did come home with the best experience of my life and some great, great memories. Next bighorn tag I draw I will be using my 264 Win...I would very much like a Bighorn ram on my wall. Shooting them with a compound at 100 yards would not be much different than a rifle hunt IMO.
tim
Veteran member
I don't own a bow, so i used a rifle 3 times. No one has ever called me safe though before.
Shane13
Active Member
I drew a desert bighorn permit in Texas in 2013. They would have allowed me to use my bow, but I didn't even take it with me. Next time I draw a desert sheep tag, I'll take my bow. 
Muley bound
Active Member
Once I’ve killed a few of ‘em, then I’ll go with a bow. Til then, rifle all the way!
Yell Co AR Hunter
Very Active Member
Wyoming Hart
Very Active Member
Unless I run into a lot of money and could sheep hunt regularly, I wouldn't risk trying with a bow for sheep, unless the area is better conducive to archery and I could carry a rifle as well.
JimP
Administrator
If I was a bow hunter anymore I believe that I would take both. Then hope that during the first few days that I could get within range with the bow. But with as hard as those tags are to draw I would likely switch to a rifle fairly quick.
mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
- 3,814
- 3,011
As much as a sheep hunts costs, I would probably take a rifle as it would be a one and done for me in this lifetime.
BKC
Very Active Member
I killed my goat in 97 with my muzzleloader. I tried to kill my ram with it also, spent 5 days trying to get close. I had a chance one evening at about 75 yards with fading light. I chose not to. I came back the next week and brought my .300 win mag. I shot him at 50 yards in the middle of the day. I almost didn't recover him. The bullet never expanded and he went a long way. If I tried it with my bow, I would have walked away empty handed.
HuskyMusky
Veteran member
I've hunted twice in Alaska for Dall sheep with a bow and have nothing but tag soup and memories. Both were bow only areas. I drew my Wyoming Bighorn sheep tag in 2017 and went bow only. I shot my ram on the fourth day. If you have the desire to kill sheep with a bow you have to be willing to leave the rifle at home. 
Hilltop
Veteran member
I think it would depend on the area. I have been within archery range of legal rams many times while hunting other species in southern Wyoming. That is fairly easy terrain so a guy could make multiple stalks a day if you can find the rams. If I drew a tag there, I would try very hard with the bow. In super steep country with a low ram population, I would go with a rifle from day one.
JimP
Administrator
I agree that if you have the desire to shoot a ram with a bow then dedicate yourself to doing it.
However very few of us can afford multiple hunting trips to Alaska or other areas to keep trying to shoot one with a bow. Likewise the way that the draws are here in the lower 48 a sheep hunt quite possibly will be a once in a lifetime experience. If you really want to do it with a bow then by all means do it, but if you want to hang a rams head on the wall you are going to need to be flexible with your weapon choice.
However very few of us can afford multiple hunting trips to Alaska or other areas to keep trying to shoot one with a bow. Likewise the way that the draws are here in the lower 48 a sheep hunt quite possibly will be a once in a lifetime experience. If you really want to do it with a bow then by all means do it, but if you want to hang a rams head on the wall you are going to need to be flexible with your weapon choice.
Timber Stalker
Active Member
- May 22, 2020
- 292
- 623
I drew a bighorn tag in ‘11 I had a bow in camp but not once did I consider bringing it on the hunt. I ended up shooting my ram on day 12 with my 25-06 at 13 yards. No way would have been able to come to full draw and kill him, he would have got away 
Winchester
Veteran member
I got my Dall sheep in Alaska after 4 years of hunting hard to find a legal full curl. He was bedded in an area where it would have been impossible to get closer than 150 yards. Needed my rifle to take him. If I get to go again I’ll take my rifle.
I’m
99.999% of the time, a guy carrying a rifle and a bow will use the rifle. If you want to shoot an animal with a bow, take only your bow. I purposely applied for an archery sheep tag because I wanted to hunt them with my recurve. I’ve got that out of my system now. I spent about a decade hunting almost exclusively with a recurve or longbow. That’s not very important to me anymore.
I hunted one ram almost the entire season. I had him 4 separate times under 40 yards and never had anything but a frontal or neck shot.
99.999% of the time, a guy carrying a rifle and a bow will use the rifle. If you want to shoot an animal with a bow, take only your bow. I purposely applied for an archery sheep tag because I wanted to hunt them with my recurve. I’ve got that out of my system now. I spent about a decade hunting almost exclusively with a recurve or longbow. That’s not very important to me anymore.