Colorado Bighorn Sheep Hunting
Interested in Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Colorado? Hunting big game in the wilderness is an exciting experience you will never forget. Test your strength and skills in the rugged outdoors. Hunt from daybreak to dusk and emerge with a trophy. Here at AEI Guide and Outfitter, we are committed to helping you achieve the best bighorn sheep hunting experience possible. AEI's base camp is located 10,000 feet above sea level, deep in the Rocky Mountains. The base is approximately forty-five miles east of the city of Gunnison, Colorado. Our base camp is only three miles away from the Continental Divide. It is located in prime bighorn sheep hunting country.
Our hunting guides would be happy to accompany you on your journey. AEI's guides are all highly skilled hunters and wilderness experts. Their goal is to help provide with you the best hunting experience of your life - something that you will remember and talk about for years to come. Our hunts are for a five day term and we provide seven days of food and lodging. Colorado Bighorn Sheep Hunting is a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience. Hunt from daybreak to dusk and achieve your dream of big game hunting success!
Licenses
The granting of licenses for big horn sheep hunting in Colorado is strictly regulated by the Colorado Department Of Wildlife since only 100 to 300 bighorns are permitted to be harvested each year. In 1979, two species, the Rocky Mountain Bighorn and Desert Bighorn, were brought to the Colorado National Monument area. Rams average five to six feet in length and weigh between 150 to 250 pounds.
In 2011, the 200 permits issued for Colorado sheep hunting in the monument area stemmed from a pool of 12,000 applications. Only two licenses out of a pool of 97 applicants were granted for bighorn hunting at Pikes Peak. Only mature rams deemed no longer of reproductive capability are allowed to be harvested during the brief, autumnal Colorado sheep hunting season.
Bighorn sheep hunting in Colorado guidelines require proof of a minimum of six-months in-state residency. Hunters 12 to 15 years of age must complete a state-approved hunter safety course and be under the supervision of an adult/mentor at all times. The possession of a hunting license is not required for mentors. Solo-hunting is permitted for anyone 16 years of age or older. All licensed hunters must complete a questionnaire within 30 days of hunting season closure. Failure to comply constitutes grounds for future license application denial.
Bighorn sheep hunting in Colorado regulations stipulate that applicants must specify which species of bighorn is to be hunted. Hunting hours are from 30 minutes prior to sunrise until 30 minutes before sunset. Harvesting is restricted to one bighorn per hunter per season. Successful hunters must wait five years before submitting a new licensing application.
Only non-mechanical draw, string-release archery equipment is allowed with arrows restricted to seven-eighths-inch broad-heads and must have a minimum of 2 serrated edges. Rifles must have a minimum of .24 calibration, a 16-inch barrel and overall length of 26 inches. Semi-automatic weapons with a combined 6-round capability are permitted; however, no automatic discharge firearms are allowed.
About AEI
Since 1984 AEI Guide and Outfitter has been guiding bighorn sheep hunters through the high country for the ultimate encounter with big game. AEI Guide and Outfitter's Base Camp is located 10,000 feet above sea level in the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains just 45 miles northeast of Gunnison, Colorado.
With the impressive Continental Divide just three miles away, elevations range from 8,000 feet to more than 13,000 feet at the mountain peaks. The big game area we hunt for Bighorn Sheep is Game Management S-11, S-17, and S-26. AEI Guide and Outfitter offers private land hunts and operates under a special use permit from the United States Forest Service in the Gunnison National Forest.
Our Professional Guides
Tim Kempfe, Owner and Outfitter, has been hunting and guiding this land since 1984. Tim has built a career on his love for the outdoors. His expertise for living and working in the wilderness enables him to provide high quality hunting experiences.
Tim is a skilled bow, black powder, and rifle hunter. His pursuits include hunting big game, water fowl, and upland game. Besides the many wilderness and hunting skills Tim possesses, he is also highly trained in wilderness emergency care.
Tim selects professional guides with hunting ability and outdoor skills to match his own. Their goal, like Tim's, is to provide you with an unrivaled hunting experience-one to be remember and cherished for years to come.
Hunting Guide Options
AEI Guide and Outfitter is prepared to assist you in identifying the services you may want. Our fully guided bighorn sheep hunt gives you the opportunity to hunt one-on-one with an experienced guide.
Be prepared to accept the challenge of the unpredictable Rocky Mountain weather and hunt hard from dawn to dusk and at high elevations. We are prepared to hike with you deep into wild game habitat. Our guides will ensure you of a first class bighorn sheep hunt.
Your guide, along with AEI Guide and Outfitter staff, will field dress and pack out your trophy for you. Gunnison offers quality meat processing and taxidermy services to get your trophy ready for travel.
