Big Island Sheep Rut?

Howzit Guys,
I am just curious what the general consensus is for the peak of the feral sheep rut on the Big Island. I have heard that mouflan rut peaks in November, and I know they hybridize with feral sheep. I am wondering if feral sheep rut also peaks in November or whenever, and if so then is it early November or late November? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I am hatching a plan for the next time I can come to Big Island, this last trip was soooo much fun. mahaloz for any advice of when you think BI feral sheep rut is.
Aloha from AK,
Andy

AK Andy

Oh oh somebodys got da fevah!!
All the sheep on the big island do not come into the rut at the same time or all at once. There is a misconception that weather plays an important factor to this cycle if it does it is to a lesser degree to what was once thought. As of now the temps are high and we are in the grips of a severe drought as far as sheep country goes and yet they are still breeding and raising offspring.
The rut is specific to a certain area. It differs from area to area, ranch to ranch even though these different areas,ranches may be next to each other. The density of sheep ewes of relatively the same age is a key to figuring out the cycle. When last seasons baby ewes reach maturity can also serve as a catalyst for another "small rut" to occur. It just depends on the amount of ewes (density) coming into esterous roughly at the same time that constitutes a full blown rut or a smaller rut.

Howzit Maukakane1? Yes braddah I got da fevah. Your explanation makes great sense to me too amidst the other info I got from BI huntaz about sheep rut timing.
One friend (with a wall full of trophy rams, says November seems to be the peak of rut for mouflan where he hunt. Another guy who hunts close to there told me October. And I also heard from another friend that for sure the BI sheep rut peaks in August.
Okay, so I grew up hunting whitetail deer from a young age in IN and MI the peak of the rut there (20-35 years ago) was the first week of November. Then I moved to CA for 3 years and found the Columbia blacktail rut is also the first week of Nov, then now I have been in AK for 20 years living on these coastal islands amidst Sitka blacktails and avidly hunting them. The peak of the deer rut here is also the first week of November, so from what I have seen with deer then the peak of the rut is not variable with latitude, it is very constant in timing no matter where you are- though in New Zealand there are limited areas with whitetail deer and they peak in rut activity in May because seasons in the southern hemisphere are opposite. I am clueless about equatorial zones, I heard from a friend that the Columbia blacktail on Kauai peak in early November too. Okay, so now on to sheep.
I have whacked a few of these dall sheep rams up here in AK and have watched them butt heads together in the 2nd week of August once and heard them doing it another year at that same time in a different mt range. So I was thinking that what my friend said about August being peak rut time on BI sounded logical. But I am an educated biologist, and moreso a life long ecologist and observer of so many cycles and seasonal differences in nature. I see that just as soon as you think you got it figured out there is a curve ball and the variables change, no two situations are exactly alike, here in AK with climate change we are seeing things very unusual and not considered normal. I have seen bucks in August that usually have young antlers (often nubs) in the velvet but these ones were all solid polished bone. I saw a bull moose with a harem of cows in April with full polished bone antlers, at that time of year they are most always shed off by then, we saw one winter with no snow then 2 winters with 10 foot deep snow, so things are getting whacky. So, I can relate to what you say about seasonal conditions and geographical locations making rut timings differ in areas right next to each other.
I guess since I am not a rich man and will likely not be hunting private land, then I will likely be focused for the largest feral sheep ram I can find off of Saddle road. Do you think hiking way back in a few miles would help me increase my chances to get a ram that grew larger away from the zones that get more hunting pressure? That is what it takes to find a big dall sheep ram in AK. and I know for sure that the biggest rams, just like the biggest bucks, become most vulnerable when they get preoccupied with breeding and social functions.
Anyhow, It sounds like August through November - depending on the BI area is when the rut it, some people say there are 2 rut.
got the stink eye from my wife, gotta go put my son to bed- laters guys, yup just dreaming about my best way to get horny while archery hunting feral sheep on BI next year. would love to hear more about sheep rut.
Aloha,
AK Andy

Ive never gotten a straight answer to this either, i know the mouflon are around nov., but the age of the feral lambs vary so i thought they might have a couple ruts, IDK? Seems like their starting right now though, within the past couple weeks ive noticed the rams starting to pair up with the ewes and some even chaseing them around, So i think it would sound right that aug. is the peak. Sucks puuanahulu just closed, kaohe shut down just when its gonna get good, i think pta opens this weekend or next, fingers crossed i can get up there!.........................BTW, just want to say whats up to everyone, cant believe i only found out about this forum now

Howzit RustyBoar! I dunno much about sheep and their habits except they have a habit of lying down when shot but that is what this forum is about, Sharing experiences and keepin the family in the outdoors . Welcome to Hawaii Sportsman!

Howzit Rustyboar, welcome to the forum and mahalo for resurrecting this old thread about sheep rut timing. I still dreaming of next time I can come try for a ram.....and a boar, I did get a nice boar black bear with my bow last month, but would rather eat some nice organic wild pork... the BI sheep tastes just like our blacktail deer up here on these remote AK islands. I really dig sheep hunting.
Aloha,
AK Andy