Bighorn sheep hunting attracts experienced hunters from around the world. The majesty, athleticism and beauty of a bighorn sheep inspires awe in those who hunt them, and a successful hunt is a highly prestigious achievement.
Best of all, to complete the Grand Slam of North American sheep – Dall, Desert, Rock and Bighorn – a hunter must be accepted into an exclusive group.
Josh Martoglio has helped many hunters achieve this goal by hunting what is often the last sheep, the bighorn sheep. Even those who only hunt the bighorn sheep in Wyoming have been given a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Martoglio owns and operates Shoshone Lodge Outfitters in Cody, Wyoming, and specializes in sheep, goat and elk hunting.
He is passionate about sheep hunting because it is so difficult. “I love the rigor. I love the scenery you see. Sheep live in the wild. You see a lot of cool stuff when you hunt elk and deer, but with sheep you go a step further. You see things that a lot of people don’t get to see. It’s very rewarding because you’ve worked your ass off for it. To me, they’re beautiful animals. I think they’re some of the coolest animals there are,” he said.
He says he fell in love with hunting at the age of 16 when he went sheep hunting for the first time. At 18, he got his hunting license and led his first sheep hunt. Martoglio has led 300 sheep hunts since then, an average of 20 per year.
“Once you go sheep hunting, you either love it or hate it,” he said.
That statement rings true for one of Martoglio’s clients, Joe Michaletz, who happened upon his first wild sheep while hunting mountain goats in British Columbia. “I snuck up on one and watched it for quite a while.” He was fascinated and hooked. He hunted sheep for a decade until he finally hit the jackpot with Martoglio. “He was the only man I ever wanted to hunt bighorn sheep in the Rockies with. It’s the ultimate adventure and hunting experience.”
Martoglio has not yet completed his grand slam, although he has harvested two of the required four. He has harvested a Dall sheep in Alaska and a desert sheep in Baja Mexico. He has a stone sheep hunt booked for August of this year. Martoglio could get his chance to harvest the bighorn sheep in Wyoming at any time.
“If you kill a few sheep in your life, you’re lucky. No matter where you hunt sheep, it’s always incredible,” he said.
Exclusivity
One reason for the exclusivity of bighorn sheep hunting is that it is difficult to obtain the appropriate license in the United States and that purchasing a Governor’s Tag is very expensive.
Wyoming issues five Governor’s Tags, which are typically auctioned off to charities to raise money for conservation. In 2024, the first four tags sold for $190,000, $185,000, $192,500, and $185,000, respectively. Martoglio says that on average, a Governor’s Tag in North America costs between $350,000 and $400,000.
Wyoming operates on what is called a preference points system. Points are accumulated each year when the hunter applies for the annual license. “With a preference points system, they pull a certain percentage of tags from the highest number of preference points,” he explained. The longer you pay for preference points each year, the higher your preference points are. Those with the highest chances of being drawn have over 23-24 points, which equates to as many years of paying and waiting.
“Wyoming’s system essentially guarantees that you’ll get one in your lifetime.” But because of this system, his average client is 65 to 70 years old, Martoglio says.
“In Wyoming, the odds of drawing a ticket at random points are 0.02%. That’s another reason why it’s so special. I feel really lucky because I get to hunt them all the time,” he said. Although he’s not the one pulling the trigger, he gets satisfaction from accompanying his clients on this once-in-a-lifetime hunt. The odds of drawing a ticket are similarly slim in all other states.
A better system, in Martoglio’s opinion, is a bonus points system.
“The bonus point system takes the number of points you have, squares that number, and that’s how many times your name goes in the hat.” The random nature of the bonus point system wouldn’t necessarily favor the hunters who have been around the longest. “I think the bonus point system is better because it gives everyone a chance, but both have weaknesses.” One disadvantage of the bonus point system is that you may never get the draw.
Martoglio is confident that Wyoming Game and Fish will eventually move to a bonus points system to align with other states’ systems. In 2023, Wyoming lawmakers rejected a bill that would have used a bonus points system for sheep and elk instead of a preference points system.
Interestingly, a customer and friend of Martoglio’s, Quint Gonzales, has drawn two sheep tags: one before the introduction of the preferential points system in 1995. He shot his first at age 14. He collected points under the preferential points system for over 20 years and drew his tag last fall.
Gonzalez wanted a bigger ram than his first, saying, “I knew this ram would definitely be my last ram in Wyoming since they switched to ‘once in a lifetime.’ I knew if I was going to get a good one, it would be with (Martoglio).”
Key to success
Because sheep hunting is such a rare experience, most of Martoglio’s clients are extremely well prepared and achieve a high kill rate of up to 98%.
A simple switch contributed to his success as a guide. Most of his clients use Martoglio’s rifle. Experienced hunters can shoot accurately with their own rifles at sea level, but with a rifle sighted in at 10,000 feet, things are much different. “Everyone shoots high (with their own rifle),” he said. With his rifle, he’s familiar with wind readings and can help his clients make adjustments quickly. “We avoid missed shots.” The Best of the West rifle is a 6’5×284 and is mounted with a Huskemaw scope. “That’s the rifle I’ve always used, and it’s probably taken 70 bighorn sheep, which I don’t think you can say about any other rifle,” he said.
To ensure his clients are as prepared as possible, he recommends physical fitness above all else, even though high altitudes are difficult to prepare for. He also recommends traveling several miles on horseback if possible. And finally, practicing with and shooting your gun is paramount. Martoglio says taking care of your feet is crucial for the sheep hunter, and his favorite hiking boots for long days on rocky terrain are Zamberlans. Martoglio doesn’t often wear camouflage, and solid-colored clothing like Stone Glacier’s works just as well for him.
management
Although wild sheep appear hardy and live in mountainous terrain, they are susceptible to disease. Thanks to targeted efforts by the Wild Sheep Foundation, the state of Wyoming was able to remove all grazing native sheep from state and federal lands such as Cody and Meeteetse, where the wild sheep population is higher.
“Pneumonia is caused by domestic sheep,” Martoglio said. “It can literally wipe out a herd. Keeping domestic sheep away is critical.”
Martoglio also advocates annual management of licenses and does not agree with the awarding of sheep/lamb tags at times of smaller herd sizes.
Predators are another big problem in Wyoming. “We’re overrun by predators here,” he said. “The biggest predator on sheep – and I’m not the only one who thinks this – is eagles. Golden eagles will absolutely destroy the lambs. And we’ll never get eagles under control.” In addition, lambs have to deal with wolves, coyotes, black bears and grizzly bears before they reach adulthood. “That’s tough on a lamb,” Martoglio said.
Daily
In addition to owning Shoshone Lodge Outfitters, Martoglio is also the owner and manager of Trails West Outfitters, which offers additional hunting and packing trips that fill the rest of Martoglio’s annual calendar. He owns 100 horses and mules and harvests 300 acres of hay in the summer. His wife, Laci, is a full-time dentist in Cody, and they are raising their two daughters, ages six and one.
Despite all his other commitments, Martoglio’s passion for sheep hunting is his driving force.
Michaletz’s unforgettable hunting trip with Martoglio and his crew was recorded on the YouTube channel “Best of the West Arms” under the title “Slam Ram – Wyoming.” Josh, his brother Jordan and another guide, Ty, were part of the hunt.
“I just really appreciate Josh and his team,” Michaletz said. “They’re great guys, so dedicated. They work so hard to make sure you’re successful. I’ve never seen anyone work harder than these guys.”
Gonzalez, who has accompanied Martoglio as a hunting guide for years, knows his abilities. “He definitely has a knack for tracking down big sheep,” he said.
What Martoglio says he loves most is “pretty much just the adventure, the challenge.”
