Those of us who plan to hunt big game east of the Cascades this fall have a deadline. By Friday, we have to decide how to invest our preference points, if we have any, in the big-game drawings.

Eight dollars for deer, $8 for elk, $8 for antelope, $8 each for our spouse’s applications and $8 more per application for each of our children. That, in addition to the hundreds of dollars we’ve already spent on licenses. At least that’s how it works at our house.

I always apply for a sheep tag, which is more like a donation than a dim hope I’ll draw. But I’m OK with making a donation, because I know these dollars are spent on scientific game management. Last year, almost 18,000 Oregon residents did the same thing, in hopes of drawing one of 85 resident sheep tags.

Bighorns live in difficult places, and there is not enough surplus for everyone. Permits are hard to get, and the demand is so high a person might apply for a lifetime and never draw a tag. But people get lucky.

A person who wants to be a sheep hunter should start today.

One person who has made the subject his life’s work is Bryan Martin, a 43-year-old outfitter, who grew up in Oregon and now makes his home in Kamloops, British Columbia. Martin owns Canadian and Asian Mountain Outfitters and specializes in guiding hunters in pursuit of critters in hard-to-reach places.

“Start young,” Martin said. “You’re going to have to make an income higher than the normal guy. Sheep hunts require money and time. Going sheep hunting is like going to the Ferrari dealership. If you want to own a brand-new Ferrari, you’re going to have to earn a great deal of money.”

Martin, who has guided hunters from all over North America, says anyone can hunt sheep if he starts now.

A person serious about drawing a sheep hunt should apply at home and in other states. When making a 15-year plan, a hunter should apply in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana and Nevada, to accumulate points.

At today’s rates, the average cost for an out-of-state application is $200. Apply in five states for 15 years, and the tab could run upward of $15,000 before the first hunt!

The process is daunting, but there are services that help a person navigate the maze of state regulations.

Martin recommends the Huntin’ Fool magazine for its application service and the way it breaks down opportunities in each state and province. Other services Martin respects include Epic Outdoors and Hunter Application service.

Plan on being at a high level of fitness all the time. We call it sheep shape. “You can’t date a supermodel unless you go to the gym,” Martin says.

And a hunter who draws a tag might have to drop other plans. “Even if it means you have to cancel your son’s wedding, you’re going sheep hunting.”

The odds favor an enthusiastic, prepared hunter who starts out to be a sheep hunter while still in high school. “If you’re young and smart and apply in all the western states and provinces, you will draw a tag for sure in your 40s,” Martin said.

A lot of us missed that train, but there is hope.

The odds are decent an Oregonian could draw a sheep hunt at some point. Special raffles can raise a person’s chances.

Each year, there is a sheep tag in Oregon’s Big Game Raffle and another tag in the auction. A ticket in the raffle costs $11.50.

“You’re going to have to gamble $1,000 to $2,000 each year if you want a reasonable chance,” Martin said.

This year, Oregon’s auction sheep hunt sold for $160,000. Think of it like a donation to fund hunter access and wildlife habitat.

Hunters 40 and older should get into the application process like a younger person but play the odds for off-the-radar opportunities.

When you are getting up in age, don’t put in for the best units that are the hardest to draw. Instead, apply for hunts in tougher terrain.

People might come to hunting (or to money) later in life, and their chances of going for a sheep hunt are still slim unless they raise their cards in an auction and put up the big dollars.

A would-be sheep hunter should commit to a workout routine and rifle range time at least once a month. A lot of people draw their once-in-a-lifetime tags and blow their opportunity by not being in shape. The results come back in the third week in June, and some hunts start as early as August. If you have to lose 40 pounds in eight weeks, it’s going to hurt.

Remember, if you want to date a supermodel . . .

Oregon’s controlled hunt application deadline is this Friday. Somebody is going to draw a bighorn sheep tag this year. Maybe it will be you.

— Gary Lewis is the host of “Frontier Unlimited TV” and author of “John Nosler — Going Ballistic,” “A Bear Hunter’s Guide to the Universe,” “Hunting Oregon” and other titles. Contact Gary at www.GaryLewisOutdoors.com.