As a whole, sheep in California are doing well. Pending approval at the April 16 meeting, this year will see the introduction of three new hunt zones. The Granite and North Bristol (Zone 11) hunt will add another option for taking a solid representative of the species, while the Providence, Woods and Hackberry (Zone 12) and Castle Mountains and Piute Range (Zone 13) will add a shot at a Boone and Crockett ram! As a whole, permit numbers will stay the same across the board, except for the Whites, where both hunt periods saw a decrease. More hunts equal more random permits, which, as we know, is widely supported by residents and non-residents alike. Harvest success was great across the board in 2025. California is the land of giant rams for those lucky few who end up with tags each year, and this is largely due to how conservatively they manage their permit allocation. A maximum of tags up to 15% of the number of legal rams counted can be issued, meaning California must count seven legal rams (rams with 1/2 curl) to issue one permit. It may be hard to draw a sheep permit in California, but for those who are fortunate enough to draw, they will be in for a hunt of a lifetime.

The hardest part of sheep hunting in California is actually getting the permit.

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