If you are looking for a 170”+ California bighorn sheep, your options for the John Day River unit or the East Deschutes River unit. Last year, the John Day unit produced a 177” ram, while the best ram out of the East Deschutes River was 180”. The John Day River unit has a very large sheep population, and there will be a total of twenty-six tags issued in this unit over three different seasons. The East Deschutes River unit has two on the John Day unit for non-resident hunters. The ewe tag is $1,695. Ewe tags do not count as a once-in-a-lifetime draw for Oregon sheep. Hunters who have already harvested a ram in Oregon may apply for these tags.

Hunters just getting into the bighorn sheep application game may want to consider Oregon as it is one of the few states that does not have a point system for bighorn sheep. The odds are tough, but everyone has equal chances every year. If you are interested in Oregon sheep hunting, make sure you apply or build points for every species you are interested in, as it’s only $10 per application. Oregon also raffles bighorn sheep tags, so don’t forget to buy a raffle ticket when you apply.