Available Arizona Sheep Hunts --- Search HF Aventures
Arizona is the king of trophy Desert sheep, but it comes at a cost. Arizona manages their bighorn sheep harvest as conservative as any state with most units averaging between two and six permits. The cost is draw odds, which if we are honest, even if Arizona was more aggressive and gave out more permits, the odds would still be horrific. However, if you are lucky enough to draw a tag, you are in for a world-class hunt. Arizona has the highest average score of harvested Desert rams than any other state at an unreal 162". The average score has been steadily increasing, while the average age has been pretty steady at between 7 and 8 years old since 1985.
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Arizona has two different types of Desert bighorn sheep – Nelsoni and Mexicana. The Nelsoni reside in the northern half of Arizona, and the Mexicana reside in the southern half. There are a few subtle differences that separate these species, but at the end of the day, both are Desert bighorn sheep and any chance to harvest one is one of the most coveted opportunities in the hunting world. Populations remain solid across the state with near 100% harvest for all hunts. Most Desert sheep units within the state have 170" potential with some rams hitting that 180" mark. For the most part, the bigger rams will come from the southern units that hold Mexicana sheep.
This year, Arizona has done some moving around with shifting tags, combining hunts, as well as combining units. With all the changes in permits and hunts, it’s a little astonishing that the overall permit numbers remained the same year over year. Non-residents did lose two Desert sheep hunts in units 15C North and 44A East but picked up unit 40A again. For sheep, a hunt has to have at least two permits for non-residents to be eligible to draw one of them. If a hunt only has one permit, residents are the only applicants who are eligible to draw that permit. This is big when applying as the system will allow the applicant to apply for a hunt they are not eligible for. We have separated these hunts out into two different tables so as not to confuse resident-only hunts.
Rocky Mountain bighorns may not be as widespread as their Desert counterparts, but Arizona boasts some of the most impressive rams in the West. In 2023, the average Boone and Crockett (B&C) score for Rocky Mountain bighorns reached 169", a testament to their quality. Tag numbers, for the most part, stayed the same this year with the same units as last year for nonresidents to apply for. Nevertheless, the potential for impressive rams persists across all Rocky units, with every unit producing close to 170"+ rams in 2023 and the capability to yield a 180"+ ram. For hunters, it’s crucial to monitor the number of tags issued in the bonus pass, especially for those without maximum points as several tags are allocated through this pass.
The most important thing to pay attention to in Arizona is where the random permits typically go. The reason we want to focus on those units that don’t spit out as many giant rams is because of the way Arizona conducts its sheep draw. Arizona awards 20% of the permits to applicants with the highest number of bonus points in the draw (bonus pass). The non-resident quota is set up so that non-residents can only draw up to 10% of the overall statewide sheep quota, which is 15 total sheep permits for the 2024 season. That is the only bright spot when it comes to non-resident applications because typically 90%-100% of non-resident permits are allocated in the random draw where everyone has a shot at drawing them. The odds are that almost all of the bonus permits will be awarded to resident applicants in units that typically produce giant rams. In the sheep tables, we listed the total number of permits and number of available permits in the random draw for each unit. Pay attention to this stat if you have less than 34 points, and avoid those units that historically issue all tags in the bonus pass.
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General Season | Oct. 1-Dec. 31
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Search our database of Arizona Bighorn Sheep opportunities.
The Arizona Big Game online application deadline for sheep is 11:59 p.m. Arizona time on June 4, 2024.
Our online/print magazine has everything in one location: Application info, draw details and odds, fees, hunter requirements, point structure, age restrictions, youth information, weapon restrictions, other tag opportunities, hunt planning and much more. If you would like access to all of our research join today!
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| 365-Day Hunting & Fishing License | $160 |
| Youth Combo Hunting & Fishing License (ages 10-17) | $5 |
| Application Fee or Bonus Point Only (per species) | $15 |
| PointGuard Plus (365-day membership, all species) | $25 |
| PointGuard Option (per species) | $10 |
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| Bighorn Sheep Permit | $1,800 |
Arizona Bighorn Sheep Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine
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