Colorado Parks and Wildlife vows to continue with an aggressive approach to sheep hunting in the state, issuing as many tags as they feel necessary to sustain healthy sheep populations. This management tool has been proven to help prevent pneumonia outbreaks from occurring and will hopefully do just that in the future. This year, CPW will issue over 300 sheep tags statewide for lucky applicants to draw.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages most of the sheep units in the state for a six- to eight-year-old ram harvest objective. They take an aggressive approach to harvesting mature rams; mature rams are more susceptible to disease and, given the severity of winters in sheep territory, are seen as living on borrowed time. Ram size and quality varies throughout the state, with western rams typically exhibiting horn growth rates that often exceed those of rams harvested in the eastern portions of the state. This is mainly due to the severity of high-elevation winters out west and the better, easier-to-access feed in eastern regions. Every once in a while, however, a giant, odds-defying ram gets harvested out of a western unit. Hunters will want to remember that most sheep hunts in Colorado are extremely physical and not to be taken lightly. The terrain that these animals live in is very rugged, and hunters will want to be in good physical and mental shape before taking on the challenge.
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Colorado continues to be a top destination for outdoor enthusiasts and recreational hikers, and sheep are consistently looking for a reprieve from these activities. This ever-increasing encroachment into historic bighorn sheep habitat is pushing sheep into new, oftentimes rougher, steeper country. This constant activity by recreationalists has changed sheep feeding and bedding habits, oftentimes making harvesting a lot tougher—even with all the advancements in technology. For instance, CPW is changing season dates for the early archery in S34 this year, in response to increased recreational use in that area; sheep are a popular wildlife-watching attraction, and the additional foot traffic pushes them onto private land. To counteract this, hunters are going to want to do their homework if successful in the draw. Scouting both in the field and digitally will be a huge asset as a greater human presence throughout the year has made sheep herd movements harder to predict. Becoming familiar with the entire unit may mean the difference between harvesting a sheep or leaving the mountains empty handed. Alternatively, if your schedule does not allow for scouting, you’ll need to hire a great outfitter willing to put all that work in for prior to your hunt.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep herds in Colorado have had their ups and downs, but they continue to be strong overall with an estimated population slightly north of 7,000 sheep. Sixty-nine GMUs are open to Rocky Mountain bighorn hunting. Sheep have, for the most part, remained healthy throughout the state in recent years, with the exception of units S32, S56, and S62 where outbreaks of pneumonia have resulted in significant die-offs and little to no lamb recruitment. Right now, sheep are rebounding in all areas except those north of I-70, which include Georgetown (S32), St. Vrain (S37), Big Thompson Canyon (S57), Lower Poudre River (S58), Poudre River (S1), and Rawah (S18). Populations in these areas have half as many bighorns as they had five years ago. As a result, tags have been cut and there is only, on average, one tag available in each of those units.
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In 2026, Colorado will issue an estimated total of 308 Rocky Mountain bighorn permits, which is an increase of six permits from 2025. Ram and either-sex licenses are decreasing from 224 to 220. Ewe tags are increasing from eighty-two to a total of eighty-eight. Of those permits, thirty are set aside for non-residents, up from twenty-eight in 2025. Twenty-four of those are rifle permits, split between seventeen rams and seven ewes, and six are archery-only permits, with five ram permits and one ewe permit. Colorado and Utah are the only states in the West that have archery-specific Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep hunts. Archery hunts are difficult and have lower success rates, but they provide better draw odds than rifle hunts. Of those archery hunts, S34 and S69 are more archery friendly.
The Greenhorns (S35) are closing due to low sheep numbers from poor lamb recruitment. There was no hunt for non-residents previously. In Pikes Peak (S6), wildlife biologists are still observing sick lambs and adults following a pneumonia outbreak. Only the lambs appear to have been fatally affected, and biologists are hopeful that the deaths have stopped, allowing the population to stabilize. Despite the outbreak, the Pikes Peak sheep population has continued to grow the last three years and 2025 saw increased lamb recruitment. Similar to the Greenhorns, there haven’t been any non-residents tags in S6 previously. This year, however, non-residents will gain both a ram and an ewe tag.
The Grant herd in S4 has continued to grow. CPW added a resident ram tag for 2026. This unit may offer a non-resident tag in the future if the population continues to grow and remain healthy. The Sangre De Cristo (S9) herd has continued to thrive, growing steadily over the last three years. The population is estimated at 325 sheep. There will be a few non-resident tags offered in S9 this year.
Other changes for non-residents in 2026 include the addition of an S3 archery ewe tag. In S34, the second-season archery ram hunt is moving to the first-season hunt. S20 and S61 are getting a ram tag for the first-season rifle hunt. S74 is losing its ram tag. The first-season rifle ram tag in Snowmass East (S13) is being switched over to Snowmass West (S25) as the population on the west side of the wilderness has been doing better than its counterpart on the east side. Up until last year, there was only one ram tag available in this unit. Last year, two resident-only tags were available. This year, residents lost a tag; that tag will now be going to non-residents.
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Colorado is home to a second species of bighorn: the Desert bighorn sheep. They call the western border of the state home, and current CPW surveys estimate the population at around 500 sheep. The population is doing great, and declines in numbers in the Black Ridge area have stabilized. In 2026, Colorado will issue fifteen permits—the same number as in 2025. Once again, there will only be a single non-resident permit, and it will be in unit S62 for the ninth year in a row. A 160” class ram is a realistic expectation for the unit. If hunters put in their time and pick through the available sheep, they should have a successful hunt and turn up a mature ram.
There is no point system for Desert bighorn sheep in Colorado, which puts everyone on an even playing field in the draw. However, nonresidents between applying for Rocky Mountain or Desert sheep, as you can’t do both. Like all sheep permits in the Lower Forty-Eight, odds are dismal at best, but you can’t draw if you don’t apply. Applicants had a 1 in 2,352 chance in 2025. But there’s good news. If you’re not building points, you’re already applying for other species in the state, or you’ve already killed a Rocky Mountain bighorn and need a Desert sheep, it’s a great add-on species at an out-of-pocket cost of only $11.49.
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The Colorado big game application period deadline is April 7, 2026 at 8 p.m. MDT.
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| Annual Small Game Hunt License (required to apply) | $104.86 |
| Youth Annual Small Game Hunt License (under age 18, required to apply) | $2.53 |
| Habitat Stamp (required for adults to apply) | $12.76 |
| Draw Application (per species) | $11.49 |
| Youth Point Fee (all species) | NONE |
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| Desert Bighorn Sheep | $2,823.53 |
| Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep | $2,823.53 |
Colorado Bighorn Sheep Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine
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