Idaho’s Rocky Mountain bighorns are doing well and populations across the state seem to be holding steady or growing. The sheep hunting in Idaho is arguably some of the toughest sheep hunting in the West today. The terrain they inhabit is some of the most steep, rugged, and remote wilderness country found anywhere. While the average ram harvested in Idaho is typically in the low to mid-160s, there are a handful of 170” class rams and a few 180”+ harvested each year. If you are just looking for a good, mature ram, there are plenty of units to choose from. Unit 11 is still the clear choice for applicants looking for their best chance to take a giant ram. The new late-season hunts that were opened in 2021 & 37L last year both saw 100% hunter success, though took smaller rams than the average class taken on the earlier hunts.
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Idaho’s California sheep population, on the other hand, continues its battle with disease and predation issues. In efforts to bolster unit 41’s growth rate and increase the genetic diversity in these animals, 5 rams and 25 ewes were brought in from Oregon’s John Day herd in January of this year. To eliminate the possibility of one of these rams being harvested prior to the rut, this hunt will be closed for the upcoming 2026 season. At the expense of one tag being lost this season, this is a very positive development for the outlook of the Jacks Creek sheep.
The news is not so good for unit 40. A ram traveled south miles from Oregon’s Leslie Gulch herd, moving through most of the unit before being lethally removed. While this ram did test positive for M. ovi, it did have the antibodies. It’s possible that another sheep carrying the disease traveled with it, remaining with the herd in the Reynolds Creek area in the northern end of the unit and thereby transmitting the disease. In any case, disease testing efforts were ramped up in the unit, and all four Reynolds Creek sheep tested came back positive for M. ovi. It was assumed that all of the 30 to 35 sheep in this area of the unit were infected and, accordingly, were lethally removed. IDFG will not decide until late March whether the unit 40 hunt will be open for 2026, but it sounds like the recommendation will be to close it. If it is not closed, you will have three options to consider for your California sheep application. The hunts in units 42 and 55 offer similarly sized rams. Unit 40 usually turns out the state’s best ram each season, and the rams harvested on this hunt have had better bases than those in neighboring units.
Idaho gives hunters the opportunity to apply for Rocky Mountain bighorn or California bighorn sheep. Between both subspecies, there will be 100 draw permits available throughout the state in 2026. Of these, 94 are for Rocky Mountain bighorns and 6 are for California bighorns. IDFG allocates up to one non-resident permit for each hunt (when 10% of the overall statewide quota is met by non-residents, the draw is then shut down for all remaining non-resident applicants, and the remaining permits are all awarded to residents). The 10% cap applies to the Rocky Mountain and California permit total collectively. Last year, there were 2,276 non-resident sheep applicants in the Idaho bighorn draw. When the 10% cap was hit by non-residents, none of them had drawn their Rocky tag, and one had drawn their California ram tag. If the California sheep hunt in unit 40 is closed this year, only nine total permits may be allotted to non-residents in the 2026 draw. While 1 in 228 simple odds may seem long, they’re as good as you’ll find for either subspecies of sheep if you aren’t sitting on a bunch of points in other states.
Please review the state regulations for specific units and dates.
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The Idaho sheep application deadline is April 30, 2026.
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| Adult Up-Front Fees | ||
| Annual Hunting License and Access Fee | $195 | Non-refundable |
| Trophy Species Application Fee | $45.75 | Non-refundable |
| Online and Phone Application Processing Fee | $90.03 | Non-refundable |
| Bighorn Sheep Permit | $2,626.75 | Refunded if unsuccessful |
| Adult Application Subtotal | $2,957.53 | $330.78 total non-refundable |
| Youth Up-Front Fees | ||
| Annual Hunting License and Access Fee | $95.75 | Non-refundable |
| Trophy Species Application Fee | $45.75 | Non-refundable |
| Online and Phone Application Processing Fee | $87.05 | Non-refundable |
| Bighorn Sheep Permit | $2,626.75 | Refunded if unsuccessful |
| Youth Applicant Subtotal | $2,855.30 | $228.55 total non-refundable |
Idaho Bighorn Sheep Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine
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