New Mexico Bighorn Sheep

New Mexico is producing 180”+ Rocky Mountain bighorns along with 168”+ desert bighorn sheep. There is Boone and Crockett potential in almost every unit for both species. Sheep country in New Mexico varies widely from 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak down to the 4,000-foot desert floor of the White Sands Missile Range. Success rates typically run at 100% on all sheep hunts.

The draw process allows applicants to apply for both desert and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, with up to three choices each. We suggest that you apply for what you consider to be the three best hunts for each species.

If you’re going to draw a sheep tag as a non-resident, you are going to have to be the first non-resident drawn or, in the outfitter draw, one of the first two. If that is the case, one of the top three hunts will still be available. You can list three hunt codes on your sheep application, but two of the codes available are for ewe licenses, which cost the same as the ram licenses. As such, applicants should be careful to avoid applying for an ewe tag unless you are willing to spend $3,523 to harvest an ewe. There will again be thirty ewe tags issued on the Pecos between the rifle, archery, and youth hunts. You can find more information on the ewe hunts on pages 107 and 108 of the regulations.

There is no Rocky Mountain sheep hunt on the planet that has even come close to turning out as many giant rams as the Jemez has over the past two seasons. In 2024, this hunt was opened in 6A/6C after successful reintroduction efforts began in the Jemez Mountains. Between auction-tag and public-draw-tag hunters, most of the seven rams taken have checked in over the 200” mark. Check-in measurements for these rams were recorded as 208 1/8”, 203 6/8”, 201”, 200 1/8”, 197 5/8”, 195”, and 187”. Of course, these types of measurements won’t be sustainable forever, but the future still looks good for another few years of world-class ram production. Recently, new GPS collars were put on a number of sheep, and, in the course, base measurements pushing 18 inches were recorded for some of the rams. Current population estimates sit at 225 to 300 sheep in the herd.

Getting into as many sheep draws as you can is the name of the game if you hope to find yourself experiencing the true hunt-of-a-lifetime. Remember that, with no bonus point system in New Mexico, your odds are just as good as anyone’s. Consider applying attached to an outfitter to increase your odds of drawing a tag.

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