Oregon Bighorn Sheep

Oregon will again offer non-residents a total of six bighorn sheep ram tags and three ewe tags in 2026. The ram tags available for this year will come from one Rocky Mountain bighorn unit and four California bighorn units. The ewe tags are all for California bighorn units. The state continues to produce great Rocky Mountain bighorns and California bighorns every year, though both species are recognized as Boone and Crockett as Rocky Mountain bighorns. The state estimates there are between 4,000 and 4,200 California bighorn sheep spread across thirty-two different herds. For Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, they estimate between 800 and 1,000 individuals across eleven different herds. The two biggest Rocky Mountain rams killed in Oregon in 2025 scored 190”. The largest California bighorn killed scored 180”.

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.

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