Oregon Bighorn Sheep

Hunters just getting into the bighorn sheep application game may want to really look at Oregon as there is no point system. The odds are tough, but everyone is equal every year. If you are going to apply for bighorn sheep in Oregon, make sure you apply or build points for every species you are interested in as it's only $8 per application. Also, don’t forget to buy a raffle ticket when you apply as Oregon also raffles off a bighorn sheep tag.

Oregon is going to give a non-resident Rocky Mountain sheep tag again in the Bear Creek unit. The sheep are located 10+ miles from the trailhead. This is going to be a real physical sheep hunt. Do not apply if you're not in good shape or cannot ride a horse. There is an outside chance at a 170" ram for a hunter who hires an outfitter or spends a lot of time hunting the unit.

If you are looking for a 170"+ California bighorn sheep, your options are the John Day River unit or the East Deschutes River unit. The John Day unit produced a 178" ram, whereas the best ram out of the East Deschutes River went 175". The John Day River unit has a very large sheep population, and there will be a total of 26 tags issued in this unit over three different seasons. The East Deschutes River unit has a healthy sheep population as well and will issue nine tags on the east side of the river. There will be two non-resident tags available for the second hunt in John Day and one tag available for the second hunt in the East Deschutes River.

If you are looking for a California bighorn ram and enjoy hunting in more desert-type terrain, your options are the East Beatys Butte/Alvord Peaks or South Central units. Both units have a lot of public land and have an outside chance to produce 170".

If you are looking to hunt a California bighorn sheep ewe, you should look at applying for the hunt in the Deschutes River unit or on the John Day unit. There is one permit available for the Deschutes River unit and two on the John Day unit for a non-resident hunter. The ewe tag is $1,513.50. 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 the ewe tags.

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