Where To Start

A sheep tag can take years to draw, so the best time to start is now. These steps take a hunter from first application to the mountain.

Checklist graphic of six steps toward a first sheep hunt: points, choosing states, training, gear, practice and joining a sheep group
Six steps toward a first sheep hunt.

Step 1: Start building points

Apply in the states with sheep draws every year, even when the odds look poor. Points and chances add up, and some hunters draw sooner than expected. Read Tags and Draws for how the systems work.

Step 2: Choose your sheep and states

Decide whether desert bighorn, Rocky Mountain bighorn, Dall or Stone sheep come first. Compare permit numbers, nonresident quotas and success rates in Best States.

Step 3: Train for steep country

Start a fitness plan well before any hunt. Weighted pack hikes, hill climbs and leg strength work make the biggest difference.

Graphic showing three ways sheep tags are issued: draws, over-the-counter licenses and conservation auction or raffle tags
Draws, over-the-counter licenses and conservation tags.

Step 4: Build and test your gear

Assemble optics, pack, boots, clothing and shelter, then use them on scouting trips and other hunts. Sheep Hunting Gear covers the essentials.

Step 5: Practice at real distances

Practice from field positions, in wind and at the distances sheep country demands. Know your limits and stay within them.

Step 6: Join a wild sheep group

The Wild Sheep Foundation and state sheep societies run raffles, volunteer projects and seminars. Members learn from experienced sheep hunters and help fund the herds they hope to hunt.

Step 7: Hunt the country first

Scout sheep ranges on other hunts, hikes or a ewe tag. Learning to find sheep before holding a ram tag pays off when the draw finally comes.

Hunter standing on a rocky ridge above a broad desert valley
Desert sheep country means long views and rough ridges.

Questions are welcome through the Contact Us form.

Step 8: Plan the budget

A drawn bighorn tag on public land can be hunted on a modest budget, while guided Dall and Stone sheep hunts often cost five figures. Setting money aside each year means the hunt is affordable when the tag comes.

What to expect on a first hunt

Expect long days of glassing, hard climbs and many hours without seeing a ram. Most successful sheep hunters say patience mattered more than anything else. A ram found on the last day counts just as much as one found on the first.

Learn from other sheep hunters

Seminars at wild sheep conventions, state sheep society banquets and volunteer projects such as water development and herd counts are the best places to meet experienced sheep hunters. Many will share advice on units, gear and conditioning with a hunter who is willing to put in the work.

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