Idaho controlled hunt 5018: rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, area 37
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 342 hunters chose hunt 5018 first, for 6 tags: 5 of 151 residents drew (3%) and 1 of 191 nonresidents (1%). In 2025, 6 hunters on this hunt took 6 bighorn sheep, a 100% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is September 21 to October 13, 2026: rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, any weapon.
Data updated October 2026. Draws: IDFG's 2026 and 2025 controlled hunt drawing results. Harvest: IDFG's harvest statistics through 2025. Season: IDFG, Moose, Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat 2025 & 2026 Seasons & Rules.
| Species and take | Rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any weapon |
| Season, 2026 | September 21 to October 13, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 6 |
| Hunt area | 37, 1,047,727 acres |
| Units | 37, 50, 51 |
| Elk zones | Lemhi, Pioneer |
| Public land in the area | 89% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Towns in the area | Arco and Mackay |
How many applied for hunt 5018, and how many drew?
Idaho draws controlled hunt tags at random, with no points: each application gets a random number, and tags go to first choices in that order before any second choice is looked at. In 2026, 6 of the 6 tags went to first choices. In a hunt with 19 or fewer tags, no more than one tag may go to a nonresident (brochure page 109).
| Drawing year | Tags | First-choice applicants | Residents who drew | Nonresidents who drew | Second choices: drew of applied | Second drawing: tags issued of offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 342 | 5 of 151 (3%) | 1 of 191 (1%) | 0 of 230 | |
| 2025 | 6 | 395 | 5 of 185 (3%) | 1 of 210 (0%) | 0 of 247 |
Source: IDFG, bighorn sheep controlled hunt drawing odds, 2026 and 2025, first and second drawings. "Drew" is IDFG's count of tags issued to that group's first choices; the percentage is worked out from IDFG's two figures.
How has the draw for hunt 5018 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2015 for this hunt: 397 first-choice applicants for 6 tags then, 342 for 6 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5018 | 6 | 342 | 6 (2%) | 151, 5 | 191, 1 |
| 2025 | 5018 | 6 | 395 | 6 (2%) | 185, 5 | 210, 1 |
| 2024 | 5018 | 5 | 429 | 5 (1%) | 192, 5 | 237, 0 |
| 2023 | 5018 | 5 | 432 | 5 (1%) | 213, 5 | 219, 0 |
| 2022 | 5018 | 5 | 411 | 5 (1%) | 171, 4 | 240, 1 |
| 2021 | 5018 | 5 | 301 | 5 (2%) | 154, 4 | 147, 1 |
| 2016 | 5018 (area 37*) | 6 | 429 | 6 (1%) | 154, 6 | 275, 0 |
| 2015 | 5018 (area 37*) | 6 | 397 | 6 (2%) | 157, 5 | 240, 1 |
First drawing only. IDFG's Hunt Planner lists these years for this hunt, under the hunt number (and, where it differs, the area) used that year (Hunt Planner, hunt 5018). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 5018?
In 2025, 6 hunters reported on hunt 5018 and 6 took one: 100% success. In 2024 it was 5 taken by 5 hunters, 100% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 5 most recent years in the table, 96% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5018 | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| 2024 | 5018 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 2023 | 5018 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 2022 | 5018 | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| 2021 | 5018 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 2016 | 5018 (area 37*) | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| 2015 | 5018 (area 37*) | 6 | 5 |
IDFG's success percentages are its own and can differ slightly from harvest divided by hunters. From IDFG's mandatory hunter reports and check stations, as its Hunt Planner prints them for this hunt (hunt 5018) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 37?
IDFG's description of hunt area 37: All of Unit 37 and that portion of Unit 50 east of U.S. Highway 93 and that portion of Unit 51 west of the Little Lost Highway-Pahsimeroi Road.
It covers 1,047,727 acres.
| Land manager in area 37 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 46.78% |
| U.S. Forest Service (USFS) | 39.84% |
| Private | 10.64% |
| State of Idaho | 2.69% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 79.99%, forest 10.27%, irrigated-sprinkler 6.54% and irrigated-gravity flow 2.33%.
National forest: Salmon-Challis National Forest. Check the forest's road and area closures before you go.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: Arco (US 20-26 US 93) and Mackay (US 93).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 37; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 5018?
- Rams Only Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Only bighorn sheep rams may be taken. Any hunter taking a bighorn ram must leave that portion of the skull plate containing the upper one-half of the eye socket naturally attached to both the horns until after the horns have been pinned by IDFG.
Other 2026 controlled hunts in area 37
| Hunt | Species and take | Weapon | Season | Tags | First-choice applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5017 | Rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | Any weapon | Aug 30 to Sep 20 | 6 | 511 |
| 5028 | Rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | Any weapon | Oct 14 to Oct 31 | 1 | 50 |
Other 2026 bighorn sheep hunts in units 37, 50 and 51: 5020 (51-1), 5027 (Bannock). All bighorn sheep draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 5018 in 2026?
342 hunters listed hunt 5018 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 6 tags. 5 of 151 resident first choices drew, and 1 of 191 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 5018?
IDFG reports 6 hunters took 6 bighorn sheep on hunt 5018 in 2025, 100% success. Over the last 5 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 96% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 5018 in 2026?
September 21 to October 13, 2026. It is rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, any weapon, in hunt area 37 (IDFG, Moose, Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat 2025 & 2026 Seasons & Rules, page 17).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 37?
IDFG describes hunt area 37 as: "All of Unit 37 and that portion of Unit 50 east of U.S. Highway 93 and that portion of Unit 51 west of the Little Lost Highway-Pahsimeroi Road." It covers 1,047,727 acres.
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Where these numbers come from
- Drawing: IDFG controlled hunt drawing odds, 2025 and 2026.
- History, harvest and area: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt 5018 and hunt area 37; IDFG harvest statistics.
- Season and rules: IDFG, Moose, Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat 2025 & 2026 Seasons & Rules; nonresident limit from the big game brochure, page 109.
FilledTag is not part of Idaho Fish and Game. Hunt numbers change from year to year: use the current brochure when you apply. Nothing on this page predicts a future draw.
Idaho bighorn sheep draw results Unit 37 Unit 50 Unit 51 Lemhi Zone Pioneer Zone Idaho deadlines and fees