Idaho controlled hunt 5020: rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, area 51-1
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 103 hunters chose hunt 5020 first, for 2 tags: 2 of 67 residents drew (3%) and 0 of 36 nonresidents (0%). In 2025, 2 hunters on this hunt took 2 bighorn sheep, a 100% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is August 30 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 | August 30 to October 13, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 2 |
| Hunt area | 51-1, 502,266 acres |
| Units | 51, 58 |
| Elk zones | Lemhi, Beaverhead |
| Public land in the area | 87% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
How many applied for hunt 5020, 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, 2 of the 2 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 | 2 | 103 | 2 of 67 (3%) | 0 of 36 (0%) | 0 of 19 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 121 | 2 of 70 (3%) | 0 of 51 (0%) | 0 of 18 |
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 5020 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2019 for this hunt: 247 first-choice applicants for 2 tags then, 103 for 2 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5020 | 2 | 103 | 2 (2%) | 67, 2 | 36, 0 |
| 2025 | 5020 (area 51) | 2 | 121 | 2 (2%) | 70, 2 | 51, 0 |
| 2024 | 5021 (area 51) | 2 | 138 | 2 (1%) | 75, 2 | 63, 0 |
| 2023 | 5021 (area 51) | 2 | 146 | 2 (1%) | 77, 2 | 69, 0 |
| 2022 | 5021 (area 51) | 2 | 74 | 2 (3%) | 40, 2 | 34, 0 |
| 2021 | 5021 (area 51) | 2 | 159 | 2 (1%) | 87, 2 | 72, 0 |
| 2020 | 5022 (area 51) | 2 | 64 | 2 (3%) | 31, 2 | 33, 0 |
| 2019 | 5022 (area 51) | 2 | 247 | 2 (1%) | 130, 1 | 117, 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 5020). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 5020?
In 2025, 2 hunters reported on hunt 5020 and 2 took one: 100% success. In 2024 it was 0 taken by 2 hunters (as hunt 5021), 0% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 5 most recent years in the table, 70% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5020 (area 51) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2024 | 5021 (area 51) | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 2023 | 5021 (area 51) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2022 | 5021 (area 51) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2021 | 5021 (area 51) | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| 2020 | 5022 (area 51) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2019 | 5022 (area 51) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
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 5020) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 51-1?
IDFG's description of hunt area 51-1: That portion of Unit 51 that lies north and east of the Little Lost Highway/Summit Creek Road/Pahsimeroi Road and that portion of Unit 58 that lies south and west of State Highway 28.
It covers 502,266 acres.
| Land manager in area 51-1 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Forest Service (USFS) | 47.17% |
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 38.61% |
| Private | 6.93% |
| U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) | 5.89% |
| State of Idaho | 1.4% |
National forest: Salmon National Forest. Check the forest's road and area closures before you go.
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 51-1; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 5020?
- 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 bighorn sheep hunts in units 51 and 58: 5017 (37), 5018 (37), 5027 (Bannock). All bighorn sheep draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 5020 in 2026?
103 hunters listed hunt 5020 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 2 tags. 2 of 67 resident first choices drew, and 0 of 36 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 5020?
IDFG reports 2 hunters took 2 bighorn sheep on hunt 5020 in 2025, 100% success. Over the last 5 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 70% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 5020 in 2026?
August 30 to October 13, 2026. It is rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, any weapon, in hunt area 51-1 (IDFG, Moose, Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat 2025 & 2026 Seasons & Rules, page 17).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 51-1?
IDFG describes hunt area 51-1 as: "That portion of Unit 51 that lies north and east of the Little Lost Highway/Summit Creek Road/Pahsimeroi Road and that portion of Unit 58 that lies south and west of State Highway 28." It covers 502,266 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 5020 and hunt area 51-1; 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 51 Unit 58 Lemhi Zone Beaverhead Zone Idaho deadlines and fees