Idaho controlled hunt 5026: rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, area 28-1
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 66 hunters chose hunt 5026 first, for 2 tags: 1 of 46 residents drew (2%) and 1 of 20 nonresidents (5%). In 2025, 2 hunters on this hunt took 2 bighorn sheep, a 100% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is October 14 to 31, 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 | October 14 to 31, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 2 |
| Hunt area | 28-1, 277,573 acres |
| Unit | 28 |
| Elk zone | Salmon |
| Public land in the area | 99% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Wilderness | Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness 64,913 acres (23.39% of hunt area) |
How many applied for hunt 5026, 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 | 66 | 1 of 46 (2%) | 1 of 20 (5%) | 0 of 23 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 53 | 2 of 40 (5%) | 0 of 13 (0%) | 0 of 30 |
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 5026 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2023 for this hunt: 50 first-choice applicants for 2 tags then, 66 for 2 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5026 | 2 | 66 | 2 (3%) | 46, 1 | 20, 1 |
| 2025 | 5026 (area 28-1L) | 2 | 53 | 2 (4%) | 40, 2 | 13, 0 |
| 2024 | 5026 (area 28-1L) | 2 | 63 | 2 (3%) | 47, 2 | 16, 0 |
| 2023 | 5026 (area 28-1L) | 2 | 50 | 2 (4%) | 33, 2 | 17, 0 |
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 5026). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 5026?
In 2025, 2 hunters reported on hunt 5026 and 2 took one: 100% success. In 2024 it was 2 taken by 2 hunters, 100% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 3 most recent years in the table, 100% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5026 (area 28-1L) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2024 | 5026 (area 28-1L) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2023 | 5026 (area 28-1L) | 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 5026) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 28-1?
IDFG's description of hunt area 28-1: That portion of Unit 28 within the Panther Creek drainage downstream from and including the Copper Creek and Black Bird Drainage; and that portion of Unit 28 within the Salmon River drainage downstream from and including the Pine Creek drainage.
It covers 277,573 acres.
| Land manager in area 28-1 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Forest Service (USFS) | 98.69% |
| Private | 1.29% |
National forest: Salmon National Forest. Check the forest's road and area closures before you go.
Wilderness in the area: Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness 64,913 acres (23.39% of hunt area). No motorized vehicles are allowed in wilderness.
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 28-1; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 5026?
- 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 28-1
| Hunt | Species and take | Weapon | Season | Tags | First-choice applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5012 | Rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | Any weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 13 | 3 | 84 |
Other 2026 bighorn sheep hunts in unit 28: 5010 (27-3), 5013 (28-2), 5016 (36B). All bighorn sheep draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 5026 in 2026?
66 hunters listed hunt 5026 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 2 tags. 1 of 46 resident first choices drew, and 1 of 20 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 5026?
IDFG reports 2 hunters took 2 bighorn sheep on hunt 5026 in 2025, 100% success. Over the last 3 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 100% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 5026 in 2026?
October 14 to 31, 2026. It is rams only, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, any weapon, in hunt area 28-1 (IDFG, Moose, Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat 2025 & 2026 Seasons & Rules, page 17).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 28-1?
IDFG describes hunt area 28-1 as: "That portion of Unit 28 within the Panther Creek drainage downstream from and including the Copper Creek and Black Bird Drainage; and that portion of Unit 28 within the Salmon River drainage downstream from and including the Pine Creek drainage." It covers 277,573 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 5026 and hunt area 28-1; 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 28 Salmon Zone Idaho deadlines and fees