Idaho controlled hunt 7003: rams only, California bighorn sheep, area 42
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 227 hunters chose hunt 7003 first, for 3 tags: 2 of 111 residents drew (2%) and 1 of 116 nonresidents (1%). In 2025, 3 hunters on this hunt took 1 bighorn sheep, a 33% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is August 30 to October 8, 2026: rams only, California 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, California bighorn sheep |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any weapon |
| Season, 2026 | August 30 to October 8, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 3 |
| Hunt area | 42, 859,602 acres |
| Unit | 42 |
| Elk zone | Owyhee |
| Public land in the area | 96% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Wilderness | Owyhee River Wilderness 259,774 acres (30.22% of hunt area) and Pole Creek Wilderness 13,405 acres (1.56% of hunt area) |
How many applied for hunt 7003, 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, 3 of the 3 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 | 3 | 227 | 2 of 111 (2%) | 1 of 116 (1%) | 0 of 32 | |
| 2025 | 3 | 203 | 3 of 115 (3%) | 0 of 88 (0%) | 0 of 54 |
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 7003 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2023 for this hunt: 230 first-choice applicants for 6 tags then, 227 for 3 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7003 | 3 | 227 | 3 (1%) | 111, 2 | 116, 1 |
| 2025 | 7003 | 3 | 203 | 3 (1%) | 115, 3 | 88, 0 |
| 2024 | 7003 | 4 | 190 | 4 (2%) | 136, 4 | 54, 0 |
| 2023 | 7003 | 6 | 230 | 6 (3%) | 156, 5 | 74, 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 7003). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 7003?
In 2025, 3 hunters reported on hunt 7003 and 1 took one: 33% success. In 2024 it was 5 taken by 6 hunters, 83% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 3 most recent years in the table, 60% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7003 | 3 | 1 | 33% |
| 2024 | 7003 | 6 | 5 | 83% |
| 2023 | 7003 | 6 | 3 | 50% |
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 7003) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 42?
IDFG's description of hunt area 42: All of Unit 42.
It covers 859,602 acres.
| Land manager in area 42 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 92.3% |
| Private | 4.27% |
| State of Idaho | 3.42% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 80.98%, forest 11.14% and riparian 7.63%.
Wilderness in the area: Owyhee River Wilderness 259,774 acres (30.22% of hunt area) and Pole Creek Wilderness 13,405 acres (1.56% of hunt area). No motorized vehicles are allowed in wilderness.
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 42; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 7003?
- Rams Only California 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 42
| Hunt | Species and take | Weapon | Season | Tags | First-choice applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1033 | Antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer | Any weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 24 | 50 | 696 |
| 2018 | Antlered elk | Any weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 24 | 15 | 893 |
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 7003 in 2026?
227 hunters listed hunt 7003 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 3 tags. 2 of 111 resident first choices drew, and 1 of 116 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 7003?
IDFG reports 3 hunters took 1 bighorn sheep on hunt 7003 in 2025, 33% success. Over the last 3 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 60% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 7003 in 2026?
August 30 to October 8, 2026. It is rams only, California bighorn sheep, any weapon, in hunt area 42 (IDFG, Moose, Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat 2025 & 2026 Seasons & Rules, page 18).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 42?
IDFG describes hunt area 42 as: "All of Unit 42." It covers 859,602 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 7003 and hunt area 42; 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 42 Owyhee Zone Idaho deadlines and fees