Kaiparowits (West) desert bighorn sheep unit: draw, harvest and public land
Kaiparowits, West is a 1,610-square-mile once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep unit in DWR's Southern Region of Utah. Once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunters here took 5 rams on 5 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 96% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (912,280 acres), measured from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: DWR's 2026 guidebook. Harvest: DWR's reports, 2013 to 2025. Draw: DWR's 2024 and 2025 results. Land: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landNational park or monument (NPS, no hunting)State park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Other public land (highways, other state land)Kaiparowits, WestNeighboring desert bighorn sheep unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southern Region (Cedar City office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,030,670 acres (1,610 square miles) |
| Public land | 96% (989,148 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 1 (DWR guidebook) |
| Rams harvested, 2025 | 5 on 5 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 100 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 647 residents, 2,635 nonresidents (5 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Big Water, Henrieville, Cannonville and Escalante |
When are the 2026 desert bighorn sheep hunts on Kaiparowits, West?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunt on this unit, shown here with the 2025 draw for the same hunt number where DWR used it.
| Hunt number | Hunt | 2026 season | 2025 first-choice applicants (residents) | 2025 permits drawn (residents) | 2025 first-choice applicants (nonresidents) | 2025 permits drawn (nonresidents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6603 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 12-Nov. 10 | 647 | 4 | 2,635 | 1 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, page 66; boundaries from DWR Hunt Planner hunt table. DWR can change a season during the year: check the Utah Hunt Planner before you go.
How many rams are taken on Kaiparowits, West each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Kaiparowits, West's once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 5 hunters afield took 5 rams, 100 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 6 from 6 hunters on 6 permits.
| Year | Hunt | Permits | Hunters afield | Rams harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | DS6603 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100% | 6 | 4.4 |
| 2024 | DS6603 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 100% | 4 | 4.2 |
| 2023 | DS6603 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100% | 2.4 | 4.8 |
| 2022 | DS6603 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100% | 3.2 | 4.2 |
| 2021 | DS6603 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 100% | 8 | 4.7 |
| 2020 | DS6603 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 100% | 3.3 | 5 |
| 2019 | DS6603 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 100% | 3.8 | 5 |
| 2018 | DS6603 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 100% | 3.2 | 4.8 |
| 2017 | DS6603 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 100% | 5.1 | 4.7 |
| 2016 | DS6603 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100% | 11.2 | 5 |
| 2015 | DS6603 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 100% | 9 | 4.2 |
| 2014 | DS6603 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 100% | 5.5 | |
| 2013 | DS6603 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100% | 10.3 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025, every once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunt DWR printed for this unit's name each year. CWMU, landowner, conservation and sportsman permits are not included. Harvest per 100 hunters is worked out from DWR's own two numbers.
Each 2025 hunt on Kaiparowits, West
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Rams harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6603 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100% | 6 | 4.4 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Kaiparowits, West by weapon, year by year
Rams harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2018:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 5 of 5 | 6 of 6 | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 11 of 11 | 12 of 12 | 11 of 12 | 6 of 6 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2018 to 2025. An empty cell means DWR printed no hunt of that kind on this unit that year.
How many hunters apply for Kaiparowits, West desert bighorn sheep permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 647 residents put a Kaiparowits, West desert bighorn sheep hunt first and 4 drew a permit, 0.6% of them; 2,635 nonresidents applied first choice and 1 drew (0%). In 2024, 851 residents applied first choice and 5 drew. Limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime permits are drawn on bonus points: DWR reserves half of each hunt's permits for the applicants with the most points and draws the rest at random (Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8).
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6603 | Desert bighorn sheep | 647 | 4 | 2,635 | 1 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6603 | 28 | 20 to 24 | 26 |
From DWR's 2025 drawing results, which list each point level's permits from the reserved half (most points first) and from the random half. A blank cell means no permit of that kind went to the group.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6603 | Desert bighorn sheep | 851 | 5 | 3,785 | 1 |
Source: DWR 2025 drawing results and DWR 2024 drawing results, first-choice applications only, as DWR reports them; DWR leaves out second to fifth choices. The share who drew in a past year is not a forecast for the next draw. Deadlines and fees: Utah draw deadlines and fees.
How much of Kaiparowits, West is public land?
96% of the Kaiparowits, West desert bighorn sheep unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 989,148 of 1,030,670 acres. The largest share is BLM, 912,280 acres or 88.5% of the unit. 8,658 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Kaiparowits, West |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 912,280 | 88.5% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 52,787 | 5.1% |
| National forest | 23,817 | 2.3% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 8,658 | 0.8% |
| State park (park rules) | 3,146 | 0.3% |
| DWR wildlife land | 264 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 29,718 | 2.9% |
Measured by FilledTag inside DWR's 2026 boundary from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). State trust land (SITLA) is open to hunting where it can be reached legally; many sections touch no public road. A permit does not allow hunting on CWMUs, tribal land or national parks.
What other hunts share the Kaiparowits, West desert bighorn sheep unit's ground?
Utah draws a separate map of units for each species and hunt type. These units cover part of the same ground, measured from DWR's 2026 boundaries:
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of Kaiparowits, West it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Kaiparowits | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 68% |
| Boulder/Kaiparowits | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 68% |
| Boulder/Kaiparowits | general-season deer | 68% |
| Barney Top/Kaiparowits | limited-entry bull elk | 62% |
| Kaiparowits HAMSS | limited-entry deer | 62% |
| Paunsaugunt | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 32% |
| Paunsaugunt | limited-entry deer | 32% |
| Mt Dutton/Paunsaugunt | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 32% |
How do you get to the Kaiparowits, West unit?
Highways through the unit: US 89 (about 39 miles inside it). Towns inside: Big Water. Nearby: Henrieville (on the line), Cannonville (on the line), Escalante (on the line) and Tropic (5 miles). Rivers: Paria River (52 miles).
Which desert bighorn sheep units border or overlap Kaiparowits, West?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Rams harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiparowits, East | 1,001 | 63.1% | 13 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 desert bighorn sheep hunts on Kaiparowits, West?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunt on Kaiparowits, West: Rifle (any legal weapon) Sept. 12-Nov. 10 (DS6603).
How many rams were harvested on Kaiparowits, West in 2025?
5, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 5 hunters afield on 5 permits, 100 rams for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 6.
How many people apply for Kaiparowits, West desert bighorn sheep permits?
647 residents and 2,635 nonresidents made a Kaiparowits, West hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 4 residents and 1 nonresident drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Kaiparowits, West mostly public land?
Yes. 96% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (912,280 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Kaiparowits, West desert bighorn sheep unit?
Big Water is inside the unit. Just outside: Henrieville (on the line), Cannonville (on the line) and Escalante (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for Kaiparowits, West
Garfield and Kane counties: Boundary begins at US-89 and the Utah-Arizona state line; west on this state line to the Cockscomb-House Rock Valley road; north on this road to US-89; west on US-89 to the Johnson Canyon road; north on this road to the Skutumpah road; northeast on this road to the Cottonwood Canyon road; north on this road to SR-12; east on SR-12 to the Smoky Mountain road; south on this road to US-89; southeast on US-89 to the Utah-Arizona state line. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Escalante, Kanab, Panguitch, Smoky Mountain. Boundary questions? Call the Cedar City office, 435-865-6100.
From DWR's 2026 unit layer.
Get a Utah hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Utah are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Utah included.
Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, permits, hunters, days and satisfaction: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025 (2025 preliminary).
- 2026 hunts and season dates: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; boundary names: DWR Hunt Planner hunt table.
- Applicants and permits drawn: DWR drawing results, 2024 and 2025.
- Unit boundary: DWR 2026 hunt unit boundaries. Public land: UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). WMAs: DWR public access properties (WMAs). Walk-In Access: DWR Walk-In Access properties (December 17, 2025).
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Numbers are copied from DWR and the State of Utah, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Utah hunting units Southern Region Utah draw deadlines Kaiparowits, East