Pine Valley (Virgin River) desert bighorn sheep unit: draw, harvest and public land
Pine Valley, Virgin River is a 157-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 2 rams on 3 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 74.8% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (66,957 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.
BLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landTribal land (tribe's rules)State park (park rules)Other public land (highways, other state land)Pine Valley, Virgin RiverNeighboring desert bighorn sheep unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southern Region (Cedar City office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 100,750 acres (157 square miles) |
| Public land | 74.8% (75,385 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 1 (DWR guidebook) |
| Rams harvested, 2025 | 2 on 3 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 67 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 650 residents, 0 nonresidents (3 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Santa Clara, St. George, Ivins and Washington |
When are the 2026 desert bighorn sheep hunts on Pine Valley, Virgin River?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6620 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 24-Dec. 25 | 650 | 3 |
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 Pine Valley, Virgin River each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Pine Valley, Virgin River's once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunts in 7 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 3 hunters afield took 2 rams, 67 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 2 from 2 hunters on 2 permits.
| Year | Hunt | Permits | Hunters afield | Rams harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | DS6620 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | 15 | 3.7 |
| 2024 | DS6620 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 8.5 | 5 |
| 2023 | DS6620 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| 2022 | DS6620 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 11 | 4.5 |
| 2021 | DS6620 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 6.5 | 5 |
| 2020 | DS6620 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 1.5 | 5 |
| 2013 | DS6605 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100% | 4.7 |
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 Pine Valley, Virgin River
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Rams harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6620 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | 15 | 3.7 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Pine Valley, Virgin River by weapon, year by year
Rams harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2013:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | |
| Weapon not printed | 3 of 3 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025. An empty cell means DWR printed no hunt of that kind on this unit that year.
How many hunters apply for Pine Valley, Virgin River desert bighorn sheep permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 650 residents put a Pine Valley, Virgin River desert bighorn sheep hunt first and 3 drew a permit, 0.5% of them; no nonresident applied first choice. In 2024, 569 residents applied first choice and 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6620 | Desert bighorn sheep | 650 | 3 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6620 | 28 to 29 | 20 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6620 | Desert bighorn sheep | 569 | 2 |
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 Pine Valley, Virgin River is public land?
74.8% of the Pine Valley, Virgin River desert bighorn sheep unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 75,385 of 100,750 acres. The largest share is BLM, 66,957 acres or 66.5% of the unit. 11,980 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Pine Valley, Virgin River |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 66,957 | 66.5% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 11,980 | 11.9% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 8,428 | 8.4% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 106 | 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 13,279 | 13.2% |
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 Pine Valley, Virgin River 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 Pine Valley, Virgin River it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Pine Valley | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| Pine Valley | general-season deer, with its limited-entry hunts | 100% |
| Pine Valley | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 100% |
How do you get to the Pine Valley, Virgin River unit?
Highways through the unit: I-15 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Santa Clara. Nearby: St. George (on the line), Ivins (on the line), Washington (6 miles) and Hurricane (13 miles). Rivers: Virgin River (12 miles).
Which desert bighorn sheep units border or overlap Pine Valley, Virgin River?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Rams harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Valley, Beaver Dam | 2,449 | 70.7% | 3 (2025) |
| Zion | 1,724 | 50.7% | 3 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 desert bighorn sheep hunts on Pine Valley, Virgin River?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunt on Pine Valley, Virgin River: Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 24-Dec. 25 (DS6620).
How many rams were harvested on Pine Valley, Virgin River in 2025?
2, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 3 hunters afield on 3 permits, 67 rams for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 2.
How many people apply for Pine Valley, Virgin River desert bighorn sheep permits?
650 residents and 0 nonresidents made a Pine Valley, Virgin River hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 3 residents and 0 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Pine Valley, Virgin River mostly public land?
Yes. 74.8% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (66,957 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Pine Valley, Virgin River desert bighorn sheep unit?
Santa Clara is inside the unit. Just outside: St. George (on the line), Ivins (on the line) and Washington (6 miles).
DWR's boundary description for Pine Valley, Virgin River
Washington County: Boundary begins at SR-18 and I-15 in St. George; northwest on SR-18 to US-91; southwest on US-91 to the Arizona-Utah state line; east along this state line to I-15; north on I-15 to St. George. USGS 1:100,000 Map: Saint George. Boundary questions? Call the Cedar City office, 435-865-6100.
From DWR's 2026 unit layer.
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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 Pine Valley, Beaver Dam Zion