San Juan (North) desert bighorn sheep unit: draw, harvest and public land
San Juan, North is a 612-square-mile once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep unit in DWR's Southeastern Region of Utah. Once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunters here took 1 ram on 3 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 61.4% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (223,503 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, 2020 to 2025. Draw: DWR's 2024 and 2025 results. Land: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)National park or monument (NPS, no hunting)State park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)San Juan, NorthNeighboring desert bighorn sheep unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southeastern Region (Price office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 391,409 acres (612 square miles) |
| Public land | 61.4% (240,412 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 1 (DWR guidebook) |
| Rams harvested, 2025 | 1 on 3 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 33 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 120 residents, 0 nonresidents (3 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Monticello |
When are the 2026 desert bighorn sheep hunts on San Juan, North?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6622 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 12-Nov. 10 | 120 | 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 San Juan, North each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover San Juan, North's once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunts in 6 years from 2020 to 2025. In 2025, 3 hunters afield took 1 ram, 33 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 3 from 3 hunters on 3 permits.
| Year | Hunt | Permits | Hunters afield | Rams harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | DS6622 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 33.3% | 16 | 1.7 |
| 2024 | DS6622 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100% | 5.3 | 4.7 |
| 2023 | DS6622 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100% | 13 | 5 |
| 2022 | DS6622 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | 10 | 4.3 |
| 2021 | DS6622 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 33.3% | 13.7 | 3.3 |
| 2020 | DS6622 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 15.5 | 4.5 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2020 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 San Juan, North
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Rams harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6622 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 33.3% | 16 | 1.7 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
San Juan, North by weapon, year by year
Rams harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2020:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 1 of 3 | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | 2 of 3 | 1 of 3 | 2 of 2 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2020 to 2025. An empty cell means DWR printed no hunt of that kind on this unit that year.
How many hunters apply for San Juan, North desert bighorn sheep permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 120 residents put a San Juan, North desert bighorn sheep hunt first and 3 drew a permit, 2.5% of them; no nonresident applied first choice. In 2024, 166 residents applied first choice and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6622 | Desert bighorn sheep | 120 | 3 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6622 | 25 to 26 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6622 | Desert bighorn sheep | 166 | 3 |
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 San Juan, North is public land?
61.4% of the San Juan, North desert bighorn sheep unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 240,412 of 391,409 acres. The largest share is BLM, 223,503 acres or 57.1% of the unit. 149,316 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of San Juan, North |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 223,503 | 57.1% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 149,316 | 38.1% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 16,858 | 4.3% |
| National forest | 51 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 1,681 | 0.4% |
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 San Juan, North 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 San Juan, North it covers |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| San Juan | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| San Juan, Elk Ridge | limited-entry deer | 100% |
How do you get to the San Juan, North unit?
No numbered highway crosses the unit. Nearby: Monticello (17 miles). Rivers: Colorado River (15 miles).
Which desert bighorn sheep units border or overlap San Juan, North?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Rams harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Sal, Potash/South Cisco | 1,462 | 73.1% | 7 (2025) |
| San Juan, Lockhart | 570 | 94.4% | 1 (2025) |
| San Juan, South | 812 | 78.3% | 2 (2025) |
| San Rafael, Dirty Devil | 2,048 | 77.7% | 8 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 desert bighorn sheep hunts on San Juan, North?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunt on San Juan, North: Rifle (any legal weapon) Sept. 12-Nov. 10 (DS6622).
How many rams were harvested on San Juan, North in 2025?
1, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 3 hunters afield on 3 permits, 33 rams for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 3.
How many people apply for San Juan, North desert bighorn sheep permits?
120 residents and 0 nonresidents made a San Juan, North hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 3 residents and 0 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is San Juan, North mostly public land?
Yes. 61.4% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (223,503 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the San Juan, North desert bighorn sheep unit?
No town is inside it. The nearest: Monticello (17 miles).
DWR's boundary description for San Juan, North
San Juan County: Boundary begins at the Colorado River and SR-95; east and north along the Colorado River to the confluence with Indian Creek; southeast along Indian Creek to the Canyonlands National Park boundary; south along this boundary to SR-211 at Canyonlands National Park entrance; east and south on SR-211 to the Bridger Jack Road; south on this road to the North Cottonwood cutoff road down to North Cottonwood Creek; south on this creek to the USFS boundary line; west on the USFS boundary line to Calf Canyon then continuing south along the USFS boundary to the Woodenshoe Road; northwest on this road to the Fortknocker Canyon Road; northwest on this road to SR-95; northwest on SR-95 to the Colorado River. EXCLUDES ALL NATIONAL PARKS.
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 Southeastern Region Utah draw deadlines La Sal, Potash/South Cisco San Juan, Lockhart San Juan, South San Rafael, Dirty Devil