San Rafael (South) desert bighorn sheep unit: draw, harvest and public land
San Rafael, South is a 1,357-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 11 rams on 12 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 97.5% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (748,798 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)Other public land (highways, other state land)San Rafael, SouthNeighboring desert bighorn sheep unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southeastern Region (Price office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 868,636 acres (1,357 square miles) |
| Public land | 97.5% (846,973 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 1 (DWR guidebook) |
| Rams harvested, 2025 | 11 on 12 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 92 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 789 residents, 2,003 nonresidents (12 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 1, 537 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Hanksville, Emery, Green River and Torrey |
When are the 2026 desert bighorn sheep hunts on San Rafael, South?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6610 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 12-Nov. 10 | 789 | 10 | 2,003 | 2 |
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 Rafael, South each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover San Rafael, South's once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 12 hunters afield took 11 rams, 92 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 9 from 11 hunters on 12 permits.
| Year | Hunt | Permits | Hunters afield | Rams harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | DS6610 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 91.7% | 11.2 | 4.4 |
| 2024 | DS6610 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 81.8% | 8.3 | 4 |
| 2023 | DS6610 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 91.7% | 9.5 | 4.5 |
| 2022 | DS6610 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 100% | 9.2 | 4.9 |
| 2021 | DS6610 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 100% | 12.7 | 4.9 |
| 2020 | DS6610 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 100% | 13.3 | 4.8 |
| 2019 | DS6610 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 100% | 10 | 4.5 |
| 2018 | DS6610 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 85.7% | 8.3 | 4.9 |
| 2017 | DS6610 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 87.5% | 13.4 | 4.5 |
| 2016 | DS6610 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 85.7% | 8.4 | 4.6 |
| 2015 | DS6610 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 100% | 11 | 4.8 |
| 2014 | DS6610 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 100% | 11 | |
| 2013 | DS6610 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 100% | 10.6 |
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 San Rafael, South
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Rams harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6610 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 12 | 12 | 11 | 91.7% | 11.2 | 4.4 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
San Rafael, South 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) | 11 of 12 | 9 of 12 | 11 of 12 | 12 of 12 | 10 of 10 | 11 of 11 | 8 of 8 | 6 of 7 |
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 San Rafael, South desert bighorn sheep permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 789 residents put a San Rafael, South desert bighorn sheep hunt first and 10 drew a permit, 1.3% of them; 2,003 nonresidents applied first choice and 2 drew (0.1%). In 2024, 810 residents applied first choice and 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6610 | Desert bighorn sheep | 789 | 10 | 2,003 | 2 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6610 | 26 to 27 | 18 to 25 | 32 | 13 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS6610 | Desert bighorn sheep | 810 | 11 | 2,123 | 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 San Rafael, South is public land?
97.5% of the San Rafael, South desert bighorn sheep unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 846,973 of 868,636 acres. The largest share is BLM, 748,798 acres or 86.2% of the unit. 2,499 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of San Rafael, South |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 748,798 | 86.2% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 97,642 | 11.2% |
| State park (park rules) | 9,305 | 1.1% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 2,499 | 0.3% |
| DWR wildlife land | 533 | 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 430 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 9,429 | 1.1% |
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.
DWR wildlife management area inside the unit: Lower San Rafael River WMA (537 acres).
DWR's Walk-In Access program has 1 active hunting property on private land in the unit, about 52 acres. Each has its own rules: DWR Walk-In Access.
What other hunts share the San Rafael, South 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 Rafael, South it covers |
|---|---|---|
| San Rafael, Desert | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| San Rafael, South-Dirty Devil | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| Manti/San Rafael | general-season deer | 100% |
How do you get to the San Rafael, South unit?
Highways through the unit: US 50 and I-70 (one road, about 105 miles inside it). Towns inside: Hanksville. Nearby: Emery (8 miles), Green River (12 miles), Torrey (15 miles) and Lyman (17 miles). Rivers: Fremont River (29 miles) and San Rafael River (8 miles).
Which desert bighorn sheep units border or overlap San Rafael, South?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Rams harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Mountains | 1,299 | 88.6% | 2 (2025) |
| San Rafael, Dirty Devil | 2,048 | 77.7% | 8 (2025) |
| San Rafael, North | 1,682 | 85.5% | 8 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 desert bighorn sheep hunts on San Rafael, South?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunt on San Rafael, South: Rifle (any legal weapon) Sept. 12-Nov. 10 (DS6610).
How many rams were harvested on San Rafael, South in 2025?
11, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 12 hunters afield on 12 permits, 92 rams for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 9.
How many people apply for San Rafael, South desert bighorn sheep permits?
789 residents and 2,003 nonresidents made a San Rafael, South hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 10 residents and 2 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is San Rafael, South mostly public land?
Yes. 97.5% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (748,798 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the San Rafael, South desert bighorn sheep unit?
Hanksville is inside the unit. Just outside: Emery (8 miles), Green River (12 miles) and Torrey (15 miles).
DWR's boundary description for San Rafael, South
Emery, Sevier, and Wayne counties: Boundary begins at the junction of I-70 and SR-24; south on SR-24 to SR-95; south on SR-95 to a point two miles south of SR-24; west along an imaginary line that is two miles south of (and parallel to) SR-24 to the Burr Trail-Notom road; north along the Burr Trail-Notom road to SR-24; east on SR-24 to Caineville and the Caineville Wash road; north along the Caineville Wash road to the Cathedral Valley road; northwest on the Cathedral Valley road to the Capital Reef National Park boundary; north and west on this east side park boundary to the Cathedral Valley road; west on this road to Rock Springs Bench and the Last Chance Desert road; north on this road to the Blue Flats road; north and east on this road to the Willow Springs road; north on this road to the Windy Peak road; north and west on this road to I-70; east on I-70 to SR-24. EXCLUDES ALL NATIONAL PARKS. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Loa, Hanksville, Salina, San Rafael Desert. Boundary questions? Call the Price office, 435-613-3700.
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 Henry Mountains San Rafael, Dirty Devil San Rafael, North