Washington bighorn sheep hunting: every 2026 permit hunt and its harvest record
Washington's bighorn sheep are hunted by special permit only. WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 14 hunts with 34 permits. In 2025, WDFW counted 57,129 applications for 25 permits, and 24 hunters took 24 bighorn sheep.
Data updated October 2026. Hunts and permits: WDFW's 2026 pamphlet. Harvest: WDFW reports to 2025.
What are Washington's 2026 bighorn sheep hunts?
Every bighorn sheep hunt in WDFW's 2026 pamphlet, with the applicants and average points WDFW prints for the 2025 drawing.
| Hunt | Name | Category | 2026 season | Legal animal | Unit or area | Permits | 2025 applicants / average points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 | Selah Butte | Any ram | Oct. 1-31 | Any ram | Sheep Unit 4 | 2 | New hunt |
| 5001 | Cleman Mountain | Any ram | Oct. 1-31 | Any ram | Sheep Unit 7 | 8 | 7,283 / 20 |
| 5002 | Lincoln Cliffs | Any ram | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 | Any ram | Sheep Unit 12 | 2 | 3,125 / 27 |
| 5003 | Quilomene | Any ram | Oct. 1-31 | Any ram | Sheep Unit 13 | 3 | 6,194 / 19 |
| 5004 | Swakane | Any ram | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 | Any ram | Sheep Unit 14 | 2 | 8,843 / 23 |
| 5005 | Chelan Butte A | Any ram | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 | Any ram | Sheep Unit 18 | 2 | 8,431 / 14 |
| 5006 | Chelan Butte B | Any ram | Oct. 11-Nov. 15 | Any ram | Sheep Unit 18 | 2 | 7,302 / 27 |
| 5007 | Lincoln Cliffs Whitestone Unit | Adult ewe | Sept. 15-30 | Adult ewe | Sheep Unit 20 Whitestone | 2 | 3,394 / 11 |
| 5008 | Swakane | Adult ewe | Oct. 11-31 | Adult ewe | Sheep Unit 14 | 2 | 5,107 / 19 |
| 5009 | Cleman Mountain | Juvenile ram | Sept. 15-30 | Juvenile ram | Sheep Unit 7 | 2 | New hunt |
| 5010 | Chelan Butte | Youth | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 | Sheep Unit 18 | 1 | 1,794 / 5 | |
| 5011 | Swakane | Youth | Oct. 11-31 | Sheep Unit 14 | 2 | New hunt | |
| 5012 | Chelan Butte A | Hunters with disabilities | Oct. 11-31 | Sheep Unit 18 | 2 | 285 / 7 | |
| 5013 | Chelan Butte B | Hunters with disabilities | Oct. 11-31 | Sheep Unit 18 | 2 | 346 / 2 |
Source: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations, pages 65 and 66.
How did each bighorn sheep hunt do in 2025?
WDFW's report for every bighorn sheep hunt of 2025: applications, permits issued, hunters, animals taken and success.
| Hunt | Name | Hunt area | Applications | Permits issued | Hunters | Taken | Success (WDFW) | Hunter days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 | Cleman Mountain | Sheep Unit 7 | 7,454 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 100% | 7 |
| 5001 | Lincoln Cliffs | Sheep Unit 12 | 3,193 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 19 |
| 5002 | Quilomene | Sheep Unit 13 | 6,336 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100% | 5 |
| 5003 | Swakane | Sheep Unit 14 | 9,006 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 6 |
| 5004 | Chelan Butte A | Sheep Unit 18 | 8,573 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 2 |
| 5005 | Chelan Butte B | Sheep Unit 18 | 7,443 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 5 |
| 5006 | Wenaha | GMU 169 | 3,394 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 |
| 5007 | Lincoln Cliffs Whitestone Unit | Sheep Unit 20 | 4,075 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 10 |
| 5008 | Swakane | Sheep Unit 14 | 5,213 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 2 |
| 5009 | Chelan Butte | Sheep Unit 18 | 1,808 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 |
| 5010 | Chelan Butte A | Sheep Unit 18 | 286 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 2 |
| 5011 | Chelan Butte B | Sheep Unit 18 | 348 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% | 6 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (bighorn sheep, 2025).
How has Washington's bighorn sheep harvest changed?
All of WDFW's bighorn sheep hunts added together, year by year since 1997.
| Year | Hunts | Applications | Permits issued | Hunters | Taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | 57,129 | 25 | 24 | 24 |
| 2024 | 14 | 58,749 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| 2023 | 15 | 64,367 | 48 | 47 | 45 |
| 2022 | 18 | 65,507 | 52 | 47 | 41 |
| 2021 | 29 | 75,920 | 102 | 93 | 86 |
| 2020 | 32 | 79,890 | 105 | 83 | 76 |
| 2019 | 30 | 61,877 | 105 | 96 | 93 |
| 2018 | 20 | 51,494 | 53 | 47 | 44 |
| 2017 | 14 | 44,411 | 33 | 31 | 29 |
| 2016 | 16 | 47,342 | 38 | 34 | 31 |
| 2015 | 16 | 45,276 | 31 | 25 | 25 |
| 2014 | 15 | 42,254 | 34 | 32 | 31 |
| 2013 | 13 | 39,749 | 28 | 23 | 22 |
| 2012 | 17 | 38,319 | 38 | 33 | 31 |
| 2011 | 18 | 45,258 | 41 | 37 | 35 |
| 2010 | 18 | 43,979 | 42 | 37 | 37 |
| 2009 | 16 | 41,233 | 39 | 35 | 35 |
| 2008 | 14 | 38,905 | 36 | 33 | 32 |
| 2007 | 12 | 36,564 | 35 | 30 | 30 |
| 2006 | 13 | 31,577 | 36 | 33 | 33 |
| 2005 | 12 | 31,257 | 29 | 23 | 23 |
| 2004 | 10 | 26,524 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| 2003 | 9 | 23,861 | 23 | 23 | 21 |
| 2002 | 6 | 20,148 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
| 2001 | 6 | 17,691 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
| 2000 | 7 | 15,469 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| 1999 | 9 | 13,885 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
| 1998 | 8 | 7,057 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| 1997 | 7 | 6,235 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Source: WDFW Game Harvest Reports (bighorn sheep, 1997 to 2025); the yearly totals are sums of WDFW's figures for each hunt.
Questions hunters ask
How many bighorn sheep permits does Washington offer in 2026?
WDFW's 2026 pamphlet lists 14 bighorn sheep hunts with 34 permits in all (pages 65 and 66).
How many people apply for a Washington bighorn sheep permit?
WDFW's harvest report counts 57,129 applications across the 12 bighorn sheep hunts of 2025, for 25 permits issued. That is about 2,285 applications for each permit, worked out from WDFW's two figures.
How many bighorn sheep were taken in Washington in 2025?
24, by 24 hunters on 12 hunts, by WDFW's report for 2025.
Get a Washington hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Washington included.
Sources: WDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations; WDFW Game Harvest Reports; hunt area outlines from WDFW Hunt Planner, 2026 seasons by unit.
FilledTag is not part of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from WDFW and the State of Washington, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag. WDFW's regulations are the final word on every rule.
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