Bighorn Sheep Hunt Area 22, Dubois Badlands: harvest, seasons and public land
Bighorn Sheep Hunt Area 22 (Dubois Badlands) covers 135 square miles in WGFD's Lander Region and is 34.5% public land, most of it BLM (16,164 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 5 active hunters took 3 bighorn sheep here, 60% success. The 2026 season table lists 2 license rows here.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WGFD reports for 2021 to 2025. Seasons: WGFD Commission Chapter 9, final April 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the Office of State Lands, read 2026-10-18.
National forestBLMState trust landWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Area 22Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Absaroka (200) |
| Size | 135 square miles (86,247 acres) |
| Public land | 34.5% (29,733 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 3 (60% of 5 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1 |
| Special archery opens | August 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Dubois |
How much public land is in Bighorn Sheep Area 22?
34.5% of bighorn sheep Area 22 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 29,733 of 86,247 acres. The largest share is BLM, 16,164 acres or 18.7% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 22 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 16,164 | 18.7% |
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 15,521 | 18% |
| State trust land | 13,556 | 15.7% |
| National forest | 13 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 13,578 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 8,553 acres next to other public land, 3,448 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1,577 acres no known public access. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
PAD-US maps 15,521 acres here inside the Wind River Reservation. Tribal land there is not open to hunting on Wyoming licenses; some ground inside the reservation line is private or managed by WGFD and follows its own rules.
WGFD access areas in Bighorn Sheep Area 22
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Spence and Moriarity (35,658 acres here) and Kirk Inberg/Kevin Roy (17,276 acres here).
Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's hunt area boundary (WGFD bighorn sheep hunt areas) from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land). Access areas: WGFD's WHMA, PAA, HMA and Walk-In boundaries. Wilderness: USFS wilderness boundaries as WGFD publishes them.
How many bighorn sheep are harvested in Bighorn sheep Area 22?
WGFD estimates 3 bighorn sheep were taken in bighorn sheep Area 22 in 2025: 3 rams, 0 ewes and 0 lambs. 5 hunters hunted, and 60% of them took an animal.
| Year | Licenses | Active hunters | Harvest | Rams | Ewes | Lambs | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 60% | 35 | 11.7 |
| 2024 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 69 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50% | 35 | 17.5 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 18 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 10 | 3.3 |
Source: WGFD 2025 bighorn sheep harvest report, page 8 of the PDF; earlier years from 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021. WGFD counts a hunter as active if he hunted. Days per animal is worked out from WGFD's own two figures.
When is bighorn sheep season in Bighorn Sheep Area 22 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open August 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 22:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Aug 15 to Aug 31 | Sep 1 to Oct 31 | 3 | Any ram |
| Type 1 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Any ram; also valid in Area 5 |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 9 (final, April 2026), page 2. WGFD can change a season by emergency rule: check WGFD's regulations page before you go.
How do you get to Bighorn Sheep Area 22?
Highways through the area: US 287 (about 3 miles inside it) and US 26 (about 3 miles inside it). Nearby: Dubois (on the line).
Which bighorn sheep hunt areas border Area 22?
Bighorn sheep Area 22 touches 4 other bighorn sheep hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 4 | Yount's Peak | 1,327 | 99.3% | 17 (2025) |
| Area 5 | Franc's Peak | 2,649 | 57% | 28 (2025) |
| Area 9 | Dinwoody | 252 | 94.5% | 1 (2025) |
| Area 10 | Jakey's Fork | 395 | 90.1% | 5 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Bighorn Sheep Area 22?
34.5% of bighorn sheep Area 22 is public land: 29,733 of its 86,247 acres, the largest share BLM (16,164 acres). Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data.
What is the hunter success in Bighorn Sheep Area 22?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 60%: 5 active hunters took 3 bighorn sheep. In 2024 it was 0% (0 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does bighorn sheep season open in Bighorn Sheep Area 22 in 2026?
The special archery season opens August 15. The earliest regular season row opens September 1 and the latest closes October 31, by WGFD Commission Chapter 9. Each license type has its own dates and limitations, listed on this page.
What is the closest town to Bighorn Sheep Area 22?
No town is inside it. The nearest is Dubois (on the line).
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters and days: WGFD bighorn sheep harvest reports, 2021 to 2025, listed here.
- Seasons, quotas and limitations: WGFD Commission Chapter 9 (final, April 2026), page 2.
- Licenses: WGFD issues bighorn sheep licenses by drawing; its demand reports are on WGFD's draw results page.
- Hunt area boundary: WGFD bighorn sheep hunt areas. Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land). Highways and towns: Census TIGER/Line 2024 and the 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Numbers are copied from WGFD and the other agencies named, or measured by FilledTag from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag. WGFD's regulations are the final word on every rule.
Wyoming hunting Bighorn sheep hunt areas Lander Region Area 4 Area 5 Area 9 Area 10