SA-44
ARIZONA DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP
ARIZONA GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT
Amber Munig - Terrestrial Wildlife Branch
P: 623.236.7355
BOOTH# 1551
Arizona is the place for a quality Mexicana desert bighorn sheephunt and produces an astounding number of large, old rams. On average a third
of Arizona rams taken make the B& C book every year with several scoring
better than 180”. The 2020 season was again a great year for Mexicana bighorn
sheep hunters in Arizona with 34 rams scoring more than 168”, 25 of those
greater than 170”, and there were 5 rams scoring over 180”. Predictions for the
2022 seasons are every bit as good. The 2020 Special Tag holder took a 10-year
old ram green scoring 183. There is no finer opportunity than Arizona for
taking an exceptional Mexicana desert bighorn sheep.
Arizona’s desert sheep country is some of the most picturesque in the West, and an excellent backdrop for the desert bighorn sheep hunt of your life. Bighorn sheep are managed very conservatively in Arizona. The winning
bidder for this tag will have 365 days to pursue a desert bighorn sheep in
Arizona’s best Mexicana sheep units. The units open for this hunt include: 16B,
22 South, 24B, 28 (south of U.S. Hwy 70), 31, 32, 37A, 37B, 39, 40A, 40B, 41,
42, 43A, 43B, 44A, 44B, 45A, 45B, 45C (including the Kofa NWR), 46A, and 46B
(including the Cabeza Prieta NWR) as described in Commission Order 29. The
buyer of this tag must provide the name of the hunter to be printed on the tag
to the Arizona Game and Fish Department within 60 days of the auction. The
hunter to be named on the tag is now also required to possess or purchase a
valid Arizona hunting license (the hunting license is no longer included with
the tag).
All proceeds from the sale of this tag are used to fundon-the-ground bighorn sheep projects such as translocations, water
developments, surveys, habitat enhancements, and highway mitigation research.
No administrative expenses incurred by either the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep
Society or the Wild Sheep Foundation come from this sale; it all goes on the mountain.
To date, this tag has raised more than $6million strictly for bighorn sheep management: Arizona’s entire bighorn sheep
special tag program (3 tags in total) has raised over $12.5 million. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is grateful to the individual hunters and the wildlife
conservation organizations that continue to help fund Arizona’s bighorn sheep
management program! It is a huge success.
The Arizona Special Big Game License-Tag is valid for any desertbighorn sheep ram in the hunt areas listed above as prescribed in rule
R12-4-120, from August 15, 2022–August 14, 2023; that’s a 365-day season. Please contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department (azgfd.com) or the Arizona Desert Bighorn
Sheep Society (adbss.org) for more information.
During the week of January 9-16th you will be able to contact Auction Support at 406-404-8765.