Idaho Bighorn Sheep · Unit 28-1L
Idaho Unit 28-1L covers 277,791 acres and lies 19 miles west of Salmon. 99% of it is public land, mostly national forest (99%). In 2025, 2 people hunted rocky mountain bighorn here and took 2 (sum of published weapon rows). Its most applied-for hunt, 5026, put up 2 tags (all residencies) in the 2026 draw for 20 nonresident first-choice applicants, 1 of whom drew.
No points in this draw. Every applicant has the same chance each year.
1 license · NR capped at 10%
first choice, NR
not published
99% Forest Service
277,791 acres
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only. The written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Every License in Unit 28-1L
| What | Season | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 5026 | Rams Only Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, any weapon, Hunt Area 28-1L | 5% (small sample) |
First-choice nonresident odds, 2026 draw. No points in this draw: every applicant has the same chance.
Draw results: IDFG 2026 Hunt Planner drawing odds, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
If you draw (2026 nonresident fees): $2,857.50 ($2,857.50 to apply). Open Apr 1 – Apr 30, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
Harvest
| Year | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (summed) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2024 (summed) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2023 (summed) | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2025 by License | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky mountain bighorn | 2 | 2 | 100% |
2025 split: firearm 2 (100%)
What Idaho Department of Fish and Game publishes after each season, for everyone who hunted the area: harvest statistics, not draw odds. Idaho Department of Fish and Game publishes no whole-unit line for 2025; a year's total is the sum of published weapon rows, added only where the lines do not overlap. Idaho's figures are counts from mandatory hunter reports and check stations rather than survey estimates, so they behave differently from the survey states. Source: IDFG 2025 Hunt Planner Harvest Statistics; IDFG 2024 Hunt Planner Harvest Statistics; IDFG 2023 Hunt Planner Harvest Statistics.
The Ground
| National Forest | 274,161 ac | 99% |
| Private | 3,595 ac | 1% |
| Other public | 34 ac | <1% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office 2026 BLM Surface Management Agency.
What the Agency Says About the Area
That portion of Unit 28 within the Panther Creek drainage downstream from and including the Copper Creek and Black Bird Drainage; and that portion of Unit 28 within the Salmon River drainage downstream from and including the Pine Creek drainage.
▸ Sources 7
- IDFG 2026 Hunt Planner drawing odds draw results, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- IDFG 2026 License, Tag, and Permit Costs fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- IDFG 2025 Hunt Planner Harvest Statistics harvest, area description, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- IDFG 2024 Hunt Planner Harvest Statistics harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- IDFG 2023 Hunt Planner Harvest Statistics harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- IDFG 2025 Controlled hunt area boundaries boundary, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office 2026 BLM Surface Management Agency land ownership, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
About These Numbers
Odds are from the 2026 draw, the latest on file, computed from Idaho Department of Fish and Game's published results. They are what happened in that draw, not a forecast. Under five tags a percentage carries a *, because one applicant either way swings it. A dash means the agency did not publish the number, and a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward. How we compute these.
Report an error on this page
We don't take applications: check Idaho Department of Fish and Game's site and apply there.
Prior-draw odds from Idaho Department of Fish and Game's results, not a forecast · Methodology · All Idaho bighorn sheep hunts