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Colorado Bighorn Sheep

Unit S17 (Collegiate Peaks / Sawatch)

Colorado Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep

Sheep Unit S-17 covers high Sawatch Range bighorn country with cliff bands, alpine tundra, and steep talus. This is a once-in-a-lifetime draw — Colorado's sheep tags are extremely limited and residency-weighted.

View Draw Odds Colorado Hunting Guide
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54%
Public Land

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit S17

Sheep Unit S-17 covers high Sawatch Range bighorn country with cliff bands, alpine tundra, and steep talus. This is a once-in-a-lifetime draw — Colorado's sheep tags are extremely limited and residency-weighted.

Where to Find Bighorn Sheep in Unit S-17

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How to Hunt Bighorn Sheep in Unit S-17

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle78%
Colorado sheep hunts post high success — typically 70-90% — because tags are tiny and rams are locatable with summer scouting. Unit S-17 tracks that pattern.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

SeasonTagsApplicantsDraw %Pts Req
Rifle — 1st Season ewe only (resident) 21315.4% —
Rifle — 1st Season ewe only (nonresident) 000.0% —
Rifle — 1st Season ram only (resident) 52911.7% 3
Rifle — 1st Season ram only (nonresident) 13700.3% 3

Data from 2026 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number.

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S-17 sheep is once-in-a-lifetime with a deep applicant pool. Nonresident allocation is capped. Most residents wait many years to draw. Check the latest CPW draw statistics.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is S-17 sheep a once-in-a-lifetime hunt?
Yes. Colorado classifies bighorn sheep licenses as once-in-a-lifetime — harvest makes you ineligible for future sheep draws.
How physical is this hunt?
Extremely. Multi-day alpine trips at 12,000+ feet with steep, exposed terrain.

Free Hunt Planning Tools

🎰 Colorado Draw Odds Unit-level tag success rates 📅 Application Timeline Deadlines for all 9 states 🦌 Rut Forecast Peak rut timing by species 💰 Hunt Cost Calculator Budget your entire hunt

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

  1. CPW Hunting — Bighorn Sheep — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: Sheep Unit S-17 boundary, Once-in-a-lifetime draw status · accessed 2026-04-17
  2. 2025 Colorado Big Game Brochure — Colorado Parks and Wildlife · supports: 2025 bighorn sheep season dates, Manner of take, Draw process · accessed 2026-04-17
  3. Pike and San Isabel National Forests — USDA Forest Service · supports: Sawatch Range access, Wilderness trailheads · accessed 2026-04-17