Oregon Bighorn Sheep

Unit 548 (548)

Oregon Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep

Oregon Sheep Hunt 548 is a California bighorn tag in the Lower Owyhee country of Malheur County, covering the deep basalt canyons carved by the Owyhee River and Succor Creek below the reservoir. The terrain is classic desert bighorn habitat — rimrock benches, talus slides, and broken rhyolite cliffs dropping 1,500 feet into the river corridor. Tags here are among the toughest to draw in the Pacific Northwest: roughly 900 applicants chase a single permit across the three-year window, and almost every ram killed here is full-curl mature. Access is overwhelmingly BLM public land administered by the Vale District, with the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness Study Areas forming the core of the hunt.

View Draw Odds Oregon Hunting Guide

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 548

Where to Find Bighorn Sheep in Unit 548

California bighorns in Hunt 548 live almost exclusively on the rimrock and talus benches above the Owyhee River between Leslie Gulch and the Idaho line, with a secondary band in the Succor Creek and Three Fingers Rock country.

Leslie Gulch and Mahogany Mountain

The Leslie Gulch drainage draining into Owyhee Reservoir holds the most consistent rams in the unit. Sheep use the honeycombed rhyolite spires on south and southwest aspects for bedding and drop into the creek bottoms to water morning and evening. Rams tend to hold on the benches 500 to 1,000 feet below the canyon rim.

Three Fingers Rock and Succor Creek

North of Leslie Gulch, the Three Fingers Rock formation and the broken country along upper Succor Creek hold smaller bands. These sheep are less pressured and occasionally produce the heaviest rams in the unit because mature animals drift here away from the reservoir traffic.

Lower Owyhee Canyon

From Birch Creek downstream toward the Idaho border, the Owyhee River canyon narrows into a continuous rimrock gauntlet. Sheep are distributed thinly here but use every side canyon. Jet-boat access from the reservoir or long foot approaches from the rim two-tracks are the two realistic options.

How to Hunt Bighorn Sheep in Unit 548

Hunt 548 is a glassing hunt — boots, optics, and patience. With one tag in hand, the right move is to scout hard in late summer and have three or four rams located before opening day.

Pre-Season Scouting

Plan at least one multi-day trip in August. Sheep are on summer range and visible on open rimrock at first and last light. Use 15x binoculars on a tripod from rim vantage points and a spotting scope to age rams. Ewes and lambs will be grouped; mature rams are often solitary or in bachelor pairs higher on the formations.

Opening Day Setup

Most hunters kill their ram in the first week of the season. Be camped on the rim above your target band the night before. Glass from 45 minutes before shooting light and let the ram commit to his bedding spot before closing the distance. Shots inside 300 yards are normal once you have positioning.

Canyon Approach and Pack-Out

If your ram is below the rim, plan the descent carefully. Loose rhyolite and cliff bands make the wrong line dangerous. Drop off benches rather than chutes, and identify your pack-out route before you commit to the stalk. A full cape, skull, and deboned meat from the canyon floor can easily be a 12-hour pack — budget accordingly and bring help.

Water and Heat Management

Early-season temperatures on the rims can exceed 90 degrees. Carry far more water than you think you need, start early, and be off the south-facing exposures by late morning during September hunts.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle70%

Hunt 548 is a once-in-a-lifetime tag that historically runs at or near 100% success. Harvest quality is exceptional — nearly every ram recovered here is full-curl, and several have scored into the mid-170s B&C for California bighorn. With only one or two tags issued annually against roughly 900 three-year applicants, this is one of the most exclusive sheep hunts in Oregon.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Controlled	1	900	0.1%	0

Data from 2022 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Oregon allocates 75% of controlled-hunt tags by preference points and 25% by random draw — the bonus-point pool is NOT squared. For bighorn sheep specifically, Oregon treats the tag as once-in-a-lifetime: a successful applicant cannot reapply for any Oregon bighorn hunt. With roughly 900 applicants competing for a single tag across a three-year window, preference-point applicants in the top of the pool will typically draw the 75% allocation, and everyone else is competing in the random 25%. Realistically, expect odds under 1% in the random draw and a very high point total to win the preference share.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Very limited. Small trailers can reach Leslie Gulch Campground via the gravel road from Succor Creek, but larger rigs should stage at Ontario or Jordan Valley.

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Camp Sites

Dispersed camping on BLM land throughout the unit. Leslie Gulch Campground (BLM, primitive, 12 sites) sits at the heart of the best sheep country. Succor Creek State Natural Area also offers primitive camping.

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Trailer Access

Marginal. The road into Leslie Gulch is gravel with steep grades and switchbacks — rigs over 25 feet are not recommended. Horse trailers can make it with care.

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Water

Limited. The Owyhee River and reservoir are the only reliable water sources. Side-canyon springs are seasonal. Pack all drinking water.

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Road Conditions

Gravel and two-track. The Succor Creek-Leslie Gulch road is passable in dry conditions in any high-clearance vehicle; it becomes impassable when wet. Most rim access requires 4WD.

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Terrain Difficulty

Extreme. Rhyolite cliff bands, loose talus, and 1,500-foot elevation changes from rim to river. Technical scrambling is often required to reach sheep below the rim.

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Hunting Pressure

Very low — only 1 to 2 tags issued, so you effectively have the unit to yourself. Occasional float-boaters and rockhounds on the reservoir in September.

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Weather

Early-season (September) temperatures range from lows near 45°F to highs over 90°F on the rims. Late-season hunts see freezing nights and potential snow. Thunderstorms can make the clay soils impassable.

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Cell Service

None in the unit interior. Spotty signal on the highest rims looking toward Ontario or Boise. Carry a satellite communicator.

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Nearest Town

Jordan Valley (population ~170, fuel and basic supplies) is the nearest town at the south end of the unit. Ontario, Oregon (full services, ~80 miles) is the closest full-service town.

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Permit Notes

Bighorn sheep is a once-in-a-lifetime tag in Oregon — successful applicants are permanently removed from future bighorn draws.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to draw the Oregon 548 bighorn sheep tag?

Very hard. Roughly 900 applicants compete for 1 to 2 tags over a three-year window. Random-draw odds typically run under 1%, and the preference-point share requires a near-max point total. Oregon treats bighorn as once-in-a-lifetime, so successful applicants cannot reapply.

What's the success rate on Oregon Unit 548 bighorn sheep hunts?

Hunt 548 historically runs at or near 100% success, with nearly every ram taken being full-curl mature. It is among the highest-quality sheep hunts in the Pacific Northwest.

Where should I scout first if I draw the 548 tag?

Start with Leslie Gulch on Owyhee Reservoir — the rhyolite spires and benches above the gulch are the most consistent sheep concentration. Expand to Three Fingers Rock and the lower Succor Creek country if you need to locate more rams.

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Sources & Verification

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

ODFW Bighorn Sheep Hunting — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: California bighorn range and hunt boundaries, Statewide sheep population distribution, Once-in-a-lifetime tag structure for Oregon bighorns · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Controlled Hunt Statistics — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunt 548 applicant totals and tag counts, Historical success rates for Lower Owyhee sheep, 75/25 preference-point / random draw allocation · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Vale District — Owyhee Canyonlands — Bureau of Land Management · supports: Owyhee Wilderness Study Area boundaries, Public land access points and roads, Seasonal closures and vehicle restrictions · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Controlled Hunt Navigation — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: 75/25 preference-point / random draw structure, Application deadlines and point purchase periods, Once-in-a-lifetime species rules for bighorn · accessed 2026-04-17