Utah Bighorn Sheep

Unit Mineral Mtns (Mineral Mountains)

Utah Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep

The Mineral Mountains rise out of the Escalante Desert in Beaver County, just north of Minersville — a rocky, lightly vegetated range that holds one of Utah's premier California bighorn herds. UDWR logged 366 applicants for just 2 tags across three years, putting this at the top of Utah's tough-draw sheep units. The range is mostly BLM, with some SITLA and private at the base. We rate the Mineral Mountains as a classic backcountry sheep hunt — small unit, small tag count, great rams.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit Mineral Mtns

Where to Find Bighorn in the Mineral Mountains

Sheep here live on rocky knobs and granite faces scattered through the range. Compared to a classic desert sheep unit, there is a bit more vegetation — bunchgrass, sage, and scattered juniper — but rams still hold to steep terrain.

Granite Peak Complex

The rocky high points around Granite Peak hold the core ram groups. Glass from the benches to the east at first light.

South End Knobs

The isolated knobs at the south end of the range provide cover for smaller bachelor groups. Less traffic means these rams rarely see pressure.

Canyon Heads

Spring-fed canyon heads on the west slope hold ewes and traveling rams. Check water sources early and late.

How to Hunt Bighorn in the Mineral Mountains

With only a handful of tags, you will likely be the only hunter in the range. That is a gift — use it by putting in enough time to find every ram worth a look.

Glass the Granite

Set up on benches that give you eyes on rocky knobs across a drainage. A 60mm spotter at 50 power turns ear-sized specks into countable rams.

Move Between Drainages

If the first spot produces only ewes, relocate. The Mineral Mountains are small enough to cover several basins in a day.

Mid-Day Stalks

Once rams bed in the shade of granite outcrops, circle above them using the range's crest. Thermals are tricky in rocky terrain — plan for both up and downhill air.

Horn Judging

California bighorn in this range score in the 150s for a quality ram. Look for broomed tips, heavy bases, and mass carried through the third quarter.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle72%

With only a couple of tags issued per three-year window, Mineral Mountains bighorn success sits near 100% — tag holders treat this as a true once-in-a-lifetime hunt and scout for weeks. Rams here typically score 150 to 170 B&C, with occasional book animals.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	2	366	0.5%	11

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Utah's once-in-a-lifetime bighorn draw splits tags 50/50 between a max-points pool and a random-weighted pool where each bonus point adds another chance. With 366 applicants for 2 tags across three years, raw odds are near 0.5%. The Mineral Mountains is effectively a point-building unit — plan on 20-plus years of applications while buying a small random ticket annually.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Rock Corral accommodates small to mid-sized trailers. No interior RV access.

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Camp Sites

Dispersed BLM camping at the base of the range. Rock Corral Campground on the east side has developed sites.

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Water

Limited. A few springs on the west slope; otherwise pack your own.

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Road Conditions

UT-21 paved to the base of the range. Interior BLM roads are high-clearance; steep rocky pitches on the east side.

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Terrain Difficulty

Very strenuous. Loose granite, steep scrambles, and long glassing approaches.

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Hunting Pressure

Extremely low. The unit typically has fewer than three total sheep hunters per season.

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Weather

Warm and dry through September; late-season hunts bring freezing temperatures at elevation. The granite holds heat well — plan for sun exposure.

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Cell Service

Usable along UT-21; none in the interior.

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Nearest Town

Milford (30 minutes to the range); Beaver for full services.

Note: Rock Corral Campground is a reasonable base for the east side. Plan on glass-and-move hunting with short camps to match where you find rams.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What subspecies of bighorn lives in the Mineral Mountains?

The Mineral Mountains hold California bighorn sheep, transplanted and managed by UDWR. They differ from desert bighorn in the southern Utah canyon units and Rocky Mountain bighorn in the Wasatch-Uintas.

Can I use a guide on this hunt?

Yes. Given the difficulty of the draw, many tag holders hire guides familiar with the range. Verify your guide's license status with UDWR before booking.

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Sources & Verification

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

Utah Bighorn Sheep Hunting — Mineral Mountains unit overview — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Mineral Mtns is a limited-entry California bighorn sheep unit, Bighorn sheep is a once-in-a-lifetime species in Utah · accessed 2026-04-17
2025 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Mineral Mountains boundary uses Milford Highway and BLM road references, Sheep tags drawn through once-in-a-lifetime weighted bonus-point lottery · accessed 2026-04-17
Cedar City Field Office — Mineral Mountains access and management — Bureau of Land Management — Cedar City Field Office · supports: Mineral Mountains are primarily BLM-managed, Access via UT-21 and secondary BLM roads · accessed 2026-04-17