Utah Pronghorn Bighorn Sheep

Unit San Rafael, North (San Rafael)

Utah Hunting Guide — Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep

San Rafael, North is a pronghorn hunt in east-central Utah, managed by UDWR through the weighted-random bonus-point draw.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit San Rafael, North

San Rafael, North is a pronghorn hunt in east-central Utah, managed by UDWR through the weighted-random bonus-point draw.

Where to Find Pronghorn on San Rafael, North

Confirm the San Rafael, North pronghorn polygon on the UDWR Hunt Boundary Map. Pronghorn favor open sage and desert flats with good visibility.

How to Hunt San Rafael, North Pronghorn

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Pronghorn Success Rates

UDWR's Big Game Harvest Data page publishes pronghorn success data annually.

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	53	541	9.8%	25
Archery— Limited Entry	18	72	25.0%	11
Muzzleloader— Limited Entry	18	49	36.7%	11

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

UDWR's weighted-random bonus-point draw issues these tags.

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit San Rafael, North

The San Rafael North desert bighorn unit covers the northern San Rafael Swell in Emery County — a maze of sandstone reefs, slickrock canyons, and desert benches that hold one of Utah's healthier desert bighorn herds. The unit is predominantly BLM-managed public land within the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, and the limited-entry tag is among the most coveted in the state. We treat this as a once-in-a-lifetime tag and plan accordingly.

Where to Find Bighorn in San Rafael North

Desert bighorn in the San Rafael North unit use classic canyon-country escape terrain. We focus glassing on the steep, broken ground rather than the flats.

Sandstone Reefs and Rimrock

The San Rafael Reef itself and the interior rimrock systems are the heart of the unit. Rams bed on narrow ledges and feed out onto slickrock benches at first and last light. Glass from opposing ridgelines at distance so you do not push animals before you see them.

Canyon Systems Draining the Swell

Muddy Creek, the San Rafael River corridor, and the smaller side canyons draining north off the Swell concentrate ewe groups and younger rams. Mature rams often separate into satellite groups on the benches above these canyons during late summer and early fall.

Water and Mineral Sources

Natural seeps and BLM-maintained guzzlers are the difference-makers in this arid country. Map every documented water source during scouting — bighorn patterns tighten around reliable water once temperatures climb.

How to Hunt Bighorn in San Rafael North

With roughly 10 tags issued across a 3-year window and nearly 2,000 applicants chasing them, a San Rafael North tag deserves a full-season approach. We scout hard and hunt smarter.

Pre-Season Glassing Trips

We recommend at least three multi-day scouting trips before the season — one in late summer, one during early fall, and one right before opening day. Catalog individual rams by horn character and track where they bed and water. This unit rewards hunters who already know which ram they are hunting on opening morning.

Long-Range Glassing, Short Stalks

Set up with a 15x-on-tripod binocular and a quality 65-85mm spotter. Glass for bedded rams from a mile or more away, then commit to a patient stalk using terrain features. The sandstone reefs have countless hidden draws that let you close distance unseen if you plan the route.

Guide vs. DIY

Many successful San Rafael North tag holders hire a local guide for at least the scouting phase. Given the terrain complexity and the rarity of the tag, the cost is reasonable insurance. DIY is absolutely doable if you can commit 15-20 scouting days.

Shot Placement and Recovery

Rams bed in country where a shot through the vitals may still mean a half-mile cliff fall. Choose shot angles that push the ram away from the cliff edge. Pack a full cape and horn-protection kit — a broomed horn takes a tumble poorly.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle72%

Desert bighorn success in San Rafael North is typically very high — published UDWR harvest summaries routinely show 80-100% success across the small permit pool. The limited-entry structure and the fact that tag holders invest heavily in scouting drives the near-total harvest rate. Ram quality is solid, with mature rams commonly in the 155-170 B&C class and occasional outliers above 175.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	3	617	0.5%	25

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Utah UDWR runs a weighted bonus-point lottery for limited-entry bighorn: 50% of permits go to the highest-point applicants (max-points pool) and 50% are awarded through a random weighted draw where each bonus point adds one more chance in the hat. With roughly 10 tags issued over the last 3 years against 1,962 applicants, overall odds sit near 0.5% per year. Max-point residents have realistically drawn the permit in recent years; zero-point applicants are effectively buying a lottery ticket.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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Water

Limited; pack drinking water.

🛣️

Road Conditions

Paved highway with BLM and two-track routes.

🥾

Terrain Difficulty

Moderate desert flats and rolling terrain.

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Hunting Pressure

Low to moderate.

🌦️

Weather

Temperature swings and wind are common.

📱

Cell Service

Spotty off main corridors.

🏘️

Nearest Town

Price and surrounding towns provide services.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does Utah's pronghorn draw work?

UDWR uses a weighted-random bonus-point draw.

Where are the official unit boundaries?

The UDWR Hunt Boundary Map is the authoritative polygon source.

How does Utah's bighorn sheep draw work?

Utah UDWR uses a weighted bonus-point lottery. Half of the permits go to the applicants with the most bonus points (the max-points pool), and the other half are drawn randomly with each bonus point acting as an additional chance in the random pool. Desert bighorn is a once-in-a-lifetime species in Utah.

What are my realistic odds for a San Rafael North bighorn tag?

With about 10 tags over the last 3 years and nearly 2,000 applicants, overall odds sit near 0.5% per year. Residents with 15+ bonus points have a realistic shot in the max-points pool; low-point applicants are effectively playing the random side of the draw.

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Sources & Verification

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

UDWR Big Game Application Guidebook — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Utah big game permits are issued through UDWR's weighted-random bonus-point draw, Guidebook documents season structure, unit boundaries, and permit types · accessed 2026-04-17
UDWR Hunt Boundary Map — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Authoritative GIS polygon viewer for Utah hunt unit boundaries · accessed 2026-04-17
UDWR Big Game Harvest Data — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Annual harvest statistics and post-season classification data for Utah big game units · accessed 2026-04-17
San Rafael Swell Recreation Area — U.S. Bureau of Land Management — Price Field Office · supports: Primary land manager across the San Rafael Swell is BLM, Access is via I-70 corridor with numerous unimproved roads penetrating the Swell · accessed 2026-04-17

Unit San Rafael, North (San Rafael)

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit San Rafael, North

Where to Find Pronghorn on San Rafael, North

How to Hunt San Rafael, North Pronghorn

Pronghorn Success Rates

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit San Rafael, North

Where to Find Bighorn in San Rafael North

Sandstone Reefs and Rimrock

Canyon Systems Draining the Swell

Water and Mineral Sources

How to Hunt Bighorn in San Rafael North

Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification