California Big Game hunters — this one’s for you. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has officially released the North Central Deserts Bighorn Conservation Unit (BCU) Plan, and it’s packed with good news: healthy populations, science-driven management, and three brand-new hunt zones on the horizon for the 2026-27 season.
Signed January 15, 2026 and publicly posted February 10, 2026, the full 80-page document is now live on the official CDFW Bighorn Sheep page.
Direct download: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Bighorn-Sheep
(click through to the North Central Deserts PDF:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=241296).
Why This Matters to Hunters
The North Central Deserts BCU spans about 2,000 square miles of rugged public land (mostly BLM and Mojave National Preserve) along the Nevada border and currently holds roughly 900 desert bighorn across eight subpopulations. The plan confirms multiple groups are stable at 150–200 animals each and lays out the data to support sustainable harvest while protecting the resource long-term.
Existing Zones & Current Tags (2025 Season)
California already has 10 Bighorn Sheep hunting zones, 2 of which are located in the North Central Deserts BCU:
- Zone 2 – Old Dad/Kelso Peak Mountains (Hunt Code 502): 3 tags in 2025 (long-time zone since 1987, near-100% success).
- Zone 9 – Cady Mountains (Hunt Code 509): 2 tags in 2025 (opened 2011, consistently produces mature rams).
New Hunt Zones Coming 2026-27
Thanks to the BCU Plan and the linked 2026-27 regulatory proposal, CDFW is recommending three new zones with conservative initial quotas:
- Zone 11 – Granite & North Bristol Mountains: Up to 3 tags
- Zone 12 – Providence, Woods & Hackberry Mountains: Up to 3 tags
- Zone 13 – Castle Mountains & Piute Range: Up to 4 tags
These new areas align directly with strong subpopulations identified in the plan. Quotas will stay conservative and be adjusted every year based on the latest helicopter surveys, camera traps, collar data, and health monitoring.
Bottom line for the North Central Deserts unit: Current 5 tags → proposed increases on existing zones (up to 4 each) + 10 new tags = up to 15 tags possible in this unit alone. Statewide desert bighorn tags could jump from around 30 to as many as 58 with these changes and similar adjustments elsewhere. Huge win for California sheep hunters!
What Every CA Hunter Needs to Know
- Draw: Tags through the Big Game Drawing (preference-point system applies — get those points in now).
- Mandatory: Annual hunter orientation + full checkout of every harvested ram (age, measurements, photos, and samples).
- Season: Typically first Saturday in December through first Sunday in February.
- Success Rates: 90–100% in most desert zones when you do your homework.
- Closures Possible: If disease (especially Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae) shows up, zones can close fast — the plan puts population health first.
Other Cool Stuff in the Plan
- Major push for new and maintained wildlife water developments (guzzlers) to beat climate-driven drought.
- Aggressive feral burro and livestock competition reduction.
- Plans for better connectivity (including potential highway overpasses).
- Strong collaboration with the California Wild Sheep Foundation, Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep, and Desert Wildlife Unlimited — perfect groups for hunters to support or volunteer with on habitat projects.
This document shows CDFW is using real data to grow herds and open more quality hunts at the same time. It’s exactly what hunters have been asking for.
The desert sheep future in California just got a lot brighter. Once-in-a-lifetime rams in brand-new country? Yes, please.
Stay tuned to Hunterizer — we’ll update you the second the Fish & Game Commission locks in final 2026-27 quotas.
Questions or trip reports from these zones? Drop them in the comments. Good luck in the draw, hunters!
