CDFW Drops Bighorn Sheep Plan: Three New Hunt Zones Proposed for 2026-27 Season and more updates
CDFW released the North Central Deserts Bighorn Conservation Unit Plan on February 10, 2026, unlocking major new desert bighorn hunting opportunities. The plan recommends 3 brand-new hunt zones — Granite/North Bristol, Providence/Woods/Hackberry, and Castle/Piute Mountains — with conservative quotas that could boost the unit’s total tags from the current 5 to as many as 15 starting in the 2026-27 season. With roughly 900 healthy desert bighorn in the unit and strong science-based management, this marks one of the biggest expansions of sheep hunting opportunity in California in years.