Just moved to Colorado. Am a resident.
Is there a strategy in applying for sheep tag(s)? I won't live long enough to get a tag via preference points. I understand that desert sheep tags are not part of the preference point scam.

I just moved from CO. You need to enter the draw every year. You can just apply for a preference point for a couple of years and then do your homework for the area(s) you want to hunt and put in for that area until you get drawn.
Lot's of sheep in unit 76 and I know a good sheep guide if you need.
One of my friends drew his sheep tag after 4 years of applying and I know one that has at least 12 preference points.

Go with an outfitter in Canada for Big Horns. Chance of drawing one here in the states is slim unless your loaded and can afford an auction tag.

Your odds of drawing are less than 1%. Desert sheep tags have no preference points so the odds are still less than 1%. If you want a Colorado sheep tag find a rancher that is in the wildlife for ranching pgm. and buy a tag. They used to go for around 50k$, today they are probably 100k$. If you start collecting points when you are a kid you might live long enough to draw one. DPW publishes the stats each year that will tell you how many it will take for any given unit.
All this tells us that there are way too many hunters and not enough resources.
C.G.B.

I was lucky in 2018 and drew my CO bighorn with 3 + 7 weighted points. The crazy thing about CO sheep, moose and goat is you never know when you might get drawn because of the selection process. I have a buddy who has been applying for CO moose since before there was a preference point system for that species. He's still waiting for his tag with max points.

I've drawn 3 sheep tags and 1 mtn goat tag----I've been applying since 1981. Moose---I've been applying since the start---still applying.

I killed a nice ram in 98. Mtn goat in 2000.

Got lucky---drew a NR WY moose & NM oryx.

You have to apply to have a chance.

quote:

Originally posted by cgbach:
Your odds of drawing are less than 1%. Desert sheep tags have no preference points so the odds are still less than 1%. If you want a Colorado sheep tag find a rancher that is in the wildlife for ranching pgm. and buy a tag. They used to go for around 50k$, today they are probably 100k$. If you start collecting points when you are a kid you might live long enough to draw one. DPW publishes the stats each year that will tell you how many it will take for any given unit.
All this tells us that there are way too many hunters and not enough resources.
C.G.B.

Colorado doesn't have a Wildlife for Ranching Sheep hunt.

I've been applying for Desert Sheep in Colorado since 1997 with no luck yet. And yes I'm Graybirds friend that has zero Moose luck since 1986, been applying since they were just like Desert Sheep = no preference points. I have maximum points for Moose and have tried Rifle, Archery and Muzzleloader options for Bull Moose as well as bought thousands of dollars of Raffle tickets.
I think this might be my year !

Dogcat you will have an opportunity to draw a Bighorn Sheep tag after you accumulate your third point, you can always apply for a ewe hunt.

Sure it is, Colorado residents only.
https://cpw.state.co.us/Docume...ure/SheepandGoat.pdf
Ranching for wildlife and Bighorn sheep access program. I thought the Trinchera ranch used to be in there, but it is not listed now. I think the new owner has really reduced the hunting on the ranch.
C.G.B.