The Bighorn Sheep within these HD’s inhabit the vast Beartooth Wilderness and contain many sub herds. Bighorn Sheep in these HD’s are at normal to above average population levels. Lamb recruitment was good in 2025 and ram harvests that included older age class rams during the 2025 hunting season.

For the past 2 years, Montana Wild Sheep Foundation has been working on regulation adjustments along with members of MOGA for these HD units. One adjustment put in place in 2025 was a shorter reporting time and season closure for a ram harvest from 48 hours to 24 hours. This was put in place to prevent high, “over quota” ram harvest during hunting season. This new regulation had a strong impact on HD 502 during the 2025 hunting season, with a 2 ram harvest . The outlook for Bighorns in these HD units is good; hopes are high for a continued healthy and strong sheep population.

Bighorn sheep in this HD are at normal to above normal population levels. Sheep in the region are primarily found in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Recent reports from the National Park Service show that this Bighorn sheep herd is at risk of close contact with a small herd of domestic sheep along the Montana Wyoming border. Efforts are being made to find a solution to this problem. Montana Wild Sheep Foundation is working with Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation and the National Parks Service to rebuild a 3/4 mile stretch of fencing that borders the National Park boundary. Other potential projects are to install a cattle guard in place of a gate. When finished, this will help keep the domestic sheep from entering the National Park. We will be asking help from our membership with these projects. It is tentatively slated for early 2026. We are also working on habitat improvement projects in the park. More to come soon.