Hunters eager for a chance to pursue Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep may finally get their chance, thanks to a special Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) raffle. Entries for the tag, which is one of the most highly coveted in big-game hunting, are being accepted until June 30, 2025, and every dollar raised will be directed to the Arizona Game & Fish Department Habitat Partnership Committee to continue its stewardship of the state’s wild sheep resources.
“The Wild Sheep Foundation is honored to be able to help as many people as possible who are interested to have a chance at this special tag, and at the same time help the Arizona Game & Fish Department raise the most money possible for the state’s wild sheep populations,” WSF President and CEO Gray N. Thornton said.
This isn’t the average permit, either. The winner will be allowed to hunt from Aug. 15, 2025, through Aug. 14, 2026, in six different areas of Arizona. The drawing is open to the majority of sportsmen outside of the state, but certain limitations do apply. Tickets are $50 each and full details are found online.
This year there are only two ways to receive a tag for hunting bighorn sheep in Arizona. You can get drawn for one—odds are remote, roughly .03 percent last year—or win one of three raffles.
“Whether an auction, raffle, lottery, or state draw, tags being added to license and permit fees, it’s how we fund big-game conservation in this country,” Thornton concluded. “Paying into a sustainable use system for the opportunity to hunt is another way to look at this successful model. Buying tickets for a chance at a special tag might add a level of gambler’s excitement to it, but it’s all going to the same good cause.”
Other Copper State Raffle
Conservation First USA is raffling 10 special big-game tags—elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer, white-tailed deer, bison, turkey, javelina, bear and mountain lion—that allow the lucky winners to pursue the animal they drew almost anywhere statewide from Aug. 15, 2025, to Aug. 14, 2026. Tickets are available online until June 30 here, cost only $10 per species and every dollar raised for each species through the raffle is returned to the Arizona Game and Fish Department and also managed by the Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee.
There is no limit to the number of times you enter. Unlike the WSF raffle, you must be in Arizona when purchasing, be at least 21 years old and there are certain other limitation.
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