Eastern WA, Idaho bighorn rams poached. Rewards of up to $45,000 offered

Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife Police are asking for the public’s help after a bighorn sheep was shot and left to rot in Eastern Washington weeks after a similar incident about 100 miles away in Idaho.

Both were rams.

Rewards of between $30,000 to $45,000 are being offered by nongovernment groups for information leading to a conviction for the poaching of each animal. People providing help leading to an arrest may also be eligible for bonus points for special hunt opportunities.

The bighorn sheep population was rebuilt in Washington after they were eradicated in the 1920s. Although bighorns again roam Eastern Washington, their future remains at risk, according to the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The first poaching incident was east of Riggins in Idaho County, where a sportsman came across a dead bighorn sheep.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials believe the animal was shot and left on the ground between Nov. 20-22.

The second incident was in the southeast corner of Washington. The yearling ram was found in the Peola Game Management Unit about five miles west of Asotin on a hillside near Asotin Creek Road.

Washington Fish and Wildlife police believe it was shot about 12:30 a.m. Saturday Dec. 13.

There is no evidence now to show any connection between the two incidents, according to the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Illegally killing a bighorn sheep in Washington is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. Additionally, a penalty of $4,000 — or $8,000 if a light was used at nighttime — can be assessed, and hunting privileges can be suspended for up to two years.

Bighorns a WA priority species

Bighorn sheep are the largest wild sheep in North America and are a priority species in Washington state.

Priority species require protective measures for survival due to their population status, sensitivity to habitat alteration, or recreational, commercial, or tribal importance.

Bighorn sheep hunting opportunity in Washington is a once in a lifetime harvest opportunity, limited to permit-only hunting.

At the beginning of the 1800s, there were an estimated 1.5 to 2 million bighorn sheep in North America. Today less than 70,000 remain.

Historic overhunting, habitat loss and, most significantly, the spread of the pneumonia pathogen from domestic sheep to wild herds led to the eradication of bighorns from Washington by the mid-1920s.

Reintroduction efforts by hunting and conservation organizations and state game managers have restored the native sheep to Washington, but the threat of disease still looms over the long-term success of bighorn restoration efforts.

As Washington state Fish and Wildlife monitors and manages the state’s bighorn population, people who see the animals are asked to report the observation at wdfw.wa.gov/get-involved/report-observations. Photos and exact coordinates are helpful.

Anyone who has information about the Washington incident should contact Washington state officials by calling WDFW Enforcement at 877-933-9847, emailing reportpoaching@dfw.wa.gov, or texting or sending photos to 847411. Tips also may be left online at wdfw.wa.gov/about/enforcement/report.

Those who can provide information about the Idaho incident can call the Idaho Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 800-632-5999 or the Idaho Fish and Game Clearwater Regional Office at 208-799-5010.

Among those contributing money for rewards for tips in the two cases are Washington Wild Sheep Foundation, Hunter Nation, the Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation, Washington Wildlife First and private donations.

This story was originally published December 24, 2025 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Eastern WA, Idaho bighorn rams poached. Rewards of up to $45,000 offered."