California bighorn sheep have expanded in this area from more than the 100 sheep released. Sheep in this area can be found living in the rough terrain along the South Fork Owyhee and Owyhee Rivers and their tributaries.

This is a great place for hunters to take sheep, but be prepared for remote desert terrain. Hunters consistently take mature rams because sheep can be found throughout the small parts of the unit, where they spend most of their time.

Located in Owyhee County on the Nevada border, the terrain in this area is made up of desert flats and hills, rimrock bluffs, volcanic buttes and deep river gorges. The northern tip is in Bruneau Valley just west of Bruneau Dunes State Park. The main features are Owyhee River gorges, which are rugged and lined with cliffs in places. The gorges are protected as wilderness. Land in this area is dry and brown in the fall with the exception of the Independence Mountains, irrigated fields, meadows and riparian vegetation in gorges and ravines. The northern half of the unit is between 2,800 and 5,000 feet above sea level. The southern half ranges primarily between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. The Independence Mountains vary from about 6,500 to 7,500 feet in elevation.

This unit is largely public with land managed by the BLM and the state. Hunters can have good access to public land in this unit by hiking from gravel and dirt roads that branch from U.S. Highway 51 on the west and interior roads like the paved Three Creek Road and Rowland Route Road. Part of the unit is closed to ATVs except on roads that are designed for full-size vehicles. Vehicles are restricted to existing roads, which are subject to closure. Part of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation is in the western portion of the unit. State licenses and tags can not be used on the reservation. Be sure to carry a GPS unit with land ownership data to prevent unintentional trespassing if hunting near the reservation.

Sagebrush, greasewood, rabbitbrush, wild grasses and low shrubs and forbs cover most of the unit. Willows, cottonwoods, riparian brush and trees grow sparsely along the rivers and some tributaries like Clover Creek. Junipers can be found growing in some places. A lot of the land in this area is almost barren. The Independence Mountains are primarily covered with sagebrush, bitterbrush, chokecherries, service berries and other shrubs with many small and large stands of quaking aspen.

Hunters can camp along dirt roads, which is allowed almost anywhere on public land in the unit. Three fee campgrounds are located in Bruneau Dunes State Park just outside the northern tip of the unit. The private Mountain View Campground is at Mountain View Lake just west of the unit in Duck Valley Indian Reservation. Big Cottonwood Campground is a free campground managed by the BLM and offers picnic tables, campsites and vault toilets. The closest towns with lodging are Glenns Ferry and Twin Falls located near the northern tip. Trail Break RV Park is in Glenns Ferry, which also has Redford Motel and Hansen’s Café Motel.