Hunting Rocky Mountain bighorns is a test of stamina and perseverance. Tags are awarded by lottery in U.S. states and Canadian provinces, and successful hunters typically plan a week or more in rugged backcountry. Guides ride horses into remote basins and then glass ridges for bands of rams, before stalking on foot across scree and shale to within shooting distance. Because bighorns inhabit exposed terrain and possess keen eyesight, shots may be taken at long range during the early fall season when rams feed openly before the rut. A .270 Winchester or .300‑calibre rifle is commonly recommended, and hunts are often timed to avoid deep snow and to minimise risk of heat stress on meat.

Bighorn sheep were nearly extirpated in the 19th century due to overhunting, diseases from domestic sheep and habitat loss; by the 1950s, populations hit historic lows. Conservationists and hunters implemented strict permit systems, translocations and habitat restoration, which have allowed numbers to rebound. However, bighorns remain vulnerable to diseases transmitted by domestic sheep and goats and to the fragmentation of their migration routes. Because horn size is linked to age and dominance, harvest regulations encourage taking older rams; licence fees and auction tags provide significant funding for wildlife agencies and habitat projects.