Bighorns in an unusual spot

[Deleted member 18333]

Saw these three bighorns in an interesting location of Wyoming the other day. Crappy pics but there are three sheep in total. The closest herd to the North is 80 miles away. The closest herd to the East is 90 miles away. The closest herd to the West is 65 miles away. In about 2 months there should be 1800 domestic sheep in this exact location. Called the G&F office yesterday and they were unaware of these sheep. It will be interesting to see where these sheep wonder to.

 

[geetar]

Wow that is odd! Hope they do something before they come in contact the domestic herds.

 

[bobbydean]

Kudus for calling Game and Fish. Hope they can be saved.

 

[bullbugle]

It's too bad the disease issue makes sightings like these both really cool and also very concerning for the health of the sheep herds. I remember a few years back GF had to kill a young ram that showed up at the church in Chugwater. If I recall he had already been shot, survived, wandered clear the heck to Chugwater, and then was killed so he wouldn't bring disease back to his herd if he ever wandered back.

 

[Oak]

They're just doing what bighorns do. You should follow up with G&F. My guess is that they will be lethally removed, which is what has happened historically.

Bighorn sheep spotted around Casper face an uncertain future

New Laws Hope To Stop Spread Of Disease Between Bighorn And Domestic Sheep

Stockmen, bighorns butt heads in Western showdown
*Important footnote to this article is that ag groups in WY are now actively trying to get the B-T to reopen allotments that were closed via buyouts between producers and conservation orgs.



If they're in an area with domestic sheep it's probably a BHS non-emphasis or non-management area.

 

[Jwill]

Wow that is odd! Hope they do something before they come in contact the domestic herds.

Oh they probably will, doubt the will survive the encounter though...

 

[geetar]

Oh they probably will, doubt the will survive the encounter though...

That’s unfortunate but better than wiping out a whole herd.

 

[520 Road Sow]

Ive heard of this in MT, the most unusual location Ive heard of so far is a 4 year old or so ram was euthanized north of Laurel on the far west end of Billings.

Wonder where he came from?

 

[Deleted member 18333]

These sheep are at the red dot. The Interstate may lethally remove them before G&F can.

 

[wytex]

My contact at G&F says they will be removed lethally when domestic sheep move in if still in that area. They are aware and trying to collar one.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

They're just doing what bighorns do. You should follow up with G&F. My guess is that they will be lethally removed, which is what has happened historically.

Bighorn sheep spotted around Casper face an uncertain future

New Laws Hope To Stop Spread Of Disease Between Bighorn And Domestic Sheep

Stockmen, bighorns butt heads in Western showdown
*Important footnote to this article is that ag groups in WY are now actively trying to get the B-T to reopen allotments that were closed via buyouts between producers and conservation orgs.



If they're in an area with domestic sheep it's probably a BHS non-emphasis or non-management area.

View attachment 117728

Yeah, I know there was a battle on the Wyoming Range a few years back.

I do wish they would enforce getting the range maggots off the mountain before the opening of deer season on September 15th.

Or at least those big damn scary dogs.

Granted, if you offer the Peruvian wranglers a beer and can speak only a modest level of Spanish they can tell you where they seen big deer on the mountain.

 

[MTGomer]

Yeah, I know there was a battle on the Wyoming Range a few years back.

I do wish they would enforce getting the range maggots off the mountain before the opening of deer season on September 15th.

Or at least those big damn scary dogs.

Granted, if you offer the Peruvian wranglers a beer and can speak only a modest level of Spanish they can tell you where they seen big deer on the mountain.

Donde Ciervo Grande, Amigo?



Sad that Bighorns have to die because domestics are on public lands.

 

[Oak]

Here's a Colorado example of bighorns getting in trouble from Oct. 21, 2016. I could provide post after post with examples of documented long-distance movements like this just in CO in the last 5 years.

The ram pictured below had been collared by CPW. The collar malfunctioned and had not given a location for the ram for 1.5 years prior to this incident. The last location from the collar was over 40 straight-line miles from the ram's final resting place.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

Donde Ciervo Grande, Amigo?



Sad that Bighorns have to die because domestics are on public lands.

Giving out all the secrets now are we? haha

 

[3855WIN]

If game departments decide the sheep must be killed, why not put some sheep hunters in there to do it?

 

[kansasdad]

If game departments decide the sheep must be killed, why not put some sheep hunters in there to do it?

At that point it becomes a cull (killing), which does not seem to be hunting to me.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Not sure the sheep know why they are being killed. Can’t see how either reason would change the hunt

 

[3855WIN]

At that point it becomes a cull (killing), which does not seem to be hunting to me.

I’d gladly go on a sheep culling. I’ve only got one on the wall and who knows when I’ll draw another.
I’ve got a buddy who only needs a Rocky for the slam. He’d probably be happy to cull one for them at a reasonable price.

Same thing with problem Griz. Make some money off the darn things instead of forcing green jeans to shoot him with a sad face.

 

[Oak]

Disease risk as Pedro Mountain fire may cause bighorn sheep to co-mingle with domestic sheep

“As the landscape recovers from fire it may result in ideal bighorn sheep forage areas with grassy, rocky slopes free of timber,” the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said on Tuesday, Jan. 28. “The fire and likely subsequent improved forage may increase the likelihood these bighorn sheep will wander and co-mingle with domestic sheep.”

The area where the fire spread is “outside of the Herd Unit and in locations where Game and Fish does not manage for or desire bighorn sheep due to disease concerns,” Game and Fish said. “These diseases can lead to significant mortality in bighorn sheep.”

The satellite GPS collars will allow Game and Fish to track the bighorn sheep movement. If they move north toward the Pedro Mountains, Game and Fish will implement “preventative measures can be employed to prevent disease transmission.”

“Through a working partnership between Game and Fish and the agricultural community, the Wyoming Statewide Domestic Sheep / Bighorn Sheep Interaction Working Group has developed bighorn sheep management and non-management areas,” Game and Fish said. “The Pedro Mountains are in a designated non-management area.”

 

[treedagain]

Most likely sheep off the goslin mtn in Utah. That's what happened last time and they came back and wiped out the whole herd