Wyoming Considering Establishing New Bighorn Herd

[BigHornRam]

Saw this somewhere else as well. Both write ups were short on details but am interested in seeing where this goes.

Wyoming considers bighorn sheep relocation

New herd would inhabit the Sweetwater Rocks area

www.gohunt.com

 

[BradA]

I thought the same thing, I wonder if the herd would make there way over to the UL at some point

 

[madtom]

I thought the same thing, I wonder if the herd would make there way over to the UL at some point

What do you mean? The sweetwater rocks are very very far from montana UL units, with several sheep herds in between

 

[BradA]

Oh my mistake I for some reason thought that it was on the boarder I must have been thinking of something else. I’m a fool.

 

[madtom]

Oh my mistake I for some reason thought that it was on the boarder I must have been thinking of something else. I’m a fool.

No worries. Sweetwater rocks are near the center of WY by Jeffrey City, Muddy Gap, etc.

 

[shootbrownelk]

No worries. Sweetwater rocks are near the center of WY by Jeffrey City, Muddy Gap, etc.

Isn't there a sheep herd in the Ferris Mountains? That's pretty close.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Isn't there a sheep herd in the Ferris Mountains? That's pretty close.

Yes

 

[littlebighorn]

It's an interesting area for Mountain sheep, but they are doing well on Ferris. I'm always in for expanding another area as long as they can keep domestic sheep away. I know there are plenty of private ranches close by.

 

[BigHornRam]

It's an interesting area for Mountain sheep, but they are doing well on Ferris. I'm always in for expanding another area as long as they can keep domestic sheep away. I know there are plenty of private ranches close by.

Domestic sheep close by would be my concern. Don't know if they are, and that should be discussed prior to establishing a new herd.

 

[3855WIN]

Isn't there a sheep herd in the Ferris Mountains? That's pretty close.

I saw a great ram while fishing there a few years back. I didn’t realize they had sheep there and it was a pleasant surprise.

 

[Oak]

I'm always in for expanding another area as long as they can keep domestic sheep away. I know there are plenty of private ranches close by.

Domestic sheep close by would be my concern. Don't know if they are, and that should be discussed prior to establishing a new herd.

Unfortunately, that's not the way Wyoming manages bighorn sheep in this area. The Sweetwater Rocks, Ferris/Seminoe Mountains area is a "Cooperative Review Area" per the Wyoming bighorn/domestic sheep plan. You can view the map here.

The map below shows domestic sheep allotments in relation to the Ferris/Seminoe release sites and the proposed herd in the Sweetwater Rocks area. I'm guessing that in order to get the proposed release approved, the agencies will assume all liability for a future die-off and not hold domestic sheep producers responsible. It's maybe an interesting debate, whether to invest conservation dollars into a herd that might offer some additional opportunity, or might suffer a die-off and struggle at minimum numbers for decades. Not a debate for me, though, because I'm a Colorado resident.

 

[BigHornRam]

Unlimited sheep unit south of 789. Problem solved.

 

[littlebighorn]

Unfortunately, that's not the way Wyoming manages bighorn sheep in this area. The Sweetwater Rocks, Ferris/Seminoe Mountains area is a "Cooperative Review Area" per the Wyoming bighorn/domestic sheep plan. You can view the map here.

The map below shows domestic sheep allotments in relation to the Ferris/Seminoe release sites and the proposed herd in the Sweetwater Rocks area. I'm guessing that in order to get the proposed release approved, the agencies will assume all liability for a future die-off and not hold domestic sheep producers responsible. It's maybe an interesting debate, whether to invest conservation dollars into a herd that might offer some additional opportunity, or might suffer a die-off and struggle at minimum numbers for decades. Not a debate for me, though, because I'm a Colorado resident.

View attachment 200419

That's enlightening information Oak.
It would appear that there are real potential issues with domestic sheep interactions.
Perhaps those proposing this transplant are banking on the wild sheep not crossing the rivers, but that's a poor assumption in my book.

 

[rwc101]

Unlimited Maggot Tags would be cool.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Jeffrey City has a Fire Hall?!?!

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Jeffrey City has a Fire Hall?!?!

I think it's in the bar

 

[BigHornRam]

I was talking to a guy from north Idaho the other day, who said a nice ram is hanging out in Kellogg, Idaho. Not sheep country by any strech. Any guess where he came from? Sanders or Mineral County would be mine. Transplant herds in Montana from way back. Bighorns (especially young rams) disperse a lot further than we like to think. Something to think about when establishing new herds, but not a reason not to do it.

 

[westbranch]

I was talking to a guy from north Idaho the other day, who said a nice ram is hanging out in Kellogg, Idaho. Not sheep country by any strech. Any guess where he came from? Sanders or Mineral County would be mine. Transplant herds in Montana from way back. Bighorns (especially young rams) disperse a lot further than we like to think. Something to think about when establishing new herds, but not a reason not to do it.

I heard about that, here is a pic posted on FB Dec 4 2020. There were a couple other pics as well and all looked like the same ram. Haven't heard that it was still around. The sheep near Thompson Falls seem like the closest ones. Some comments said people saw it near Burke, Big Creek and Kellogg.

 

[Mallardsx2]

They will waste a bunch of money establishing a herd then call in snipers to kill them all off once they decide that the mountain maggots have given them some form of disease.....