Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking to create a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep conservation strategy next year and is seeking public comment now on issues and concerns associated with bighorn sheep and bighorn sheep hunting in Montana.
" The conservation strategy for bighorn sheep will draw together in one document Montana’s bighorn sheep management history, and future goals and objectives to include survey priorities and techniques, hunting seasons, recommend permit levels, health and habitat monitoring, and guidelines for trapping and transplanting activities ," said Tom Carlsen, who is managing the project for FWP in Helena.
Montana has never produced a comprehensive plan for bighorn sheep management even though Montana has successfully reestablished bighorn populations across the state.
Efforts to reestablish bighorn sheep through trapping and transplanting began in the early 1940s. By 1950 there was an estimated 1,200 sheep in Montana. Populations continued to slowly recover and limited hunting began again in 1953. By the early 1970s there were 11 major herds and nine successful transplanted populations of bighorns. There are now 49 populations of bighorns across Montana with 40 sustaining limited hunting in 38 bighorn sheep hunting districts. Officials estimate that 5,900 bighorn sheep inhabit Montana.
"Bighorn sheep are one of the premier wildlife species in Montana both from a hunting and wildlife viewing perspective." Carlsen said. "Along with the responsibility to manage bighorns comes the challenges of managing wildlife in an rapidly changing environment. We really need Montanans and others to let FWP know what they see as the issues facing Montana’s bighorn sheep."
Some early bighorn sheep issues of concern to wildlife managers include:
systematic long-term health monitoring genetic integrity of native populations health affects related to contact with domestic sheep or goats establishing bighorn sheep populations to new areas loss of habitat and development impacts to some bighorn populations hunting and other recreational opportunities FWP will take public comment on any issues associated with bighorn sheep and bighorn sheep management in Montana through Dec. 20. "Right now we need to uncover the issues or concerns people have about bighorn sheep in Montana," Carlsen said. "Once we compile the issues, we’ll turn to solutions to address them."
FWP has arranged to take comment through Dec. 20 via FWP’s website at
www.fwp.mt.gov. Click on "Bighorn Sheep Strategy" or you can send written comments to: Bighorn Sheep Strategy, Montana FWP, P.O. Box 200701; Helena, MT 59620-0701.
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