Bighorn Sheep Captured Moved to Utah

Montana wildlife officials captured 60 bighorn sheep the first weekend in January for transplant to Utah.

"We captured nine young rams," says Brent Lonner, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist. "The rest were ewes and three or four lambs."

The sheep are going to supplement a herd in northeastern Utah.

The sheep were taken from two spots on the Rocky Mountain Front: At Willow Creek by Benchmark Road and in the Sun Canyon.

The sheep were taken from the front because bighorn numbers there are over objective, Lonner says.

"We try to find a balance between hunting harvest and trap and transplant," Lonner says.

If the herds grow too large, the animals become more susceptible to disease, Lonner says.

A crew from New Zealand captured the sheep using a net gun from a helicopter.

No more sheep captures are planned this year along the Front, Lonner says.