Bighorn Sheep
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Rocky Barker notes this morning the Western Watersheds now is busy trying to prevent the transmission of disease from domestic to wild sheep in Arizona. . . . some important additional information. WWP now has an office in Arizona. . . also an office in Montana (Missoula), and Wyoming, Utah and California. They have several…
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After the Marie Bulgin scandal rocked the Bighorn world many of us had hoped that the issue of disease transmission from domestic sheep to bighorn sheep might be largely resolved in the public debate. Recent news stories suggest otherwise. Likewise, there continues to be a lot of political posturing and spinning going on. Below are…
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The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has nearly completed its requirement to develop “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) pursuant to Idaho legislation S1232. Public land sheep ranchers hope that the BMPs will be sufficient to dissuade the Payette National Forest from shutting down domestic sheep ranching on the Payette Forest, a move necessary to protect…
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Western Watersheds Project sues to prevent deadly disease spread to rare desert bighorn- Western Watersheds Project has filed litigation against the US Forest Service in Arizona to prevent the trailing of domestic sheep that spread deadly disease over Forest Service lands that harbor bighorn sheep : WWP News Release : Western Watersheds Project filed suit…
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The Idaho Department of Fish and Game was directed to work with domestic sheep producers to develop “best management practices” to keep bighorn and domestic sheep apart. The problem lies in the fact that history shows that it takes only one interaction between the two to transmit disease to bighorn sheep and that interaction can…
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Although domestic sheep are not allowed to graze the Robb-Ledford Wildlife Management Area in SW Montana, they are permitted to spend a couple days “trailing across” it to summer pasture. This may be enough to pollute the area with sheep diseases that kill bighorn. Thankfully, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, at the request of Western…
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Woolgrowers try to spin the decision to muddy the waters on Bighorn/Domestic sheep disease U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill has voided the Payette National Forest Science Advisory Committee’s contribution to management decisions when it decides whether or not to ban or reduce domestic sheep grazing on the Payette National Forest. Federal judge voids bighorn…
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Another article about the menace of domestic sheep to our precious bighorn populations- On the Range. Wild Bighorns Threatened by Domestic Sheep. By George Wuerthner. New West. “Should domestic sheep be permitted to graze on public lands when their presence threatens the survival of wild bighorn sheep? That’s a question that is increasingly getting serious…