Well, the BLM has done it again, they’ve managed to wipe out another herd of bighorn sheep. A herd of California bighorn sheep in the Snowstorm Mountains of northern Nevada is the latest victim of disease caused by domestic sheep. While the Nevada Department of Wildlife hesitates to say whether interaction with domestic sheep is…
BLM reviewing sheep allotments within 30 miles of bighorn populations. This is another exposé about the fallout of the Payette bighorn viability decision and the latest science which conclusively shows that domestic sheep diseases kill bighorn sheep. What jumps out at me is the information contained near the bottom of the article which says that…
Despite full court press by Idaho woolgrowers, reason prevails- Payette supervisor decides to end sheep grazing in bighorn country. Submitted by Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman. By email I learned about 30,000 acres will still be open, but this is a big victory for Idaho bighorn over an very entrenched political interest.
Domestic Sheep/bighorn conflict is not limited to Idaho- Most of our news on this issue has been in Idaho where the Payette National Forest is about to come out with an environmental impact statement on how to protect the bighorn. This will have national effects such as described in this story about the two animals…
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…
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…
One, possibly more, bighorn sheep to be killed. Update 5/31/09: It gets worse. Sick, wandering bighorn trailed near Salmon River. Idaho Statesman. A bighorn sheep ram has interacted with domestic sheep on private property upriver from Riggins, Idaho and is reported to be sick. It is now associated with several other bighorn sheep. IDFG officials…
Bill passes key State Senate committee 7-2- The bighorn is in big trouble in Idaho with the population dropping from 6,500 in 1990 to about 3,500 today. One full curl bighorn ram can be worth as much as an entire band of sheep. Bill would prohibit bighorns in sheep grazing areas. AP In an April…
Ken Cole is a 5th generation Idahoan, an avid fly fisherman, wildlife enthusiast, and photographer. He is the interim Idaho Director for Western Watersheds Project.
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