Bighorn Release

Castnshoot · Nov 22, 2019

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ6nUxizUjA

I should be able to spot them from my porch. Pretty Cool, hope it works.

NVBighorn · Nov 22, 2019

I helped on the capture of those sheep in Nevada. I hope they do well in their new home.

Homer · Nov 22, 2019

...I saw the ewe you handled NVB.....

NVBighorn · Nov 22, 2019

I think she liked it

Homer · Nov 22, 2019

lol....she was smiling

hornkiller · Nov 22, 2019

Probably should have killed a couple hundred lions in the area before the release!

littlebighorn · Nov 23, 2019

Nevada has been a major source of sheep for Utah transplants and we can't thank you enough. Most of our good units are now heavy with genes from the Silver state!

Good on you NVBighorn and your fine state!

NVBighorn · Nov 23, 2019

LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-19 AT 03:13PM (MST)[p]Thanks LBH. By the way, there was a 175ish ram killed this week in the unit those sheep came from. The hunter was a local young man who was barely born when that population got its start. Those sheep were reintroduced to that range beginning about 1980. They struggled with lions for a number of years but have taken off lately. Kind of cool that one of the units that launched Nevada's sheep program has come full circle and now has provided stock in another state.

Nevada has benefited from Utah's bounty a number of times too. We have received elk and antelope from Utah for sure. Maybe other species as well.

ParryConner · Nov 23, 2019

LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-19 AT 10:46PM (MST)[p]This is a really neat mountain range. I am also excited and optimistic about this sheep release. Does anybody have an idea on how many years it might be before permits will be offered for a sheep hunt on this new unit?

littlebighorn · Nov 24, 2019

LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-19 AT 05:33PM (MST)[p]Utah has a history of waiting several years before starting a harvest on new units. But we have a new Statewide sheep biologist, who I think is pretty aggressive on getting harvests going. I imagine much depends on how many mature rams came with the transplant.
I also think there used to be a formula associated with counted mature rams and tag numbers.

Nevada sheep genes for horn growth are awesome and they seem to put out bigger rams at much earlier ages than our native sheep.
The Stansbury Bighorn unit reintroduction only took a couple of years for tags to be allocated, but I'm guessing it totally depends on how well these sheep adapt and reproduce.

ParryConner · Nov 24, 2019

Thank you for the information. I attended the RAC meeting last year when they presented some of the wild sheep plans. There was some definite opposition from the Utah domestic sheep and wool growers association about the mineral mountains suggestions. I am glad to see the plan come to action and see more sheep in Utah. Thanks for all the hard work that is happening to put sheep back on the mountain.

NVBighorn · Nov 26, 2019

There was one 4 year old ram released. The rest were 1-3. I wouldnt expect a hunt for a few years.

I wasn't aware of the opposition on this release from sheep industry. I hope thet are far enough apart.

Castnshoot · Nov 26, 2019

NV, I hear a lion has already keyed in on them, you hear any news on that?

I can see Deer, Antelope,and Elk in the Minerals from my house. Going to be awesome to add Bighorns to that.

If any body has a lion tag for the Beaver
let me know and I will call you if I cut a fresh track or a kill.

I see lion kills all the time starting about this time of year. If I see more than one Eagle with the Ravens, and Magpies it almost always turns out to me a lion kill when I investigate.

NVBighorn · Nov 26, 2019

>NV, I hear a lion has
>already keyed in on them,
>you hear any news on
>that?
>
>I can see Deer, Antelope,and Elk
>in the Minerals from my
>house. Going to be awesome
>to add Bighorns to that.
>
>
>If any body has a lion
>tag for the Beaver
>let me know and I will
>call you if I cut
>a fresh track or a
>kill.
>
>I see lion kills all the
>time starting about this time
>of year. If I see
>more than one Eagle with
>the Ravens, and Magpies it
>almost always turns out to
>me a lion kill when
>I investigate.

Havent heard that. Hope not. These sheep have dealt with lions. When they were first released there they hadnt been subject to lion pressure and were pretty susceptible.

Castnshoot · Nov 26, 2019

Ye I hear 4 ewes killed already, and this snow ain?t going to help.

notdonhunting · Nov 26, 2019

If that is true they have lost 4 ewes and 1 ram from lions that is an awful lost. The DWR should have killed every lion in a 40 mile radius to give them sheep a jump start.