Bighorn Sheep Herd meeting in Pinedale Feb. 19
by Wyoming Game & Fish
February 7, 2019
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, along with several partners, is embarking on a public engagement process to explore management concerns, issues, and opportunities for the Whiskey Mountain Bighorn Sheep herd. The Whiskey Mountain herd includes hunt areas 8, 9 and 10, with Hunt Area 8 being on the west (or Pinedale) side of the Wind River Range.
A situation assessment was recently completed and dates for a series of public workshops and a "Bighorn Sheep Summit" have been set to be held in Dubois. However, The Game and Fish Department is inviting anyone interested to join them for an additional public meeting in Pinedale to be held at 6:00PM on Tuesday, February 19 at the Pinedale Game and Fish office. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an overview of the current and past status of this bighorn sheep herd and explore any management concerns, issues, and/or opportunities with the public.
This Whiskey Mountain bighorn sheep herd was once the biggest in Wyoming, but has experienced steady declines. More specifically, the Whiskey Mountain herd has struggled to recover from a catastrophic all-age die-off caused by pneumonia in 1991, causing an estimated 30% decline in the number of sheep. The herd continues to stay below the desired population size, primarily because lamb survival is very low, likely due to the persistence of lamb pneumonia. At one time, there were an estimated 2,500 sheep in this population; today there are about 750. More information, including the completed situation assessment, can be found at wgfd.wyo.gov/wmbhs.
The State of Wyoming supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anyone requiring auxiliary aids, regarding this Public Notice, should contact the Pinedale Game and Fish Office at 307-367-4353. Every effort will be made for reasonable accommodations.
|
