Dubya Ruins CJCJ's Bighorn Sheep Hunting Opportunites

[JoseCuervo]

Another policy of Dubya's to limit our hunting opportunities, in favor of grazing "range maggots" on our Public Lands.

Forest officials weigh sheep conflicts

By JEFF GEARINO
Southwest Wyoming bureau Thursday, September 09, 2004




GREEN RIVER -- Bridger-Teton National Forest officials are keeping their options open when it comes to sheep grazing in western Wyoming.

In an unusual decision, forest officials plan to continue allowing domestic sheep grazing in an allotment complex unless an existing livestock producer permitted to graze in the complex is willing to waive his sheep grazing permit back to the government.

If that happens, then some areas in what's known as the Wyoming Range Allotment Complex would be closed to domestic sheep grazing to benefit native bighorn sheep populations.

"We're trying to keep our options open ... because there have been some negotiations going on (with complex-permitted livestock producers)," said Stephan Harmon with the Big Piney Ranger District.

"We may be getting something back from those discussions and we wanted to take advantage of that ... and make a decision that wouldn't tie the district ranger's hands from doing something else if he wanted," Harmon said.

Biologists and conservationists believe the two sheep species should not occupy the same range to reduce the possibility of disease transmission from domestic sheep to wild, bighorn sheep.

Big Piney District Ranger Greg Clark said in a cover letter the actions aim to restore and maintain the aquatic, terrestrial and hydrologic resources in the complex while providing for long-term sustainable livestock grazing.

The agency recently released a final environmental impact statement and record of decision that revises the district's Allotment Management Plan for sheep grazing in the complex.

The complex is currently composed of the Corral Creek, Mule Creek, Grizzly Creek, Pickle Pass, Upper Grayback/Phosphate, North Horse and Prospect Peak domestic sheep allotments within the Wyoming Range.

The majority of the complex is located in Sublette County, with the remainder in Lincoln County in western Wyoming. There are about 67,500 acres within the project area.

In the early 1990s, livestock on three allotments in the Big Piney Ranger District -- Prospect Peak, North Horse Creek and Dead Cow -- were removed due to administrative actions. At the time, numerous permittees expressed interest in obtaining grazing permits for the allotments.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department also expressed interest in the adjustments to livestock grazing to potentially benefit bighorn sheep.

In the fall of 2002, Bridger-Teton officials proposed several grazing allotment changes within the forest aimed at improving the resource and habitat conditions within the allotments.

Many wildlife professionals, wildlife researchers and veterinarians believe bighorn sheep and domestic sheep should not occupy the same range because of the potential adverse effects on bighorn sheep from diseases carried by domestic sheep.

Bighorn sheep are highly susceptible to some strains of Pasteruella carried by domestic sheep, although domestic sheep appear to be immune to strains carried by bighorn sheep.

Bighorn sheep historically ranged through most of the Wyoming Range, but populations are down to about 1 percent of their historic numbers in the lower 48 states, according to biologists.

 

[Nemont]

EG,
No work to be done this afternoon? Man you have been busy posting here.

Nemont

 

[cjcj]

So now blame Bush cause i didn`t get my bighorn tag?

 

[JoseCuervo]

It is 5:30 in the morning on Friday morning in Japan.... And the time difference kind of has me awake a bit early.... For some reason they always have daylight show up here early (and sunset is too early, about 5:30pm right now). So I figured I would catch up on the SI world...

I think I will go out for a run soon...

You know what is funny, I have not seen a single Harley Davidson motorcycle on this trip.... And I could have sworn I read in SI one time, that Harley was the number 1 bike in Japan....
(S'pose they have found a cure for Alzheimers yet???)

 

[JoseCuervo]

Originally posted by cjcj:
So now blame Bush cause i didn`t get my bighorn tag?

CJ,

Almost every Bighorn herd that comes in contact with the Welfare Rancher's range maggots ends up getting sick and dieing. There are plenty of areas that could support more Bighorns (and more sheep tags for hunters) if Dubya would just get the damn suffolks off of our Public Lands.

So yes, Dubya is to blame for you not getting a Bighorn tag... In fact, I even changed the title to the thread for you...

 

[cjcj]

Hey Gunner ever see Lost in translation?