End of MT bighorn transplants

[Big Fin]

I apologize in advance for the amount of posts that will come in the next three months related to hunting and fishing issues in Montana. Here is the "first of the worst."

If you hunt bighorns in Montana or dream of hunting them, then this is one you need to weigh in on. It is a bill that is trying to make sheep transplants even more difficult.

We have had major disease die off in three of our best units over the last decade. We have not been able to augment those populations with excess sheep from other units, due to the current restrictions the legilsature has imposed on FWP was it relates to sheep transplants.

This bill makes it even more difficult.

As some former FWP biologists have stated, if this bill goes through, we will never see another sheep transplant in Montana. Not good news for anyone who dreams of hunting Montana bighorns.

If you want to draw a sheep tag some year, the best way to do that is to have more sheep. To have more sheep, we need to kill bad bills, such as this one, SB 83.

Here is the text of SB 83.

http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2013/billhtml/SB0083.htm


The sponsor is Terry Murphy, a Republican from Cardwell. His Legislative contact link is below:

http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4095&Name=TERRY L MURPHY


The bill will be heard in the Senate Fish and Game Committee on Thursday at 3pm. Here is the contact informaiton of all of those members of the Senate Fish and Game Committee.


Brenden, John (R - Ch) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4212&Name=JOHN C BRENDEN
Ripley, Rick (R – V Ch) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4209&Name=RICK RIPLEY
Barrett, Debby (R) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4220&Name=DEBBY BARRETT
Facey, Tom (D) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4099&Name=TOM FACEY
Fielder, Jennifer (R) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4208&Name=JENNIFER FIELDER
Hamlett, Brad (D) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4210&Name=BRADLEY MAXON HAMLETT
Jent, Larry (D) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4093&Name=LARRY JENT
Peterson, Jim (R) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4088&Name=JIM E PETERSON
Thomas, Fred (R) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4224&Name=FRED THOMAS
Van Dyk, Kendall (D) - http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp?LegSessID=4101&Name=KENDALL J VAN DYK

Secretary: Mary Kulawik, Rm 320, (406) 444-4889


I would encourage anyone who has an interest in bighorn sheep in Montana to contact these people and ask that they kill SB 83.

When you read it, you will see that the odds of further transplants are pretty much down the tubes. If you belong to the Montana Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation, please contact them to make sure they are using their influence to stop this bill.

Here we go.

 

[What Map]

I sent a "no vote" message to the committee. I won't be able to testify on Th. I'll be at work. Fin, thanks for the update.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

This is sad.

I will spread the word. Thanks for sharing Big Fin!

 

[ingomar]

Montana has the best quality Rocky Mountain sheep hunting in the lower 48 states. If this bill passes, sheep transplants in Montana will likely end. We have areas with an over population of sheep and no place to put them. Once disease hits these populations the excess will be gone. When established populations have a disease outbreak and a major part of the herd is lost, there will be nothing to replace them with. The long term impacts of this bill could be a major reduction in sheep populations throughout Montana. Every avid sheep hunter or wanna be sheep hunter should write the committee members listed by Randy with their opposition. If you live in Montana try to make the hearing this thursday, Jan 10th at 3 pm in Helena.

See you there.

 

[JMG]

Big Fin . . . thanks for the heads-up. Please don't apologize for being involved. I will (also) spread the word.

I have contacted each member of the committee.

 

[elkantlers]

I am certainly for more transplants and starting new herds in different areas.

Could someone enlighten me to what happens when a herd of sheep has a disease come through and the sheep numbers decline. Is there a way to get rid of the disease before transplanting more sheep? if not, what is the survival rate of the newly transplanted sheep?

 

[Carrion Carrier]

...

 

[Hammerhead]

Thanks to Fin and everyone else for keeping these issues posted up for us to be aware of. Sounds like some bad and really stupid ideas are headed our way in the next 90 days. Up to every one of us to try and do our part to get them shut down.

The sheep bill is really idiotic. Murphy owns a ranch along the Jefferson river near L&C Caverns, and threw a fit a year or two ago when he heard there was a proposed sheep transplant being looked at for the area. I think it might have impacted their ability to graze a few domestics on public land. His domestics now have impacted my (or my kids) chances to hunt, or just simply enjoy watching wild sheep on the land that all of us own.

What a tool.

 

[mtelkhntr78]

Thanks to Fin and everyone else for keeping these issues posted up for us to be aware of. Sounds like some bad and really stupid ideas are headed our way in the next 90 days. Up to every one of us to try and do our part to get them shut down.

The sheep bill is really idiotic. Murphy owns a ranch along the Jefferson river near L&C Caverns, and threw a fit a year or two ago when he heard there was a proposed sheep transplant being looked at for the area. I think it might have impacted their ability to graze a few domestics on public land. His domestics now have impacted my (or my kids) chances to hunt, or just simply enjoy watching wild sheep on the land that all of us own.

What a tool.

Good to know he is putting the needs of the few(himself) over the needs of the many. What a tool it Right!!!!

 

[Wapiti Warrior]

Thanks Fin! I really appreciate all the work you do to keep us informed. I sent in my opinion to the group.

John

 

[Straight Arrow]

This proposal embodies the closest language imaginable to provide the antithesis to the great Montana story "Back From the Brink" which describes the century-long process engaged in by wildlife professionals and other Montanans to bring species of wildlife back to sustainable numbers across the landscapes of Montana.

Astonished by the extreme requirements proposed, it took several readings and considerations of the stringent criteria imposed by this bill to fully realize the implications. In my opinion, if this is made law, 2013 will mark the end of wild Rocky Mountain Sheep transplantation in Montana ... resulting in the first chapter of "Back to the Brink" for Rocky Mountain Sheep.