So the city of Missoula was essentially responsible for 5 bighorns being killed? What a crock, I wish fwp could invoice the city for the value of 5 sheep and the cost of removalYep. But its city owned land,the residents of Missoula strongly support it, and are paying Helle good money to graze it.
Knapweed... What is working?
- Thread starter atlas
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You would think that there would be wild sheep advocates in MT that would say this is BS and do something about it. I promise that if that happened in Colorado, there would be an endless stream of media coverage until something changed (or I died).
BigHornRam
Well-known member
Actually it was 3 bighorns killed.
Montana FWP Kills Three Bighorns on Mount Jumbo After Exposure to Domestic Sheep
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials killed three bighorn sheep today on Mount Jumbo near Missoula due to disease risk after the bighorns were found mingling with domestic sheep...
www.ammoland.com
From your article (2014):Actually it was 3 bighorns killed.
Montana FWP Kills Three Bighorns on Mount Jumbo After Exposure to Domestic Sheep
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials killed three bighorn sheep today on Mount Jumbo near Missoula due to disease risk after the bighorns were found mingling with domestic sheep...
"The bighorns will be sent to the state wildlife lab in Bozeman for testing that will provide FWP with additional information on the health of the sheep and their herd. The bighorns were part of the Bonner herd which was last affected by pneumonia in 2010 and lost nearly 60% of its population to the disease and culling efforts. The source of that pneumonia outbreak is unknown."
From the FWP bighorn sheep conservation strategy (2010):
"Occasionally, bands of young rams and/ or ewes are seen on Mount Jumbo and near Johnsrud Park in Missoula, suggesting that surplus animals are immigrating in search of new habitats or other bighorn populations.
From the FWP bighorn sheep conservation strategy (2010):
"Maintaining separation of wild sheep and domestic sheep and goats to avoid transmission of disease to bighorns. Rural subdivisions in the East Missoula and Bonner areas have resulted in small bands of livestock including domestic sheep and goats. In 2000, Missoula’s decision to manage weeds with domestic sheep grazing led to protocols for reporting bighorn sheep on Mount Jumbo by domestic sheepherders. To date, two yearling bighorn rams have been shot and removed from Mount Jumbo."
OriginalOscar
Active member
Carrying capacity of many areas have decreased for elk, deer due noxious weeds? I'd support extensive, intensive sheep and goat grazing to get control of noxious weeds. If possible trap and transplant wild sheep to other areas.
If land managers are able to improve the land and increase elk, deer herds it's a worthy tradeoff with wild sheep.
That’s probably a pretty common sentiment given how many more hunters hunt deer and elk. I mean, FWP identified the problem in their conservation plan 12 years ago and woolies are still on Jumbo.
Carnage2011
Well-known member
No it’s not. There is also a lot of evidence that sheep and goats shit out viable seeds so it’s not nearly as effective. There are much better options for biocontrol or spraying.
Luke_with_a_lab
Well-known member
Drone Sprayers are actually proving to be pretty promising for controlling noxious weeds on steep hillsides like you showed. Its impractical to have people backpack spray it, but one guy operating a drone could spray a good chunk of what is pictured in a day.
