Ranchers Planning on Shooting BigHorn Sheep, to Protect Range Maggots

[JoseCuervo]

I thought Montana FWP was only transplanting the Bighorns with the "Non-Wandering" gene. What happened???

Wandering bighorns elude would-be shooters

ALDER - Seven bighorn sheep that wandered away from their transplanted home have so far been able to elude wildlife managers planning to kill them to keep them from mingling with domestic sheep, state wildlife officials said.


Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials had decided the bighorns either needed to be captured or destroyed after wandering away from their new home in the Greenhorn Mountains last fall and settling near an area that would soon become pasture for domestic sheep.


This week, after failed attempts from both the air and ground to locate the sheep, the search was called off.


“I didn’t find anything,” said FWP biologist Bob Brannon. “Who knows where they are. Hopefully, they are headed back towards the Greenhorns.”


The bighorn sheep are part of a new population the state is attempting to build in the Greenhorn Mountains near Alder. Over the past two years, about 80 sheep have been moved into the area.


If the bighorn sheep wander into areas where they would have to share the range with domestic sheep, state biologists are required to either attempt to capture the animals or kill them under an agreement signed before the relocation effort began.


Both biologists and ranchers have a stake in keeping the bighorns separated from the domestic herds.


State wildlife officials want to keep the wild and domestic sheep apart to ensure that the bighorns don’t contract a disease and bring it back to the rest of the herd. Ranchers worry about bighorn rams breeding their domestic ewes.


The local sheep ranchers have been given permits to kill bighorn sheep that wander into the vicinity of their herds.


The seven missing bighorn sheep were last seen near the Robb-Ledford Wildlife Management Area and may yet make it back to the Greenhorn Mountains, Brannon said.


“If we get any reports that they’re getting too close to domestic sheep, we’ll investigate,” he said. “The last line of defense are those kill permits. I hope that they don’t have to use them.”

 

[BuzzH]

Yeah, I heard that somewhere too??? Wheres Paul?

Isnt it great that FNAWS and the MTFWP compromised with the domestic sheep producers?

Because we coddle the welfare domestic sheep ranchers, we can now afford to pay the MTFWP biologists to kill off those pesky bighorns for wandering onto a FREAKING STATE OWNED GAME MANAGEMENT AREA.

What a goddamned joke.

To top it all off you have to listen to idiots feeling sorry for the welfare ranchers...I wonder why they get a bad rap????

 

[ELKCHSR]

Well, that was a great thread started until the usual gutter spewl started....I wonder if we will ever get a good thread going with out this utter nonsence...Maybe some day....

 

[BuzzH]

Elkchsr, what's great about bighorn sheep being killed in a state owned wildlife management area because of a welfare ranchers domestic sheep?

What part of WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA dont you understand?

 

[ELKCHSR]

What was great about it is the fact that it was brought up in the first place, with out many seeming slants.
It was informative, that should be enough, then along comes the usual tired nasty snide comments that serve no useful purpose...Well actually if one looked past your gutter snipe and looked at the actual learning part of your post, there was good rebuttal info there. What is it with you showing that you are very intelligent, and then destroying any credibility you may portray with ignorance? I have never been around any of your negotiations with your over head, but I would bet if you acted in such a manor, they would fire you, or you would definitely fall by the way side very quickly and all the knowledge you have would be wasted...As it is here...

 

[BuzzH]

Hey elkchsr,

Yeah, I get a little testy when MY and YOUR bighorn sheep are going to be killed for no good reason...other than to protect some welfare ranchers sheep. Unless you are the welfare sheep rancher in question, I dont see what your problem is.

It makes even less sense that I have to pay a Fish and Game officer to kill those sheep.

Its even more ridiculous that domestic sheep take priority over wild bighorns in a state owned wildlife management area.

So, I'd tell you, FNAWS, the MTFWP, etc. the same thing, its a goddamned joke, and makes no sense.

To top it all off, I called this one several months ago when you, paul, and a few others were telling us how the hunters and ranchers need to compromise.

What a great "compromise" for hunters.

I dont "negotiate" with stupidity...at work, at home, on these issues, or anywhere else. I dont hide how I feel or how I think, if you dont like it, dont read it...keep on scrolling.

As far as my job and "overhead", I will never "be fired" for speaking my mind. Thats what I've always done so far, told it like it is, and 14 certificates of merit prove it must be the right thing to do...

 

[ELKCHSR]

I dont see what your problem is.

I kinda thought I made it very clear....
You may have the certificates of merit to prove that you do the work, I'm just not so certain you present your case with all the snottiness, profanity and degrading of others. As with all the other things that I have to see to believe, that would be one that would top the list. I also don't recall stating that having wardens shoot our game instead of hunters was ever any thing that was on my list of high priorities. Just like in the seventees my dad and I went to Olympia to help picket the same ideals the game dept was going to do to the goats in the olympics because they were introduced and some thought they were doing to much damage to the growth in the Olympic mountains....The proposed plan was to go up and have professional hunters just go up and shoot them all...

 

[BuzzH]

Elkchsr,

Who did I "degrade" in this post?

Snottiness??? Are you kidding me? Read some of your own posts.

Profanity? If you're that offended by an occassional "hell" or "damn" may I suggest a nice christian site...

 

[Ithaca 37]

BHR, Glad to see you back! I'm sure you'll want to give us the benefit of your wisdom on this topic.

 

[BHR]

If we follow Buzz's logic here, then we should have never reintroduced the wolves. Look at all the time and money USF&W spends killing bad wolves.

It was a choice between no reintroduction of sheep in the Greenhorns or a reintroduction with rules. The sheep that stay in their predesignated territory will someday allow for hunter opportunity. Those that don't will be eliminated.

 

[Ithaca 37]

No, that wasn't the only choice. MT FNAWS could have fought for a better deal for bighorns instead of wimping out.

 

[DEADI270]

Seems the potential for a new sheep herd is a good thing even if it means that a few must die to keep the herd healthy. I can’t stand domestic sheep, but it seems to me that we must put up with killing a few wandering sheep or have no new sheep at all. I'll take killing a few wandering sheep

 

[BHR]

Ithaca,

This advice coming from a guttless wimp who pissed his vote away on Nader? You are clueless.

At least Michael Moron had the guts (lot's and lot's of guts) to hold his nose and vote for someone who had a chance of winning. He knew what was at stake in this election for all you lefties. Now how are you guy's going to get any judges to help with dam breeching and keeping the wolves listed? Good luck.

Paul

 

[Ithaca 37]

Dead, Suppose one of those wandering sheep gets sick from the domestics and makes it back to the herd without being shot. Do you think the whole herd might get sick and die? Remember what happened in Hell's Canyon a few years ago when that happened?

BHR, I was hoping you'd comne back and see that you were wrong about the bighorn sheep situation in MT. Thanks for returning!

 

[Sako7STW]

Man I love this site. I personally can understand the controling of the sheeps migration. Disease is never a good thing to have in your heards, just look at CWD.

As for the Wolves, well I will keep my mouth shut on that one, you all might still like me if I do LMAO. I will say though that if having GWB in office makes it more likely one day I can pop one of them basterds (legaly) he has a new fan!

 

[D13er]

There was a deal made between montana game managers and the sheep ranchers before the sheep were ever released into the greenhorns. If the sheep left the area they would be destroyed.

You liberals should have done your arguing then and be man enough to live with the deal now.

It may or maynot have been a good deal to begin with but both sides should live with it.

JB

 

[BuzzH]

BHR,

I was hoping you could explain to us all, how it is that bighorn sheep were killed on a STATE OWNED WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, and the thought process that went into the "deal" FNAWS made?

I think its pretty sorry assed when FNAWS doesnt have the stones to fight for wild bighorn sheep to use a STATE OWNED WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA.

For Christ sake, why even have the Robb/Ledford WMA? Maybe FNAWS could broker a deal with the cattle and sheep ranchers to purchase it from the state for 50 cents an acre.

Oh, and D13er, believe me, plenty of hunters around the state of Montana have fought FNAWS and the MTFWP over this and many other issues with welfare ranchers, and your welcome.

 

[BHR]

Buzz,

First of all FNAWS never made any deals. The deal was made between the FWP and the sheep producer in order to get the transplant to go forward. FNAWS has helped with solutions to the concerns with wild and domestic sheep coming in contact with each other.

Second the sheep producer does not want to sell out his allotment at this time. If and when he does, it will be bought out. What do you want to do? Hold a gun to his head? Your post is just another example of your anti-ranching / traditional use bias. Do you think your extreme views help to get anything done?

Lastly, didn't you and all the other Friends of the Wolf crowd make a deal with the devil when you pursued the wolf reintroduction? I thought you were a man of principle that never compromises. My mistake.

Paul

 

[Ithaca 37]

BHR, Who, exactly, made deals with the ESA? It's the law.

 

[BuzzH]

BHR,

Extreme views????

I guess, in your opinion, its not extreme for bighorn sheep to be shot for moving onto a state owned wildlife management area??? But, I'm extreme for wanting wildlife to take priority over livestock on a STATE OWNED WMA???

I've been over this issue with you before, those sheep should never have been transplanted until the last sheep rancher is gone. Theres other areas and other states that could have used those sheep...areas where they wouldnt be shot for using a state owned wildlife management area.