Super Sad Sheep News - Utah

[Jape]

Only 26 of 150 left and they will likely be euthanized. It will take some time to recover that loss.

https://www.ksl.com/article/4646579...ntelope-island-dying-from-respiratory-disease

 

[Bullshot]

That’s too bad. I thought I heard that was possibly infecting Zion sheep over the summer too. But wouldn’t it make sense to allow the surviving individuals to persist , and possibly retain whatever genes allowed them to be less susceptible?

 

[406LIFE]

That’s too bad. I thought I heard that was possibly infecting Zion sheep over the summer too. But wouldn’t it make sense to allow surviving the individuals to persost, and possibly retain whatever genes allowed them to be less susceptible?

No because the still carry the bacteria, and the ewes are not born with any genetic disposition that protects them. The article didn't specify that it was pneumonia, but I would hazard it was. The bacteria Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae has over a dozen strains that cause the respiratory distress and eventual death. As of right now, the only SOP is to remove the entire herd and repopulate an area after it has laid fallow for a certain amount of years (4-7 if I recall right).

FWIW, some sheep in Wyoming have shown a resistance/tolerance for the bug and have improving numbers despite having the M. ovi in their systems. How to use that to help the struggling herds remains to be seen.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Brutal news....

 

[Stubaby]

They need to get the top point holders in there and at least get some hunters through the system.

These sheep issues really make me mad. I wish there was a fix so there could be more of them. Like walking uphill in quick sand.

 

[Bigjav]

They need to get the top point holders in there and at least get some hunters through the system.

These sheep issues really make me mad. I wish there was a fix so there could be more of them. Like walking uphill in quick sand.

It'd be tough because who knows if they would even be there by hunting season, unless they moved them in right away and who knows if the carcass would even be consumable. Either way it's a damn shame because that governors tag raised a lot of money for the Utah DNR and they managed it as such and now the resource has basically vanished into thin air like a fart in the wind.

 

[ntodwild]

This happened in Washington state a while back in the Yakima Oak Creek area. Oddly enough the WDFW assumed they got all the sheep but since I have seen several in the area over the years while up scouting. Even had one on a game came 3 years back in the Bumping GMU which is quite a ways from Oak Creek. I guess in the end evolution seems to defy. Hopefully in Utah they will survive on some level and make a comeback.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

It'd be tough because who knows if they would even be there by hunting season.

I have read about a couple of similar incidents with various species in trophy units, I have always wondered why just send out a press release, say you are going to have an emergency "govern's auction" in 2 weeks and sell off tags for every ram and ewe. I can almost guarantee you could raise enough money to pay for the culling + reintroduction.