Irrelevant
Well-known member
right, I knew that. Sorry the term "vaccine" has saturated my brain
Wild sheep and disease
- Thread starter Oak
- Start date
Irrelevant
Well-known member
That was my big surprise in the Custer SP quote, that within an infected population, only 3 were actively spreading the disease.
No
Irrelevant
Well-known member
Do you think it is a wise move to release sheep that are actively shedding? Seems like that's the next step. A little more aggressive on the culling.
They used the test twice method in Hells Canyon with good success. Amazingly, they tested around 396 animals in 2013-2020 and removed 9. It really does seem like it's the chronic shedders that are driving disease in these populations with chronic low lamb recruitment. There is a larger subset of individuals that will only occasionally test positive, and removing those animals would probably face more scrutiny. Based on Francis Cassirer's results in Hells Canyon, it doesn't seem necessary.
Oak-
Maybe the RMBS could help fund a capture, solicit and provide volunteers to help test sheep in this impacted unit. Since most of the sheep should and could accessible during the next few months on the winter range maybe his could be an option? It has to be easier to catch them in this unit vs Hells Canyon.
Just an idea...
Sandbrew
BigHornRam
Well-known member
Officials eye killing bighorn ewes to stop disease
JACKSON — As a gaggle of grad students milled about, probing, prodding and drawing blood from three bighorn sheep, Aly Courtemanch was keeping her eyes peeled for something in particular.
^^^ old article but I can confirm this pneumonia has spread all over the 15s in AZ. Last month I was blessed to hunt 15D and took a 9 year old ram who had pneumonia. He was coughing and had a nasty green yellow mucus dripping out of his nose. Such a crappy way to go for such a majestic animal, I was glad I could end his suffering quickly. During the month long season our group found TWELVE dead rams. Mature rams. Sickening. Also two dead domestic goats. You could see the life drain out of the biologists eyes when I mentioned the domestic goats at check in. “That’s not good” was mumbled. On top of the domestic goats and sheep, the feral horses and burros are out of control, eating all the feed and taking over all the water sources. That’s another HUGE problem.
"This year, because of the drought coupled with the lack of reproduction, as well as the effects of a strain of pneumonia that has devastated the sheep herds in Mohave County, sheep tags will be reduced, and several units will be consolidated."
Changes in the offing for Mohave County bighorn hunts
Changes in the offing for Mohave County bighorn hunts
All animals that initially test positive by PCR will be recaptured the following year, then removed if still shedding. There are some mistakes in the article unfortunately. Early on in the disease outbreak phase, a higher percentage of animals will have active infections, so aggressive culling could be removing ewes that would otherwise recover. In herds where Movi has been circulated for many years or even decades, a “one strike” approach on older adults could be used if one didn’t want to be sure.
S-3 Ranch
Well-known member
Desert bighorn around siarra blanca are subject to Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica and Bibersteinia trehalosi and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae
lots of wild sheep/ aoudad around that area
lots of wild sheep/ aoudad around that area
Not sure if this belongs here or in the alpine happiness thread. 
www.durangoherald.com
Citizen scientists play key role in tracking bighorn sheep
In Southwest Colorado, a growing army of everyday scientists scours the mountains for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep every year. Mountain Studies Institute started its Colorado bighorn sheep monitoring ...
Not sure if this belongs here or in the alpine happiness thread.
Citizen scientists play key role in tracking bighorn sheep
In Southwest Colorado, a growing army of everyday scientists scours the mountains for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep every year. Mountain Studies Institute started its Colorado bighorn sheep monitoring ...
irrelevant comment - i got to stay in the MSI house in silverton for like 3.5 weeks during summer field classes in college. what a great time.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
Great article @OakNot sure if this belongs here or in the alpine happiness thread.
Citizen scientists play key role in tracking bighorn sheep
In Southwest Colorado, a growing army of everyday scientists scours the mountains for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep every year. Mountain Studies Institute started its Colorado bighorn sheep monitoring ...
~ How many of the 1,650 are yours? And I know you're mentioned in a removal but how effective overall do you think the program is?
Thanks, but this article was a complete surprise to me when I opened my morning email from the Herald and saw a photo of myself.
Sadly, very few of those observations are mine. I am desk-bound far too much.
I think the program is effective in its true primary purpose, and that is to educate the public on the issue. That said, there have been several reports of stray domestic sheep that have resulted in the permittees responding and removing them from high risk areas. There have also been several reports of domestic sheep grazing in areas closed for bighorn sheep protection, and there have been two interactions reported (below).
It’s not rocket science, it’s disease science. The science of disease is so clear that wildlife officials always remove wandering bighorn sheep that may have contacted domestic sheep. The risk from not doing so is too high.
www.king5.com
Four bighorn sheep wandering near Hanford area killed
The sheep posed a threat to surrounding herds according to WDFW, which said lethal removal was the "best option."
www.king5.com
MT FWP has removed at least 5 bighorn rams from the Bonner herd over the years after coming into contact with these weed control sheep, the most recent being 3 in 2015. Too bad they are back after a 7 year hiatus. Amazing that a place like Missoula would stand for that.
www.montanarightnow.com
Sheep returning to graze on noxious weeds in the Missoula area next week
MISSOULA, Mont. - Starting June 20, sheep are returning to help with noxious weeds on City Open Space in the Missoula area.
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