National Bighorn Sheep Center

WHISKEY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP
UNDERSTANDING AND SOLUTIONS THROUGH COLLABORATION
In early 2019, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) in partnership with the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, the National Bighorn Sheep Center and the University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute engaged in a public involvement process to explore management concerns, issues, and opportunities for the Whiskey Mountain Bighorn Sheep herd. The Whiskey Mountain bighorn sheep herd was once one of the largest and most nationally recognized herds in the nation and it has been declining since an all age die-off in the early 1990’s. The herd continues to stay below the desired population size primarily because lamb survival is very low. At one time there were an estimated 2,500 sheep in this population; today there are about 750.

WHY DO THIS?
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department simply doesn’t have all the answers to turn this important bighorn sheep population around. There is much to be learned about how to best address this decline and perhaps implement new or different management strategies and projects to attempt to arrest and reverse this trend. To do this, we must consider a different approach that includes all who are interested and passionate about this herd.

Additionally, in 2019, NBSC began exploring Citizen Science Data Collection as one way for the public to get involved and help with the observations of bighorn sheep in the Whiskey Basin area. The University of Wyoming has provided the basic data collection form in the bottom link below, and the public is encouraged to help provide observational data through this form to the University.

LINKS BELOW:

For a link to the full Situational Assessment, released on December 19, 2018, please click the first link below.

For a link to the full notes from the first February 2019 meeting, please click the second link below.

For links to the April 2019 workshop agenda, professionals input and issues summary from the February meeting see the third-fifth sets of links below.

For a link to the Citizen Science Observation Form, please see the sixth link below.

Read the DRAFT Whiskey Mountain Bighorn Sheep Plan in the final link below.