OREGON CHAPTER OF FNAWS NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 Volume 14 Issue 2 OREGON CHAPTER OF FNAWS NEWSLETTER September 2013

2 Inside this issue: The Mountain Goats of Hells Canyon 2,4-6 8th Annual Goat Orientation 2, The Mountain Goats of Hells Canyon by Vic Coggins The day was a hot one for July 2nd. I had accompanied my former assistant, Pat Matthews, now Wallowa District Wildlife Biologist, for the annual Hells Canyon Rocky Mountain The Oregon Chapter of FNAWS in concert with ODF&W held the 8th annual Big Horn Sheep/Mt. Goat Orientation Day for the 2013 holders of those coveted tags. The event was again goat survey in the Hat Point area. We would spend the next 7 hours on rocky points on the edge of Hells Canyon glassing for goats. The morning was cool and the goats active, but in the heat of mid day the goats became hard to find. I sat on the rim near Hat Point Lookout and appreciated the spectacular view of the snowy peaks in the Seven Devils Mountains in Idaho. I could see the section of the Snake River from Johnson Bar to Rush Cr. Rapids that I had jet boated through many times. The view north was equally impressive with miles of grass covered ridges called "the benches" and towering above them was Summit Ridge. Dead Failure Ridge, named for a failed homesteading venture could be seen on the far horizon. From my vantage point nearly 7,000 ft. above sea level I 8th Annual Goat Orientation by Pat and Bob Welsh held at the Oregon Discovery Center in The Dalles, Oregon on Saturday, July 20, The attendance and interest paid to the presentations indicates that it was once again a big could look down at the Sluice Cr. drainage and see portions of the trail where I walked mule deer survey routes for over three decades. Because the elevation at Hat Point drops over a mile to the Snake River, I was sitting in a field of green grass and wildflowers and looking down at dry grasses below where it was definitely "summertime". I had plenty of time for reflection that day and decided to share my story of how the Rocky Mountain goats were reestablished in the area. (Continued on page 4) success. There were a lot of folks in attendance and 61 (53 BHS and 8 Mtn. Goat) were tag holders. Others in attendance were friends and family of tag holders. (Continued on page 12) FNAWS 100 Grant Aid Projects Bighorn hunting access agreements reached Your Conservation Dollars at Work Summit County s bighorn sheep population under close Wildlife officials kill ailing bighorn Deadly Diseases Could Strike Bighorn Sheep 37 acres added to Bridger-Teton National Forest by Sheep Caught in Rain Upcoming Dates Winter Board Meeting: January 2014 TBD WSF National Convention: January 22-25,2014 Juniper Cut on ODFW Philip Schneider Wildlife Area: March 2014 TBD Look online for updates on time and location for above events

3 Oregon FNAWS First 100 Grant-In-Aid Projects by Don South The total dollars APPROVED for the first 100 projects was $440, This is not the actual amount paid out, but a total of money approved, including projects that were donations. It does not include projects that were submitted but were withdrawn prior to approval. In a few cases, we paid out a few dollars more than what was approved, and those amounts are included in the total. We are looking forward to funding the next 100 projects that help put and keep sheep on the mountain! Bighorn hunting access agreements reached Two special access agreements reached between private landowners and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks will improve opportunities this fall for bighorn sheep hunters in the Missouri River Breaks south of Havre. The access agreements allow private lands within the Sanford and Brewer ranches to be legally accessed for free by sheep hunters who have drawn licenses in Hunting District 680. Access to these private lands in turn connects to thousands of acres of public lands that would otherwise be difficult to reach. Except for coyotes on the Sanford Ranch, other types of hunting are not covered by the agreements. The Sanford Ranch land is located along the Ragland Bench south of the Cow Island Trail off Lloyd Road. The agreement between the ranch owners and FWP runs from Sept. 5 to Dec. 1 and allows up to one bighorn ram party and three bighorn ewe parties to access the land per week. Other provisions include: Beginning Aug. 22 and at least a week in advance of their trip, hunters can call FWP s Havre office at from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday to reserve their access to the Sanford Ranch. Permission will be granted on a firstcome, first-served basis. Access can be reserved for up to a week. If a hunt is completed earlier than planned, the Havre FWP office will need to be notified. Other cancellations will also be handled through the Havre office. Hunters must receive their permission slip, vehicle tag and map of the ranch prior to using the property. No camping or fires are allowed on the private land. No access will be allowed during wet and muddy periods. During periods of heavy rain or snow, hunters will need to park and walk. No off-road driving is allowed, and hunters must stay on designated access roads. The Brewer Ranch is also located south of the Cow Island Trail off Eskay and Brewer roads. This access agreement is also in effect from Sept. 5 to Dec. 1. Other provisions state: Up to two parties of bighorn ram hunters and three bighorn ewe hunting parties are allowed on the Brewer property per week. Beginning Aug. 22 hunters can contact the landowner at to gain permission, which will be granted on a first -come, first-served basis. Hunters can receive permission to access the Brewer Ranch for up to a week. If they complete their hunt earlier than planned, hunters will need to contact the landowner to cancel the remaining days. If they are unable to hunt in their designated time slot, they also must contact the landowner to cancel their reservation. As with the Sanford property, hunters must receive their permission slip, vehicle tag and map prior to accessing the land. No fires are allowed on private land. No vehicle access will be permitted during wet and muddy periods, and no off-road driving is allowed. Read more: billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/ recreation/bighorn-huntingaccess-agreements-reached/ article_a2a152bf-063a ab- 5b html#ixzz2fDHj Page 3 Oregon Chapter of FNAWS

4 The Mountain Goats of Hells Canyon continued... Rocky Mountain Goat History The history of Rocky Mountain goat restoration in Oregon began when animals from the Chopaka Mountains, WA were introduced to the Wallowa Mts. in Only six animals were obtained because of the primitive capture methods. A rope noose on a pole was used to snare the animals from a blind. They were transported out of the backcountry on horses and trucked to Wallowa Lake where five were released (one had died). The Wallowa mountain herd increased to about 30 animals by the early 1960's and excessive hunting resulted in the herd declining by the late 1960's. Populations were static at about 20 animals through the 1970's and 80's. At that time, mountain goats were not considered native to Oregon as the prevailing theory was that the Columbia and Snake Rivers were barriers to the animals. In the late 1980's mountain goats from the Olympic National Park, WA and Misty Fiord National Monument, Alaska, were released in the Wallowa Mts. to increase numbers and improve genetics. This and other later transplants from the Elkhorn Mountains in Oregon resulted in Wallowa Mountain populations increasing to an estimated 260 animals by An extensive literature search by Pat Matthews would prove mountain goats were native to northeast Oregon and the Cascade Mountains. In fact, an archeological report on an ancient Nez Perce tribal campsite, excavated at Bernard Cr. in Hells Canyon, documented mountain goat remains. This site was only a few miles from the release site at Sluice Cr. Also, an adult male that biologists believed to be from the Elkhorn Mts. population, moved to the Dalles Dam area where it eventually crossed the Columbia River to Washington state. He went up the Klickitat River to Mt. Adams and joined some Washington goats. Obviously, the Columbia River was not a barrier! Hells Canyon Release Mountain goat restoration began in Hells Canyon in July, 2000 when 16 animals (7adult females, 3 yearling males, 2 yearling females and 4 kids) were released at Sluice Cr. Saddle, north of Hat Point Lookout. The goats were trapped in the Elkhorn Mountains west of Baker City, Oregon. Baker district wildlife biologists had established a salt lick in the alpine country above Goodrich Lake in the Baker City watershed located on the Wallowa- Whitman National forest. This was an ideal trap site as it was closed to public entry but was accessible by pickup truck and activity at the site from forest users could be avoided. The capture method involved a drop net with a remote tripping device set up over the heavily used salt lick. The trapping crew was made up of Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service employees as well as volunteers from the Oregon Hunters Association and Oregon Foundation of the North American Wild Sheep Foundation. When the net dropped, it took a large crew to blindfold, hobble, take samples and tape rubber hose guards over the horns of yearling and adult animals. Mountain goats can be dangerous to handle which made the horn guards and individual crates essential to protect the handlers as well as other goats. The capture had the advantage of being relatively close to the release sites which was an advantage for a low budget operation. It did not require an expensive helicopter net gun capture, out of state or out of country travel, or negotiations for mountain goat stock. Oregon finally had its own population of mountain goats available for trapping and transplanting! Second Release Another release of 18 Mtn. goats (10 adults, 4 yearlings, 4 kids) from the Elkhorn Mtn. capture site was made in 2003 on Summit Ridge at the head of Steamboat Cr. above Hells Canyon Dam. This release site was accessible by pickup truck and trailer to the canyon rim. Captured animals were generally taken to the release site the same day they were captured which reduced stress and greatly aided in their survival. Annual Surveys Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 4

5 The Mountain Goats of Hells Canyon continued... Annual surveys have been done since the reintroductions in 2000 and These are normally done in July by two observers on the ground, sometimes using two-way radios to communicate information on locations. These two Hells Canyon goat herds have done very well and have had outstanding kid survival. Twins are common and occasionally triplets, unheard of in most North American mountain goat populations. In July 2012, 146 mountain goats were counted in the annual survey. A total of 131 were classified as 73 adults, 38 kids, and 20 yearlings. That is 52 kids per 100 adults which is excellent production of young. Habitat Hells Canyon mountain goat habitat is ideal. Most of the occupied range has burned twice since the reintroductions which resulted in the removal of a large number of dead conifers and a proliferation of shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Hells Canyon has abundant winter range. When their summer range gets snowed in during the winter, the goats simply drop down in elevation to relatively snow-free range. The mountain goat range extends along the rim of Hells Canyon from Hominy Cr. to Buck Cr., a distance of about 25 air miles and much of the canyon habitat is over a mile deep. Singles or small groups of goats are occasionally seen pioneering to other areas of the Snake River Unit as well. Recently, animals have been seen on the end of Grizzly Ridge and below the 4 mile viewpoint on the Hat Point Rd. up river from the town of Imnaha. Hells Canyon mountain goat range is public land which is an unquestionable benefit to hunters and others interested in viewing them and other wildlife in the area. The Hat Point plateau is accessible through the summer and fall via the Hat Point road. The road is narrow, steep, and unpaved to the Hat Point Lookout and high clearance vehicles are recommended. Hunting Seasons Established The Hat Point mountain goat season first opened in 2005 with one tag authorized. Since that time, 14 mountain goats have been taken from the area by hunters. While tag holders are encouraged to take male animals, there are no penalties for taking a female goat. Hunters are required to attend a mandatory identification class to aid them in selecting male animals. Only one Snake River hunter out the of 17 tag holders has taken a female animal. In 2011, the south Snake River mountain goat season opened with 1 tag. Three mountain goats have been taken in that hunt, bringing the total goat harvest to 17. Of these, seven have green scored over the 50 point minimum to be eligible for the Boone and Crockett record book. Hells Canyon produces large trophy mountain goats! The new state record was taken by Will Garoutte in 2012 and officially scored 54 Boone and Crockett points. The animal was 8 ½ years old and taken in the newly opened South Snake River hunt area. The Snake River goats have done so well that the entire unit is now open to goat tag holders in two hunt areas. Five tags are authorized for the unit in The Hat Point hunt boundary now includes that portion of the Snake River Unit north of Freezeout Cr. Rd and Saddle Cr. Trail The South Snake River includes the Snake River Unit south of that boundary. The three hunts authorized in 2012 were open September 7th - 22nd for the two early Snake River hunts and the Hat Point late hunt was Oct. 12th Oct. 20th. Late season mountain goats have extremely long dense hair coats and are spectacular animals. In summary, Hells Canyon mountain goats have done very well since the reintroduction started in These magnificent big game mammals have been restored to Hells Canyon and are providing viewing opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts and limited hunting opportunity. In 2011, the Oregon mountain goat population was estimated at 800 animals in 13 populations in northeast Oregon and the Cascade Mountains. All the mountain goats (Continued on page 6) Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 5

6 The Mountain Goats of Hells Canyon continued... (Continued from page 5) in Oregon are from transplants and most of these are from the Elkhorn Mountains translocation project started in It was a privilege to have been a part of the restoration of this magnificent Oregon native! Hat Point Overlook, Sluice Creek Female, Kid and Yearling Goat Trapping at Goodrich Lake Female with Twins Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 6

7 Your Conservation Dollars at Work by Larry We have assembled a list of Oregon FNAWS Grant and Aid projects that your conservation dollars have help fund over the years. I am proud to let you know that 99% of the grant and aid money spent by Oregon FNAWS, directly benefited Oregon Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats and other wildlife. Since the conception of Oregon FNAWS the grant and aid program has had over one hundred applications turned in for grant and aid. Out of that one hundred applications your conservation dollars have funded seventy five grant and aid projects with more on the way. By looking at the type of grant and aid projects that have been funded. You will see that your conservation dollars are directly responsible for to putting more Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats on the mountains and in the river canyons. I would like to thank each one of you Oregon FNAWS members and supporters. With out you Oregon FNAWS would not have a Grant and Aid program, Thanks. I hope to see each and every member at our next up coming Banquet/Fundraiser. I encourage each member to bring someone new and introduce them to your Oregon FNAWS. Just think of the growth of Oregon FNAWS if each one of us did that. That would help us out with future Grant and Aid project which equals more sheep and goats on the mountain. Good Luck and be safe this hunting season. $13, $12, Grant & Aid Funding $20, $6, $3, $29, $50, $9, $26, $76, Habitat Hells Canyon Education Transplants Bio Assistance Guzzlers Bighorn Disease Issues Disease Research Domestic Buy Out Misc Grant & Aid Pie Chart Definitions : Habitat includes weed control projects.//hells Canyon includes, Hells Canyon Initiative and Hells Canyon Restoration.//Education includes promotion support.//transplants includes sheep and goat transplants.//bio Assistance is biologist assistance for sheep and goat surveys, telemetry and monitoring.//guzzlers are water collection and drinkers systems. //Bighorn Disease issues is for vaccination and medical treatment of sheep.//disease Research is for research on disease passed from domestic stock to Bighorn sheep.//domestic buy out is buying out domestic sheep and goats that are in close proximity to Bighorn sheep to prevent disease out break.//misc. are a few items that didn't fall into the above categories. Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 7

8 Summit County s bighorn sheep population under close watch Colorado is home to the largest population of bighorn sheep in North America. About 50 of the unmistakable animals have been documented in the Peru Creek area. Biologists started noticing the bighorn sheep in Summit County in the early 2000s, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist Kirk Oldham. These Rocky Mountain bighorns are part of a larger more-established population found on Mount Evans, he said. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is in the process of developing a management plan for the bighorns in Peru Creek, as well as the estimated 150 bighorn sheep living on Evans. There are two species of bighorn in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain, which is native, and the desert bighorn, introduced near Colorado National Monument in The bighorns typically live in steep, high mountain terrain and graze in meadows, open woodland and alpine tundra. Bighorn sheep need good escape cover in rocky terrain where they can get away from predators adjacent to good grazing and grass quality, Oldham said. Unlike elk and deer, which use speed and agility to get away from predators, slower bighorn sheep avoid capture by deftness and balance, Oldham said. Coyotes, mountain lions and eagles prey on bighorns, and a few succumb to accidental falls. The creation of a herdmanagement plan will dictate future populations of the local herds, including the ages and gender ratios of the animals. Biologists said they determine population objectives based on what the habitat can support ecologically, and on what social, political and economic factors dictate. Comments received from the public about the management of bighorn sheep in the Mount Evans and Peru Creek areas will help shape the management plan. From that feedback we will be able to gauge a temperature of where we need to be with our management of bighorn sheep, Oldham said. It s a pretty high-profile species in Colorado and it gets a lot of interest. The bighorn herdmanagement plan will be in place for 10 years and will dictate the number of hunting permits issued for local bighorn populations. Bighorn sheep hunting is carefully regulated in Colorado, according to the Parks and Wildlife Department. Approximately 100 to 300 sheep are harvested in the state annually. In 2010, bighorn hunting became permitted in the Peru Creek area. Currently, only one license is held for the bighorn sheep population in this area, Oldham said. The biologist said as many as 10 hunting licenses could be issued for the entire population of bighorn herds in Peru Creek and on Mount Evans. Right now the demand for licenses in Colorado greatly exceeds the supply, he said. We recognize that hunting is not popular with everybody. But we also recognize that it is a recreational opportunity and a primary management tool for wildlife as well, Oldham said. Our role is to provide as much opportunity as we can while maintaining a healthy herd, and being sensitive to the other social and ecological considerations. Submitted photo Colorado Parks and Wildlife is in the process of developing a management plan for the bighorns found in Peru Creek, as well as the estimated 150 bighorn sheep living on Mt. Evans. Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 8

9 Don t Forget to Save the Date 15th Annual Auction and Banquet May 3rd, 2014 Washington County Fairgrounds Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 9

10 Wildlife officials kill ailing bighorn sheep to test for deadly infection in Boulder City herd by Henry Brean from Las Vegas Review Journal. Shared by State wildlife officials caught and killed a sick bighorn sheep from a Boulder City park on Thursday so they could run tests to determine if one of Nevada s most important herds has been infected with a deadly strain of pneumonia. About 10 sheep have turned up dead in the River Mountains between Henderson and Lake Mead so far this summer. Most of the carcasses were found at the northern end of the range. Several of the dead animals tested positive for a type of bacteria associated with pneumonia, but that isn t enough to prove an outbreak of the deadly illness. State wildlife veterinarian Peregrine Wolff said the only way to know for sure is to euthanize a sick animal and test all of its tissues. Wildlife officials should have their answer within the next week or two. With Wolff overseeing the operation in Boulder City s Hemenway Park Thursday afternoon, a ewe born within the past year was shot with a tranquilizer dart and taken elsewhere to be humanely euthanized and dissected. The young animal was coughing quite heavily and showing other signs of illness, said Doug Nielsen, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. That s why she was chosen. If the worst fears are confirmed, the once-healthy and successful River Mountains herd could be ravaged for years to come by a disease with no real treatment. Bighorn have no natural resistance to pneumonia and tend to die at a high rate. Those that survive become carriers, infecting and eventually killing newborn lambs in a cycle that can diminish a herd for up to a decade, if not wipe it out altogether. This herd is very special, Nielsen said. It s played a big role in our transplant and repatriation efforts statewide. Some sheep from the River Mountains also have been sent out of Nevada to help reestablish herds in other states. A fatal pneumonia outbreak would likely end the practice for the foreseeable future. We re coming up on moving-sheep season, Wolff said. We need to know what s going on, and we don t know what s going on. So far no dead sheep have turned up in Hemenway Park itself, which serves as a regular gathering place for about a third of the herd s 220 adults. But biologists and members of the public have spotted sheep in the park with obvious signs of illness, including coughs and runny noses. It s enough to investigate instead of sit around and watch what happens, Wolff said. There are some things happening that are pointing in a A woman takes a picture of bighorn sheep in Hemenway Park in Boulder City, Nev. Wednesday, Sept. 4, State wildlife officials plan to kill at least one sick bighorn sheep in the areas so they can find out if the herd has been infected with a deadly strain of pneumonia. (John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 10

11 Wildlife officials kill ailing bighorn sheep to test for deadly infection in Boulder City herd Continued... direction I don t like. We just don t have enough information right now. A more serious crisis is playing out in Mojave National Preserve in California, 100 miles southwest of Las Vegas, where wildlife managers briefly considered and then reconsidered the wholesale slaughter of bighorn sheep to stop the spread of the disease, which does not pose a risk to humans. The Mojave outbreak first cropped up on Old Dad Mountain, about 15 miles from Baker, Calif., but last month more diseased bighorns were found in the Marble Mountains, about 30 miles to the south. The disease has wiped out about half of the Old Dad herd, but scientists believe it might be waning. The outbreak in the Marble Mountains, just south of Interstate 40, is still in its early stages. The afflicted animals are part of what has been called the biggest and healthiest herd in Southern California. Transplants from the group have been used in the past to bolster struggling herds elsewhere in California. If the River Mountains sheep also have pneumonia, tests on the Hemenway Park animal could determine whether the illness spread to Nevada from Mojave National Preserve. But Wolff said that s highly unlikely, considering the distance involved and the way the River Mountains are hemmed in on all sides by cities and roadways. Bighorn sheep once roamed nearly every mountain range in Nevada, but unregulated hunting, habitat loss and disease spread by domestic livestock reduced the population to about 1,200 animals in a handful of areas, none of them north of Ely or west of Hawthorne. Since 1967, state wildlife officials have restored sheep to more than 60 mountain ranges across Nevada and helped boost their total population to more than 11,000 adults, more than any other state. The River Mountains serve as the main supplier for the repopulation program. Of the nearly 2,900 sheep captured and relocated over the past 45 years, more than 800 came from that range. Bighorn sheep now roam every range in Clark County, including all the mountains surrounding the Las Vegas Valley. There were enough animals statewide to allow for a record 250 hunting tags to be issued last year, Nielsen said. Wildlife officials don t relish euthanizing bighorn sheep, but it s part of the job. This is an important herd, Wolff said, and it s our responsibility as managers to understand what we re dealing with. Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 11

12 8th Annual Goat Orientation continued... -FNAWS members in their blue shirts and ODF&W biologists in their agency shirts, handled the registration process, provided many of the presentations and hosted the breakout session, optics, rifle displays, and gear displays. The scope of the Orientation Day has been developed and presented to provide hunters information on a wide variety of topics to assist them in making their hunts successful and enjoyable and to inform them of the activities of National and Oregon FNAWS. All of the 2013 Big Horn Sheep and Mountain Goat tag holders were sent a special invitation to attend and a notice was placed in the Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations that invited anyone with an interest to attend. Also, all tag holders were offered a one year s complimentary membership in OR- FNAWS. Presentations included information on the following subjects and were supported by Power Point visuals: Scoring, Measuring, and Field Judging Big Horns Hunt Areas, Biologist Contacts, Habitat, Where to Hunt and Hunt Strategies Sheep and Goat Hunting 101 Basics Sheep/Goat Shape and Physical and Mental Conditioning Care of Meat, Care of the Cape and Preserving the Trophy National and Oregon FNAWS role in Putting Sheep on the Mountain A special Goat Hunt Orientation was conducted by Pat Mathews and was designed to fulfill the hunter s requirement for a mandatory goat hunting orientation session The event was organized by the co-chairs team of Jeremy Thompson, an OR=FNAWS member and a District Biologist for ODF&W in The Dalles and Don South of OR-FNAWS. Presenters included Larry Hunts, President of OR- FNAWS; George Houston, a Past President of OR-FNAWS; Walt Van Dyke, retired ODF&W District Wildlife Biologist and a Director of OR- FNAWS; Don South and Larry Jacobs, Directors, OR-FNAWS; John Weible an Oregon taxidermist; Andy Weible, an Oregon taxidermist and a Director of OR-FNAWS; Scott Torland, Phil Millburn and Pat Matthews, ODF&W biologists. Walter Chuck, a 2012 BHS tag holder hunter gave a presentation from the standpoint of a first time sheep hunter that chronicled his very successful hunt where he harvested a record book and award winning California Big Horn. He also brought his shoulder mount and the European style pedestal mount of the true horns. Walter is a member of OR- FNAWS from his complimentary membership offered as a 2012 tag holder. We are hopeful he will continue to be a member The afternoon breakout sessions and gear displays were again a huge success with a lot of information being passed along by the biologists from the various hunt areas. TRC had a good display of optics, rifles and gear for the hunters to examine and ask questions. Plans are underway to have the ninth Annual Big Horn Sheep/Mountain Goat Orientation Day in We are approaching the capacity of the Discovery Center in The Dalles, so the Chapter may look at alternative venues for the 2014 event. Our thanks for the hard work of Jeremy Thompson, Don South, and the BHS/ Mtn. Goat Planning Committee for making this happen! Terrific job! Anyone with additional ideas of how to improve the Orientation Day process for next year, please contact Don South or Jeremy Thompson, planning committee co-chairs. Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 12

13 8th Annual Goat Orientation continued... Gear Displays and Q&A with Dave Geelan and Larry Sides Watching the presentation Breakout Session with the one and only Larry Jacobs Gathered around the Biologist Pat Matthews Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 13

14 37 acres added to Bridger-Teton National Forest by Jordan Harper The Bridger-Teton National Forest, with the help of the Conservation Fund, has added a 37-acre parcel of land acquired from the Jackson Hole Land Trust, protecting the land indefinitely. The parcel, known as Poison Creek, lies about 15 miles south of Jackson and is considered an important winter habitat for bighorn sheep, elk and mule deer in the area. Conservation Fund Wyoming director, Luke Lynch, says that there are a plethora of benefits to the state and the land in this deal. "It will be managed forever, open to the public, it will also allow the land trust to take the proceeds from the sale and reinvest them in further conservation work", says Lynch. "There will be a future project that can be done because of this transfer." Lynch says that humans also enjoy the area, often using it as an access point to hunt and hike in the Gros Venture wilderness during the summer and fall months. Deadly Diseases Could Strike Bighorn Sheep by U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Office of Communications and Publishing Shared by index.php Declining bighorn sheep populations may be vulnerable to some of the fatal diseases, including chronic wasting disease(cwd), that are found in their western U.S. habitats, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study. USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) research showed that bighorn sheep are likely susceptible to the deadly neurological diseases scrapie and CWD, which are occurring in or near natural bighorn sheep environments. These fatal diseases are caused by mysterious proteins called prions, and are known to infect domestic sheep (scrapie) and non-domestic deer, elk, and moose (CWD). The USGS study is published in the journal BMC Veterinary Research, and is available online. "Bighorn sheep are economically and culturally important to the western U.S.," said Dr. Christopher Johnson, USGS scientist and senior author of the report. "Understanding future risks to the health of bighorn sheep is key to proper management of the species." USGS laboratory tests found evidence that bighorn sheep could be vulnerable to CWD from either white-tailed deer or elk, and to a domestic sheep prion disease known as scrapie. However, none of a small number of bighorn sheep sampled in the study showed evidence of infection. "Our results do not mean that bighorns get, or will eventually get, prion diseases," Johnson said. "However, wildlife species like bighorn sheep are increasingly exposed to areas where CWD occurs as the disease expands to new geographical areas and increases in prevalence." The laboratory test results could be useful to wildlife managers because bighorn sheep habitats overlap with farms and ranches with scrapieinfected sheep and regions where CWD is common in deer, elk, and moose. Bighorn sheep populations in western North America have declined from habitat loss and, more recently, epidemics of fatal pneumonia thought to be transmitted to them from domestic sheep. Prion diseases are another possible threat to this valuable species. Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 14

15 Goats Caught in Thunder and Rain Thunder terror: A herd of goats were caught in stormy weather on the Rocky mountains and the young kids were not best pleased First to the bottom: The young goats race down the mountain to get away from the frightening thunder Read more: Volume 14 Issue 2 Page 15

16 FIND US AT VISIT US ON FACEBOOK Important Contact Information President, Larry Hunts st Vice President, Tom Peterson nd Vice President, Larry Sides Secretary, Robert Welsh Treasurer, Alan Day / Past President, Mike Boethin mikebo@bendbroadband.com Board Members Nicholas Berg Linda South Vic Coggins Don South Dale Campbell Ellen Campbell Dave Geelan Jim Torland George Houston Brent Tannock Larry Jacobs Jeremy Thompson Walt Van Dyke Andy Weibel