Bighorn Sheep Hunting
Jackson
The Targhee Sheep Herd is small, currently estimated at approximately 100 sheep. Aerial surveys conducted in February 2018 and December 2018 yielded observations of 76 and 81 sheep, respectively, and were much improved compared to similar surveys conducted in 2016 and 2015, which produced counts of 46 and 57 sheep respectively. During hunting seasons from 2006 to 2011, one ram was harvested each year, no rams were harvested in 2012, and one ram was harvested each year from 2013 to 2017. No rams were taken in 2018, as hunter success is limited by the difficult terrain, low sheep numbers, and movements into Grand Teton National Park. Average age of harvested rams over the last five years is 6.5 years old. This herd appears to be limited by poor quality, high elevation winter habitat. Mountain goats, once a rare sighting in the Tetons, have become as plentiful as bighorn sheep and concerns exist over competition between the two in the extremely limited habitats available in winter.
The Hunt Area 6 boundary was changed to remove the Snake River Range portion of the area, as it holds no bighorn sheep and management direction is not to encourage expansion of bighorn sheep there. Sheep hunting opportunities for the Targhee Herd will again be offered in 2019, but with 1 nonresident license.
In the Jackson Sheep Herd, managers began detecting pneumonia in the sheep population in early summer 2012. Some winter ranges in the Jackson and Gros Ventre areas may have experienced a 30% decline in the overall number of sheep during the outbreak. Lamb:ewe ratios also declined to 21 lambs:100 ewes from 50:100 prior to the outbreak. However, the population has rebounded quickly in recent years. The March 2019 trend count indicated the population is doing well, with a lamb:ewe ratio of 49:100 and 363 total sheep classified. Ram:ewe ratios remain stable at 41:100. Hunter success in 2018 was only 64%, but winter surveys show the availability of mature rams has not diminished. The 2019 hunting season proposes to again offer 12 licenses in Hunt Area 7.
Cody
Overall, bighorn sheep hunting in the Absaroka Mountains should be good in 2019 for those lucky enough to draw a license. In 2018, the average age of harvested rams in Hunt Areas 1-5 was a little over 7 years old, with many older age class rams checked. Due to decreased lamb ratios, hunting success and numerous bighorn ram pickup heads being discovered, regional sheep managers reduced sheep licenses in Hunt Areas 1, 2 and 5. Hunt Areas 3 and 4 issued the same number of licenses and 2018.
In Hunt Area 12 (Devils Canyon herd), bighorn sheep continue to do well, and area managers are again proposing six licenses for the 2019 hunting season. Past hunters have all harvested mature rams (6-8 years old) so hunting should be very good for the four resident and two nonresident hunters lucky enough to draw one of the coveted licenses.
Lander
Lamb production in the Whiskey Mountain bighorn sheep population was once again alarmingly low at 17/100 in 2018 and continues to be a concern. Lamb productivity has been depressed in the herd unit for over 20 years and while it has certainly impacted population growth, there are still rams available for harvest. Hunter success in 2019 shouldn’t be impacted, though the number of licenses was reduced from 10 to 8 in Hunt Area 8. This reduction was deemed prudent in light of the last two years’ low lamb recruitment and decreasing population size. The ram to ewe ratio in 2019 decreased from 58 to 52/100. Those who draw a tag in these areas should expect to see fewer rams than in the past, but should experience reasonable success depending on their expectations. Sheep Hunt Areas 9 and 10 remain unchanged but it is important to note hunting in these areas is difficult and will require a lot of effort to locate mature rams.
Hunt Area 22 (Dubois Badlands) will once again be open for hunting any ram in 2019. Four licenses will be valid to hunt in Hunt Area 22 from September 1-30. After September 30, these licenses will also be valid in Hunt Area 5.
Hunt Area 17 (Ferris/Seminoe Mountains) and Hunt Area 26 (Bennett Mountains) will be open for the seventh year in 2019. We are proposing to allow the harvest of five rams an increase of one compared to 2018. The Ferris/Seminoe herd has been doing well since the supplemental releases in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018 and most recently in February, 2019. It is estimated there are nearly 300 sheep in the population. It is expected the license recipients will have excellent opportunity to harvest a ram and for those who hold out could harvest an exceptional ram.
Laramie
The Laramie Peak Sheep Herd (Hunt Area 19) continues to offer trophy quality rams, with outstanding harvest success (2018 = 100%). Over the past few years there have been several fires in the Herd Unit. Arapahoe, Cow Camp, and Russell’s Camp fires burned over 112,000 acres, with the Britania and School Creek fires adding another 30,320 acres. Perennial forbs, grasses and aspen have re-established post-fire, which should benefit bighorn sheep in the future. The Department has partnered with landowners and several land-management agencies to treat cheatgrass in the affected areas. Substantial moisture during spring and summer yielded strong forage production. We anticipate that robust food availability will likely lead to increased offspring survival, along with notable horn growth.
Sheep licenses will not be available for the Douglas Creek and Encampment River Sheep Herds (Hunt Areas 18/21) this year. These herds do not have large enough populations to be hunted every year. Managers propose hunts within these hunt areas on alternating years to provide opportunity consistent with the resources available.
Pinedale
The Darby Mountain sheep herd and a portion of the Whiskey Mountain herd are managed by Pinedale regional personnel. In 2016, the Darby Mountain herd (hunt area 24) was opened for the first time since the season was closed after the 2011 hunting season. In 2019, area 24 will again be open with one license for any ram. Continued population declines in the Whiskey herd prompted another reduction in hunt area 8. A total of 8 licenses will be offered in 2019, compared to 12 licenses in 2017 and 10 offered in 2018. In 2016, hunt areas 8 and 23 were combined to create the new area 8, and the season length was extended to October 31 (September 1–October 31) to provide additional hunter opportunity.
The Targhee Sheep Herd is small, currently estimated at approximately 100 sheep. Aerial surveys conducted in February 2018 and December 2018 yielded observations of 76 and 81 sheep, respectively, and were much improved compared to similar surveys conducted in 2016 and 2015, which produced counts of 46 and 57 sheep respectively. During hunting seasons from 2006 to 2011, one ram was harvested each year, no rams were harvested in 2012, and one ram was harvested each year from 2013 to 2017. No rams were taken in 2018, as hunter success is limited by the difficult terrain, low sheep numbers, and movements into Grand Teton National Park. Average age of harvested rams over the last five years is 6.5 years old. This herd appears to be limited by poor quality, high elevation winter habitat. Mountain goats, once a rare sighting in the Tetons, have become as plentiful as bighorn sheep and concerns exist over competition between the two in the extremely limited habitats available in winter.
The Hunt Area 6 boundary was changed to remove the Snake River Range portion of the area, as it holds no bighorn sheep and management direction is not to encourage expansion of bighorn sheep there. Sheep hunting opportunities for the Targhee Herd will again be offered in 2019, but with 1 nonresident license.
In the Jackson Sheep Herd, managers began detecting pneumonia in the sheep population in early summer 2012. Some winter ranges in the Jackson and Gros Ventre areas may have experienced a 30% decline in the overall number of sheep during the outbreak. Lamb:ewe ratios also declined to 21 lambs:100 ewes from 50:100 prior to the outbreak. However, the population has rebounded quickly in recent years. The March 2019 trend count indicated the population is doing well, with a lamb:ewe ratio of 49:100 and 363 total sheep classified. Ram:ewe ratios remain stable at 41:100. Hunter success in 2018 was only 64%, but winter surveys show the availability of mature rams has not diminished. The 2019 hunting season proposes to again offer 12 licenses in Hunt Area 7.
Cody
Overall, bighorn sheep hunting in the Absaroka Mountains should be good in 2019 for those lucky enough to draw a license. In 2018, the average age of harvested rams in Hunt Areas 1-5 was a little over 7 years old, with many older age class rams checked. Due to decreased lamb ratios, hunting success and numerous bighorn ram pickup heads being discovered, regional sheep managers reduced sheep licenses in Hunt Areas 1, 2 and 5. Hunt Areas 3 and 4 issued the same number of licenses and 2018.
In Hunt Area 12 (Devils Canyon herd), bighorn sheep continue to do well, and area managers are again proposing six licenses for the 2019 hunting season. Past hunters have all harvested mature rams (6-8 years old) so hunting should be very good for the four resident and two nonresident hunters lucky enough to draw one of the coveted licenses.
Lander
Lamb production in the Whiskey Mountain bighorn sheep population was once again alarmingly low at 17/100 in 2018 and continues to be a concern. Lamb productivity has been depressed in the herd unit for over 20 years and while it has certainly impacted population growth, there are still rams available for harvest. Hunter success in 2019 shouldn’t be impacted, though the number of licenses was reduced from 10 to 8 in Hunt Area 8. This reduction was deemed prudent in light of the last two years’ low lamb recruitment and decreasing population size. The ram to ewe ratio in 2019 decreased from 58 to 52/100. Those who draw a tag in these areas should expect to see fewer rams than in the past, but should experience reasonable success depending on their expectations. Sheep Hunt Areas 9 and 10 remain unchanged but it is important to note hunting in these areas is difficult and will require a lot of effort to locate mature rams.
Hunt Area 22 (Dubois Badlands) will once again be open for hunting any ram in 2019. Four licenses will be valid to hunt in Hunt Area 22 from September 1-30. After September 30, these licenses will also be valid in Hunt Area 5.
Hunt Area 17 (Ferris/Seminoe Mountains) and Hunt Area 26 (Bennett Mountains) will be open for the seventh year in 2019. We are proposing to allow the harvest of five rams an increase of one compared to 2018. The Ferris/Seminoe herd has been doing well since the supplemental releases in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018 and most recently in February, 2019. It is estimated there are nearly 300 sheep in the population. It is expected the license recipients will have excellent opportunity to harvest a ram and for those who hold out could harvest an exceptional ram.
Laramie
The Laramie Peak Sheep Herd (Hunt Area 19) continues to offer trophy quality rams, with outstanding harvest success (2018 = 100%). Over the past few years there have been several fires in the Herd Unit. Arapahoe, Cow Camp, and Russell’s Camp fires burned over 112,000 acres, with the Britania and School Creek fires adding another 30,320 acres. Perennial forbs, grasses and aspen have re-established post-fire, which should benefit bighorn sheep in the future. The Department has partnered with landowners and several land-management agencies to treat cheatgrass in the affected areas. Substantial moisture during spring and summer yielded strong forage production. We anticipate that robust food availability will likely lead to increased offspring survival, along with notable horn growth.
Sheep licenses will not be available for the Douglas Creek and Encampment River Sheep Herds (Hunt Areas 18/21) this year. These herds do not have large enough populations to be hunted every year. Managers propose hunts within these hunt areas on alternating years to provide opportunity consistent with the resources available.
Pinedale
The Darby Mountain sheep herd and a portion of the Whiskey Mountain herd are managed by Pinedale regional personnel. In 2016, the Darby Mountain herd (hunt area 24) was opened for the first time since the season was closed after the 2011 hunting season. In 2019, area 24 will again be open with one license for any ram. Continued population declines in the Whiskey herd prompted another reduction in hunt area 8. A total of 8 licenses will be offered in 2019, compared to 12 licenses in 2017 and 10 offered in 2018. In 2016, hunt areas 8 and 23 were combined to create the new area 8, and the season length was extended to October 31 (September 1–October 31) to provide additional hunter opportunity.