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HomeMy Public PortalAboutWildlife: Bighorn SheepTF l Wildlife TI Wilderness Hikes nto ® Winter �'® a then° t ®rn Data to By DON MOTSON nel only as wildlife policemen, never The opportunity to observe this oper- Dave Neider, a department wildlife Statesman Correspondent realizing the extent to which they are ation came recently, thanks to cooper- biologist set up a flight into the Taylor McCALL — Some people think of Ida- actually involved in management and ation by Fish and Game Department Ranch along Big Creek to observe big - ho Fish and Game Department person- monitoring of big game. officers in McCall. horn sheep. r 4 K k R I s i s r The trip involved a 75 -mile flight east, over Nick Peak, across the South Fork of the Salmon, over Yellow Pine, down Monumental and Brush creeks and a landing on the banks of Big Creek. Pilot Bob Fogg, McCall, made the landing approach between canyon walls, only a few feet off either wing. The landing was made on a snow - packedfield. At the ranch, Don Saxman, a conser- vation officer, and Arlow Lewis, ranch caretaker, were on hand to greet the flight. The ranch, which consists of four cabins and small pasture, belongs to the University of Idaho and is used as a wildlife research center. After a lunch of coffee and candy bars (food staples of the backcountry) the search for the elusive sheep began. Just a half- hour's walk from the ranch, a medium -sized flock (about 30 head) was spotted on the top of a can- yon ridge. A two -hour climb brought the party close enough to classify a large portion of the flock. The mechanics of classification are simple — at least in theory. Approach the flock and record the number of rams, ewes and lambs. Unfortunately, sheep, like people, will not always stand up and be counted. Their milling through the brush and rocky angles of- ten makes this "simple" task impos- sible. This flock proved to be too uncoop- erative to count but better luck pre- vailed the next day. After a 10 -hour sleep and an 8 a.m. start (mountain men tend to sleep late, because the sun never reaches the can- yon floor until noon) the party was able to classify a complete flock in an open meadow. z The ram- ewe -lamb ratio and total flock size are qually important infor- mation for game managers. From data collected on such field trips, estimates of total sheep population are compiled each year. This information is used for research and to help determine hunting limits for the next season. Despite the incon- venience, winter months are the best for these studies because cold weather forces the flocks to lower elevations. The biggest find came on the third day when, after scaling a ridge directly across the creek, the party counted and classified 52 sheep, with more than six legal rams (three - fourths curl). The area within the Big Creek drain- age once was inhabited by Sheepeater Indians, named for their success in hunting the bighorn sheep. The Indians are gone now — moved away in 1879 by the U.S. Army — but traces of the region's ancestors re- main. Indian writings are still visible on the walls of the gorge below the ranch. When the work was completed, snow flurries delayed the flight back to McCall. The fare was worsening, but with 100 pounds of flour, 20 pounds of sugar, 10 boxes of biscuit mix and countless candy bars, there was no im- mediate danger. The next afternoon, the clouds lifted long enough to get the light plane into the air. The pilot easily maneuvered the aircraft, past the ridges that had taken hours to ascend on foot two days before. Few Idaho residents ever enter the primitive area. It still belongs to wild animals like the bighorn sheep. It is a last frontier — something to be pro- tected. blanket of snow. 3 s � ZI IDAHO COUNTY -------------------------------------------------------------- VALLEY COUNTY McCAII BIG CREEK • BIG CREEK LANDING FIELD O? TAYLOR RANCH -F yQ ar 'P YELLOW PINE 2 Jh� • IDAHO PRIMITIVE AREA e y EAST FORK SOUTH FORK SALMON RIVER H Q • STIBNITE This map shows the location of the Taylor Ranch The area was the site of a recent Idaho Fish and and the Big Creek area, home of bighorn sheep. Game, Department bighorn sheep survey. PAGE 10 - THE STAR -NEWS - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12,1995 McCall youth bags a bighorn with luck and Photo by Larry Wilfinger Chad Wilfinger displays his hard -won Rocky Mountain biehorn sheen_ BY ROGER PHILLIPS The Star-News When it comes to beating the odds, Chad Wilfinger leads a charmed life. This year, Wilfinger, a shy, soft - spoken 17- year -old from McCall, drew a once -in -a- lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep permit on his second try and bagged a fine ram last month near the Salmon River. If luck is hereditary, Chad surely got it from his father, Larry, who drew a sheep permit 12 years ago on his second attempt, and also bagged a ram. In sheep hunting, waiting for years to draw a tag can be the easy part. Once you get it, the work really be- gins. On paper, the Wilfingers had all the components for a successful sheep hunt. Larry owns a jet boat, which took them upriver. Their friend and hunting partner, Chuck Gardner, pos- sesses first -hand knowledge of the prime sheep country in the Salmon River from his 18 years guiding in the area, and he has access to stock and supplies. But sheep hunting doesn't happen on paper, it happens in the rugged canyons and backcountry where rams can easily roam 30 miles a day over any kind of terrain. When the rams rut in late fall, they can be spotted along the river, but in late summer and early fall, they can .. Into'the {)utdo ®rs Roger Phillips G be almost anywhere, and only occa- sionally do they come down near the river. Considering there are 60 miles of river corridor in Wilfinger's hunt- ing unit, putting themselves in the right spot to encounter a ram was like waiting for planets to align. "There's a lot of area out there for them to hide," Larry said. The trio started hunting in late August and spent five days trekking the high country, enduring tempera- tures in the 100s in search of a ram, but they had no luck. They returned every weekend to try again, but the rams weren't showing. With a six -week season, the hunt- ers knew they had plenty of time to hunt, but as each weekend slipped away and 12 days of hard hunting produced no sign of rams, the thought of getting skunked started to enter their minds. They headed up river for another weekend of hunting with plans to hunt from one of the Shepp Ranch camps, but when they arrived; an- five," Chad said. The ram was 8 -1/2 years old, and carried horns that were 32 -1/2 inches around the curl and 14 -1/2 inches around the base. Gardner estimated the ram weighed between 250 and 300 pounds. The ram added a big prize to Chad's growing list of big game animals. He killed an antelope at age 14, and bagged a bear when he was 15. He has yet to bring home either a deer or an elk, but he says he is working on it. Chad is now looking for his next big hunting adventure. Ever since Larry picked up a moose permit and killed a large bull, Chad has had his eye on that prize. "I was thinking about that for next year," Chad said. other party was coming out and re- ported no rams after several days of hunting. "Once you find one, you've got a good chance of getting him, but the hard part is finding one," Gardner said. "We were getting to the point I was worried if we were going to find a sheep," he said. "We were kind of disgusted because we had been put- ting in a lot of miles trying to find them." As the group was navigating arapid on the river, Larry looked up on the canyon wall and spotted sheep. It was the break they were waiting for. Gardner landed the boat and set up a spotting scope. After looking them over, they found it was a herd of five rams, and three of them were of legal size. But there was still ,a lot of steep terrain separating them from the rams above. Since a sheep's primary de- fense mechanism is its keen eyesight, getting to the rams would require a fair amount of stealth and a healthy dose of luck. The trio slipped into a nearby draw and climbed to the same elevation as the rams, then side - hilled to within 75 yards of the animals, which allowed Chad to drop the largest ram with a single shot from his .300 Winchester magnum. "I got the biggest one out of the -SfdIe- s vvt ci h Dec ,), /yq5 `Let's capture them, treat them and save them' Help is on the way to Hells Canyon bighorns battling serious illness By Pete Zimowsky The Idaho Statesman A SWAT team of veterinarians and wildlife biologists headed for Hells Can- yon on Friday to try to save a herd of bighorn sheep dying from a pneumonia - like disease. So far, 23 bighorn sheep have died of Pasteurella, which attacks the respira- tory system. Crews from Washington, Oregon and Idaho will start using helicopters and trucks today in a drastic rescue attempt in the rugged canyon to save the remain- ing 70 premier big game animals. Hells Canyon is in the three states along the Snake River. Even though the herd is in Washington, the Rocky Moun- tain bighorns are being transported to a wildlife research laboratory in Caldwell, which has done extensive research on Pasteurella. The disease strikes fear in wildlife biol- ogists, because outbreaks around the West and in Idaho have decimated big- horn herds. In the winter of 1991, an outbreak almost eradicated existing herds in the Hells Canyon area. "They would be dead without treat- ment," said Virgil Moore, spokesman for the Idaho Fish and Game Department. "Let's capture them, treat them and save them." Idaho Fish and Game is assist- ing in the project because of the knowledge available at the Caldwell Wildlife Laboratory, and also because Washington's wild sheep could spread the dis- ease to bighorns in Idaho. If river levels weren't so high, the Washington bighorns could swim the Snake River into Idaho or cross the Grande Ronde River and make their way down into Oregon, infecting other wild sheep. Idaho has only 3,000 to 4,000 wild sheep, but the majestic ani- mals are sought by hunters and wildlife photographers. The mercy mission to try to save the herd went into action Friday after the three states got an emergency $30,000 grant from the Foundation of North American Wild Sheep, a conser- vation organization. Biologists will try to save the rest of the herd by capturing the sheep with nets shot from guns aboard helicopters. On the ground, the animals will be put in trucks and taken about 300 miles to Caldwell. They should arrive in the wildlife laboratory late today or Sunday. If the animals aren't trans- ported and treated quickly, they can infect other wild sheep, mainly by nose -to -nose contact. Once a bighorn comes in contact with the disease, it dies within 48 hours. "We can treat all of these sheep," said Lloyd Oldenburg, Idaho Fish and Game big game research manager. Oldenburg warned, however, that there may be only a 50 percent success in treatment. The wild animals will be treated with antibiotics, and those that survive will be taken back to Hells Canyon. The dead sheep were discov- ered Monday in that part of Washington and Hells Canyon north of the Urande Ronde Riv- er. The area is southwest of Lewiston, across the Snake River. By Tuesday, tests at Washing - ton State University had con - 1'itmed Pasteurella. Bighorn sheep in danger Washington Oregon I Grande Ronde River Idaho It's a mystery how the disease started in this part of Hells Can- yon, Moore said. It is feared the disease can be passed between domestic sheep and wild bighorn sheep. Fish and Game knows of no domestic sheep herds grazing in that part of the canyon. Howev- er, a domestic goat was see roaming with the wild sheep, Oldenburg said. So far, the disease isn't thought to have spread to wild sheep on the Idaho side of the Snake River. Wildlife biologists surveyed the area by plane Fri- day from Lewiston to the mouth of the Salmon River and saw 72 wild sheep, none of which was dead or appeared sick. Bighorn sheep fact sheet ■ Idaho has two kinds of bighorn sheep. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (shown at fight) roam mainly in Hells Canyon, and along the Salmon River and its Middle Fork. California desert bighorn sheep are found south of In- terstate 84 in Owyhee County. ■ Because of unregulated hunting and competition with domestic livestock, Rocky Mountain bighorns declined drastically and California bighorns were eliminated in Idaho by 1930. ■ Since the 1940s, Rocky Mountain wild sheep numbers have increased through strict hunting regulations. California bighorns were reintro- duced in the Owyhees in the 1960s. ■ A hunter is only allowed to take two Idaho bighorn sheep in his or her lifetime — one of each type. ■ Hunting permits are avail- able each year in a corr trolled hunt drawing, a spe- cial lottery or by bidding for a permit at the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep conference. Last year that permit was purchased for $70,000. ■ In Idaho's annual con- trolled -hunt drawing, only 73 Rocky Mountain and 39 California desert bighorn permits are available. ■ in some years, as many as 98 bighorns are shot by hunters in Idaho. Source: Idaho Fish and Gam ' b' h e s i s eep management plan anho cS¢'a7`�SMa" , /Al`If5- Second capture of sick planned bi horns g The Associated Press LEWISTON — The Washing- ton Fish and Wildlife Department is asking a crew of New Zealand netgunners to return< for another wild -sheep rescue after biologists spotted 16 more bighorns along the Snake River breaks. Several of the sheep south of Asotin, Wash., appeared sick when spotted during a helicopter survey Wednesday, either cough- ing or lethargic, indicating an epidemic of bacterial pneumonia is still in progress. A subsequent flight over the Snake and grand Ronde river breaks Thursday led experts to believe the outbreak appeared to remain confined to the 17 miles of Snake shoreline from the Grand Ronde north. Madonna Luers, the Washing- +^ oman, said Helicopter Wildlife Management promised to send a crew back to the Snake. The Foundation for North American Wild Sheep committed $20,000 to pay f017 the roundup last weekend. The conservation group promised to help pay for the next round, as well, Luers said. All of the 58 bighorns rounded up last weekend are still alive at the Idaho Fish and Game Depart- ment's Wildlife Research Labora- tory at Caldwell. David Hinter, the department's wildlife veterinarian, originally estimated as many 40 percent would die during the routzdup or the trip south in horse trailers. The survival far exceeds expec- tations, said Lloyd Oldenburg, Fish and Game's bighorn spe- cialist. "I don't know why it's worked out this way. Whatever we did worked." Results of tests to determine which bacteria are responsible for the outbreak will not be back until next week, he added. At least two dozen bighorns are known to have died during the outbreak — as much as a quarter of the original herd. /daho C5�a7�9177aa - Officials start sizing up disease Experts examine 25 bighorn sheep from Hells Canyon By David Woolsey The Idaho Statesman CALDWELL — Wildlife experts began examining 25 bighorn sheep on Sunday in an attempt to stop the spread of a pneumonia -like disease in Hells Canyon bighorns. Officials are preparing for 30 more to arrive for treatment with- in two days at the Idaho Fish and Game's laboratory in Canyon County. Scientists fear that without the effort, the disease Pasteurella could balloon into a deadly epi- demic and endanger hundreds of sheep in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. "There have been cases where pneumonia outbreaks have killed 100 percent of the animals in an area," said Dave Hunter, wildlife veterinarian for Fish and Game. "We just can't let that happen." The effort to save the bighorns is important, officials say, because wildlife managers have been working to repopulate the species after sheep numbers fell drastical- ly in the 1930s because of food shortages and extensive hunting. A strain of bacterial pneumonia Chris Chung /The Idaho Statesman Twenty -five bighorn sheep from Hells Canyon are being kept at a laboratory in Caldwell for examination and treatment. began killing the bighorns more than a week ago. Tests show the bacteria involved are Pasteurella, but more work will be needed to determine if the strain is normally found in bighorns or came from domestic livestock. There are only 3,000 to 4,000 wild sheep in all of Idaho. Wildlife biologists are using he- licopters and gun -fired nets to re- move the sheep from steep terrain southwest of Lewiston on the Washington side of the canyon. They are then taken by trailer to Fish and Game's wildlife health laboratory south of Caldwell. "This is an unprecedented oper- ation," said Bill Louderback of the Foundation of North America_, Wild Sheep, which is funding the rescue. The transplanted sheep roamed quietly in their pens Sunday. Hunter said precautions were tak- en in handling and transporting them to avoid causing stress. Just as stress can cause a cold to wors- en for humans, he said, moving the sheep could exacerbate the disease. Getting the sheep out of the area was the most important part of the effort, Hunter said. But the survival of the sheep transported to Idaho is important because they represent a "big chunk" of the bighorn population along the Washington side of Hells Canyon, he added. Even with treatment, Hunter said that at best only half of the infected sheep are expected to be living in three months. As they are tested, the sheep will be sepa- rated into groups that are the most sick, those showing fewer symptoms and those that are not infected. Authorities in three states as well as the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep coordinated the rescue effort. The foundation is expected to pay about $30,000 for the project. So far, the disease isn't expected to have spread to the Idaho side of the canyon. But Hunter warned that if the infected animals re- mained, they could have crossed the river and endangered other sheep along the canyon. Even with treatment, the trans- planted sheep have a long stay ahead of them. That's because they can spread the disease for several months or even a year after they have recovered, Hunter said. "It will be a long time before we can even think about making a decision of whether they go back in the wild." Bighorn activists try to oust ranch herd By Jonathan Brinkman The Idaho Statesman Environmentalists and hunt- ers have filed for an injunction to stop a rancher from grazing his sheep in Hells Canyon Na- tional Recreation Area. The coalition of environmen- tal and hunting groups, saying the domestic sheep are re- Killer sponsible for spreading dis- bacteria ease to wild bighorn Name: sheep in the Pasteurella area, killing Haemolyticas dozens of Effects on them, asked domestic federal court sheep: Can in Portland cause "ship - to order the ping dis - sheep out of ease," a the area. form of pneu- monia. Most "It's an ab- sheep carry solute trage- the bacteria dy, what's oc- with no curring effect. there," said Effects on Pete Frost, bighom an attorney sheep: Once with the Na- bighorns con -' tional Wild- tract the bac- life Federa teria, they usually die tion in within 48 Portland. hours. "We're un- willing to have all the bighorn sheep in the Hells Canyon National Rec- reation Area die off because of one domestic herd." The Wallowa - Whitman ,Na- tional Forest already has called for the grazing permit, held by Oliver Wentz of Riley, Ore., to be terminated by October. That action is being appealed in fed- eral court. Wentz, who pays about $15,000 a %ear for the permit, is allowed to graaze about 4,000 sheep. He cur- rently grazes about 1,000 sheep. Forest Service officials say Wentz probably will either move his sheep to his private ranch in Riley or sell them. Wentz, who says he can't be- lieve his sheep caused the out- break, says he will keep grazing in Hells Canyon as long as possible. Bighorn sheep from Hells Canyi Hi said his herds are at least 70 miles south of the outbreak site, in Washington State north of Lewis- too. "I don't think the poor little labs should be blamed for that trduble with the bighorns," Wentz said. "If they can blame us and we're so far away, they'll kick all the sheep out of the rural West for wildlife habitat. Those things real- ly bother me." Meanwhile, the death toll among 72 of the stricken bighorn rushed to an Idaho Fish and Game laboratory in Caldwell has soared, rising from 10 in early December to 0. Fifteen of the diseased sheep dill Thursday and Friday. `.This damn stuff is doing some - thi)ag we've never observed be- fore," said Lloyd Oldenburg, big g 1 e research manager for Idaho Fi and Game. "It's a major, ma- joesituation." The problem is caused by a strain of bacteria that, while usu- ally harmless to domestic sheep, is lethal to bighorns. Because most domestic sheep carry the bacteria, close contact between the two types of animal usually give big- horns a fatal case of pneumonia. Idaho Fish and Game officials have traced the current pneumo- nia outbreak to the bacteria strain, a type of Pasteurella, Hae- molytica. The disease sometimes breaks ouf among bighorn sheep that have not been in contact with domestic sheep; scientists have not definitely linked the current outbreak to domestic sheep. The battle over the presence of domestic sheep in Bells Canvon is part of a wider dispute over the use of public land. The Pacific Legal Foundation, a Sacramento - based non -profit law center that supports property rights, says ter - minatine Wentz's grazing hermit Statesman file photo )n are being treated in Caldwell. would - set an a arming precedent that could hurt rural economies. "This would have a devastating impact on people who graze in ,Hells Canyon and the economy of that region," said Sharon Brown, an attorney for the center. Ric Bailey, executive director of the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, says removing domestic sheep is essential to an ongoing effort to return bighorn to the area. "We're going to have to change the way we conduct agri- cultural practices if we're going to see wildlife restored," he said. Bighorn, prized by hunters, are important to Idaho's tourist econ- omy. The state now has 3,000 to 4,000 of the animals, including the Rocky Mountain bighorns found in the Hells Canyon area and the California desert bighorn found south of Interstate 84 in Owyhee County. The Forest Service says the re- cent outbreak justifies its decision to terminate sheep grazing in the national recreation area. "Our analysis found that domes- tic sheep do transmit Pasteurella to wild sheep," said Kurt Wiede- mann, planning staff officer for the Wallowa - Whitman National Forest. "We looked at herding sheep, using dogs, using a vaccine. None of these provided the assur- ance you would need to protect bighhorn herds." The Nez Perce tribe joined the National Wildlife Federation in its injunction request. "The die -offs are something we have to get past," said Keith Law- rence, director of wildlife pro- grams for the tribe. "That will be difficult if the sheep aren't sepa- rated further." " � G zQl�6 / Q 7C.S'C17 - %l / Sheep deaths delay 53 °f,2 bighorns reintroduction die m Caldwell lab By Jonathan Brinckman The Idaho Statesman State biologists have delayed a program to introduce more bighorn sheep to Hells Canyon National Recreation Area be- cause of a deadly pneumonia outbreak. The decision comes after re- searchers found the bacteria re- sponsible may not have come from domestic sheep, as first sus- pected. Now 53 of the 72 bighorns rushed in early December to an Idaho Fish and Game Depart- ment laboratory in Caldwell are dead. The death rate was high- est last week — 19 sheep in three days. "Before we bring in 60 to 100 more animals, we've got to be sure we're not bringing them into an environment that's go- ing to kill them," said Dave Hunter, wildlife veterinarian for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The Idaho, Washington and Oregon wildlife agencies will re- consider next month bringing in more sheep. Biologists want to be sure the Hells Canyon big- horn are healthy enough to al- low contact witt transplanted animals. j Repeated studies have shown that when bighorn and domestic sheep come in close contact, the bighorn are quickly infected by a strain of bacteria called Pas turella Hemolytica. Related ba Idaho is now home to 3,000 to 4,000 bighorn sheep. teria, one not normally carried by domestic sheep, have been implicated in the Hells Canyon outbreak. The outbreak threatens to jeopardize the sheep- introduc- tion program, sheep industry representatives say, because it has led environmentalists to file for an injunction against any grazing of domestic sheep in Hells Canyon. Stan Boyd, Idaho Wool Grow- ers Association executive direc- tor, says the lawsuit could lead sheep ranchers to resume oppo- sition to efforts to reintroduce bighorns to Idaho and other Western states. "If wildlife folks bring big- horn in, and then turn around and use them to try and block domestic sheep, we'll react," Boyd said. "We haven't ap- pealed any bighorn sheep intro- ductions in the last six years. Now they're starting a fight, and we may be forced to gty in and take our own action. Idaho, home in the early 1800s to 100,000 or more bighorn sheep, now has 3,000 to 4,OOp of the animals. The sheep, prized by big -game hunters and wildlife photogra- phers, could be an important boost to Idaho's rural econ- omies. Efforts to reintroduce one sub- species of the sheep, the Califor- nia desert bighorn, have been fairly successful in Owhyee County. The Rocky Mountain bighorn, another subspecies, has not returned as rapidly to the state's mountain regions. "The bighorn was once more abundant than any other animal other than buffalo," said Jerry Thiessen, a wildlife consultant and former Idaho Fish and Game manager. S1,3 �e g yvi M�+^ch /6/ t e 9k Group pledges $10 million for Hells Canyon sheep The Foundation for North American Wild Sheep has com- mitted $10 million toward the future of bighorn sheep in Hells Canyon. This commitment was an- nounced at the group's annual convention in Reno, Nev. The foundation has never before pledged so much money to one project. The foundation antici- pates concentrating efforts in Hells Canyon for 20 years. Foundation President Pete Ci- mellaro said Hells Canyon is special because it contains some of the most vast and pristine habitat available for wild sheep in North America. "Our goal is to invest, if neces- sary, 10 million dollars in the next 20 years and increase the sheep populations to maximum numbers." The Foundation for North American Wild Sheep has al- ready spent more than $1.3 mil- lion in Idaho, Oregon and Wash- ington for sheep conservation and much of that money went to projects in Hells Canyon, Cimel- laro said. The foundation provided the money for capturing diseased bighorns found in the Washing- ton and Oregon portions of Hells Canyon in December and transporting them to the Idaho wildlife health lab in Caldwell. The bighorn populations con- tinue to be monitored for new outbreaks of pasteurella, a bac- terial disease in wild sheep that causes death from Dneumonia. The foundation is paying for much of monitoring which is be- ing done by wildlife agencies in the three states. S'td Ae 5 JV dh TLA ltf 71/?96 Medicated feed becomes new tool in fight The Associated Press against bighorn illness LEWISTON — Washington and Oregon wildlife biologists have tried a new tactic to stop an epidemic killing bighorn sheep along the Snake River. The urgency of the effort in- creased after a dead bighorn and several sick ones were spotted last week on the Idaho side of the Snake. Another dead bighorn was found in southeastern Wash- " ington, near the Grand Ronde River, a further sign the epi- demic of bacterial pneumonia may be spreading. Friday's helicopter flight by the biologists included placing medicated feed near groups of the wild sheep. Despite sightings of sick sheep near Lime Point along the Snake and the lowest reaches of the Grand Ronde, biologists Pat Fowler and Vic Coggins found the disease so far showed no signs of spread- ing farther south into Oregon. While encouraging, Fowler said, the evidence increased that a December effort to cor- ral the disease had fallen short. "I feel like we're sitting on a time bomb," said Fowler, a Washington Fish and Wildlife Department biologist. In addition to sick sheep spotted along the Snake south of the Grand Ronde, a dead ram was found near the agen- cy's Joseph Creek wildlife management area. It was taken to Washington State University on Thursday for tests. Then the aerial survey turned up another bighorn that apparently had died from the outbreak. That one was found in Idaho, downstream from Redbird Creek. It also was destined for the WSU veterinary lab. Oregon Fish and Wildlife bi- ologist Vic Coggins and Fowler spread the medicated feed in the areas where they had spotted ailing animals. The feed is the latest strate- gy for trying to stop the pneu- monia from spreading. Infected sheep can pass it on by touching noses with healthy ones, as they often do. The first large -scale attack on the outbreak last year fo- cused on capturing sick sheep from a 17 -mile stretch of the Snake River breaks in south- eastern Washington. At least 34 bighorn sheep died there. The 72 others were caught and taken to the Idaho Fish and Game Department's Wild- life Research Clinic in Caldwell. Since the first group arrived there Dec. 3, 20 have died, said Dr. David Hunter, agency vet- erinarian. Hunter said he and others are trying to determine wheth- er the illness that killed the bighorns is the same as one found in feral domestic goats found along the Snake. 3jatcsYjrakL Jufy I?% Drawing for hunting permit nets $50,000 for sick sheep An Oceanside, Calif., man has won an Idaho bighorn sheep hunting permit in a drawing which netted more than $50,000 to help save ailing herds. Gov. Phil Batt on Thursday drew the ticket of D. Kevin Moore for a bighorn sheep hunt- ing permit for this fall. The Foundation For North American Wild Sheep sold a re- cord amount of tickets. The money goes to Fish and Game's Caldwell laboratory. Seventy -two bighorn were trans- ported from the Hells Canyon area to the lab last winter be- cause of a deadly pneumonia outbreak which ultimately claimed most of them. Gary Hanson of Colorado won the auction at the foundation's convention in Reno, Nev., last winter, bidding $101,000 for a second Idaho sheep permit, Ida- ho Fish and Game officials said. That money is used for sheep trapping and management. Bighorn sheep from Canada released 'in Idaho, Oregon LEWISTON — Idaho De- partment of Fish and Game bi- ologists are optimistic 19 bighorn sheep that were re- leased on both sides of the Snake River in Idaho and Ore - gon will adapt quickly. Friday's release is part of an ongoing effort to recover bighorn sheep in Hells Canyon. The sheep were cap- tured at a mining site in Alber- ta, Canada, then trucked to Pittsburg Landing and ferried by jetboat to release sites on ei- ther side of the Snake River. "They're already feeding. That's a good sign," said the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Frances Cassirer, lead biologist in the recovery effort. She said the release went "amazingly well." At least two of the sheep were unfazed enough to settle down and be- gin grazing only minutes after being released. John Beecham, a wildlife re- search manager with Fish and Game in Boise, said a move can be traumatic for the sheep if not handled correctly. He said getting them restrained and blindfolded quickly is cru- cial. About 10 volunteers from the Idaho and Oregon chapters of a wild sheep foundation helped Friday's transplant go smoothly, and Beecham is op- timistic the sheep will recover in the habitat where they once thrived. The three ewes and three lambs released on the Idaho side of the river will supple- ment 16 released at the same site last year. On the Oregon side, 13 sheep, including lambs and ewes, were released. StQ ZA p Story by Pete Zimowsky Photos by Katherine Jones The Idaho Statesman herd of 18 bighorn sheep Awanders along the banks of the Snake River in Hells Canyon, moseying from rock to rock, drinking from the river, and chew- ing on grass. Five rams, with massive horns curling over the sides of their heads, are in the herd. What a sight. A lamb bounds playfully but cautious- ly between the adult animals. The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are so close you can hear them breathing and chewing. The muscles in their legs areas lean and powerful as those of /I Biologist Frances Cassirer is six years through a 10 -year project to restore bighorn populations in HeIis Canyon. "We owe it to the sheep," she says. marathon runners from scaling 1,000 - foot canyon walls. It is better than any nature television program. It's real life — an October day in one of the most remote areas of Idaho. Fall is an excellent time to see the bighorn rams in the deep river gorge that separates Idaho from Oregon. The rams are congregating just before the rut and are easier to see as they come down clos- er to the river. Canyon travelers, whether backpack- ing, rafting or riding in a jet boat, are see- ing more bighorn sheep in the canyon be- cause of reintroduction of the species more than 30 years ago, additional trans- plants and a constant monitoring of the herds. This kind of scrutiny is an expression of the way the sheep have been capturing the imagination of Western peoples for thousands ofyears. The sheep have been the subject of Na- tive American rock art in the canyon and today can be seen in numerous photos and pieces of art. They are also the stars of many wildlife- watching excursions. "There is a connection with these ani- mals," says Frances Cassirer, 43, an Idaho Fish and Game research biologist who has been studying the wild sheep for six years. Cassirer, who got her master's degree at the University of Idaho and can be considered the Jane Goodall of bighorns, is conducting a 10 -year study on the wild sheep of Hells Canyon to discover why they are so susceptible to disease. The 11- year- employee of Fish and Game is doing the project as part of her doctoral studies. The study is helping bring the bighorns in Hells Canyonback from ex- tinction because Cassirer and her assis- tant are identifying successful herds in the canyon. Cassirer steers a jet boat downstream from Pittsburgh Landing. As she rounds abend, her wildlife re- search assistant, who is listening to radio '5� O_rlt � A-? -7 c:.,- Vn Pam a. °�O3 /o // 71_2_e;70 ,Z- -and they still do. A herd at water's edge a few miles below Pittsburgh Landing on the Snake River catches a tour `IjNvunig a oignorn is exciting, but seeing them up close is amazing. As the herds I comedown to the water to drink, patient watchers can be in for a treat in Hells Canon. Riggins IF YOU GO What you'll see: Now's the time to see bighorn rams in Hells Canyon. Actually, wild sheep watching is good year- round, but now is the best time to see rams close to the How to see them: The easiest way to see wildlife in Hells Canyon is to book a tou r with a jet -boat outfitte r. Check out www.ioga.org, the Web page for the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, for information. For example, Beamer's Hells Canyon Tours, based in Clarkston, Snake River. Lambs and ewes are best seen along the river from June through August. October through March is the best time for seeing rams, said Frances Cassirer, wildlife research biologist with Idaho Fish and Game. The breeding season is No- Wash., charges $98 plus tax per per- son for a day trip up the canyon. Trips are year- round. The company has an overnight trip on the mail boat Wednesdays and Thursdays. The cost, $230 plus tax, in- cludes overnight lodging and meals at the Copper Creek Lodge on the river. The hardest way: If you're up to it, try backpacking in Hells Canyon. There is a trail along the Snake River from Pittsburgh Landing to Granite Creek where sheep have been spot- ted. Plan on spending two to several nights in the canyon. —Zimo IDAHO BIGHORNS Idaho has two types of bighorn sheep. Rocky Mountain bighorns are found mainly in HeIIsCanyon, along the Main and Middle forks of the Salmon River in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness and the mountains east of Salmon, Challis and Mackay. California desert bighorns are mainly found south of 1 -84 in the Owyhee Canyonlands. —Zimo vember. Bighorns aren't the only wildlife seen by jetboat tours. Blue herons, eagles, mule deer, whitetailed deer, cougars, bears and river ot- ters are also on the wildlife watch- ing list. Renan Yanish, a wildlife technician, listens for signals from radio -col- lared bighorns in Hells Canyon. KeIly the golden retriever sn iffs the air for more interesting critters— chukars, in particular. For information call (800) 522- 6966 or log on to www hellscanvon tours.COm. In warmer months, wildlife watchers can take a whitewater raft trip in Hells Canyon. More information on outfitted trips is available on the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association Web page. Payette to ban- domestic sheep from bighorn area Separation intended to keep bighorns from catching disease BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News Payette National Forest Supervisor Suzanne Rainville said her decision last week to close off almost all bighorn sheep range to domestic sheep grazers by 2013 was one of the hardest decisions she has ever had to make. Rainville decided the best way to save wild big- horn sheep was to separate them from domestic herds of sheep grazing on the forest. The plan will take until 2013 to be fully implement- ed, but will ban domestic sheep from 94 percent of bighorn sheep summer habitat or about 347,000 acres. An estimated 1,500 big- horn sheep remain on the Payette Forest. The big- horn population in Hells Canyon was wiped out in the 1940s, but 474 bighorns were transplanted between 1971 and 2004, today about 850 bighorn roam in Hells Canyon. About70obighornsheep roam the hills around the Salmon River and various tributaries. The Salmon River herds were never eliminated. See SHEEP, Page A -8 (Continued from Page A4) Most scientists believe big- horn sheep contract a deadly pneumonia -like illness from contact with domestic sheep that graze on federal, state and private land. The short -term answer to stopping the deadly bacteria from wiping out entire herds of bighorn sheep has been efforts to keep the two species separate. Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials are authorized to shoot bighorn rams that have been in contact with domestic sheep herds. Reduce Disease Risk Last week's decision will reduce the risk of disease transmission between the two species to about once every 49 years on the Payette once it is fully implemented in 2013, Rainville said. "It is one of the hardest deci- sions I've ever had to make in my career," she said. "I feel it is a good decision, I'm comfortable with that." The decision was based on what Payette officials did know through radio collar data col- lected on the movements of bighorn sheep in Hells Canyon and along the Salmon River. That data, coupledwithyears of research that suggest bighorn sheep acquire the pneumonia- like disease, of which they have little to no immunity, from domestic sheep. The decision could also mean four domestic sheep op- erations that graze about 18,00 0 sheep on the Payette coul d either close down or beforced t o scramble to find viable summe r high mountain rangeland t o continue their operations. Up to 28 jobs in the regio s� Aiva n will be lost due to the decision, Rainville said. Nothing changes this year with Rainville's decision. Ranchers' operations can con- tinue running bands of sheep on the forest this summer. In 2011, ranchers will begin losing allotments on the forest and about 29,000 acres of suit- able rangeland. On the west side of the Pay- ette, all of Curren Hill, Boulder Creek and Surdam allotments, 65 percent of Smith Mountain, and 15 percent of Price Valley allotments will no longer allow domestic sheep grazing. To the north and east, Shorts Bar, Little French Creek, French Creek, Mar- shall Mountain and North Fork Lick Creek allotments will no longer allow domes- tic sheep grazing. Seventy -five percent of Hershey Lava, Bear Pete and Twenty Mile will be protected from domestic sheep grazing. Half of Victor -Loon and 15 per - centof Josephine will nolonger allow domestic sheep. In 2012, the line is pushed further by removing all of Grassy Mountain, Vance Creek and Hershey Lava. Another 8,000 acres of suitable range- land will be taken away to protect bighorn sheep. In 2013, the plan will be fully implemented cutting the amount of available rangeland for sheep ranchers to about 31,500 acres. All of Victor -Loon, Lake Fork, Josephine, and 10 per - cent on the north side of the Jughandle allotment will no longer allow domestic sheep grazing. The Payette's plan only en- forces separation on national forest land. Contact can still vate lands, Rainville said. occur between domestic sheep The appeal period for the and bighorns on state and pri- decision ends Sept. 13. ,--.? jo) yupid 8/ S /io Ranchers (Continued from Page A -1) "It will definitely impact all of our operations that run on the Payette," Hinsen said. Soulen Livestock is one of four sheep grazing operations operating on the Payette. The company runs eight bands of sheep on the Payette from June to October, totaling about 9,000 ewes. By 2013, Soulen Livestock will not be allowed to graze on five allotments in the Payette and parts of two more, leaving the operation that began in the 1920s with four allotments on the Payette. Problem Not Solved The decision will not effec- tively separate the two species of sheep, since federal, state, tribal officials and sheep ranch- ers failed to work together to come up with an all encompass- ing solution, Soulen Hinson said. She plans to appeal the decision. Another sheep rancher, Mick Carlson of Riggins, agrees the decision will not solve the prob- lem of separation. Carlson lives along the Salmon River and will continue tokeep sheep onhis property. He also does not believe bighorn sheep get the disease from do- mestic sheep. I can run sheep just for aggravation," Carlson said. "It (the decision) won't take sheep off the Salmon River." The decision threatens a business five generations of his family have been in for 88 years, he said. Carlson runs 2,500 sheep on the Bear Pete allotment about 20 miles north of McCall. "We have a son and grandson that would be interested (in sheep ranching), but there's not much point," Carlson said. Carlson saidhe spends about $70,000 to $80,000 on feed per year and thousands of dollars at grocery stores to feed his sheep herders. It's not just a little deal," he said. "The ignorance of our government and the people that run it just shows up more and more." Brothers Not Happy Ron Shirts of Weiser and Frank Shirts of Wilder are the other two permit holders on the Payette who will be affected by last week's decision. The two brothers run about 6,800 sheep on Smith Mountain, Price Valley, Boulder Creek, Victor -Loon, Lake Fork and Fall Brush allotments. Ron Shirts has been con- fined to 35 percent of the Smith Mountain allotment for several years due to the bighorn sheep disease problem. His brother, Frank has been Sheep ranchers says decision won't work BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News Last week's decision to curtail domestic sheep graz- ing on the Payette National Forest does not address the whole picture of what is happening to the bighorn sheep, said domestic sheep rancher Margaret Soulen Hinson of Soulen Livestock in Weiser. Soulen Hinson points to a failure of federal, state "The and tribal officials to work effectively with sheep ranch- ignorance ers to come up with a viable solution that would protect Of Our bighorn sheep and allow domestic sheep operators government access to important high mountain rangeland in the and the summer months. Payette Forest Supervisor people that Suzanne Rainville last week run It USt decided to remove about 347,000 acres from domestic ShOWS up sheep grazing by 2013. The reduction is an effort more and to separate bighorn sheep from domestic sheep due to more." a pneumonia -like illness that bighorn sheep can contract —Mick Carlson from domestic sheep. "Suzanne Rainville did a very commendable job meeting her mandates through federal law," Soulen Hinson said. See RANCHERS, Page A-8 helping him out by allowing Ron to run his 2,800 sheep on part of the Price Valley allotment that is adjacent to Ron's Smith Mountain allotment on the west side of the Payette. Ron has one band on Frank's rangeland and two on Smith Mountain. In all, he runs about 2,800 sheep on the Payette. "With my brother's allot - ment being decreased it reduces the chance he can help me," Ron Shirts said. "It's goingto amount to selling sheep, we are going to have to reduce sheep." He said the decision will mean he will only have a short period of time where he can run one band of sheep in 2013. 67L n1416-4 lo// q // 4 Eight appeals filed on bighorn sheep plan Payette wants to separate wild and domestic sheep to limit spread of diseases BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News Margaret Soulen- Hinson predicts the decision by the Payette National Forest to separate wild and domestic sheep will decimate her business. Inherappealof the decision, Soulen saidher Weiser company willbe forced toselloff at least 25 percent of itssheep and may go out of business. "In that case, there will be accom- panying job losses, reductions in local taxes and payments to local schools," Soulen- Hinson said in the appeal. Soulen's appeal is one of eight ap- peals filed on the July 20 decision by Payette Supervisor Suzanne Rainville to cancel nearly 70 percent of the sheep grazing areas on the forest. The decision is intended to sepa- rate wild and domestic sheep due to a pneumonia -like disease that threat- ens to wipe out bighorn sheep on the Payette. Rainville's decision would close about 69,000 acres of domestic sheep grazing area on the Payette over three years, leaving the four ranchers with about 32,000 remaining suitable acres for their 18,000 sheep. Contact between domestic sheep and wild bighorn sheep is thought to transmit a deadly pneumonia that has killed off entire herds of the wild sheep. Findings Disputed Sheep ranchers and the sheep industry dispute the findings that bighorns are dying from domestic sheep being allowed to graze on public lands. More appeals could come over the next month as an erroneous legal Sheep (Continued from Page A -1) If Rainville is unsuccessful n resc,lving the dispute, then he appeals go to a group at the °egional forester's office in Ogden, Utah, Pramuk said. That group , would then make a recommendation to Intermountain Regional Forester Hary Forsgren who would either uphold Rain - ville's decision or to send it back to her with instructions on how to make the plan better. If the appellants are still not satisfied they can file suit in federal court asking for the decision to be overturned. notice of Rainville's decision has forced the Payette to extend its appeals period, Payette spokesperson Laura Pramuk said. The decision to separate wild and domestic sheep by cutting off graz- ing allotments used for decades by four sheep ranchers on the Payette was appealed by Native American Tribes, government agencies, hunt- ing groups, environmental groups and sheep ranchers. Rainville must hold a resolution meeting with the appellants to try to work through the problems the groups have with the plan. No date for that meeting has been scheduled. Resolving the problems of all the appellants at the meeting could be an impossible task for Rainville. That is because she would have to pacify the concerns of ranchers who want to continue grazing on public lands as well as the anti - grazing group West- ern Watersheds Project. See SHEEP, Page A -2 YLI 11 4 Forest Service rejects appeals over bighorn sheep ruling Decision upholds planned separation of domestic, wild sheep BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News The Forest Service has thrown out appeals of a Pay- ette National Forest decision to close large areas of the for- est to domestic sheep. The decision upholds the Payette's decision last July to separate wild bighorn sheep from domestic sheep, which are suspected of transmitting disease to the bighorns. The Intermountain Re- gional Office in Ogden, Utah, sent letters to the nine appel- lants saying it found their appeals raised "no violation of law, regulation or policy." The appeals were filed by four domestic sheep grazing permit holders on the Payette, as well as regional Native American tribes, government agencies, and conservation and environmental groups. The appellants can now file lawsuitsif they wishtopursue the matter further. Most scientists believe big- horn sheep contract a deadly pneumonia -like illness from contact with domestic sheep that graze on federal, state and private land. The decision in July includ- ed a phased in separation of the two types of sheep, while phasing out grazing allot- ments beginning this year. Full Ban Takes Effect in 2013 There are about 1,500 big- horn sheep remaining on the Payette, 850 in the Hells Canyon area and about 700 along the Salmon River. The four grazing permit holders graze about 18,000 domestic sheep on the Payette. This summer ranchers begin losing allotments on the forest and about 29,000 acres of suitable rangeland. In 2012, an additional 8,000 suitable acres will be lost with the plan. In 2013, when the plan is in full effect, an addi- tional 31,500 acres of suitable rangeland will be off limits to domestic sheep ranchers. Ron and Frank Shirts of Shirts Brothers, two of four grazing permit holders on the Payette, appealed the decision citing the decision did not give alternative sheep grazing al- lotments on adjacent national Herd Practices Cited forests. Margaret Soulen Hinson, who also grazes sheep on the Payette, appealed the deci- sion for a number of reasons, including Rainville failed to consider the best available science regarding disease transmission between big- horn and domestic sheep. The Idaho Woolgrowers Association appealed the deci- sion on a number of points, including a 1997 agreement between the Forest Service and wildlife management agencies that assured no grazing allotments would be closed. "The appellant refers to a letter the Hells Canyon Initia- tive Committee to the Idaho Wool Growers Association, signed by the former forest supervisor for the Wallowa Whitman National Forest in 1997," the rejection letter said, noting the agreement never included the Payette forest. "The letter does use the phrase `hold harmless' and makes no commitment that the Payette National Forest would not close grazing al- lotments or change grazing management," the letter said. The association also ap- pealed because it believes sheep herders have been suc- cessful at keeping bighorns separated from domestic herds with management practices. The Forest Service has monitored these additional management practices and found them mostly success- ful in providing separation between the domestic sheep and bighorn sheep, but not 100 percent," the rejection letter said. "Wolves scattered a band of sheep and two of the ewes were discovered four months later (after the graz- ing season) wandering in Hells Canyon, proving the additional measures to be inadequate," the letter said. The other groups largely appealed the decision based on the phasing in of the plan and monitoring plans to keep the two sheep separated dur- ing the first two years of the plan. "If funding is not available forthemonitoringof bighorn sheep, separation of bighorn sheep from domestic sheep and goats would occur," the letter to Western Watersheds Director Jon Marvel said.