CASPER, Wyo. — The 2019 Pedro Mountain fire burned over 20,000 acres of land near Seminoe and Bennett Mountains.
“As the landscape recovers from fire it may result in ideal bighorn sheep forage areas with grassy, rocky slopes free of timber,” the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said on Tuesday, Jan. 28. “The fire and likely subsequent improved forage may increase the likelihood these bighorn sheep will wander and co-mingle with domestic sheep.”
“This potential interaction could result in bighorn sheep acquiring harmful pathogens that cause diseases such as pneumonia.”
Game and Fish will begin to put GPS collars on bighorn sheep in the Ferris-Seminoe herd in coming weeks. That collaring effort will take place along Miracle Mile between Casper and Rawlins.
The area where the fire spread is “outside of the Herd Unit and in locations where Game and Fish does not manage for or desire bighorn sheep due to disease concerns,” Game and Fish said. “These diseases can lead to significant mortality in bighorn sheep.”
The satellite GPS collars will allow Game and Fish to track the bighorn sheep movement. If they move north toward the Pedro Mountains, Game and Fish will implement “preventative measures can be employed to prevent disease transmission.”
“Bighorn sheep are sensitive to many pathogens, so we take reasonable precautions to prevent exposure of these pathogens to the herd,” says Hank Edwards, Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s wildlife health laboratory supervisor.
While coming into contact with domestic sheep may be a disease concern for bighorn sheep, Game and Fish says that domestic sheep producers will not be held responsible for any potential co-mingling in the area.
“Through a working partnership between Game and Fish and the agricultural community, the Wyoming Statewide Domestic Sheep / Bighorn Sheep Interaction Working Group has developed bighorn sheep management and non-management areas,” Game and Fish said. “The Pedro Mountains are in a designated non-management area.”
The satellite GPS collars to track the sheep are possible due to donations from the Wyoming Outdoor Weekend, the Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, and the Wyoming Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation.
“The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is asking the public to report any sightings of these bighorn sheep in or near the Pedro Mountains to either the Lander (307-332-2688), Laramie (307-745-4046) or Casper (307-473-3400) Regional Office,” the release adds. “This will help Game and Fish wildlife managers respond appropriately to ensure bighorn sheep in the Ferris-Seminoe herd unit remain healthy and vigorous.”
