Wild Sheep Foundation: Conservation group moves headquarters to Bozeman - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Maps detailing the distribution of wild sheep in the West sit on a giant filing cabinet by the window, handwritten notes and correspondence surround his computer. On the wall behind Hurley’s desk are mounts of Stone sheep, Dall sheep, desert bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. “The mountains, the horses, the pack-in, the camp — sheep hunting is an amazing experience,” Hurley said. “If you just think of the country wild sheep live in, from the hottest deserts in Mexico to the farthest reaches of the Yukon and Alaska, it is a spectacular suite of country. There are wild sheep in 14 western states and Montana is the only place that offers unlimited over-the-counter bighorn sheep hunting opportunities for residents and nonresidents. While giant rams are present in Montana, the numbers of bighorn sheep across the state and North America remain low compared to historic populations. Unregulated hunting, disease and habitat changes led to precipitous declines in bighorn sheep during the late 1800s and early 1900s. By the 1950s, approximately 25,000 bighorn sheep populated the West. Hunting regulations established by state agencies, habitat work, water development in desert states, weed control and prescribed burns — which clear vegetation and allow sheep to see predators — have helped bighorn populations, which now number... Source: www.bozemandailychronicle.com
