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New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
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Bighorn Sheep Management Program Updates
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Desert Bighorn Translocation
In early November, 2011 26 bighorn sheep were transplanted to the Peloncillos and 15 bighorn were transplanted to the Hatchet Mountains to augment the existing populations. Twenty-five of the bighorn came out of the Red Rock captive breeding facility and 16 came off of the Fra Cristobal Mountains. This is the first time that bighorn have been transplanted from a wild herd to a wild herd in New Mexico. Having a wild source herd will greatly benefit the recovery program as it provides additional animals for transplants.
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| The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish would like to welcome Rebekah Karsch to the desert bighorn sheep project. Rebekah is a graduate student at New Mexico State University under Dr. James Cain. She is researching causes of lamb mortality and will be placing radio collars on neonate lambs in the Peloncillo Mountains this winter. Rebekah has a Bachelors degree in Biology from James Madison University, and has worked on a variety of wildlife projects including a predator/prey study involving white-tailed deer, bears, bobcats, coyotes, and grey wolves in Michigan. |
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Desert Bighorn Rams Arrive From Coahuila, Mexico |
Photo: E. Rominger. Desert bighorn rams imported from Coahuila, Mexico at the Red Rock Wildlife Management Area
Ten desert bighorn rams from the Pilares facility in Coahuila, Mexico were introduced into a quarantine facility at the Red Rock Wildlife Management Area in February, 2011, and released into the main part of Red Rock in May 2011. In the winters of 2009 and 2010, New Mexico sent approximately 300 pronghorn to Mexico. As part of the exchange agreement, Mexico sent 10 desert bighorn to New Mexico from the Pilares Wildlife Management Area owned by Cemex. The rams will remain in Red Rock to sire future generations of bighorn who can then be transplanted into the wild to increase desert bighorn population numbers in New Mexico.
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On November 13 and 14, 2009, 28 desert bighorn sheep were captured out of the captive breeding facility in Red Rock and transplanted into the wild. The helicopter net-gun technique was used to capture 18 bighorn that were released into the Caballo Mountains to augment the small self-starting population. An additional 5 rams were released in each of the Peloncillo and Ladron Mountains to increase the number of radiocollared bighorn to allow us to continue our monitoring efforts. |
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Photo: A. Arellanes. Caballo Mountains bighorn sheep release.
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The annual Red Rock ground census was conducted in May 2011 to determine the number of desert bighorn in the captive breeding facility. This year, 77 bighorn were counted during survey. These numbers are essential for knowing how many bighorn are available for transplant into the wild, and thus are a major component in setting the desert bighorn sheep transplant schedule. |
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Photo - M. Birkhauser. Group of desert bighorn rams at Red Rock.
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Desert bighorn rams in the San Andres Mountains
Photo: R. Grey |
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Spring helicopter surveys were flown in 2011 to monitor herd size and lamb recruitment. Click here to see detailed results. |
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Thirty-five bighorn sheep were transplanted out of the Wheeler Peak Wilderness in August 2008. Reducing the number of bighorn sheep helps ensure that there are adequate resources to sustain the animals through the winter, which helps prevent dieoffs from disease or other factors, and promotes growth of trophy quality rams. Twenty-seven bighorn were transplanted to augment the Dry Cimarron herd in the far northeast corner of the state, and 8 bighorn were transplanted to augment the Turkey Creek herd in the Gila Forest, and to add additional radiocollared animals to help biologists monitor the herd.
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| Bighorn sheep in the transport trailer |
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| Helicopter carrying bighorn sheep during a trapping operation. |
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