Colorado Parks and Wildlife initiates collar project with bighorns
By Jason Clay
Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists and officers are taking flight on a new project to examine the Tarryall-Kenosha Mountain bighorn sheep herd that at one time was one of the largest and most well-known herds in the country, but has since seen declines over the years.
Once abundant across western North America, historical estimates suggest bighorn populations were between 500,000 and two million animals prior to Anglo settlement. The Tarryall-Kenosha bighorn herd was at one time part of one of the largest bighorn herds with population estimates over 1,000.
Bighorn numbers across the west have dramatically declined. The same is true for the Tarryall-Kenosha herd located within the Pike National Forest and more specifically, the Lost Creek Wilderness. Multiple disease events over the last 70 years reduced herd population numbers through direct mortality and low success rates raising lambs. Today’s depressed population has not rebounded since the last disease epidemic between 1997-2000.
The project is one biologists are hoping will address three main objectives:
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