Bighorn sheep from Oregon, Nevada boost herds in Washington

OLYMPIA - Forty bighorn sheep captured last week in Oregon and Nevada have been relocated to central and eastern Washington to boost low-population herds, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

"This is an effort to bolster population growth and enhance genetic variability in some of our herds that are below management objectives," said Donny Martorello, special species program manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

On Jan. 8, 20 bighorns were captured near John Day in Oregon for transplant to three central Washington herds. The following day, 10 were released in the Sinlahekin area of Okanogan County, five were released in the Mount Hull area of Okanogan County, and five were released in the Tieton River area of Yakima County.

Twenty more bighorns were captured Jan. 11 in the Santa Rosa Mountains of Nevada and transplanted two days later into two herds in northeast Washington. Eight bighorns were released in the Whitestone area and seven in the Lincoln Cliffs area along Lake Roosevelt in northern Lincoln County, and five were released in the Vulcan Mountain area of Ferry County.

"Thanks to inter-state cooperation and funding from the Washington Chapter of Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS), we are able to augment our herds from time to time with sheep from outside sources," Martorello said.

In addition to FNAWS and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Nevada Division of Wildlife, the transplants were made possible with help from the Bureau of Land Management and the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council.