Past News

Vaccine is no Silver Bullet for Big Horn Sheep
October 21, 2011. Much misinformation has been promulgated by numerous parties, albeit often with the best of intentions, on a hoped for “silver bullet” vaccine to protect wild bighorn sheep from fatal respiratory disease shed by domestic sheep to wild sheep when they come in contact. 

More than a decade ago, the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), formerly the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, established the Rocky Crate/Foundation for North American Wild Sheep Endowed Chair for wild sheep disease research at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University (WSU.)  Since forming the now Rocky Crate/WSF Endowed Chair, WSF and its chapters and affiliates have contributed more than $2 million of private dollars to fund disease research on this critical issue impacting the restoration and enhancement of wild sheep – a highly valued and iconic huntable and watchable North American big game animal. Full article. 

Put on hold: Biologists decide to wait on bighorn reintroduction for Sula area drainage
October 21, 2011. An outbreak of pneumonia in the Skalkaho area and some wary sheep in the East Fork have caused Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to push back a planned reintroduction of bighorns into a drainage north of Sula.

"We've decided it's not prudent to bring sheep into the Warm Springs drainage right now," said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Bitterroot-based biologist Craig Jourdonnais. "Right now, there are just too many things we don't know." Full Article.