NVBighorn
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 9,458
I was able to attend and assist on a desert sheep capture and relocation yesterday. They net gunned 28 sheep, mostly ewes, a couple of lambs and one young ram. The sheep were caught in the Desatoya Rnage (hunt unit 184) and released in the Wassuk Range (hunt unit 202) as an augmentation to the existing population there. The hope is that these sheep add to the population which has been sort of stagnant.
The guys that did the contract flying are from New Zealand I think and they are experts at what they do. Here are four sheep coming in slings from the mountain.
The sheep are set down and the rope is released and then teams of three or four guys pick them up and bring them to tables where they are processed.
Here the young ram is being processed. All sheep get a worming injection as well as a couple of others, ear tags, blood is drawn and a fecal sample is taken.
Temperature is monitored from the time they hit the table until they are put in the trailer to make sure they aren't under too much stess. Some sheep also had nasal and throat swab samples taken and telemetry collars attached.
Here yours truly is taking temperature and gathering the fecal sampe. Still haven't figured out why I was chosen for this task.
Here the ram is being loaded in the trailer. This is where the handlers need to be very careful. It's pretty easy to get hit with a horn or kicked. I know this because the very first ewe I helped load kicked me right on the chin. I'm glad I was at the end of her reach or she might have clocked me.
This custom made transport trailer was purchased by the Fallon Chapter of Nevada Bighorns Unlimited and the truck pulling it was purchased by the Reno Chapter.
All in all it was a fun day. I was not able to follow the trailer to the release site so I don't have pictures of that. I will be in touch with our local biologist and will report back on how the sheep fared. I'd like to add that this program would not be possible without volunteers and sportsman groups like NBU.
Sorry the pictures are a little big.
The guys that did the contract flying are from New Zealand I think and they are experts at what they do. Here are four sheep coming in slings from the mountain.
The sheep are set down and the rope is released and then teams of three or four guys pick them up and bring them to tables where they are processed.
Here the young ram is being processed. All sheep get a worming injection as well as a couple of others, ear tags, blood is drawn and a fecal sample is taken.
Temperature is monitored from the time they hit the table until they are put in the trailer to make sure they aren't under too much stess. Some sheep also had nasal and throat swab samples taken and telemetry collars attached.
Here yours truly is taking temperature and gathering the fecal sampe. Still haven't figured out why I was chosen for this task.
Here the ram is being loaded in the trailer. This is where the handlers need to be very careful. It's pretty easy to get hit with a horn or kicked. I know this because the very first ewe I helped load kicked me right on the chin. I'm glad I was at the end of her reach or she might have clocked me.
This custom made transport trailer was purchased by the Fallon Chapter of Nevada Bighorns Unlimited and the truck pulling it was purchased by the Reno Chapter.
All in all it was a fun day. I was not able to follow the trailer to the release site so I don't have pictures of that. I will be in touch with our local biologist and will report back on how the sheep fared. I'd like to add that this program would not be possible without volunteers and sportsman groups like NBU.
Sorry the pictures are a little big.
