In September, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), along with other partnership organizations, including Pheasants Forever, collared 27 Bighorn Sheep in the Wildcat Hills near Scottsbluff. This capture was completed to monitor the health, status, and movements of Nebraska’s Bighorn herds. This species of sheep is adapted to areas with steep, rocky cliffs to avoid predators. With the rugged terrain, a helicopter crew equipped with a net gun and radio telemetry equipment is used to locate the herds expertly hidden in the bluffs.

Once a sheep is captured, they’re blindfolded, hobbled, rigged up in a safety sling, and flown into a location dedicated as headquarters. Here, a team of biologists, vets, and technicians put the sheep on a stretcher and get to work collecting data as efficiently as possible. Sheep that are captured are aged, fitted with radio collars, given an ear tag, have blood, fecal, tissue, and saliva samples taken, and are given first aid care for any cuts or wounds.

The capture process can be stressful for Bighorn Sheep as they have a high likelihood of overheating. To ensure that the animal is not harmed, internal temperature is closely monitored throughout the process and sheep are doused in water as well as wrapped in towels soaked in ice water. The entire human-to-sheep interaction time is kept to just a few minutes to reduce the risk of chronic stress.

A major limiting factor for Nebraska populations is their susceptibility to diseases like Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Pneumonia. Common diseases are typically spread sheep-to-sheep or livestock-to-sheep. Wildlife deterrents are encouraged in areas where livestock and Bighorn Sheep habitat overlap in order to reduce the spread of disease.

This magnificent sheep had originally called much of the Nebraska panhandle home with early explorers writing of experiences climbing the bluffs to find themselves looking down on a herd, mystified. Sadly, these sheep were extirpated from the state prior to the 1900s due to disease, habitat loss, and hunting. However, in the 1980s, a group of six South Dakota born sheep were reintroduced to the Pine Ridge via the guidance of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Thankfully, all dedicated groups like those involved in the capture and monitoring process have increased Bighorn Sheep numbers to 305. With these healthy numbers and consistent monitoring, a Bighorn Sheep Lottery Permit has been established that has raised over $1.5 million dollars for conservation and wildlife viewing of the species. Hunters and outdoor persons alike enjoy viewing the herds on the Scottsbluff Monument and in other nearby areas as these sheep reclaim their native homes.