Archive for November 7th, 2010

BIGHORN RETURNED TO NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO RANGE

November 7, 2010

CRESTONE, Colo. – Thirteen Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep have a new home in the northern portion of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range following a successful transplant operation by the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

The Northern Sangres have been devoid of bighorn sheep since the 1980’s, but with the population in the Southern Sangres thriving, the DOW decided to take advantage of an opportunity to reestablish Colorado’s state animal to another part of its historic range.

“Bighorn belong in the Northern Sangres,” said Dan Prenzlow, DOW Southeast Regional Manager. “Restoring native species is the kind of thing the Division of Wildlife loves to do. We’re delighted to be able to make this happen.”

The project, led by Brian Dreher, the senior terrestrial biologist for the Southeast Region, presented a novel challenge.

“This is the first time we’ve moved sheep from one high alpine location to another,” Dreher said.  “We hope these first 13 animals are the beginning of new self-sustaining alpine herd sheep in good habitat were bighorn were once common.”

During a two-day operation in mid-October, Colorado-based Quicksilver Air, Inc. captured three rams, nine ewes and a lamb at elevations between 12,000 and 13,000 feet above sea level in the mountains southeast of Crestone.  The bighorns were airlifted to a central processing station on the valley floor where DOW veterinarians took DNA and blood samples, gave each animal a thorough medical exam and recorded data.  The sheep were also fitted with radio telemetry tracking collars and ear tags.

Once the animals were processed, DOW crews used trailers to truck the sheep to the upper end of the San Luis Valley.  From that point, the helicopter airlifted the sheep again to their new alpine home north of Hunts Lake.

Prior to undertaking the project, Dreher did extensive research on habitat suitability and looked for historical accounts of bighorn sheep on the alpine areas of the Northern Sangre de Cristo range. His research indicated that bighorns were once common, but that over time sheep numbers dwindled. The last sighting of bighorns in the Northern Sangres was in 1980.

“In the early 1900’s, local ranchers reported sheep in the Northern Sangres around Stout and Bushnell lakes,” he said. “Locals even called one of the peaks Sheep Mountain. When we looked, we found no sheep but plenty of good habitat, including winter range, lambing areas and escape terrain.”

Dreher added that the bighorns will be monitored monthly from fixed-wing aircraft for several years to evaluate survival, reproduction, and distribution.

More information about bighorn sheep and the DOW’s bighorn conservation program can be found at:  http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/Mammals/BighornSheep.htm

NOTE TO NEWS EDITORS:  Still photos are available for download:

Photo # 1:  Helicopter delivers bighorn sheep.
http://dnr.state.co.us/ImageDBImages/26036.JPG

Photo # 2:  DOW biologists carry sheep from helicopter.
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Photo # 3: Dr. Mike Miller collects DNA blood samples from bighorn sheep.
http://dnr.state.co.us/ImageDBImages/26041.JPG

Photo #4: DOW biologists fit bighorn sheep with a radio tracking collar.
http://dnr.state.co.us/ImageDBImages/26040.JPG

Photo #5: Bighorn sheep with radio tracking collar.
http://dnr.state.co.us/ImageDBImages/26037.JPG

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

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Right To Hunt And Fish Amendments Adopted In Three States

November 7, 2010

 

Voters in Tennessee, Arkansas, and South Carolina made a powerful statement on Tuesday by overwhelmingly voting to include National Rifle Association-backed constitutional amendments to protect America’s great, ages-old heritage of hunting and fishing as state constitutional rights.

“The voters have spoken and they have sent a very clear message to anti-hunting groups like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and PETA: You and your extremist agendas are not welcome in my state,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox. “NRA will continue to lead efforts to pass these amendments across the nation. We must be vigilant because even as we get more sportsmen’s groups to join us in the fight, extremists are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into anti-hunting campaigns.”

Tennessee’s Amendment received 90 percent of the vote, followed by South Carolina with 89 percent and Arkansas with 82 percent. The voters in these states appreciate that sportsmen are today’s true conservationists, as their license fees and excise taxes paid on equipment fund the vast majority of wildlife and conservation efforts in the country. Both sportsmen and wildlife were undisputed winners on election night.

Right to Hunt and Fish constitutional amendments are a state-by-state priority for the NRA and will continue at a rapid pace, especially with more pro-Second Amendment and pro-hunting legislators being elected around the country. NRA’s model Right to Hunt and Fish constitutional language, developed over the past five years, has become the standard from which to negotiate with legislators and game and fish professionals. Thirteen states now have these important constitutional protections: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

“Hunting is in America’s DNA. Indeed, it is as old as civilization itself,” concluded Cox. “NRA has long assumed a leadership role but we must all work together to ensure that every resident in every state is able to rest, knowing that their hunting heritage will be there for future generations.”

SOURCE

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Posted in Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Hunting Fishing and the Great Outdoors, Law, News, Politics, States Rights, Uncategorized, Wordpress Political Blogs | 2 Comments »