For more information contact: Characteristics: Characteristics: Uinta National Forest Bighorn Sheep Mountain Rugged  Horns are tan. Rams will have curved horns, while Goat ewe’s horns are smaller and  Horns are short, black, and do not curl. Bil- Supervisor’s Office shorter, never reaching a full curl. lies’ horns are larger at the base and curve Rocky sharper than nannies. 88 West 100 North  Hoof prints are rectangular. Hooves have a Provo, UT 84601 hard outer rim with a soft concave middle  Hoof prints are square. Hooves have a hard (801) 377-5780 for better traction on rough terrain. outside with a spongy, convex pad inside, Mountain  Coats are brown, with white hair on the making travel easier over rocky terrain. Pleasant Grove Ranger District belly, rump patch, backs of legs, muzzle,  Coats are white, with a wool-like undercoat 390 North 100 East and eye patch. and long guard hair as the outer coat. Pleasant Grove, UT 84062  Eyes are a yellowish color.  Eyes are dark brown to black. Sheep & (801) 785-3563

Goats Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Rough and Tough Mountain Climbers 1115 North Main Springville, UT 84663 (801) 491-5678 photo by Brian Maxfield photo by Federation for North American Wild Sheep Utah Chapter Viewing Wildlife Viewing Tips During the summer months (July • View from a - September), goats are most likely seen distance. Use on Mt. Timpanogos’ high ridge tops and at binoculars, spotting 2929 Kenwood Street Hidden Lakes Cirque and Bomber Ridge. scopes, and tele- Salt Lake City, UT 84106 Winter brings the goats east of Provo along photo lens to view and photograph wildlife (801) 466-8830 the Wasatch Front to Lost Creek Canyon and to avoid stressing them. Slide Canyon and to “The Fingers” area in • Protect newborns and young animals by Provo Canyon. keeping your distance. During the summer, bighorn sheep may • Animals may charge if chased, crowded, or The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discriminations in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national region, sex, religion, age, disability, be seen at the mouth of American Fork Can- followed. political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for com- yon, Provo Canyon, and along the Wasatch • Animals require special diets - Please don’t United States Department of Agriculture munication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact Front. They may move to lower elevations in feed them. Forest Service USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). the winter to find food in these areas. • Avoid sudden loud noise around animals. Intermountain Region To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250- Uinta National Forest 9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

23.256.418.06/00 ntroduction Biology ntroduction Habitat i ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN Bighorn sheep males, females and year- i ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOATS (Oream- Mountain goats live at high elevations SHEEP (Ovis canadensis canadensis) are native lings are referred to as rams, ewes, and lambs. nos americanus) inhabit the Mt. Timpanogos in rugged terrain in the summer and move to to the Wasatch Mountain range, but were During the summer, rams establish order of Wilderness in the Uinta National Forest. The lower elevations during the winter. These areas eliminated in the early 1900’s due to hunt- dominance by the size of their horns. When two Utah Division of Wildlife Resources trans- are close to water. Diet varies from season ing and disease resulting from settlement in bands of bighorns meet, rams possessing horns planted 10 goats from Olympic National Park to season. Summer meals consist primarily of the area. Only a small population of desert of equal in 1981. There are now close to 100 goats grasses and forbs, while winter food consists of bighorn sheep in southwest Utah managed to size often occupying this wilderness area. shrubs and browse. survive. engage in There is still debate about whether the In the spring and summer, salt licks are The Uinta National Forest is currently head butt- goats are native to Utah. They may have lived used. These areas usually have a number of involved in a partnership to reintroduce big- ing bouts. here in the past before recordable histories minerals, which the goats may have been lack- horn sheep. The reintroductions are an attempt Head of fossils could provide evidence. Fossils of ing all winter. During the summer, goats can be to increase the population for Utah, and to butting a smaller mountain goat, Harington’s goat found in wallowing areas, which are depres- reestablish a native sheep population on Mt. also occurs (Oreamnos haringtoni) have been found, but sions in the ground where goats roll around in Timpanogos. when two evidence suggests that the goats have been the dirt to remove external parasites and to rams are absent from Utah for 10,000 years. cool down. following Capture and Release the same The North American Wild Sheep Fed- ewe during Biology eration, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources breeding season. The victor wins the right to Mountain goat males, females, and (UDWR), the Sundance Corporation, and breed with the ewes. yearlings are known as billies, nannies, and private individuals contributed time and money Breeding or rutting season lasts from kids. Billies are only allowed near the nannies to this reintroduction project. Project planning mid-October to December. Lambs are born during rutting season, which lasts from Novem- spanned over 15 years. from mid-April through late June. They weigh ber to December. Kids are born from mid-May Approximately 60 bighorn sheep were about 9 pounds. Twins are very rare. The first to mid-June and weigh 7-8 pounds. Twins and released into Grove Creek Canyon and Rock two weeks of life only milk is suckled, then the triplets have been born on Mt. Timpanogos but Canyon on the Uinta National Forest. The lambs will eat grasses and plants. these are rare. They only nurse for a short time sheep were captured from the Rattlesnake and then begin eating grasses and forbs. photo by Brian Maxfield photo by Canyon herd near Green River, Utah and from Billies are territorial and will defend their Hinton, Alberta Canada. Habitat space. They will line up parallel to each other There are plans to transplant more During the summer, bighorn sheep live on but facing opposite directions. If one does bighorn sheep on Cascade Mountain and Box high mountain slopes with rugged terrain and not back down, the goat next to them will jab Elder Peak areas on the Uinta and Wasatch- in the foothills near rocky cliffs in the winter. their horns into the hind quarter most of the Cache National Forests. Both areas are near permanent water sources. time. They will also run at each other and as They depend primarily on grasses and forbs a threat, lower their heads and display their for food, and shrubs depending on the season. horns. In spring and summer, mineral licks containing salts are eagerly sought.