Records of Wild Sheep Translocations United States and Canada 1922-Present

RECORDS OF WILD SHEEP TRANSLOCATIONS UNITED STATES AND CANADA 1922-PRESENT WILD SHEEP WORKING GROUP June 2015 Photos courtesy of Vic Coggins (ODFW, Retired), Mike Cox (NDOW), Todd Nordeen (NGPC), Earl Nottingham (TPWD), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Suggested Citation: Wild Sheep Working Group. 2015. Records of Wild Sheep Translocations-United States and Canada, 1922-Present. Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, USA. INTRODUCTION Historically, the distribution of wild sheep in North America extended from northern Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories southward through British Columbia and Alberta, Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Pacific coast as far east as western North Dakota, western South Dakota, western Nebraska, and western Texas. Reliable population estimates of wild sheep in North America prior to the 1800s are not available, but numbers in the hundreds of thousands have been reported. Through time, the numbers and distribution of thinhorn sheep (Ovis dalli) are thought to have remained stable. Following settlement of western North America, however, bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) numbers declined rapidly and that species was extirpated from much of its historic range. Translocations have played an integral role in wild sheep restoration and management. Most jurisdictions that manage bighorn sheep view translocations as a technique necessary for restoring those specialized ungulates to historic habitat, establishing new populations within suitable, but unoccupied habitat, and augmenting existing populations. However, translocation is not a widely used practice in thinhorn sheep conservation. Historic records indicate fewer than 10 translocations of thinhorn sheep have occurred in the past, and none have occurred across jurisdictional boundaries (i.e., Alaska, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, or British Columbia). Use of translocations for restoring wild sheep began in 1922 with the capture of 20 bighorns in Alberta, Canada and subsequent release of 12 animals in Montana and 8 animals at Custer State Park, South Dakota. Since then, at least 1,460 separate projects have resulted in the translocation of more than 21,500 bighorn sheep in the United States and Canada combined. Nevada leads all jurisdictions with more than 4,000 wild sheep translocated through 174 projects. More than 1,300 wild sheep have been translocated across international boundaries from Canada and Mexico into 14 United States jurisdictions. The roots of today’s bighorn populations in Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas can be traced entirely to translocations. The translocations reflected in this document have resulted in successful establishment of self- sustaining populations on many historic ranges, increased numbers and genetic diversity of individual populations, and expanded ranges of existing populations. The intent of this project, produced by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Wild Sheep Working Group, is to record and archive all known captures and translocations within the 19 United States and Canadian jurisdictions inhabited by wild sheep, and make this information available in a single document. Translocation records verifying exported animals, imported animals, and those occurring entirely within each jurisdiction are summarized for each state, territorial, or provincial jurisdiction. This document is intended to be updated as necessary when additional translocations take place. Our intent is to update the information annually. Summary of Wild Sheep Translocations - United States and Canada 1922 - Present Number of Transplants Number of Animals Jurisdiction Imports Exports Within Total Imports Exports Within Total Alberta - 40 7 47 - 708 78 786 Arizona 7 25 108 140 128 306 1,756 2,190 British Columbia 3 48 90 141 111 693 899 1,703 California 5 - 50 55 39 - 491 530 Colorado 18 27 137 182 317 472 2,214 3,003 Idaho 31 19 33 83 540 291 375 1,206 Montana 2 35 135 172 28 694 2,323 3,045 Nebraska 8 - 1 9 176 - 26 202 Nevada 52 43 174 269 804 697 2,535 4,036 New Mexico 17 5 45 67 169 89 698 956 North Dakota 14 - 43 57 213 - 216 429 Oregon 28 38 83 149 442 419 1,145 2,006 South Dakota 10 3 2 15 206 36 25 267 Texas 20 - 31 51 185 - 623 808 Utah 57 3 70 130 1,151 30 1,021 2,202 Washington 32 2 77 111 260 83 664 1,007 Wyoming 6 23 65 94 144 398 1,528 2,070 Others1 2 1 - 3 18 15 - 33 TOTAL 312 312 1,151 1,463 4,931 4,931 16,617 21,5482 1 Others: 1) Import: OK from MT - 14 total animals 2) Import: National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C. from MT - 4 total animals 3) Export: Mexico to TX - 15 total animals 2 TOTAL=(Import=Export)+Within 5/17/2015 ALBERTA Alberta Wild Sheep Translocations - Exports Total Capture Release Event Species* Year Capture Site Release Site Sheep JX JX 1 RM-CABHS 1922 12 AB Banff NP MT National Bison Range, Lake Co. 2 RM-CABHS 1922 8 AB SD Custer State Park 3 RM-CABHS 1927 49 AB Banff NP BC Spences Bridge 4 RM-CABHS 1927 50 AB Banff NP BC Squilax (Chase) 5 RM-CABHS 1928 14 AB Banff NP OK Wichita Mtns., Oklahoma 6 RM-CABHS 1932 6 AB Banff NP NM Pecos Wilderness 7 RM-CABHS 1940 3 AB Banff NP NM Sandia Mnts 8 RM-CABHS 1941 3 AB Banff NP NM Sandia Mnts 9 RM-CABHS 1942 3 AB Banff NP NM Sandia Mnts 10 RM-CABHS 1961 12 AB Sheep R. SD Slim Buttes 11 RM-CABHS 1964 10 AB Banff NP NM Turkey Creek, Gila NF 12 RM-CABHS 1965 15 AB Banff NP NM Pecos Wilderness 13 RM-CABHS 1966 20 AB Waterton Lakes NP UT Ogden, Box Elder Canyon 14 RM-CABHS 1968 10 AB Banff NP NM Wheeler Peak 15 RM-CABHS 1969 12 AB Banff NP UT Ogden, Box Elder Canyon 16 RM-CABHS 1970 12 AB Jasper NP BC Fraser Canyon, B.C. 17 RM-CABHS 1970 24 AB Banff NP ID Mahogany Creek 18 RM-CABHS 1970 14 AB Banff NP UT Ogden, Box Elder Canyon 19 RM-CABHS 1971 20 AB Jasper NP OR Lostine River 20 RM-CABHS 1971 20 AB Jasper NP OR Upper Hells Canyon, Short Cr 21 RM-CABHS 1972 18 AB Waterton Lakes NP WA Hall Mountain 22 RM-CABHS 1973 7 AB Waterton Lakes NP NM Fort Wingate 23 RM-CABHS 1973 12 AB Waterton Lakes NP UT Book Cliffs, Hill Creek 24 RM-CABHS 1978 7 AB Waterton Lakes, Canada NM Fort Wingate 25 RM-CABHS 1989 20 AB Cadomin NV Ruby Mountains, Elko Co. 26 RM-CABHS 1990 25 AB Cadomin NV Ruby Mountains, Elko Co. 27 RM-CABHS 1992 31 AB Cadomin NV East Humboldt Range, Elko Co. 28 RM-CABHS 1995 11 AB Cadomin OR Sheep Mountain 29 RM-CABHS 1995 16 AB Cadomin OR Joseph Creek Drainage, Cottonwood Cr 30 RM-CABHS 1995 22 AB Cadomin OR Lower Hells Canyon, Jim Cr 31 RM-CABHS 1999 14 AB Cadomin OR Muir Creek 32 RM-CABHS 1999 6 AB Cadomin ID Big Canyon 33 RM-CABHS 1999 20 AB Cadomin SD Custer State Park 34 RM-CABHS 2000 37 AB Cadomin OR Hells Canyon (Sheep Divide, Minam) 35 RM-CABHS 2001 10 AB Cadomin UT Wasatch Mountains, Timpanogos 5/17/2015 Alberta Wild Sheep Translocations - Exports Total Capture Release Event Species* Year Capture Site Release Site Sheep JX JX 36 RM-CABHS 2001 22 AB Cadomin UT Wasatch Mountains, Provo Peak 37 RM-CABHS 2012 41 AB Cadomin Mine Region, Alberta Canada NE Sowbelly Canyon, NE Harrison, NE 38 RM-CABHS 2013 20 AB Luscar Mine, W of Hinton, Alberta, CA NV East Humboldt Range-off Angel Lake Rd 39 RM-CABHS 2014 26 AB Cadomin ND Sheep Creek 40 RM-CABHS 2015 26 AB Cadomin SD Deadwood/Lead Area- N. Black Hills TOTAL 708 5/17/2015 Alberta Wild Sheep Translocations - Within Total Capture Release Event Species* Year Capture Site Release Site Sheep JX JX 1 RM-CABHS 1997 14 AB Ram Mtn AB Picklejar Lakes, AB 2 RM-CABHS 1998 31 AB Cadomin AB Plateau Mtn., AB 3 RM-CABHS 2000 7 AB Cadomin AB Mt Baldy, AB 4 RM-CABHS 2004 6 AB Cadomin AB Ram Mtn., AB 5 RM-CABHS 2005 6 AB Cadomin AB Ram Mtn., AB 6 RM-CABHS 2007 2 AB Cadomin AB Calgary Zoo, Calgary AB 7 RM-CABHS 2007 12 AB Cadomin AB Ram Mtn., AB TOTAL 78 5/17/2015 ARIZONA Arizona Wild Sheep Translocations - Imports Total Capture Release Event Species* Year Capture Site Release Site Sheep JX JX 1 RM-CABHS 1979 8 CO Rocky Mt. Natl. Park (Never Summers) AZ Bush Creek, Blue River 2 RM-CABHS 1980 12 CO Tarryall Range AZ Bush Creek, Blue River 3 RM-CABHS 1994 21 CO Rampart Range AZ Blue Admin. Site 4 RM-CABHS 1995 28 CO Almont Triangle AZ XXX Ranch, Blue River 5 RM-CABHS 2003 11 NM Pecos Wilderness, NM AZ Bear Canyon/ Blue River 6 RM-CABHS 2003 16 NM Wheeler Peak AZ Bear Canyon/ Blue River 7 RM-CABHS 2005 32 NM Pecos Wilderness, NM AZ Pipestem Mtn area TOTAL 128 5/17/2015 Arizona Wild SheepTranslocations - Exports Total Capture Release Event Species* Year Capture Site Release Site Sheep JX JX 1 DBHS 1957 1 AZ Topock TX Black Gap WMA, TX 2 DBHS 1957 14 AZ Castle Dome Mts and Kofa Mts (2) TX Black Gap WMA, TX 3 DBHS 1958 1 AZ Congress TX Black Gap WMA, TX 4 DBHS 1958 3 AZ Tunnel Springs, Kofa Mts TX Black Gap WMA, TX 5 DBHS 1959 1 AZ Kofa Mts, High Tank #7 TX Black Gap WMA, TX 6 DBHS 1959 10 AZ Tunnel Springs, Kofa Mts TX Black Gap WMA, TX 7 DBHS 1979 5 AZ Plomosa Mts and Kofa Mts TX Black Gap WMA, TX 8 DBHS 1979 11 AZ Plomosa Mts and Kofa Mts CO Devil's Canyon 9 DBHS 1979 5 AZ Plomosa Mts and Kofa Mts TX Black Gap WMA, TX 10 DBHS 1980 8 AZ Black Mts TX Kerrville, TX 11 DBHS 1981 9 AZ Black Mts, Kingman Wash CO Devil's Canyon 12 DBHS 1981 10 AZ Kofa NWR, AZ NM Peloncillos 13 DBHS 1982 4 AZ Kofa NWR, AZ NM Peloncillos 14 DBHS 1982 10 AZ Kofa NWR, AZ NM Peloncillos 15 DBHS 1983 10 AZ Lake Mead NRA, Sidewinder Cove CO Dominguez Creek 16 DBHS 1983 10 AZ Lake Mead NRA, Indian Cyn TX Van Horn, TX 17 DBHS 1984 10 AZ Lake Mead NRA CO Dominguez Creek 18 DBHS 1987 21 AZ Lake Mead NRA CO Upper Dolores 19 DBHS 1991 26 AZ Black Mts CO Colorado

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