DESERT BIGHO COUNCIL 1981 TRANSACTIONS A Compilation Of Papers Presented At The 25th Annual Meeting, April 8-10, 1981, Kerrville, Texas Editorial Board: Charles L. Douglas. Chairman Thomas D. Bunch Copies available for $5.00 by writing the Paul R. Krausman Desert Bighorn Council. David M. Leslie, Jr. Death Valley National Monument J. Juan Spillett Death Valley, CA 92328 DESERT BIGHORN COUNCIL 1981-82 OFFICERS: Chairman: Jack Kilpatric, Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. Vice Chairman: Bob Glaze, Glaze Veterinarian Clinic Past Chairman: Carl Mahon, Bureau of Land Management Secretary-Treasurer: Peter G. Sanchez, NPS, Death Valley National Monument TECHNICAL STAFF: Lanny 0. Wilson (Chairman), James A. Blaisdell, Warren Kelly, Richard Weaver, James DeForge, George Welsh, Dr. Juan Spillett, BOOK EDITORS: Lowell Sumner and Gale Monson COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN: Constitution: David Dunaway and Lanny Wilson Nominations: Dick Weaver Program: Bob McQuivey Arrangements: Bob West Transactions: Charles L. Douglas Publicity: Lew Carpenter Burro: Rick Brigham Barbary Sheep: C. David Simpson Ewes: Bonnie Blaisdell and Ruth Kelly Awards: Andy Sandoval Resolutions: Walt Snyder DESERT BIGHORN COUNCIL MEETINGS AND OFFICERS 1957-1981 ANNUAL MEETINGS Year Location Chairman Secretary-Treasurer Las Vegas, Nevada M. Clair Aldous Yuma, Arizona Gale Monson and Warren Kelly Death Valley, California M. Clair Aldous Fred Jones Las Cruces, New Mexico Warren Kelly Fred Jones Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico John Van den Akker Ralph Welles Grand Canyon, Arizona James Blaisdell Charles Hansen Las Vegas, Nevada Al Ray Jonez Charles Hansen Mexicali, Baja Calif., Mexico Rudolfo Hernandez Corzo Charles Hansen Redlands, California John D. Goodman John P. Russo Silver City; New Mexico Cecil Kennedy John P. Russo Kingtnan, Arizona Calud Lard John P. Russo Las Vegas, Nevada Ray Brechbill John P. Russo Monticello, Utah Ralph and Buddy Welles W. Glen Bradley Bishop, California William Graf W. Glen Bradley Santa Fe, New Mexico Richard Weaver Tillie Barling Tucson, Arizona George W. Welsh Doris Weaver Hawthorne, Nevada Warren Kelly Doris Weaver Moab, Utah Carl Mahon Lanny Wilson Indio, California Bonnar Blong Lanny Wilson Bahia Kino, Mexico Mario Luis Cossio Lanny Wilson Las Cruces, New Mexico Jerry Gates Peter Sanchez Kingman, Arizona Kelly Neal Peter Sanchez Boulder City, Nevada Bob McQuivey Peter Sanchez St. George, Utah Carl Mahon Peter Sanchez Kerrville, Texas Jack Kilpatric Peter Sanchez DESERT BIGHORN COUNCIL AWARD RECIPIENTS BIGHORN TROPHY: Ralph and Florence Welles, US. National Park Service, Death Valley, California Oscar V. Deming, US. Bureau Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Lakeview, Oregon John P. Russo, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona Charles Hansen, US. Bureau Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Las Vegas, Nevada Steve James, Jr., Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn, Las Vegas, Nevadh M. Clair Aldoux, US. Bureau Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Fallon, Nevada The Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Inc. Fauna-Silvestre, Mexico City, Mexico Bob McQuivey, Nevada Dept. of Fish and Game, Las Vegas, Nevada HONOR PLAQUE: Nevada Operations Office, Atomic Energy Commission, Las Vegas, Nevada Pat Hansen, Bighorn Illustrator Specialist, Death Valley, California lnyo National Forest, Bishop, California Lydia Berry, Clerk-Stenographer, Desert National Wildlife Range, Las Vegas, Nevada Jim Blaisdell, National Park Service, Seattle, Washington Society for the conservation of Bighorn Sheep, Upland, California Dr. Thomas D. Bunch, Dept. of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science, Utah State University, for identifying chronic sinustitis in bighorn and continuing research on control measures. New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish for their decisive and dramatic efforts to salvage the scabies mite infested desert bighorn population in the San Andres Mountains. Dr. H. Grant Kinzer, Livestock Entomologist, New Mexico State University, for his significant research on new drugs and dosages for controlling scabies mites in free-ranging desert bighorn. AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: 1975 Gale Monson, Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona; Lowell Sumner,Glenwood, New Mexico TABLE OF CONTENTS AN ANALYSIS OF RECREATIONAL USE PATTERNS IN DESERT BIGHORN Page HABITAT: THE PUSCH RIDGE WILDERNESS CASE Ken G. Purdy, William W. Shaw. ...................................................................1 TRANSFERRINS OF DESERT BIGHORN IN ARIZONA, NEVADA, AND UTAH Thomas D. Bunch, Paul Webb, J. Juan Spillett. .......................................................5 HISTORY OF BIGHORN TRANSPLANTS ON THE HUMBOLDT NATIONAL FOREST WarrenE.Kelly .................................................................................. 7 STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF BARBARY SHEEP IN THE SOUTHWEST U.S. C. David Simpson, Leslie J. Krysl. ..................................................................9 STRESS: ENVIRONMENTS AND THE EFFECTS ON DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP James R.DeForge ...............................................................................15 GROUP ORGANIZATION AND ACTIVITY PATTERNS OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP MaryEllen Chilelli, Paul R. Krausman. ..............................................................17 TRANSPLANTING DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP-A REVIEW MaryM.Rowland,JohnL.Schmidt .................................................................25 EVALUATION OF A WILD-RELEASE OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP James C. deVos, William Ough, Daisan Taylor, Richard Miller, Sandra Walchuk, Richard Remington. .........29 ESTIMATING A BIGHORN POPULATION BY MARK-RECAPTURE Robert C. Furlow, Milton Haderlie, Robert Van den Berge. ..............................................31 ABERRATIONS OF THE TOOTH ARCADE AND MANDIBLE IN DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP Robert L. Glaze, Thomas D. Bunch, Paul Webb. ......................................................33 THE LOSS OF TWO POPULATIONS OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP IN CALIFORNIA James R. DeForge, Joan E. Scott, Glenn W. Sudmeier, Richard L. Graham, Stephen V. Segreto.. .............36 REINTRODUCTION OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP INTO COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT RonaldR.Ravey,JohnL.Schmidt ..................................................................38 Bighorn Illustations by Pat Hansen TABLE OF CONTENTS - STATUS REPORTS - Page 1980 BIGHORN SHEEP STATUS REPORT - UTAH JamesW.Bates .................................................................................42 ARIZONA BlGHOWN SHEEP STATUS REPORT Richard R.Remington ............................................................................44 STATUS OF A TRANSPLANTED BIGHORN POPULATION IN ARIZONA USING AN ENCLOSURE JohnR.Morgart,PaulR.Krausman .................................................................46 CONDITION AND TREND REPORT FOR THE 1980 SHEEP POPULATIONS IN NEVADA Robert P.McQuivey ..............................................................................50 HISTORY AND STATUS OF BIGHORN SHEEP IN THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS, NEW MEXICO Bruce L. Morrison ...............................................................................52 RESULTS OF A DIRECT RELEASE DESERT BIGHORN TRANSPLANT IN THE VIRGIN MOUNTAINS OF NEVADA kobert P. McQuivey, Dave Pulliam. .................................................................55 A SUMMARY OF CAPTURE EFFORTS IN ARIZONA SINCE 1977 JamesC,deVos,Richard Remington ...............................................................57 STATUS OF THE STONEWALL MOUNTAIN DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP REINTRODUCTION PROJECT OF CENTRAL NEVADA RobertP.McQuivey ..............................................................................60 STATUS OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP IN TEXAS - 1981 Charles K.Winkler ............................................................................... 63 MOVEMENTS AND MORTALITIES OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP IN THE SAN ANDRES MOUNTAINS, NEW MEXICO Richard Munoz ..................................................................................64 NEW MEXICO BIGHORN SHEEP STATUS REPORT - 1981 AndrewV.Sandoval ..............................................................................66 STATUS OF POPULATION MODELING OF THE RIVER MOUNTAIN HERD David M. Leslie, Jr., Charles L. Douglas. ............................................................69 Typesetting & Layout by Shersten Zoller Printed by University of Nevada, Las Vegas How do people behave in bighorn habitat? How do bighorn AN ANALYSIS OF sheep contribute to the recreational experience of people? And what beliefs do they hold concerning the effects of their RECREATIONAL USE activities on the sheep? Comprehensive evaluations of recrea- tional impacts on bighorn sheep necessitate a greater PATTERNS IN understanding of these human aspects of relationships be- tween recreators and bighorn. Expanding our understanding DESERT BIGHORN of these relationships was the primary purpose of a study con- ducted from September 1979 to September 1980 in desert HABITAT: bighorn habitat in Pusch Ridge Wilderness (PRW), Arizona. THE PUSGH RIDGE: The background to the problem, study area, methodology and other'details of the study have been described by Purdy and WILDERNESS CASE Shaw (1980). The specific objectives of the study were to: 1. determine numbers and activities of recreators using , upper reaches of Pima, Finger Rock, and Romero Can- yons (Fig. 1)--popular travel routes in bighorn habitat in PRW-and other interior areas of PRW; Ken G. Purdy and ~illiamW. Shaw School of Renewable Natural Resources 2. determine preferences and perceptions regarding re- University of Arizona sources and management of PRW, for individuals using Tucson, AZ 85721 the areas in objective