a Bighorn Sheep Ecology An Integrated Science Project to Support Restoration and Management 2021Final Report rt 1 FEDERAL AID IN WILDLIFE RESTORATION GRANT MONTANA BIGHORN SHEEP STUDY #W-159-R 01 DECEMBER 2013 – 31 JANUARY 2020 CONTRIBUTORS Robert A. Garrott Professor, Montana State University [email protected] Kelly Proffitt Research Biologist, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks [email protected] Jay Rotella Professor, Montana State University [email protected] Elizabeth Flesch Post-doctoral Researcher & Ph.D. Candidate, Montana State University [email protected] Ethan Lula M.Sc. Graduate, Montana State University [email protected] Carson Butler M.Sc. Graduate, Montana State University [email protected] Blake Lowrey Post-doctoral Researcher & Ph.D. Graduate, Montana State University [email protected] Terrill Paterson Post-doctoral Researcher & Ph.D. Graduate, Montana State University [email protected] Jesse DeVoe Research Associate, Montana State University [email protected] Emma Grusing B.Sc. Graduate Student, Montana State University [email protected] AGENCIES Montana State University, Ecology Department 310 Lewis Hall, Bozeman, MT 59717 Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 1400 S. 19th Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59715 Suggested citation Garrott, R., K. Proffitt, J. Rotella, E. Flesch, E. Lula, C. Butler, B. Lowrey, J. T. Paterson, J. DeVoe, and E. Grusing. 2021. Bighorn Sheep Ecology: An Integrated Science Project to Support Restoration and Conservation. Final Report for Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant #W-159-R. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena, Montana Cover photo Rocky Mountain Front Range (Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks) 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS scholarship funds to help support graduate HE COLLABORATIVE nature of this T student research on this project, as has the MSU research project has provided the privilege to Foundation and friends and family of Don work with a diversity of people without whom Quimby through the Don C. Quimby award. Brian this project would not be possible. More people Solan and Shane Clouse and the Montana assisted in this effort than names are known, Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation have but we are grateful to all. contributed encouragement and financial Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP) support that lead to the incorporation of the personnel who have assisted in this study genomics studies. The Stillwater Mining include, but are not limited to: Bruce Sterling, Company provided safety training and access to Jim Williams, Ben Jimenez, Liz Bradley, Tyler their property and we appreciate the assistance Smucker, Ray Vinkey, Craig Fager, Mike of Josh Harris, Dave Johnson, Tom Kircher, and Thompson, Brent Lonner, Mark Schlepp, Tim Dave Anderson. Tom Stevenson, biologist with McWilliams, Stan Buresh, George Larson, Sonja California Fish and Game Department and Anderson, Graham Taylor, Julie Cunningham, leader of the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Jenny Jones, Scott Hemmer, Scott Thompson, Recovery Program, traveled to Montana to train Tyler Park, Howard Burt, Mark Sullivan, Shawn MSU and MFWP personnel in the use of Stewart, Justin Paugh, Julie Golla, Brett Dorak, ultrasonography to quantify rump fat thickness Drew Henry, Ray Mule, Brent Cascadden, Kevin in bighorn sheep. Important Wyoming Game and Hughes, Vanna Boccadori, John Thornburg, Fish collaborators on the Greater Yellowstone Jennifer Ramsey, Emily Almberg, Claire Gower, Area Mountain Ungulate Project that Karen Loveless, Neil Anderson, Keri Carson, contributed to the regional scope of these Trever Throop, Neil Cadwell, Nick DeCesare, studies include Doug McWhirter, Doug Quentin Kujala, Justin Gude, and Cory Loecker. Brimeyer, Allyson Courtemanch, Gary Fralick, In addition, Vickie Edwards, a former MFWP Hank Edwards, Mary Wood, Hally Killion, and biologist, was instrumental in laying the Jessica Jennings Gaines. The Wyoming Game & groundwork for including the Petty Creek Fish Wildlife Disease Lab has been instrumental population in the studies. The MFWP Wildlife in shaping our respiratory pathogen research Health Lab has been essential to this project in and contributing to sample collection outside of the support, service, and cooperation they have Montana. Tom Besser of Washington State provided throughout the study. Montana State University has provided insights and advice on University (MSU) personnel who have assisted pathogen sampling and has conducted initial in the studies include Aaron McGuire, Dave strain-typing of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Willey, Jesse White, Tawnya Gilstrap, Cheyenne isolates from Montana and Wyoming bighorn Stirling, John Landsiedel, Eric Boyd, Heather sheep. This project has benefited from Brown, Jasmine Cutter, Aubrey Power, Samuel interactions with scientists involved in the Hells Allen, and numerous other student volunteers. Canyon Initiative Consortium including Frances Cassirer with Idaho Fish and Game and Kezia We appreciate the cooperation of the Manlove with Utah State University. Kezia Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe and the conducted field work monitoring demographics assistance of Dale Becker, Shannon Clairmont, of the Fergus population in summer 2015 and and Stacy Courville. The US Forest service provided valuable information on lamb permitted captures and provided lodging for production and survival that would not capture crews. Kevin Hurley, Carl Phillips, Anna otherwise have been available. Lukasik, and the Wild Sheep Foundation have been key supporters and have contributed 3 3 Danielle Walker conducted lab work at MSU to Rocky Creek Farm in Bozeman provided apple extract and assess quality of bighorn sheep pulp for bait. genetic samples. Doug McWhirter collected and Dozens of unnamed state biologists, wardens, provided genetic samples from harvested and technicians, federal biologists, and citizens bighorn sheep rams. provided invaluable and enthusiastic assistance Katherine Ralls, Mike Buchalski, Renee in handling and restraining animals. Len Kopec Bellinger, Sierra Love Stowell, Sim Zijian, from Augusta Montana conducted numerous Joshua Miller, and Paul Stothard shared classification and survival surveys at Castle expertise regarding genomics analyses. Holly Reef. We appreciate the skilled helicopter Ernest provided genomics expertise and some piloting of Rick Swisher and Mark Stott and the funding for SNP genotyping of Beartooth- net-gunning, animal handling, and helo support Absaroka samples. Tabitha Graves provided services of Travis Heater, Trent Brown, Mark expertise and access to Glacier National Park Keech, and Jace Clark of Quicksilver Air Inc. bighorn sheep samples. Funding for this project was provided from Several private landowners that contributed to MFWP bighorn sheep auction sales matched this study in various ways included Harry and with USFWS Grants-in-Aid funds. Kathy Liss, Monte Ishler, Cody Ishler, Kyle Photo: Cindy Goeddel Ishler, and Pat and Anna Byrne. Pete Fay at 4 Executi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2013, MFWP and MSU initiated a collaborative document represents the final report for this 6-year research program designed to assess research project. factors driving bighorn sheep population dynamics across Montana. The integrated study RESPIRATORY PATHOGEN design entailed using standardized methods to COMMUNITIES & POPULATION investigate demographic rates, body condition and nutrition, respiratory pathogens, PERFORMANCE movements, habitat use, and population Respiratory disease has been a persistent attributes across a diverse set of populations problem for recovery of bighorn sheep in North occupying a diverse set of landscapes. Similar America. The severity of respiratory disease designs have proven efficient at producing epizootics has been variable, ranging from 30% reliable and generalizable findings useful for to 90% mortality in affected populations. The management agencies. Accordingly, epizootics often involve an extended phase populations included in this research program where a high percentage of juveniles die from were carefully selected by MFWP regional respiratory disease within four months of birth, wildlife managers to capture varying however, the duration of this phase is also respiratory disease histories, habitat types, extremely variable, lasting from a single year to management histories, as well as demographic decades of poor recruitment. Our understanding performances. The 8 primary bighorn sheep of respiratory disease in bighorn sheep is populations incorporated into this study occupy limited, but a number of bacterial pathogens portions of Deer Lodge, Fergus, Lewis & Clark, have been implicated as causing respiratory Madison, Missoula, Phillips, Sanders, Stillwater disease in bighorn sheep including Mycoplasma and Teton Counties, as well as the Flathead ovipneumoniae and several species within the Indian Reservation. In recognition of the Pasteurellaceae family. All bighorn sheep improved inference associated with captured during management and research incorporation of additional study populations, operations are tested for the presence of these this research program also incorporated data pathogens, but interpretation of test results has from a companion MSU bighorn sheep study been problematic as there has been no rigorous (Greater Yellowstone Area Mountain Ungulate assessment of the reliability of the various Project), worked with the MFWP Wildlife Health diagnostic tests routinely employed. Laboratory to incorporate data from additional populations captured for health monitoring We performed 2,093 standard