S U M M A R Y REPORT, Oi

. UR/ii-TV.ESD SFEE? -PROJECT October 15 ^ 1940 to June 15, 1941

^J^.'-77>ii^''-^- ^r-^/^'^'^"^-^-^-^ /^^^■^i^^'''-

STATE DOCUMENTS COLLECTION

■ JAN 1 6-1978

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY 930 E Lyndale Ave. Helena, Montana 59601

CootB rating Ar.'encies

1. "cntana State Fish and Garri.e Corr:riissiorx

Robert F. Cooney, Gams Mar.ager Helena, Montana

2o United States Forest Service

I. V. Anderson Assistant Regional Forester Division of I'/ildlife Manageisnt Missoula, Montana

V.-ritten by 3. V/. Brink, Project Manager Kootenai National Forest Lib'iDy, Montana

To gain a fund of asoirate information flindamental to tfe mana gerrent of the Ural-Tweed band of bighorn sheep, Ovis eanadsnsis.

■II. LCCATIQN AMD DKSCRirTION OF KHJ'.k

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The area inhabited by the Ur?l-Tv/eed band of bighorn she ep Hbs in the extreme northwestern coiner of Montana in Lincoln County. It occupies roughly three tovmships alorig the east side of the Kooteriii River in the vicinity of Ural, Montana, Snd is traversed by four small drainages which empty into the Kootenai River.

V/ith regard to slope and elevation, this area consists of t.7o distinct subdivisions: (1) the excarpment vihi ch slo^pes from about 2500 feet elevation at the river's edge up to appro>d;iiately 5000 feet ard having an average slope of 30-50 percent, and (2) the table land, vdiich slopes gradually from 5,000 feet up to the summits of peaks of about 6,500 feet. ' " ,

The topography of the escarpment consists of a series of discontin- uous benches and ledges vai^ying in vei'tical height frari a fev;- feet to about X 2C0 feeto The horizontal planes of these benches are usually le vel or nearly so, and vary in width from a few feet to about 150 feoto

The west and south exposures of the bighorn range are co-'/ir-jd coarsely ^^ith Ponderosa pine and i^ouglas fir tirber v.'ith an understory of ninebark, s>;rvice berry, mountain maple, osage orange, and chokechBrryo The chief grasses found on the range are western wheatgrass, Sandberg's blue grass, rough fescue, Idaho fescue, purple reedgrass, and pine grass o The principal peremilal herbs are wild buck".".'heat, peiistenion, end alumroot. Very few annual grasses and herbs are founds

III. GLKATIC CONDITIONS

■ Weather corditions throughout the winter v;ere .decidedly unfavorable for good result So Due to the abnormally mild temperatures, aif i-icient snov; for tracking remained on the south slopes of the v/inter raige only during shprt periods immediately follovrlng storms. These animals sre e:-:t.r;^mely v/ary and dlCiicult to approach v/ithout their becoming aivare of the observer's presence. Hence, favorable tracking conditions are essenrial for definite information on predation, numbers, movements and feeding habit s.

(pgs. 2, 3, Ir, 5 omitted (weather chart))

Ourir.g the course of the study, several local rasidents v^^re Interviewed in an attcnpt to dotermiae whether or rot tliis was ancestral rar.ge of the bighorn. Mr. Oscar Bigler, Vvho states that he came to the a:-ea in 1336, says that the raountain sheep were nior e numsrcus at that ■oir.e than at present. Several others who ca'ae during the first decade of the present century state that sheep were bare, but var;/ in their con- cepts of the nunbers then in comparison v.lth the nu-nbers no'f.'o

V. :.gTHODs 0? study

Several ciethods of study were U3ed in an stterrpt to deteri-nine the most satisfactory one. Throughout the project, the objective borne iniaind •.'/as that the .t. ar-djuun n'OiP.ber of hours of actually observing the animals v;ould yield "ohe maxlTiuna results. During October and November nost of the tinie spent in the field v;as utilised in vade coverage of the area to detect the eictent of poaching' and keep it at a minLnium,

It seemed desirous to select an area krcvm to 'oe ire^'juented by the sheep and make intensive observations on it. For this purpose the area betv/een Sv^eep Creek and Ten Mile Creek .was chosen. This area consists of roughly, tv.'O square railes, hence it could be covered rather thoroughly on a day's trip. The greater part of the field work during Decsraber and January was one on this study area. ,

The general procedure on a field trip -varied with existing condition V.nen there was insufficient tracking snow, the routing v/as to dimb to an elevation of 2000-3000 feet above the river, then gradually work downward. It was found that when the anina^ls were approached from higher ground they v.-ore less likely to becoine sivare of the observer's presence and take flights '.■."hen a band cf sheep was si.^-fed, an effort was made to stalk up vithin a ■ distance of approxiinately 200 yards, providing the topography cf the ground permitted such an approach. An eight-power binocular was used to observe the animals Vihen they were locatedo

''Vhen there v:as sufficient sno'wto track the animals, band trailing yielded good results, particularly in studying food habits, ■

During February and March, vhen most of the rar4;e used by the bi,^hcr:2 was free from snov/, a different method was tried. It was r.oziced that the sheep were found at lover Isvels as spring approached, '.'.hen this was true, quite satisfactory results v; ere detained by traveling along the fo.ot of the excarprrrent during morning and evening hours and ex-imining x.he exposed faced os the bench rock ledgeso 'i'lhen tl-ie anim.a].s aro first located in this marjier, ii, is less difficiiLt to stalk upon thorn b;; circling a'cove. However, it is believed that this method is practical cr.ly curing la^-e v.'inter and spring when the sheep are at the lower ,.i._eva^ioruS ir.c. the atmosphere is free from fog.

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Conditions did not permit an actual cDunt of the bighorns in the Ural-Tv/eed band. However, from the results of this study, the dsserver estimates that there is in the neighborhood of 100 bead.

On each field trip an effort v/as made to determine the a^e and sex of each anlTal seen, A study of these frequency tabulations indicates thiat there are approximatel;/ 50 matjre ev^es, 25 nature rams, and 25 yearlings. These figures do not include the 1941 lambs.

VII. DISTRIBUTION , ' ' • ^

According to previous information^ the Ural-Tv;eed band ranged over the area bounded on the v.Gst by the Kootenai River, on the south by FIto I'Sls Creek, ana on the east by the Kootenai Rive r-Pinkhan Creek Divide, ard on the north b;^ the S-^tton C^^eek-Pinkha^. Creek Divide, (See Map A)o An open raind Y.-as maintained regarding this, hov/ever, and several 5.eld trips made to determine v.hether or not these ivere the definite limits of distribution. On Movember 14 and on December 9, 1940, sheep signs vrere encountered on the south facing slopes of Cripple Horse Creek, On March 20, 19i-l seven head of ewes and yearlings v;ere actually seen in this area. Residents of Lincoln County report seeing mountain sheep at various points in the country, but it may be generally stated that the activities of the Ural-Tv/eed band are largely confined within the above described area,

VIII. MOVERS MTS

At the outset it may be stated that the observaticis rrade during this study indicates that the seasonal movement of the Ural-Tv/eed band is gradual and maybe incomplete. That is, vre cannot point cut specific •/.'inter range areas and say that the sheep are never found in them during the sumjTBr. ...

The fall movement appeared to be a gradual drift, A moderate- storm on November 9 ex-idently had no accele.-'ating effect on it. It v,'as Z10Z until December 24 that the m.ature ram bands, as vsll as tte bands of ev.-es and yoimg stock, appeared in any abundance on the winter range. In vievv of the abnormally mild v:eather, ho^.'/e-v^er, it cannot be concluded that movement occurs at this timie each year. Other v:orlsrs point out that veather conditions regulate this moxemait onto v;inter rsnge .

Studies this spring si'Dv.'-ed that the bands of mature rams gradially drifted back to the higtier suramer range during April. The last band of ra-?.s seen -.vas using the natural lick at Valcour on April 21. The evres and yoiung stock remained on the v.lnter rtnge v.'hsre the laTibs v.«r e droppsd lacer. Unfortunately, the study v.'as terminated before the evies

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and lambs migrated, consequently little is kr.ovm of their sprin g .Tiigration £:r.d to vhat eictont it takes place. Casua}. observations ii£.de in the sixrarrer of 1940 and 1%1 intiicate that ev.'es and laabs may use the v/inter ran^e to sane extent during the summer o / , ,.

lo 1^•I^^ER R/u\TCE ' • ' "

The vdnter ran;e is the more precipitous area of v.'-est and south exposures along the face of the river and the mouths of the major drainages. As previously mentioned^ it i s characterized by slopes up to 50 per cento The topography is extremely rough \'ith numerous rock cliffs and ledges. The timber type is sparse Ponderosa pine and i^ouglas fir, T;hile the soil type is rocky and of light glacial silt.

It v.-as noticed thrcughout the vdnter that"snovr remained on these steep areas only during and shortly after storms. The observer's opinion is tr^t the cluef reasons for the bighorn's preference of this for v/inter range are: (l) the steep slopes exposed to the sun remain free from snov/ the greater part of the vdnter, (2) the reflection of the sun's "heat from the rock v.-alls tmds to keep the forage plants green throughout the vdnter. and (3) the cliffs offer adequate protection from natural enemies and in- clement v/eather.

2, SU:ar^R RMIQE

As the study was terminated on June I5, only casual observations cc;:ld be made during the time the sheep v.'ere on summtar range. The m3ager information here set forth v/as gleaned from contacts with local residents ard forest em.ployees whose v.ork takes them into the summer range.

Reference to Map A v/ill shov/the general boundaries of the summer range. It is rjot to Implied that all the area shovm as summer range is actually used by the bighorns, because the greater part of this area is covered with dense lodgepole pine at the higher elevations and vd.th Douglas fir and tamarack on the north facing slopes at lower elevations.

Open rocky areas of Ponderosa pine type are scatsred throughout the sum.T.er rar^:e. Indications are that the mountain meep use orJ-y those, local spots because they afford adequate protection and food.

There Vfas little opportunity to study the daily movements because of the difficulty of keepin? a band of bighorns under d)servation con- tinuously from one day to the nexto Hov/ever, it may be stated that the daily movement s, as tied up vith feeding habits, are lai-gely horisontalo The bighorn I'locks generally feed along on the contour arid many trails are in evidence on the range.

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IX. LIrE HISTORY AMD HABITS

1. DAILY ROUTINE

Tr3 bighorns of tUs band have rather fixed febits 7.'ith reference to feeding and bedding, but weather cor.diticns and seasons have a mark- ed influence on these habits. During the suxTner on clear wanr. d^-jrs the ilocks leave their beds before sunup and feed during the early morning hours. Usually by 10 a.m. all are bedded down on some rocky bedground. During this siesta it is rare that all indi-</iuals of a flock are inactive for raare than a few minutes at a time. One or more animals are usually up stretching or nibbling at some forage. A3 the cools hours of evening ccme on, the bighorns begin the second feeding period. By dark they have sought a bedground v/hsre they r^nd the right. As the days drav; shorter th'-se mid-day bedding periods grc".v shorter and nightly bedding periods longer. On cloudy days in '.vinter they mia;r be seen feeding at any time during the day.

2. 3?-DGR0u?IDS

The bedground s of these mountain sheep are gererally s.tuated atop some prominent wall or cliff vhere the animals may have ccrrjrisndlng viev; of the country belov;. Durir^ inclemenx. v;eather, however, the beds are found at the base of a cliff on some narrow led -e where the terrain belov; can be viev:ed. At tim.es these beds are located under the over- hanging boughs of a pi:ie or fir tree, but more often are in the open, Likevase, they a*e sometimes found on solid bare rock, but equally as often in loose soil or slide rock. These sheep y.'ere noted to bed cov/n v.dth the long axis of their bodies parallel to the contour but in such a m^anner as to permit a constant v:atch down hill.

3. FECES AJD TRACKS

The droppings of the bighorn are similar in shape, size and color to those of deer. They- vary somewhat v.-ith the season and diet. In the sprirvg vjhen the animals are using the na-tural licks the feces ccr.tain varying amounts of soil, ^cme ha.vs been e:<:aTiined and found to be m.ade up almost entirely of soil v.dth ■very little organic material. Those v.r.ich are miads up diiefly of organic matter are so firm, and Indurate xhat it is dif ficalt to crush them between the thumb and forefinger. In this CO nditicn- they probably rsnain o^n the range for several years » It is khov.Ti by- experim.ent tJiat droppings which have been exposed tc ti:ie •.■.-■jather for over a year show no signs of disintegration.

The tracks of the bighorn are characterized by ser'-eral features which distinguish them from the tracks of deer: (1) in the sheep -foe tees

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:,^^o serarated to a greater extent, (2) 'the- toes aro r. ore blunt j the ^"-^ - -nd (3) the face of the track presents a convex Gurl.co. ..^s I^ter^^tin, to "ind that the front feet of the mountain sK^ep are cor>- siderably larger than the hind.

Tn f-e follcvrng tracks in the snov. another point of interest noted ..as tha t v:h;re'it .vas necessary l^r sV^ ep to negotiate a J^rge lo , acrc^ s th' 4aU tK^^y did so by j-jnoing up onto the log ar-.d landirxg on ^1 four f"t: t^i a secon/ju.p; land3.ng on the opposite side. In contrast,

the deer was found to clear the log in one j-omp. .. ■

4, , BREEDING SEASON

By the tin.e the observer had beco-r.3 familiar vath the terrain and the kbits of the animals, the bighorn breeding season^as ^r^^xy cor.oletedo The only light v;e have on tn^s phase o. -^^^ - ^"^^

-estirony o'' 'ocal residc^.ts at Ural, Montana, ^^r. Jerry Ritc.e .^no

1 ivcl at UroTfor nore than 20 years states th^at he vd^n.ssea oreed- _ ;;"heT.dg^ above the Ur^ school house in the latter_half ^ Ko'^:n-r bVt is unable to recall the specific date and year. Mr. PrxT.o ?-ol^ni, S ias been a section forerran along the food of the sheep r.ng. .or .^re t^- ten years states that he sa^v a ran fight on tne ledge aoov« ;.he

sSoo"! house "after the hunting season" (v.hich implies lats .ove,.oer) but he too, does not recall the exact oate.

On Decernber 24, 1%0, the adult r.^ were ^ Since these nt^ture rans do mt run .^th the ewes except c^r ^^tne . ..n. season, it is probable that this observation was ir.ade aur^ng tn. subsiding stages of the period.

• Taking apnroximately 180 days as the gestation priod (as es- ^ -bliched Vthe' Idaho and VJyoming workers of the Rocky -ountaan Snecp s::ij)'1nd talcir^ May 25 as-'the pcalc date cf lan^bi^g (as esta^.sned fro/ bscrvations he during the spring), v.b ir.ay calcu^a^e tr..t .n. p---K date of the previous breeding season fell on J.ovex.er 25 .ot inter.ied as a dog;ratic state.^ent but is only correct ^^^J^ ir.eager observations on la.-nbing da-.es are correct, for tris p.-t .ve^ .

Tne-e is reason to believe that successful breeding spreads over a period of £± least 15 days, judging fro.n the spreaa o^^r whxcn i..e la.'n.bs were dropped.

5o YOUMG

(a) Time of Lambin^ sndHat/^ cf l^c-ro^c tion

f rst-lOa la^ fo^nd was knov;n to have beaa dropped^ during

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l:-uter date, Th-3rp is, undoubted!;/, considerable duplication in thoce records because r.;o£;t of the observations v;ere .Tiade in the :a.T.e general area,

Tcv-.i.-. _ Aju-rber of l?jnbs found bct.veen .Yav 21 and June 6

E st rnated date la.nabs bjorn

i/.ay 21-"-

1 May 17#; one ^a;: 2hlr All betv;eei May 20-26 All bet\veen L^ay 20-26 Betv.eai i-'-ay 2i>-23 Between Hay 2/^-23 Betv/een May 22-23 Betv.'fcen May 22-23 3etv:aen May 23-June 2 ■ Bete'feen -'ay 23-June 2 Betvroen May 2S-June 2 Bet-.veen May 30- June 4

::OTE: -"-Knov.n. Coluiran 2 includes young stock. Obser/aticns generally made at a distance to great to classify. Column k estiTiated dates larris born by cG~parison of s.ze vdth that of knovm lamb; ,^-observations made at iirly close range.

As mav be seen from Table L these observations indicate a spr,ead of the lambir.g season from May 17-June 4.. V-ith the exception of one, all these lambing dates are based on estimation, hence to cannot state definitely that this is true but the indication is that the peak lambing date falls v.lthin the period of May 20-June 1.

Again referring to Table 4 we find that during the jambing season 3 5 ew9S° barring duplication, v.'ere seen viith 21 lambs <, Taking this figure as it is v:e arrive at a 60 percent increase, and have reason to^kncv/ that of this numiber of ewes, a considerable percent has not yet reached breeding age, and that scm.e may be senile. In addition, it is ■crobable that some of 'these "lambless" ev:es may hay e Ismbed later o Thus ^ v,'e v.-ould probably find the true percent of increass for e.^res of breeding' age even greater than 60 percent <,

1 2 3

Date Seen . E-es Larabs

May 21 11

27 4-2

29 6 4

30 4 2

30 1 1 30 • 5 . 2 ■

■ 30 • 3 ■ 3

30 1 1

June 4 1 1

4 2 2

5 1 1

6 6 1

As a creek against this figure, let us consider the obser\'at ions

.Tiade on May 30. On that date 14 ev/os vdth 9 lambs v.ere s3en. It is kncvvn that there is no duplication here because, (l) they vs re all observed from one point, (2) they vvere seen in lixni v;-idely sep,arated bands, and (3) they v; ere seen almost simultaneously. Here it is seen thaty;e have a 64 percent increase and again may logically assume that the group of five remaining ares contains immature, senile, and pregnant animals.

Based on the observations of a single season it is apparent that the lack of increase of this band of bighorns is rot due to unsuccessful breeding.

From time to time considerable variance of opinion has been ex- pressed regarding the twinning of lambs in bighorn ^ieep. In this connection, the testimony of L'r. Frank Bolles, forest employee since 1929 in the bighorn rar^e, is of interest. Mr. Bolles states til et in early Sgptember, 1937, he observed four adult ev/es, each vithtv^ins. He states that he v;atched them for a period of about tvo hours and during this time ■ observed each fair nursing its mother.

The only possible indication of twinning seen duri rig this a,udy v/as on May 29 when tvra lambs vrere seen folloA'ing one cv/e. Only one cf the lairbs v;as seen nursing the ewe, however, and other ewes were in the band,

( b ) Development of Youn?

In order that the reader may have a truer picture of the con- ditions surrounding lambing of the bighorns on this area, the follovdng excerpts from iield notes are give n:

May 21, 19/^l - 9:50 a.m. Sighted one ev;e directly above at about 100 feet. This animal had evidently dropped a lamb only a fev/ hours previously, as shovji by the fetal menbrane hanging from the vulva. She appeared in good fDssh and ex- tremely alert. The eive vra.s "jumped" at an elevation cf about , 3j70O feet on a ro cl^y ridge dir:;ctly above Ural. This animal v/as in view only a fev; s3conds as she bounded up over a series of ledges,

10:02 am. The ev/e v/as sighted again and appeared to be circling back to the point where originally seen. From the behavior of this ev/e it v.'as believed that the 2Lami) icas in close proximity so the observer remained on a bluff overlooking the airrounding area,

11:00 a.m. The vind v.as blowirig moderately vhen the observer believed he heard the faint bleat of a lamb so moved a f e;v yards in the direction from, vhich the sound cane.

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11:20 a.m. The sound v/as he arrl again, this tirao u nmist <?J<£bly a lamb. '^Jpon moving to the edge oi a v;all snd peering over, ^ the lair.b vas sighted on a grassy ledge belov;. It v;as l;>'irig down vdth all four Isgs folded beneath its body, with neck stretched far out and head resting upon the ground simlar to the mainer in vhich a young fav.'n crouches. In a fev; moTients i. was observed to raise its head, glance furti-vely about and bleat again. The observer thencEscended and as the lamb v.'as approached it cairie bounding v/abbly-legged up to vathin a foot or so of. the observer. This'lamb shov/ed no fear until it scented the observer.

The hair of the head and neck of this young bighorn was not thoroughly dry. The arrinionic fluid v;as still in a gelatinous state v;hen found at aboit 11:30 a.u. on the hot, dry, :',lrdy day, all of Y;hich indicated that the lar^b v;as probably not six hours old,

"^his lan:b, examined at a distance close enough to touch it, had a strong, healty appearance and stood about 20 inches high. Its color did not differ greatly from that of the ev/e, except for being slightly darker. It appeared light on its front feet, having a tendency to rear up on its hind legs, a habit roticed many times in adult she ep ■■.hen ascenting loiv perpendicular cliffs. Another interesting proclivity displayed v/as that of seeking abiding place in the diif, '.'.'hen such •.vas found it crept in and remained motiorJLess. (v.^nen measured later, ths crevice into wfi;h it cravrled proved only 5g inctes v/ide.)

Observations mide on this lamb of knov/n age and subseo^uent ob- servations made on others, point cut that the grov.-th and developnent is rapid during the first fev: da^-s. Specifically, at 8:10 a.m. on May 23 the lamb found on May 21 (then scarcely 2k hours old) ;ms seen follovring its mother over rough terrain at a pace difficult for a man to maintain. On Ifay 2? a band of sheep »vas da served at close range. The lead ev.'-e h.^.d a young laT:b (estimated three days old) follov.lng he". Y^nen the band scented and later saw the observer, it took flight up a nearly perpendicular wall. The small lamb had difficulty follcvving and was s.3cn to stumble several tines and fall frc'r.; small ledges trice. This Ic'mb's mother led the band up th e smooth face of a rather sfeep cliff bu- the t1 ny lamb missed its footing' and fell four or five feet - it , ' uninjured, hov;ever. Having seen that hsr la-nb cculd not follcvv sis 'ccc:-: another raate of escape. In one hour the band had descended into a .pr ■.:;cir,itous canyon three or four hundred feet deep, and cli.Tbed to a n:;:r.ir point cn the opposite side. The your^ lamb still follcved. Tnis jaunt v/culd have taken a man at least an hour and a half,

■''hen the ev.'es are ready thwy isolr.te on seme grassy ledge and ;~ 'Ji rth zo the lamb. Here they remain in the im;T.edLate vicinity''

-0" the lamb until it is able to follov;. It v/as apparent that

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z'r±s pa-iod is arobably not riore than a week or so in duration. It- v-as not deteriuined v;h3t>Br or njt the ey;e leaves her lamb to go for^ v;ater. During this time the ev»es are extreniely v.-arj- and so alert it is aLfuOst ir.nossi'ole to approach thern.

On scrver-a different occasions lambs v.'ere seen nursing. Several .of these "nursing pericds" were clocked and found to range from 1/2 mLnutc to Ig- mLnut'es in duration. On may 2? a lamb vfas seen nib^;ling at plants for five minutes, tut its age could not be determined n^r couid it be told whether or not any of the plants v;ere actually eaten.

( c ) LaiiVbinp; Han/^e

For lambing grounis the bif^om ewes of the" Ural-T'A'eed band seem to dioose the roughest^ most inaccessible areas of the vinte r r^rige. Refer-mce to iCap B will show vjher e lambs were found and dDservaticns made. These areas ore characterized by many precipitous clit'fs, ranging ■ in height from 10-150 feet and broken by narrovf shelves. The rr£;st ideal lambing grounds •'.■ere found in Sv^ ep Greek where v;ater v.as avails. 'die up into the middle of the simrsr.

A brief description of the bench upon which a lamb was actually knov.-n to be born may help to complete the picture of bighorn lambirg ra:-ige". This lamb was born at the very base of one of the few Porderosa Dine trees s upported by the sloping, shallow, rocky soil. A few sparse bunches of beardless wheatgrass dotted the floor of t'ris shelf which was hidden from above and below by vertical walls of 10-20 feet,

6. FLCCK COMPOSITIOM

One of the most striking characteristics of bighorn sheep is their habit of maintaining distinct bands with reference to their sex and age, ' Throughout the yr.ar, except during breeding season, the mature rams run .iri bands by the'nselves. V.'hile the ewes and all young stock maintain bams of their own kind. The baids of mature rams usually occupy a •unit of range higrar than the e?/e-lami) flocks and seldom comLe near until late autumji.

The size of these bachelor /jjroups gaierally range from 3-12 animals, but there m.ay be as many as 22 in a group, according to Iccsl residents.

All the young stock lemaln v.ith the .mature ev.-es in bands similar Ln size to t-.ose of the ramso As i-he young rams reach breeding ago (3-4 y.^;.-rs according to other vrorkers) they b re all away from the ev;e bands arii join the iraturc rams.

.-.i; the breedir^g season 00:023 on the flecks begin to mingle v.it n ihe ^.v.as and younr; stock. V/hen the rutting season is coniplcited the breeding rarns again assmr.e their bachelor life.

Ano^hi r rather rigid trait of the bighorn is tiat each band h^s a

leader. In ev/e-lanb bands the leader is nearly alv/ays an old ev.-e, v.hile

in the rao: flocks this job must fall to' one of the older rams.-" Durihg

that part of thie year v/nen both sexes ran together, the rans ajre content

to be led ab cut bv one of the old e.ves* ■

7. C0;.":UIJIC;\TIONS

:&an3 of communication is more or less well developed inmost social animals and the bighorn does not differ in thi.s respect. We have previously mentioned that the young lanbs bleat. This cxill is not unlike that a" a domestic lamb. Throughout the project the observer never I'Bard an;/ bighorn but the young lambs em.it a vocal sound.

Observations m.ade on March 24 threv; seme ligit on trds phase of bighorn life. At 12:10 p.m. the noise oT a rolling rock disclosed the location of a young ram. Knowing that this animal v.-as a member of a band previously sighi:;d, the do server carefully stalked do'.m to the spot in the hope of locating the rest of the band. Stalking conditions vere ideal as approach could be made from the leev/ard side; the animals vera on lower ground, and the ground cover vs.s damp. The observer approached to a point a few yards from. v.here he believed the band to be bedded dovm, Lhen after a few minutes, located t'-w of the sheep by the reflection of the sun in their eyes as seen through screening brush. They 2^y not more t-han 60 feet distant. At 1 p.m. the old ev.'e leading the flock arose i"roa her bed and ]ed four animals out to feed. Frcm this position the observer was in full view of the band but by remiaining m.otionless he vras able to avoid detection. The "cand foraged about vithin a radius of 150 feet and in full view of .the observer. At 2:30 p.m. they again bedded dcv.Ti.

The alertness of this old e,ve leader vas apparent vhen, each time ■z.h3 chatter of a squirrel or chipmiunk was heard in the dLst ence, , for Eomie moments she fixed her attention in ihe direction from which the sound came.

At 3 p.m. the observer attempted to relieve a cramped position, .and even though the movement -.vas slight, the wise old ev;e detected it. In rapid succession ane jamped to her feet, stamped one hind foot, and .emitted a series of short guttural "grunts'.' At this signal the entire band arose and converged to her side and she prom.ptly led them around tte m.ountainside. Perusal of available literature on miountain sheep has failed to reveal any mention of these "gr^unting" sigr^als.

8. Ac-nni

y-c'r. has been v.ritten about the mountaineering feats of bighorn .heeo. Duri- the study many hours spent in trailing these animals^haye -'ovm that unalarned riauntain sheep rarely travel where man canm. _x ol^o.,, ;." s-ecies wrdch depends aljn.ost wholly on rough terrain for protection

ene-les must often be required to accomplish breath-ua^ang and sure- footed mountaineering feats. But as most ciservations .^■cre .-rade on jnija^ an unalarmed state of behaviour, few of these oarir^g leaos were ..longs.- ed 0- t-'o separate occasions, however, bighorns ^vere Kr^own ^o n^^re ne'otiated a sheer vertical descent of 9-12 feet in one jurap. Several irJxances were seen whsre they ran, at vhat appeared to be .op speed over areas of hugh sharp-angled sliderock bouHers.

X. FOOD HABITS

1. CSJERAL FEEDING ILABITS

has been oreviouslv mentioned in this report that the bighorns have defiraxs daily feeding periods and that durirg these feeding hours they wander along rostly in a hi^rizontal direction.

As may be expected, the bighorn m-ost vary his foraging methods _ to concur -iith e.^sting seasons and weather conditions.^ Ln this ccnnectxcn -:t was noted that during times of loose snow up to six inches m depth, ^he sheeo reached grasses by "nozzling-, not urJ-ike the manr^r ^nic " a ho-se feeds under sim.ila,r conditions. It v.^s not ur^.ix tt;. sno ,^as ^c- a-d coasted that he oawed to uncover tie grass crov.Tis. decais^ o.. + 4 mild v,ea-.her there was no opportunity to determine Just howaeep iy would go to unco./er forage. When the range is free from snow tney graze or brov/se sLmilar to any other ruminant.

■ V.her^ Slow covered the more gentle slopes, the sheep seemed to_ ^-end more of their time feeding among the diffs. Several tins s animals we-e ^en on their front knees with, their necks far cutstretcned reacning overhar-./ing vegetation that cculd not be dotsined from bauow. on sev- era3 diffe?ent°occasions it ms noticed tha. sheep did not ^-.n^ture uoo dan-erously dose to the edges of high perp-endicular ams. nis va. noticed on the winter range, when Bandberg's b±uegrass, (a plan, eagerly -ought by the sheep) was left untouched on the edges ox precipitous cliffs vhile the same plant growing back a safe distance vas^ cx<^ ely crooT^d. Here it may be stated that the smaller .gras es sucn as the Sandberg bluegrass and bluebuach fescue are crop pea very cLosexy by ■ the bighorns .

2. FOOD PREFKRFliCSS

^he mountain sheep of the Ural-Tweed b and are pri_nci pally grazers. It is estimated that tho'gras-:es form at Isast 60 percent oi tne year- •rcund diet and 90 percent of the winter foou.

-16-

The data on food habits v,as accurr.iaated bv (l) direct cbservation -ci -he feedins aii.Tal, (2) band trailing, and (3) stomach conuenus ;-:-n::.lysis.

The author considers that sufficient data v;as accuir.iilated during- f-o vinternontfe to 'xi truly reT^resent ati^B of tie bighorn's diet st trls time. Hov.-ever, due to wariness of the animals .and unfavorable^ trackin.- ccndilijns, the data on autumn and spring foods is inads'juate . It can be used only to indicate tendencies. Not irjich ip kncv/n of tine s-umin-.er diet; it very probably consists of 'a greater percentage of wee as and brov/3G« ■ ,

Undoubtedly, the plants contributing most to the bighorn' s vrinter ■food are five species of the Gramiincae: (1) beardless Y.heatgras3, ^--r-or.vron inerae, (2) bluebunch fescue, Festuca idehoensis, (3) rough fescue, Festuca scabrella, (4) Sandberg biuegrass, ?oa secunda, aid^ (5) -urple reed'-rass, Calamag.ro stis nurourascens. Probably xna mcst

o'rtant sinrde item is beardless v.heatgrass beca-js e it is most abundant but v;here all"ai-e available, the teo festucas and the biuegrass v.-ere preferred.

Table 5 on the follaving page gives a list of all the plants fc'jnd to '03 taken during the period from Movsnber 23, 1%0 to June 6, 19L1. This ta'nle was made up almost entirely from field observations; the results of one stomach contents analysis are included, hov.-ever.

Table 5. List of plants f^^und to be taken ciurin'T logriod Nr^venu^::r 23, 1%0 to June o, 19U

S-ientific Naine

Co.T.mon Nam.e

Agrop^/ron inerr.ie Beardless wheat grass

Fastuca Idahoensis ' Bluebunch wheatgrass

restuca scabrella rough fescue

?ca sec'-inda Sandberg blue grass

Calajiiagrostis purpurascens purple reedgrass

Carex sp.

Heuchera glabella T'entste-aon sp, "Eriogohiun sp, P.anunculus glaberrLnius Arnica cordifolia Achillea lanulosa Sedum sp,

?runu3 melanocarpa Cdostemcn squiiolium Amelanchier alnifolia Ceanothus velutinus P.ibes spp,

Philadelphus lewis il 3;/iTiphoricarpos albus Hubus parviflorus Arctostaphylos uri-ursi Pooulus tsmuloides Purshia tridentata Pseudotsuga taxifolia rinus ponder OS a

3RYAIES I'oss like plajnts

sedge

alumroot

beardtongue

buckv.heat

buttercup

arnica

yarrow

stonecrop

black choke cherry- Oregon grape coiu'ion serviceberry evergreen ceanothus cur rant

Lewis mockorange common snowberry thimbleberry bearberry aspen

bit terb rush Douglas fir ponder osa pine

Parts

Used

C,L C,L C,L C,L C^L

S, L (?) S,L. (F)

■S,L (F) ?

T -C

F L

of Use

A,W,Sp. Aj'.VjSp. Ay.7,Sp. A,VJ,Sp. AjT/jSp. 17 .

Ratir_g

A/,'J,Sp^"-	c
S,:?,Sp^^	c
7;,sp^^	c
Sp	0
Sp	0
Sp	0
w	■ I

B,T	A,?/	0 .
L,B.,S	A,W	c
(]L)B,T	W^Sp*	c
L,3,T ■	AjvTjSt!	c
L,S	Sp	0
A,W,Sp- Sp ■	c
L,T	0
L'.	Sp
L	'»7	I
L,T	Sp	I
L,3,T	. Sp ■	I
L,3,T	Sp	I
L	w	I

3?

:-0T"> Under col'a.TJi "oarts used":, G-culms^ L-leaves, S-3te;r.s, letter m paren- thesis corresoonding kth s;/mbol uaier astarisk in ne:ct colui.on me ans that, p^z v-:^ available and used at tinat season, i.e., (F) vdth Sp---fla.-ers used wnen available in srring, 3-buds, T-twigs. Under "Season of Use", Colu:/ui A-autumn; ■■•-^.-iriter, Sp. --Spring. Under "Rating" colurr^, S-staple, c-co,Tj.-ion, O-Occasicna^., I-inf roquent.

-IS-

■Too

•.•.T.3

fri

...... d-iro-s to tie dov;r. food habits observations nearly

n^ssible to objective n.eas;irementsbu. io .oon c^^^^^^

^„-r5 hp -ht-^ ned on the relative iraport-ncc ^^--i ^ •r!:.="t-As ^;^Sth.lersth of grazing tx.a =Pf^---;^^^=

-5--^ :--:^„nv i-. Icc-itin? the ardaais , and (^J di^.^ca^o/ .^^.o^^h^ii ;iyS^-;iou:h^?o ido^Ufy the fora.. beins ..^.n .^nc. ghtening the animals away.

Table 6 on the foLlo.ins pa^e si^-s a cample of the method used recording the cbservations.

i

Table 6. Sanplc of method used in recordinA obGervatiorm of forar.c heinp, t^iken

12 3 k 5 6 7 8 9 10 n 12

Date Houi' Locality Snovr Cover Age & How ^ser- How for- Name of Parts Amt. Rnir.arks

Depth Typo Sex of vations ago taken Plant tal-ccn Taken Ani.'iials made

Observed

UJZS 1 p Ural 0-3' 12/2 2 p Sutton Cr. 0-5

YP-DF	'?	• A	G	Ag.ln.	L,C	1
		A	N	II	L,G	2
YP-BF	1	B	P	Fsc.	L,C	2
	9	B	P	Fid.	L,C	1
	7	B	B	P.tr.	B,L,T	3

19/a
l7/ 10:30		Ural
1/30 l:/^0	P	II
2/5 1 : 20	P	II
2/21 3 :'50	p	Hat Gul.
3/ 27 9 -		Cripple
		Horse Cr.
F.xplan?- tion;		I column: p-
yellcv pinc-		;.ugl2.s fir.

6-10

0-10

0-2

0-S

0

It II

II M

9

A#

c c

D

B,D B

P G G G G

ca.pu	L,S	2
Ag.in.	L,G	4
11 II	L,G	1	pi'otccted by cliff
Fsc	L,G	2
HG.gL	L,S	3	0 ve rh a ng ir''^^ on d i f f
A.Al	L,B,T	5	browsed l/i tv;igs

p-p,rn,j a-a,m;, k, 0-3" indicates ground bare in spots and up to 3 inches in others, 5-Yr-DF

like a horse feeds in loose snow, P-pav,lng, B-browsing, 9. Abbreviation of scientific name of plant, le,

Ag in-Ac-ropyron inerme, 10. L-leaves, C-culir.s, B-buds^ T-twigs, 11 is subjective, 1 to 5 i.e., 1-if any part

of plant -.vas bitten off j up to 5 as najcij-nijin s-nount tslcen.

-20-

J

It may be sc^n by studying Table 6 that by multiplying the f i°;uro in colurrxi 11 by one (for each time the plgnt appears in colun-.n 9, ^-^^ totaling these values, the relative i.-roortance of each pliint v/511 reailt. For cxaniple; agropyron inerme {kp,,±r..)apj>Qs.rs in colunm 9 i'our tires;^ by adding the corresponding figures in coluinn 11 v/e get a i^lfitive v-ilue , of "eifht'= for this plant. It was in this manner that the value ratings for each plant were reached.

The one stomach sample available v;as iron a crippled yearling male bighorn collected on March 5, 1941 on Sutton Creek. It v/as submitted to the Food Habits Laboratory of the Fish and V/ildlife Service st Bgvk, Maryland. The examination was done by G, H. Jensen, v^ho se findings vrers as follo'.vs:

. . Vegetable matter - 1005^

Graniincao blades and some fragments of Carex sp. Heuchera sp. leaf fragments Pinus ponder osa (leaves) Pseudotsuga taxifolia (leaves) Amelanchier sp. (leaves) Bryales [ ,

It is seen from Table 5 that brcv;se plays a nore Important role in the spring than in auturai and v;inter. Field cbservations s iTovred tr^t usually only ihe young, tender, succulent grovdng tips v;ero eaten.

The f olla-J-ing tabular form fairly -.veil aims up the foods used by these bighorns diiring the p3riod of stuqy.

Autumn'"- V/inter , Sprir^g^-

Grasees 8G% V.'eeds 10 Brov.'se 10

"■Fstinat ei

3. C.iJlRyiNG CAPACITY

Before a defini-e sustained carrying capacity can be -.rorked cut, for this sheep range, it v.all be necessary to know more about 1h e year-round foods, the n'urrber of "bighorn months" spent on the v/int er rans during Slimmer, and a m.ore successful method of measuring range values for big . gafiie animals.

.It is felt, ho'.vevr-r, that tfcre is suf ficient wint er range to :.ccom.modate 200-3CO head of bighorn sheep.

9B%

trace 11

II

It

9'C!^ 5 5

50^

20

20

-21-

4. RAWOI- COMPi'TITIOM

An estirrc-ted nunber of 500 mule deer and a negligible nurher of v.'hitetail deer use the vdnter rani-e v.-ith ih e sheep. Co.T.p2;tit ion betiveen these animals exists only to the extent that the deer are chle fly brovrsers, taking scr-e f.rasses and the amountain sheep are chiefly grazers, taking scnie browso. In the opinion of the observer, it would be desirous to reiice the nu-Tber of mule deer on this area^, if for no other reason than to benefit the deer population itself. To "pressure areas" are developing at the present time. ' ■ ■ - ,

In the event that this band 6f mountain sheep can be built up to the desired nurrb er, this deer reduction m'ay be necessary. ^ ,

5. MirffiRAL liEQUIRSMENTS (a) Natural licks:

Reference to Map C will sho;v the location of three natural licks knov.'n to be used by the bighorns. Lick #1 vras baited with artificial salt in the spring of 1940 and renevved v,'ith sulphurized stock salt in February and ^-ay, 1941. Licks #2 and If 3 are now knovm to have ever been baited.

A-aLn referring to llap C one maj/ see where water '.-.as kna/.n to be

-here has been very little use of t'rds bighorn rar^e by ODmestic ' l

stock. A fe.v head of horses use Cripple Horse Creek during fall and vinter I

and a few head of cattle use Sutton Creek in sumraer and fall, but ro signs l

of domestic stock v;ere seen on the v;inter range of bighorn sheep. ■ [

The bighorns "began using the licks about February 15 and coitinued " '|

until June. The greatest use ^ms during April (just previous to lambing | seasons.) There appeared to be no definite time of day during which the

licks wer ■• frequented; the sheep v;ere as likely to be seen using them during [

the heat of the day as during morning and e/ening hours. [

Some observers have found that mountain ^eep appear to prefer the 1

salt-concentrated soil around the block rather than the block itself. Re- f

garding tiiis an observation, of intessst v/as mcjde on April 21. At 2:30 p.m. |

Jifyit adult rams ^-vere seen on Lick ifl, A. portion of a block of sulphurized f

salt had previously been placed on the lick. In the scra-nble to get at the [

salt the rams had pawed at it until they had moved it dovmhill a'oout 80 I

feet from i-here it v;as originally placed. These large raas fought over the [

salt slrilar to the manner in which domestic stock do. . f

Samples were taken from Lick /,-l In June, 1940, and "arch, 1941-with f.

12 intention of sibmitting them for analysis; if ihess analyses were ever ^

-de the results never r^rached the cbser^/er. Kence, nothing is known of ■ • [

Lneral deficiencies that may exist. , [

(b) VJater 1

!

' : ..^

-vailnble tc th e aieep up to Juno. But little is knov/n atout ho v/ fre- quently v.'ater is taken, or where it i 3 obtained by -friese anirriilc during the suTjner months.

On one occasion, the cb server believed he v/itnessed an adult evfe drinking at the spring near Lick //2 but v.'as not certain of his obssrvation, On February IS an adult ewe v/as seen eating snov;, and on several other occasions tracks and "nose holes" in loose snov; indicated that the sheep had eaten mow. So it. is probable that during the time snov/ is available the bighorn satisfies his water requirement in this manner.

XI. POSSIBLE DECIMATIMa FACTORS

The accomplishments in this phase of th e "work have been disappointing, The .information has been too fragmentary and scattered to 'ce of mudi real significance.

1. PREDATORS

Attack v.'as made on this part of the problem by (1) direct

■ J J. _ J -• 1, — „ n -f-

(2) tracking, and (3) coyote dropping analysis. Concerning

3r vatiDn<

le first

method, an observation vjas made under date of January 15, 1941. At 3 p.fii. a band of fcuir e/res and lambs was seen running. Fresh sncv/ covered the ground, hence tracks found v/ere necessarily made vvithin an hour previous to the observation. On oroceeding toward the point to investigate the cause of. this alarm, a fresh coyote track was found, ^-t no time \-<ys the ccj/ ote in vie-w of the sheep, but they vers directly dovm v/Lnd from the predator and only about 125 yards distant. It ve.s apparent that the ccyote had never located the sheep but they ^-e re filghtened from scenting it.

An attempt was ra.de to collect and examine coyote droppings at field headquarters but th-e lack of necessary tirr.e aid equipmoat, as veil as the lack of adequate knowledge of technique caused abandonment of the idea, ' No bigiorn ror.ains were found in the few droppings examined, however, Like-.vise, tracking yielded no incriminating evidence against the coyote.

Nevertheless, the coyote is' abundant on the sheep range. There appears to be several factors responsible for this high coyote population: ■ (1) four Great Northern passenger trains daily pass along the area at o r near meal tirae and considerable food scraps are cast off to be available to coyotes; (2) throughout the year the trains kill domestic stock and deer, vhich are eagerly devoured by the coyotes, and (3) no intensive trapping has been carried on in the past few years because of the high percentage of mangy coyotes present.

At the present time the mountain lion is definitely out of the picture as a factor in keeping the bighorn population in this are at

-23-

0

i

i

a lov.- ebb. Only one track was seen on the study area.

Cne bobcat was seen ard tracks oi ariothcr encountered but no evidence against this aniTial resulted from the study.

Trappers catch a few Canadian lyn;< in the lodgepole p-ine tiniber t-pe adjacent to' and above the winter range, bit again, this aninal is not con- sidered a fa<5Dr.

interesting observation w^as made on June 4, which gi^^^s us some insight Into the behavior of a bighorn ev;e in the presence of a black bear. The observer had been watching the ev/e with her very yoimg lanb when a falling rock directed his attention across the precipitous canyon. The source of this commotion was soon disco'/ered to be a large bear vd.th tm small cubs. She was unconcernedly turning rocks ever in her search for food and some of these were tumbling from the mr row shelf with a thundering noise. An eager glance at the ewe showed her assuming an alert stance with her attention fixed on the bears not kOO yards distant, "^his "spell" v/as soon broken as the wise ewe promptly took her w^abbly lamb around the mountain- side. At no time were the bears aware of vmat went on.

Over mcst of the IVest the golden ea.gle has been blamed for serious predation on lambs of the bighorn. It is felt that we have no eagle problem bore. Only tvro or possibly three of these bird.3 mre seen near the area and none of these on the lambing range.

The effort to deteimine the "ooacher lead" the Ural-Tweed bighorns are forced to carr;/ yielded no results, '^'his may have been due to the wholesome effect of the presence ci someone on the area. The very vary nature of t-nese sheep leads one to believe that they are poached. One rsm. skull vas found with" a lead bullet still imbedded in the forehead and the cervical vertebra sawed squarely off \\d.th some sort of saw. This hid taken place at least t'/c years previous to the study. Se^/eral rumors of illegal kill- ing reached the d: server but ro evidence cf it was seen.

3. PARASITES AND DISEASES

The camplete or remnant skeletons of five ani.mals that \vere lost previous to the beginning of the study are reported on as follows:

ifl - Ad'olt ram . date found - Oct. 15, 1940

Probable cause of death - poachsr (lead bullet in skull and

"sav«'ed" vertebra. Teeth-good coniition

Length of time probably dead - 2-5 years.

-24-

#2 - Adult rOi-u '• . ■

Date round, Oct. 29, 1940

Probable cause of death - mknovm, probably natural causes' ■ _

Teeth - molars v.'ith cavities

Length of time probably dead - 6 months

#3 - Adtilt ram

Date found, March 20, 1941

Probable cause of death - undeterminable from remains

Teeth - cavities in nolars ' . ,. • ■ ■•

Length of time probably dead - 2 years

#4 - Adult esTe ■ " , '■■

Date found - March 20, 1941

Probable cause of death - undeterminable from fragmentary skull Length of time probably dead - over 4 years

#5 - Adult ram

Date f ournd - May 29, 1941 " • ■■

Probable cause of death - undeterminable from remains Teeth - cavities in molars Ler^h of time probably dead - 5 years.

#6 - Yearling ram

On march 5, 1941, a crippled yearling ram vas found. One and one- half hours of constant observation of this animal revealed no abnormal behav- ior except a severe lameness. At 1 p.m. the yourig ram v/as s tot for aitopsy. It vraighed only 54 pounds. The carcass was taken to the Kocky Moijntaijri Laboratory in Hamilton, Mo itana and esxamined at 8 p.m. March 6, 1941-, by . Dr. V.k. L. Jellison, Assistant Parasitologist, U. S. Public Health Service. FoUov.ing is Dr. Jellison's report verbatira:

Autopsy of Rocky Mountain Sheep, Ovis canadensis •

On March 6, 1941, Mr. Brink, of the U. S. Forest Ser/ice, : , ' ' .

brought to -th e Rocky Mountain Laboratory for autopsy a young

male Rocky Mountain Sheep, Ovis canadensis, from Lincoln

Co 'Jnty, Montana. This ram had been injured and was sacrificed

the previous day. . ■ ■ ' .. .

The animal was examined for ectoparasites and endoparasit-js . The skin, skull, and skeleton were preserved by Mr. Brink.

Large nuTb er of engorged and engorging adults o f Dcrmacentor Andorsoni (v/ood tick) v/ere coLlected from the skin of the anl~:al , . 63 spscimens of v/lich .^Asr e pr es&rved . It v.es also infested v.dt h D ermacen tor albioictus , the vjinter tick, in nymohal and adult stages. Two numphs and 57 adults of ihis scecies were preserved.

-25-

■4'

I

1

i j

i

Deep in the e-^rs were found niraerous speciniens of the spinose _ |

ear tick, Ob ob iou s me rTi in i , Apparently this constitutes the >

first record of the ear tick from, mountain sheep, but fev; vdld j

sheep have been examined carefully for parasites so it is ^

pnDbably not a nev/ parasite to the sheep. I'hirteerl nynphs of ' . ;

the spinos.e ear tick v;ere collected and preserved. ■ |

Dr. H. A. Cooley in a letter to the\ project manager dated March 8, I9ZA. states of tlie spinose ear tick:.

From your point of view, it is probable the presence of Otobius mefcnini was the most interesting point because this

No intestinal parasites were found of autopsy but the stage of I

post mortem change made careful examination of intestinal [

contents difficult. •

No nasal bots, Oestris ovis v/ere found in the head. 1

I

The posterior tips of the lobes of both lungs were consolidated [

ezid n'onierous lung worms v/ero found in the bronchial tubes. These [

were determined by G. Dikjaans, of the Bxireau of Animal Industry \

as ProtostrcnRylus rushi . Portions of the diseased lurgs v.ere ' ' [

preserved in formalin and were also exaTdned by Dikmans and \

reported there might also be an infestation of another species (

of Prolostrongylus in this tissue. ' . f

I

A small, subcutaneous cyst from the neck region contained only ■ 1

coiled hairs and not parasites as suspected, . . [

The ticks v.ere determined by Dr. P.. A. Cooley, of tne Rocky |

MoLLnta.in Laboratory, the lung worms by Dr. G. Diicmans, of the ^ _ |

Bureau of Animal Industry at, VJa.=ih ington, D. G. Taq autopsy ' . [

was made and parasites collected by Dr. vti. L. Jellison.^ |

!

tick becomes quite injurious when abundant. It might be even t

more injurious to mountain sheep than to cattle v;hich it |

usually attacks, or it mig:it be less injurious. , , , ' |

#7. Adult Ram.- • ■ , |

After the study had term.inated the oDserver v/as notified of a dead 1

ram. "his ram had died on one of the old flood planes of 1he Kootenai |

Paver, at the very foot of vdnter range. |

Date faind - July 6, 1941. • [

Probable cause of death - old-sge ^ I

Teeth - The molars of this ram had great ca^Aties in them and ,1

there v/ere wide s j:>aces bctv;een the molars. Decayed foods \

were ti^htlv -wedrred and Tracked into these ca\dties end spaces , ;

-26-

I

External parasites - A &w ticks (probably winter ticks tho'Lign identification has net been checked) were collected and preserved, ■ '

These ticks '.vero nunsrous even as late as this date.

External lesions - There vi3^r, a 'skin wound across the nose as though the anifi'.al had struck so.-ne sharp 'object, perhaps a Isdge of rock. T^ere v;3.s also a wound on the left hip as though the ran had run under an overhanging snag.

Post mortea change ms too far advanced for internal e!>:amir£tt ion , Length of time probably dead - 2 days, ' . . ... Recapitulation . , ■>

Poacliers Ac cident Uniai ovm Old a ge

1 adalt rsia ' ,

1 ye arling rair-

4 (adult rams, 3, s.rd. adult e.':e) 1 advilt ram

"it is problematical whether to class this #6. loss as pure accident from fall or parasites causi'-tg 'a spell of dizziness resulting in the fall v.'hich broke its shoulder. . .

It will be recalled that the only two carca.-'ses exan-Aned ^vere in- fested with ticks. It is known that the v/int er tick, Derr.iacentor - albioictus, was annoying the sheep as early as January 22. 'j-'his vas dete mined from collecting ticks with v;ads of hair from bedgrourris during freezing i^eather. The lav temperatures rendered tie ticks in- active when they v/ere freed. The tick infestation appeared to be most severe during February and March. During these months it wag noticed that the - sheep were scratching almost continuously.

The ewes were seen scratching the back of the neck in a peculiar fashion. The neck was outstretched" and the head thro-.-m back in aich a manner as to allov; the point of one horn to touch the back of the neck. By rotating the head from side to side the back of the reck vfas scratched. ' • , ■ •

3y the last of March, nearly all the sheep had bare spots on the hind part of the neck and shoulders, the result c£ attempts to free "hems elves from ticks. , , „

There appears to be much, divergence of opinion as to vhether ticks ar-- capable of attacking and killing healthy ani^uals , It has been noted that tick infestations are r-iO st severe on diseased or otherwise weakened aniTiala. Perhaos they may be the end result of some nutritive deficiency

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or c'iseasc. At ari^r iTite, scrie losses in conKstic stock her-; ha-'/s bo'^r. ::ttribiitod to ticks alon^i. Lilcev/ise^ thoru is ciisaf-reenient as to riovr ■3i"^:"^ctive sulphurised. saj.t is as a repellant to thes;; para.'dt es . On tr.is v,'e rr.ay it port ona observation. A ranche r ]. iving at the very foot of the -.'/inter r.^n.i', e had pastured an old rra.re v/ith a yearling colt, in an enclcsurs all spring. IVithin this pasture sulphurized 3£j.t wos kept availa.ble at all tines; in spite of this, an exa^nination of these animals duri')3 the severe part of the season revealed r.urrsrous ticks on ther.. Of course J v:e do not ^xiow hov; severe the infestation mi^it have been, had there been no access to the sulphurized salt.

4. UNHEEDING - ■ . ; •

V.'e knov/ that irireeding produces v/eak and tiriiinuti-'/e aniraals. One ,-ethod of attacking this phase of the problem would be to secure measure- rr.ents of these bighorns to compare v;ith those of normal animals of other areas. Obviously, this could rot be do ne v.'itho ut capturing and stiad^lng the animalsf 6Tcs e hand.

Thei"3 seems little danger of inbreeding in vild anJjrials v.her-i ccn- ditic-ns permit free movement arid mixing, Hov;ever, Y/herc a s.toH number ■ of one spacies is isolated, with little or ro apparent exchange of breed- ing stock with separate herds, there ^vould appear to be danger of this condition. As far as could be determined, the nearest bighorn herds are those of C- lacier National Park in the neighborhood of 60-75 miles distant. Ther--- is little likelihood that exchanfj? of breeding males is taking place between these herds. Highv/ay Mo. 93 divides the two areas, the ^-alleys adjacent to this highway are relatively thickly populated, and a bighorn has never been reported crossing as far as the writer could determine. Just how far north into British Columbia itwoildbe r^ecessary -tD go to find bighorns was not learned.

In past years bighorns were seen crossing the Tobacco Valley near lureka, ^'ontana, but one have been reported in recent years. Howe^/er, during the sumirer of 1940 a large ram. was seen on K- ghA'ay Mo. 2 near z'r.e lincoln-?lathead Count;;- Line. This point is perhaps 50 miles from any knowTi bighorn range. It is possible that the animal was enroute to or from, a sm^all band in the Cabinet Lbuntains near Thomipson Falls. •

DISCUSSION AIO) C0MCLUSICK3

Ty.e decline of the bighorn has given rise to a series of guesses, hunches, theories and speculations as to ttie cause of such decline.

Let us consider somiS of these in the light of our problem as seen from oui- inconclusive studies,

1. S:iEi? FORCED TO USE 'UGH UNNATURAL RAMC3

To begin with, the evidence is not at all clear to some that even the

elk v.-as "forced" up into the ruF^ed country. It row appears that the v;apiti o-'oe occupied both' rug,;ed and plins country biit v;as si-iply extenTiir.ated in -.he r.lains. Thus, perhaps we should not b3 too hasty in our wholesale accep- "*:f this factor for' our v-ald sheep. 3e that as it nay, our bighor^ -

srend their lives mostly below 6500 fceu and their vrinters mostly belcw i,$03 feet. Furthermore, if the bighorns v/ere rere in 13S6 there is littl? reason to doubt that this is priniitive range.

2. DISEASES TRi^'ISMITTED BY DD!.SSTIC SKEEP

Two parasitic diseases appear to havB played an L-aportant role in the mountain sheep reduction." 'These diseases, (scabies, ca,i£ed from the scab mite, Psorootes conmunis, and pneumonia, caused by infestation with lung worms and/or bacteria, are found in'coth domestic and v/ild sheep, (2) the same species of lung worms occurring in bighorn h^s not be; found in domestic sheep.

As far as could be dctern^J.ned, donestic sheep have not used any of the bighorn's range on the Kootenai National Forest.

3. nSUFFICIENT FOOD

O^rer some of the TJest this appears to be a definite limiting factor but it is noT. considered such here.

■ U, PKSDATORS

The mountain lion may have exercised serious prsdation when it vas abundant, but novj- it is scarce.

■ The coyote is probably accounting for same sheep but rot an appreciable number, certainly not erojugh to hold the band in check.

5. POACHING

It is felt that this is contributing to our losses to an unkncm extent, but as a single factor, it does not seem responsible for the lack of increase.

6. REISERS AL OF SX RATION • ■ .

Reversal of sex ratio has been gi\en as a factor in Yellov/stone Park. ?/ith an estimated ratio of two e;ves to each ram, this hardly seems feasible here, ' " ■

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7. wID3- Sa^AD OF BRSKDING SEASON

rly an d lat e observation ear peak

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That lur.f: v.'oi^m infection -.vas found in one of the sheep is Gi.-nif icant. Reviey; of the literature has pointed out that pneumonia is" still causing Icssss of our bighorn©..

Studies carried on in the three states that have the large.st herds |-

CI our remnant bighorn population incidate a serious l34-nb Iocs. The ^ [

la.Ti'S die during their first summer andv;inter. These losses seem to be ^ due to pne'umonia and coccidiosis. The casual agents of the latter are ■

rr-otosoan parasites ^.\hi ch attack the cells of the intestinal tract. • f

District Ranger Harold M. Ratcliff in the March, 1941 Progress Report j

on the Bighorn Sheep Study in Rocky Mountain National Part states: ^

Eimeria arloingi (one of the causative organisms of coccidiosis) [,

is the most dangerous, for its effects can 'ce veiy virulent and J-

fatal to young lambs The danger period is early in life, a \

natural immunity being developed .with age... Lambs may be |

chronically affected, showing symptoms at about tvra months, but^ i

eventially" die of cachexia (debility). Younger lambs may di e ci ■ [

"acute infection, and shov; marked symptcT.s/,. Such cases are - | probably die to infestation while grazLng at first vaththe

mother who has harbored the parasite over the vdnter. |

The importance of coccidia as a lethal factor in the park bighorns •

has not been determined.... I

There is no known remedy for coccidiosis that could be applied to {

jark bighorns, . "" j

Frcm a Progress Report of Studies beirig carried on in VJyoming under the j

■Tri-State Bighorn Study, it appears that bacterial pneuirLonia is dealing j

t:;a death blow to lambs. There a lam.b was found dead on July 25 and autopsiea. ,

■The general findings v.-ere th^t one lung was diseased with massive lobar [

pneu.monia, Further comments on tUs autopsy are quoted; ;

The culture from the lur^g and trachea showed four types of ' j

bacteria, three of v/hich v/ere isolated by the routine la.toratory j

methods. The fairth organism did not grow ^.vell on the media, arji f t-ereiore cculdToe isolated. For tliis reason, groind diseased .

lung tissue was injected into rabbits. Five rabbits v.ere us ed , t

and all of them died within 12-/^8 hairs. From the body cavity of [

three (of the rabbits), a pure culture of streptococcus vas I

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isolated. This orr;raiism is beliwed to be the one causi.ng the loss in lanbs^ although a bacillus similar to the one causing heinorrhagic sopticcnn.a v;as seen in cultures.

Another l:-u::b showing symptoms was s rot and autopsied and similar condit-ions found. Quoting further:

The general findings aro the s arie in both cases, v;hich show the la-T.b loss is due to a contagious pneumonia of bacertial origin.

T'r^re yot remains two Lmportant triin<gs to be detennined. Fii^t, the identification of the causative organism and, -secondly, the solution of the manner by which this contagion is carried from year to year, and if there be predisposing causes.

This loss of lambs seams to come nearer fitting our ovn case than any that have been discussed. If these lam^os are dying on the Ural- Tv;esa range, it woald seera that more skeletons would be found. But v.hen it is re.rrarrbered that with one raan searching over an area as large' and rough as the winter range, the ch-ances are rathe.- remote of his find- ing dead animals before predayors devour the.m and scatter the bones.

The factor limiting the increase of the Ural-T^>:eed band may n^t have "tre en touched upon in' this report. Allov/ us to report an opinion exj:-e3sed by T. B. Murray, Assistant Regional Director, Fish srA "^'.Viidlife Service . At a conference of the Cooperative Bighorn Sheep S'.udy held at Fort Collins, Colorado on Jsnuary 13^ 1941> '-'r. Hurray. e:oro3j3d the opinion that: "v;hile progress has been made, relatively little is known a'tx5ut influences affecting bighorn aieep."'

It may be 'encouraging to learn that at least one band of bighorn sheep in ths V'est is on the mpgrade.

The tarryall herd in Colorado has increased from an estimated 7 head in 1923 to sDme 400 now (January, 1941). Their present available range is believed to be about the same as in pre- >7hite man times, Tj^ere is little predation, no evidoice of disease, aid poaching is almost negligible. A 90% lamb crop was stiil at '15% in mid-December, wdth a 10% yearling and a 63% t-wo-year old survival based on counts. The problem is one of na-nagem.ent.

If it seems practical to continue bighorn studies in Montana. In the -rfaco of p.^rtial repetition of the work of the Tri-State Study, there app-i rs to be other bands in the state occupying range that permits better observation of the animals.

l.'c^e could be learned of 'the true status of bighorn sneop m • ■ t

Mcr.tan^. by a acre thorough attack. This can be briefly outlined as ^ i

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1. Secure the cooy^eration and guidance of the Fish and Wildlife

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2. It is recoirjiended that 50p of the coyote population be trapped frcra the north h-alf of Lincoln County. ■ •

3. It is further recommended that forest officers and local £a.~e. ,v;ardens caopcrate in'launching an aggressive cajnpaign eg air^st poaching these bighorns.

U, It is recoOTnended that four blocks of mineralized salt be rade available to the bighorns in early spring of each year. This all- ■purposQ salt can be purchased frcm the Cudahy Packing Company. It is •iccrr.posea of the follov/ing ingredients: St'ea.med bone meal, potassium iodide, limestone, salt, molasses, anise, iron oxide and copper sulphate.

5. Four to six young rams of breeding age be exchanged fri-th soma cthor bighorn herd of the state,

6. It is recommended that studies be made of hereditary bighorn ■r-r-e cf the stats to learn -.vhat problems are to be aN^ercoms first, then pui. maintain sheep back on these ra.nges, keepir^ innind that they are

l-iv: mess game animals and are harmful tc and harmed by econo:a_c lani uses.

7. Lastly, it seems desirous to ke tp in touch v/ith the Tri -State

2. Attack predator problem by a correlation of field obscrvaticns and aralysis of stomach contants and droppings. . _

3. Determine presence of parasites and disease by autopsy and final analysis correlated vdth field observations. . .

4. Determine possible nutrlT^ent deficiencies by analysis of [ forage plants, lick samples and vs.ter. i

5. Correlate this work with that of the Tri-State Study so that | all agencies might profit by tiie findings of each. |

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XIII. RSCa^SNDATIONS; " • ["

1. It is felt that, in the light of developing pressure areas 1

and some confliction of food habits with bighorn sheep, the mule deer j

DO culat ion using Ihe Ural-Tv.-eed v; inter ranr-e should be reduced by 2^%, ■ f

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■fhoT. r-ny iT-anaseir-ent practices that may result from, their effofe cut into effect here. . ^ ..

Part of the success of this study is' due Drs, L. G. Brov.T.iaa and ?. L. vvright of Montana State University for helpful sug-estioas end en- couragement, credit is due officers of the Kootenai National Forest for use of equiprr.ent; and various workers in this field for reports of their ■s^udies elsevvhere. Vie also v/ish to acknov;ledge the aid given by Dr. Wrn. L. JeHison of the Rocky ;ibuntai.n Laboratory in Kanilton;, Montana, and .uembers of the Food Habits Laboratories of the Fish and Y/ildlife Service

NOE TO CCOPSRATORS: Chsck lists of the birds ard raarrinals of the studv area and their relationships are being prepared and will follov; later.