BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A special Montana hunting season meant to eliminate a bighorn sheep herd will probably not meet its goal.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1HAba7Y ) that Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks held the hunt after other strategies failed to help a Tendoy mountain herd prone to disease die-offs

The department wanted to eradicate the herd of 40 to 50 and replace it with disease-free sheep. But so far, only 23 have been killed.

FWP biologist Craig [bleep] says the snow or a reluctance to shoot small rams could have put a damper on the hunt.

[bleep] says the department still wants to replace the herd, which it can't do if there are still sheep that could be carrying the bacteria.

They may hold another hunt next year or eliminate the sheep themselves.

What is w/ the [bleep]?
The man's name is Craig [bleep]!!!

I see, the computer thinks it is really smart!!!

Next time I go fishing with Craig I am gonna call him Bleep.

If they are referring to lungworm, the cyst is believed to exist on the ground for quite sometime. Bighorn populations that have been lungworm free have eventually contracted it. Just about every herd of bighorns in the Rockies have had lungworm at one time or the other.

Can't recall which herd in Montana, but at one time biologists thought this herd had some kind of genetics that were resistant to lungworm because the herd had never contracted it as far as anybody knew. Then the herd contracted lungworm. That was back in the late 90's.

Casey

That's some funny [bleep]!!

f.a.g.e.r did not make it past the filter...

Its not lungworm its pneumonia.

Lungworm is what brings on the pneumonia.

Lungworm suppresses the immune system, the sheep catch pneumonia, usually the cycle takes place during the winter.


Casey

We have to kill them to save them? Works for me!

Wish I was in Mt!

All you had to do is pony up 750 bucks to kill a lamb. Heard the Sitka boys were there in force. I live close and never even considered it. Besides, being maxed on points, I'm virtually guaranteed a Breaks tag next year. mtmuley

Are there tags still available?

+1

The chance to hunt an ewe and share in the experience of sheep hunting has great appeal to me, especially if they're just going to shoot them all anyway.

Check Montana FWP. I believe it's closed. No appeal to me at all. Especially since we residents would have to sacrifice our points to shoot a dink ram or ewe. mtmuley