Utah Bighorn Sheep Herd Dying

elkduds said:
Maybe they think it is easier to get rid of public land if the native fauna there mysteriously disappears.
Click to expand...

It's a state park. Highly doubt there are plans to sell it. Herd dying is a disappointment for sure. Given the location, I am sort of puzzled how they got sick in the first place.
 
I read that water levels had receded enough that it was connected to the mainland and a wandering ram could have left and came back with a disease.
 
MTGomer said:
I read that water levels had receded enough that it was connected to the mainland and a wandering ram could have left and came back with a disease.
Click to expand...

There is an island directly north of Antelope Island where exotic hunts were conducted a number of years ago. I don't know if they are still conducted there but I know that sheep was one of the species they hunted. I believe there was actually a report of a mouflon sheep found on the causeway that connects to the island to the mainland about 10 years ago as well.

We also have a healthy mule deer population on the swamp lands surrounding the lake. I'm convinced that this herd got its start from deer that left the island on a dry year in the early 2000s. There were a couple of 200"+ mule deer taken 10 years ago in areas north east of the island and the genetics on their horns were the same as the island bucks (extra inline-point on their left side with cheaters coming off the extra point).

If the deer can get off the island, domestic sheep can get on the island.
 
MTGomer said:
I read that water levels had receded enough that it was connected to the mainland and a wandering ram could have left and came back with a disease.
Click to expand...

You are correct, Antelope Island is no longer an island.
My guess is a ram wondered into town, where there is a fair bit of agriculture and found someones 4H sheep and returned to the rest of the herd with the infection.
Definitely unfortunate but the DWR is already working on getting more sheep out there so hopefully they are successful
 
There have been sightings of big bucks off of Antelope island in West Layton for the last couple of years. I am not sure how getting more sheep on the island is going to work with the current low lake levels.
 
That is unfortunate. This summer I took my daughter for a trip on the bike to see some of the west. Antelope Island was one of the places we camped. We went on a guided trail ride of the island and the guides seemed surprised we didn't see any sheep during the ride. We did see tons of antelope and mule deer both on the ride and from our campsite. The buffalo were all over as well. We really enjoyed our stay on the island, I hope they find success when they start trying again with the sheep.
 
I think the disease was brought in by one or more of the several hundred people and horses that come out to help at the annual bison round up. How many of the horse trailers have hauled sheep before they head out on the island loaded to the gills with horses.
 
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