GREAT FALLS, Mont. (NMB) – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and partnering organizations and agencies captured and translocated 50 bighorn sheep this month to an area of the Little Belt Mountains.
On December 17th, FWP and partners released 50 bighorn sheep near these storied landmarks along the South Fork of the Judith River in the eastern Little Belts.
The sheep were captured on the south banks of the Missouri River Breaks in bighorn sheep hunting district 482, an area with a productive sheep herd that has grown past population objectives.
During capture work, FWP staff and volunteers collected biological samples from the sheep and outfitted each animal with a GPS collar. These collars will provide real-time information that will help biologists monitor the sheep’s movements, habitat use and survival for up to five years.
FWP expects to continue translocating bighorn sheep to areas within the Little Belts that are likely to support distinct herds of at least 125 sheep. Over time, there will likely be some connectivity between these herds, but only limited connectivity with existing herds outside the Little Belts.
