COLORADO BIGHORN SHEEP MANAGEMENT PLAN 2009−2019

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FIGURE 8. Ram hunter success rate for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Colorado,1988-2007. TABLE 3. Curl, average horn length, average basal horn circumference, and annular growth rings from mandatory harvest checks of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Colorado, 1987-2007. SE = Standard error; N = Number of sheep checked. Curl Average Length (inches) Average Circumference (inches) Annular Growth Rings Mean SE N Mean SE N Mean SE N 1/2 19.3 0.3 128 12.4 0.1 128 2.8 0.1 124 5/8 24.4 0.2 362 14.2 0.1 362 4.1 0.1 350 3/4 29.4 0.1 1058 15.0 0.1 1057 6.1 0.1 1039 7/8 32.2 0.1 753 15.1 0.0 751 7.5 0.1 743 Full 34.5 0.2 282 15.0 0.1 282 8.1 0.1 275 mature rams (>3/4) was 15 inches, but average horn length continued to increase with curl classification to 34.5 inches for full curl rams. During the last 20 years (1988-2007), Rocky Mountain bighorn ram hunter success has increased along with the average age and horn size of harvested rams. Average ram hunter success increased from 40% for 1988-1997 to 55% for 1998-2007 (Fig. 8). From 1987-2007, the average age of harvested rams increased from five to seven year and the average horn length increased from 28 to 30 inches (Figs. 9 and 10). Although horn length has consistently 33 increased during the last 20 years, the high variability within each year precludes statistical significance (Fig. 10). Furthermore, horn length and age are not independent variables with horn length peaking at between 10 and 11 years (Fig. 11). Basal horn circumference becomes asymptotic at 6 years of age (Fig. 12 and Table 3). Although age of harvested rams increased, the average age of harvested ewes has remained constant at between four and five years old. This may be the result of the difficulty of aging adult ewes by horn annuli (Geist 1966), but more likely it is due to lack of selective harvest based on horn size.
FIGURE 9. Average age of harvested ram and ewe bighorn sheep in Colorado, 1987-2007. Age based on number of growth rings. FIGURE 10. Average horn length (inches) versus year of harvest of 2621 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep checked in Colorado from 1987-2007. Bars represent one standard deviation. 34
Page 1 and 2: Special Report Number 81 COLORADO B
Page 3 and 4: FOREWORD The Colorado Bighorn Sheep
Page 5 and 6: Table Page 1. Colorado bighorn shee
Page 7 and 8: trends among herds. Similarly, a fi
Page 9 and 10: Capture & Translocation for Restora
Page 11 and 12: TABLE 1. Colorado bighorn sheep uni
Page 13 and 14: FIGURE 2. Number of bighorn sheep t
Page 15 and 16: FIGURE 4. Statewide posthunt popula
Page 17 and 18: Current Status Colorado is fortunat
Page 19 and 20: Because of habitat conversion and f
Page 21 and 22: Winter habitat is most likely to be
Page 23 and 24: does limit or reduce population siz
Page 25 and 26: Moser, C. A. 1962. The bighorn shee
Page 27 and 28: 2. Establish bighorn sheep Data Ana
Page 29 and 30: In addition, plans for hunted DAUs
Page 31 and 32: Whether surveys are conducted via h
Page 34 and 35: Chapter 4 POPULATION & HARVEST MANA
Page 36 and 37: Strategy: Ram hunting seasons will
Page 40 and 41: FIGURE 11. Average horn length (inc
Page 42 and 43: FIGURE 13. Number of applications r
Page 44: Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division.
Page 47 and 48: of reintroduced bighorn herds shoul
Page 49 and 50: population greater than 50 sheep (B
Page 52 and 53: The quality and quantity of bighorn
Page 54 and 55: Habitat Management Grazing - cattle
Page 56 and 57: approaches for increasing the quant
Page 58 and 59: Anderson, G. 2004. 2003 Job complet
Page 60: Stanger, M.C., J. Cresto, G.W. Work
Page 63 and 64: “pneumonia” outbreaks, although
Page 65 and 66: FIGURE 16. A.Bovine respiratory syn
Page 67 and 68: Bailey, J. A. 1990. Management of R
Page 69 and 70: 64 FIGURE 17. Occupied bighorn shee
Page 71 and 72: Bear, G. D., and C. W. Jones. 1973.
Page 73 and 74: goat-human conflicts), and specify
Page 75 and 76: 70 FIGURE 19. Mountain goat game ma
Page 77 and 78: ighorn sheep populations by 10 to 5
Page 79 and 80: Smith, K. 1988. Factors effecting t
Page 81 and 82: predator preservation. When engaged
Page 83 and 84: Translocation efforts in many locat
Page 85 and 86: supplements, managers should inspec
Page 87 and 88: Ballard, W.B., D. Lutz, T.W. Keegan
Page 89 and 90:
APPENDIX I Colorado bighorn sheep p
Page 91 and 92:
APPENDIX II Occupied and potential
Page 93:
APPENDIX III - Continued Year Trap
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COLORADO BIGHORN SHEEP MANAGEMENT PLAN 2009−2019

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