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Bighorn Sheep Reintroductions

In 1981, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, with the help of the North American Wild Sheep Foundation and the Nebraska Chapter of Safari Club International, began a bighorn sheep introduction project in the Pine Ridge. A dozen bighorns were released into a 500 acre enclosure at Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford where they could be viewed by visitors.

In December 1988, 21 sheep were released from the pen and in January, 1993, the remaining 23 sheep were released. A few sheep, mostly rams, have ranged from the Fort Robinson complex as far east as the Bordeaux Creek drainage southeast of Chadron, south near Belmont, west near the Gilbert-Baker Wildlife Management Area and north in the Oglala grasslands.

In March 2001, 22 sheep from Colorado were released in the Wildcat Hills south of Gering, on Cedar Canyon WMA. This population has had excellent lamb production and survival and is estimated to be 41 animals. To date, this translocation to establish Nebraska's second bighorn populatin appears to be successful.

In January 2005, 49 sheep from Montana were released in the Pine Ridge east of Crawford on Bighorn WMA. We expect that these sheep will add genetic diversity to the Pine Ridge population and speed colonization of unused sheep habitat. The death of 9 adult ewes and survival of 17 lambs leave us with a current population of 57.