IDFG and the Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation are in their 3rd year of actively pursuing and understanding the decline of bighorn sheep in the greater Salmon Region. Without concerted efforts like these, sheep would be in a much tougher place. Understanding the issues and actively searching for answers is a never-ending situation for big game. And for wild sheep in particular, this rings truer than ever. Throughout the West, we have seen substantial declines for bighorn sheep due to Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae in short we refer to this as Movi. A respiratory disease, which is a form of pneumonia and is holding herds back from rebounding in many places around the West. Idaho’s Salmon region is suffering from this very thing. Adult sheep are building immunity and holding their own, but lambs are in rough shape. The survival rate for lambs in regions previously affected by Movi are very low. So what is the solution? Well, that is still up for verdict but Idaho seems to be leading the way in this arena with their “capture, test, remove” plan. They are tackling bighorn sheep declines from several angles and so far have a couple very strong success stories. For the Salmon herds, IDFG is planning a herd capture program starting early February. The sheep in focus for this effort will be in the Lower Panther-Main Salmon region and surrounding areas. Sheep will be tested for disease, have bio samples collected and be given a radio collar with a drop-off mech. Yep, the collar will drop off after 3-4 years! Pretty cool tech! Meanwhile, the standard methods for observation will continue. I.e. spring and summer lamb surveys, arial surveys, hunter observations. Etc. This is just another example of how we as sportsmen are at the forefront of conservation efforts. Our financial support through tag and license purchases as well as funding non-profits such as the Wild Sheep Foundation and Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation are critical components for these operations. Stay in the loop, donate if you can and share about these things when possible. This battle any many others are far from over. Providing more reason for hunters to link arms and unite for the next generation. If we don’t the activists will and that will be all-she-wrote if you catch my drift.