Bighorns adjusting to Utah home

When the trailer doors opened, some of Utah's newest residents got their first look at what is now their home ... and there was not a single complaint. At least, none noticed.

The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep left the group of onlookers, then settled down, not far away, to dine.

They will stay in the area chosen for them. And, if wildlife biologists choose correctly, they will be part of a growing number of bighorn sheep in Utah.

They will stay in the chosen area, pointed out Jim Karpowitz, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and, at one time, a big game biologist heading up Utah's wild sheep program, "because sheep are poor pioneers."

"They tend to stay in the release area. It's their offspring that go off on their own into new areas. And what we've found is they will let us know when we've made a mistake. If the habitat is good, the herds do well. And, when the habitat is not right, they don't do well," he offered.

The 117 bighorn sheep released into Utah's wild habitat last month represent the largest number of sheep released in a year.

The first group, 42 sheep, were released in the Little Hole area near Flaming Gorge. The second group, 55 sheep, were released near the mouth of American Fork Canyon, Rock Canyon and Mount Nebo. The third group, 20 sheep, were to be released on Nebo.

Craig McLaughlin, big game program director for the DWR, said the new sheep came from Colorado and western Montana.

The release was handled by the DWR but was made possible by funding from Utah's chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep.

In fact, Utah's ballooning population of sheep — there are roughly 3,500 desert bighorn and 1,500 Rocky Mountain and California bighorn in the state — has been made possible because of funding from the federation.

Much of that funding is made possible, explained Randy Foutz, president of the Utah chapter, through private donations and the sale of special conservation tags, or permits, for wild sheep, made possible through special legislation. Last year, the federation raised more than $237,000.

This year the Utah chapter has raised $150,000 through the sale of two permits and has five more to auction off this year. A single tag in an area known for trophy sheep in the United States can go for as much as $150,000 to $180,000.

The cost of bringing bighorn sheep into Utah is not cheap. Estimated cost per sheep is between $600 and $700, which covers capture, testing for diseases, transportation and release.

The reason for the high price tag is there are typically few tags available and chances of drawing a permit are extremely slim.