Hells Canyon bighorn sheep to be captured

[Len Backus]

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife plan to capture 45 bighorn sheep in four Hells Canyon herds March 12 and 13 as part of the ongoing Hells Canyon Initiative to restore bighorn sheep populations.

Bighorn sheep will be captured by net-gunning from a helicopter. Biologists will take health samples, radio-collar the sheep, and release them on site.

This project is part of research to determine movements, survival, and productivity, and factors limiting population growth of resident bighorn sheep in Hells Canyon.

The operation is made possible through the cooperative efforts of Shikar-Safari Club International, The Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, the state wildlife agencies, the U. S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.