WAFWA Update - Arizona
SHEEP STATS
Jurisdictional WAFWA summaries providing In-depth, statistical sheep information.
Arizona has Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and two sub-species of desert bighorn sheep, with the Nelson’s (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) bighorn sheep occupying the northern areas of Arizona and the Mexican (Ovis canadensis mexicana) bighorn sheep occupying the central and southern habitat areas of the state.
Through aggressive translocation and augmentation efforts over the past couple of decades, Arizona has reached record high population numbers and distribution through native bighorn sheep range after experiencing the same type of near-extirpation wildlife events that many western states witnessed in the early years of the twentieth century.
Since 1955, Arizona Game and Fish Department (Department) has captured and released ~1,397 desert bighorn sheep within and outside of the state, establishing new herd units and augmenting existing herd units within identified native habitat. During this long-term effort, the department has worked collaboratively with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to acquire desert bighorn sheep for conservation efforts. Arizona has also been the source population for augmentations in multiple locations within Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, assisting with those state agencies management objectives.
Since 1979, the department has released ~154 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep within the state establishing new herd units and/or augmenting existing herd units and has worked collaboratively with Colorado and New Mexico to acquire bighorn sheep in the past. Recently, the department collaborated again with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and supplied 27 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep for release on Antelope Island, Utah.
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
Populations
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep populations throughout Arizona have increased since the late 2000s, primarily as a result of translocations of “nuisance or at-risk” bighorn sheep within private land and mining operations in the eastern portion of the state. Several new herd groups have been established in Arizona native range, as well as providing a source population for other western state agencies to further conservation and recovery efforts. The current Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep population is estimated at 1,300 bighorn sheep.HISTORIC SURVEY RAM AND LAMB RATIOS FROM SURVEY DATA – ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP.
Licenses and Harvest
The number of hunt permit-tag licenses offered, as established within the department’s Hunt Guidelines, is set at 15-25% of the estimated number of Class III (age 6-8 years old) and Class IV (age 8+ years old) rams determined through survey observations and population modeling.During the 2022 hunt season, 20 “Any-Ram” hunt permit-tags were offered. There was a total of 4,665 first choice applicants in the hunt draw process, which is a hybrid, bonus-point type draw system. Eighteen (18) mature rams were harvested, plus one (1) additional ram was taken under the Commissioner’s Special-Tag statewide permit. The average age of the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep rams harvested during the 2022 seasons was eight years old with an average score of 172.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP HUNT DATA.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission has approved 19 “Any-Ram” permit-tags for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep for the 2023 hunt seasons, plus one (1) Commissioner’s Special Tag.
Disease and Herd Health
Biological samples are taken during capture efforts (includes collaring for population monitoring and/or translocations) in the following Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep management unit(s) (Table 1).GMU | ACTUAL SAMPLES TAKEN |
BTV | EHD | BRSV | BVDV | P1-3 | MOVI ELISA | MOVI PCR |
Morenci 1/27 | 27 | 70 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TABLE 1. Percentage of bighorn sheep testing positive for diseases and pathogens.
Test and Remove
No test and remove efforts have been implemented to date. However, this management tool will be considered in response to any documented disease outbreaks in populations that may be conducive and receptive to a test and remove effort.Desert Bighorn Sheep
Population
Desert bighorn sheep populations throughout Arizona have shown variability in population estimates as management units are typically only surveyed once every three years in most occupied habitat. Overall, populations have increased on a statewide status. Currently, the statewide population is estimated to be approaching 5,600 bighorn sheep. A large portion of the documented increase is in the Kofa Mountains and adjacent mountain ranges in western Arizona. The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge population has increased from a total estimated population of 404 in 2012 to an estimated 941 bighorn sheep based on the 2021 aerial survey.HISTORIC RAM AND LAMB RATIOS FROM SURVEY DATA - DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP.
Licenses and Harvest
The number of hunt permit-tag licenses offered, as established in the department’s Hunt Guidelines, is set at 15-25% of the estimated number of Class III (age 6-8 years old) and Class IV (age 8+ years old) rams determined through survey observations and population modeling.DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP HUNT DATA.
During the 2022 hunt season, 120 “Any-Ram” hunt permit-tags were offered. There was a total of 20,450 first choice applicants in the hunt draw process, which is a hybrid, bonus-point type draw system. There were 117 desert bighorn sheep rams harvested in 2022 regular seasons, plus two (2) additional rams taken under the Commissioner’s Special-Tag permits. The average age of the desert bighorn sheep rams harvested during the 2022 seasons was 7.5 years old with an average score of 160.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission has approved 137 “Any-Ram” permit-tags for desert bighorn sheep for the 2023 hunt seasons, plus two (2) Commissioner’s Special Tags.
Disease and Herd Health
Biological samples (nasal swabs) were collected during the mandatory check-out process from hunter harvested bighorn sheep (N=51) and strain typing is pending for those samples testing positive for pneumonia. Preliminary positive samples were from management units 15C, 15D, 39W, 44B, and 46B.Biological samples were taken during capture efforts (includes collaring for population monitoring and/or translocations) in the following desert bighorn sheep management units (Table 2).
GMU | ACTUAL SAMPLES TAKEN |
BTV | EHD | BRSV | BVDV | P1-3 | MOVI ELISA |
MOVI PCR |
PASTEURELLA SCORE |
16A |
26 |
42 |
15 |
50 |
0 |
27 |
42 |
4 |
0.08 |
16B |
4 |
100 |
100 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
75 |
0.75 |
40A |
9 |
33 |
100 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
44 |
33 |
0.00 |
43B |
33 |
33 |
52 |
45 |
0 |
12 |
73 |
21 |
0.45 |
24A |
9 |
100 |
100 |
0 |
0 |
25 |
0 |
0 |
1.33 |