Big Horn Sheep article

[saskfly]

If sheep populations in Alberta have remained virtually unchanged for the last twenty or so years and habitat loss has increased due to loss of wintering ranges, is it then possible to hypothesize that utilized sheep habitat is at carrying capacity in which case overall fitness of sheep populations would somewhat decrease resulting in poor growth rates in horns?

Anyone?

[BigJon]

Purty sure that's what Boyce is getting at... It does sound plausible...

[Luckwell]

Originally Posted by saskfly

If sheep populations in Alberta have remained virtually unchanged for the last twenty or so years and habitat loss has increased due to loss of wintering ranges, is it then possible to hypothesize that utilized sheep habitat is at carrying capacity in which case overall fitness of sheep populations would somewhat decrease resulting in poor growth rates in horns?



Anyone?

Nailed it.

Stable and or decreasing populations have slow/poor horn growth with low ram recruitment. Increasing populations have increased horn growth as well as ram recruitment. Decreasing sheep habitat is magnified by sheeps inability to establish new favourable habitat (even when relocated) creates a bit of a problem. It's not the genetics at are degrading it's the forage material available to the animals.

[bdub]

Nice to see this thread back on topic.

Boyce has no evidence to prove that Albertas sheep herd is above carrying capacity. The numbers of young legal rams in the harvest peaked along side the peak of the ewe harvest. This is due to improved forage on the slow recovering alpine habitat as he states? Would this not take a few years in lag time to occur? Did the number of legal rams magically increase in step with ewe harvest? I don't believe that. It's BS. The increase of young rams in the harvest occured because there every Tom, Dick and Harry with a ewe tag also bought a Ram tag. The increased harvest of young rams coincides with the huge jump in hunting pressure as trophy sheep hunters went from 1000 hunters to over 3300 hunters. It has now leveled off at over 2000 trophy sheep hunters per year, enough pressure that ensures we are killing off almost every ram that becomes legal each season.

A repost

The high ewe harvest years coincide with the high ram harvest years of the 80's. Prior to the years where the high numbers of ewe permits, the number of sheep hunters was about just over 1000 per year. As the ewe permits increased the numbers of trophy sheep hunters exploded to 3300 ish sheep hunters at the peak. 2000 plus more guys hitting the hills each year killing almost every legal ram. By 1984 the ram herd was on the downhill slide at the same time the ewe harvest began to decrease even as permits increased for a couple more years. Prior to that time we probably had a healthy ram herd. Over harvest of immature rams peaked at that time and have never recovered from it. We now have far more hunters in the hills, 2400 ish per year, and we kill virtually every 4/5 ram available every season. Almost all the large rams killed each season now come from wandering out of a park or a protected area. High ewe harvests and the resulting high ram harvests of the 80's were a mistake imo.

[SLH]

Originally Posted by Luckwell

Nailed it.

Stable and or decreasing populations have slow/poor horn growth with low ram recruitment. Increasing populations have increased horn growth as well as ram recruitment. Decreasing sheep habitat is magnified by sheeps inability to establish new favourable habitat (even when relocated) creates a bit of a problem. It's not the genetics at are degrading it's the forage material available to the animals.

How does this relate to our parks?

[Luckwell]

Originally Posted by SLH

How does this relate to our parks?

Giests study that reflects these numbers and trends were done in the park.

[SLH]

Originally Posted by Luckwell

Giests study that reflects these numbers and trends were done in the park.

So what's the trend inside the parks? Situation must be horrible in there with no hunting at all.

[SLH]

Originally Posted by Luckwell

Giests study that reflects these numbers and trends were done in the park.

You must also have read what Geist suggests for a harvest regime?

[saskfly]

Originally Posted by SLH

So what's the trend inside the parks? Situation must be horrible in there with no hunting at all.

It is my understanding that National Parks implement prescribed burns to represent a natural ecosystem and maintain Biodiversity. I think one of the bigger issues in regards to Jasper and its sheep were explained to my class years ago by Beth MacCallum concerning the Cheviot Mine and the Habitat reclamation work they were doing. In essence by creating a metapopulation due to ideal sheep habitat on the mine site they were seeing more dominant rams on the mine site than in the park (animals moving from park to mine site). Situation doesn't look too horrible for the sheep of the Cadomin Mine site...

[Luckwell]

Originally Posted by SLH

You must also have read what Geist suggests for a harvest regime?

Yip. Sure have. I feel with a few minor edits and we are close to being one the right track. Thoughts?

[Luckwell]

Originally Posted by SLH

So what's the trend inside the parks? Situation must be horrible in there with no hunting at all.

Sheep River, Kananaskis was another major focus of that study. I'm assuming you know all about that as well?

[bdub]

Originally Posted by Luckwell

Yip. Sure have. I feel with a few minor edits and we are close to being on the right track. Thoughts?

What edits would put us on the right track?

If we can limit the vast majority of the ram harvest to class 5 rams, rams 8 1/2 years and older then we will finally be on the right track I believe. I keep looking at what happened in 400 when they went to full curl. We now have a healthy ram herd there. Post season numbers of trophy rams at the same level as what we see in the parks and double the 5% level, a key threshold in the management plan.

[Luckwell]

Originally Posted by bdub

What edits would put us on the right track?



If we can limit the vast majority of the ram harvest to class 5 rams, rams 8 1/2 years and older then we will finally be on the right track I believe. I keep looking at what happened in 400 when they went to full curl. We now have a healthy ram herd there. Post season numbers of trophy rams at the same level as what we see in the parks and double the 5% level, a key threshold in the management plan.

You have seen my letter/letters to the Alberta Parks and Environment. I do believe that there should be a full curl requirement. But also that there should be a 4/5 LEH tag based on zone. I do believe we should SLIGHTLY increase the ewe harvest.

I think we stood on the same island when I sent you the draft letter. But If anyone feels like viewing my letters to the APE I would be happy to send the PDF. My hunch is that I won't get letters in returned if I ask......

[Luckwell]

Above and beyond full curl, stay the same, full curl with 4/5 LEH, increase ewe harvest, is the fact that I don't necessarily trust the decision makers at this point. So we should all argue till we poo and flip a coin. It doesn't seem to matter anyways.


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[bdub]

Originally Posted by Luckwell

You have seen my letter/letters to the Alberta Parks and Environment. I do believe that there should be a full curl requirement. But also that there should be a 4/5 LEH tag based on zone. I do believe we should SLIGHTLY increase the ewe harvest.

I think we stood on the same island when I sent you the draft letter. But If anyone feels like viewing my letters to the APE I would be happy to send the PDF. My hunch is that I won't get letters in returned if I ask......

It was very well thought out and written. Was hoping you would post what you sent to me.

[Luckwell]

Honourable Shannon Phillips,

Re: Possible changes to the current bighorn sheep regulations in Alberta.

Please accept this email letter on behalf on myself, my family and my friends. We are all passionate outdoorsmen, ranchers and most of all a conservationists.

I am reaching out to you hoping to bend your ear regarding the possibility of bighorn sheep changes in Alberta. As NDP prides themselves on being a proactive party regarding Alberta Environment and related resources I believe your party will be acting on what they feel is the right thing for the province, the people as well as the resource. What I am hoping to express to you and your colleges is my intimate understanding of bighorn sheep as well as my concerns with possible regulation changes.

The below points will be pertaining to the negative effects of the purposes Limited Entry Hunt (LEH) which may take place for the 2016 hunting season. All references are taken directly from the June 25, 2015 Bighorn Sheep Management Plan written by Alberta Environment an Parks.

In the Alberta Bighorn Sheep Management Plan I kept reading that the goal was to maintain a 5% ram recruitment rate after the hunting season as well as increase the average age of rams being harvested due to a decreasing trend of average body mass and horn size.

The goals of Alberta Environment and Parks are simplified below but not limited to:

1) Sustain bighorn populations on native ranges.
2) Sustain benefits for Albertans through optimum allocations.
3) Sustain the recreational benefits and enjoyment for Albertans. Includes hunting.
4) Provide commercial benefits for Albertans through tourism and non-resident hunting.
5) Protecting and enhancing habits using tools such as wild fires in sheet habitat.
6) Ensure Bighorn sheep habitat is maintained and managed.
7) Promote and encourage scientific and educational activities.
8) Ensure new and existing motorized access to sheep habitat is carefully managed.

I do not believe that all of these goals can be reached by Alberta Environment and Parks by going ahead with a LEH.

2.1.5.3 Effects of Density.
Body mass was negatively affected as density increased. Ewes were affected until the age of 2 years while rams were affected into their 7th year. 6-7 year old rams in low density populations reached 4/5th curl 61-73% of the time while rams in high density populations reached 4/5th curl 33-35% of the time. If you look at the numbers Alberta has had quite a high population of sheep since the 1970 kill off. It would appear we are approaching the bighorn sheep habitat carrying capacity causing sheep to have a harder time finding the nutrition they need to properly develop body mass as well as horn size. Decreasing harvests will only magnify the problem due to more sheep on the mountain with the same amount of habitat available. Think of it as overgrazing a pasture with cattle. Can't do it while maintaining over all heard health.

2.2.1 Sheep Numbers and Distribution.
Ariel surveys are conducted every two years in certain areas and only for a very short period of time as flying conditions allow. Alberta Environment states themselves that too much times passes in between flights and surveys to provide proper replication of actual numbers and sizes of rams. Determining the size of a ram would be extremely difficult from the air as well as mistaking a yearling ram for a ewe. Alberta Environment also states that every year they underestimate the numbers they report due to the poor accuracy of ariel surveys. One should interpret that the numbers of sheep are even higher than the reported number in 2008 of 11470. Again LEH will increase the number of sheep, the completion between sheep and the overall downward trend of body mass and horn size will continue.

2.2.2.5.2 Ram Harvest Relative to Availability.
5% ram recruitment is the goal after hunting season. As stated above ariel surveys will always underestimate, so if we receive a number after the survey of 4% should we interpret that as a 6-7%?. It is also stated in your Bighorn Sheep Management Plan that 3-4% of 3/4 rams will make 4/5 by the following hunting season. Should that not be accounted in the ariel surveys? The number of recruitment Rams could be more in the ball park of 9-11% based on the data collected? Why would a LEH need to be introduced if we are still well above the goal of 5% ram recruitment?

2.2.2.6 Harvest Pressure on Trophy Rams.
Trophy sales decreased by 50% in 1987 when the licence cost jump $20, but the harvest rate didn't decrease on success harvest rates until approximately 2005 (Figure 28). 2386 resident hunters took to the rocks in 2014, of those 2386 hunter that purchased a trophy tags I would venture to guess that over 80% of licence holders didn't not spend more than 3 days or 3 miles away from a motorized vehicle. I personally know of 3 people that had a licence and didn't spend a day in the field. One could assume that these numbers are being misinterpreted between buying a licence and active pursuit. LEH will only magnify this problem as hunters will apply for this tag with out the resources or experience to actively pursue these animals which will decrease your harvest rates increase the sheep numbers and stress the sheep habitat available to the sheep existing on these ranges. Again decreasing the body mass and horn size and increasing chances of diseases such as lung worm and pneumonia.

2.2.2.7 Potential Causes of the Decline in Trophy Ram Harvest in Alberta.
This portion of the management plan is based on the selective effects of trophy hunting in Alberta. The theory behind this is that fast growing young 4/5 Rams are being harvested while the slow growing 3/4 rams are the ones surviving and passing on their genes of slow horn growth to the next generation. The data behind this has been collected from 30 years of compulsory registration of harvested rams. During the registration measurements are taken such as age, base circumference and total horn length. My concern with this study based on the compulsory registration data is the inaccuracy of the personal conducting the measurements. Are they trained professionals? Are they Biologists? In most cases the answer is no. Fish and Wildlife train there own personal to age and measure the harvested animal. A friend of mine recently harvested a nice mature broomed Ram which we guess to be in the age category of 7.5-8.5 years of age. The fish and wildlife officer said this ram was 5.5-6 years old. When we asked him how he could possibly come up with that number he stated that he doesn't count the broomed off section of the ram because he didn't want to speculate how much the ram had in fact broomed off. Older rams will consistently broom off 1.5-2 years of horn growth also known as the "lamb tip". The other example of how this data is falsely represented is a "false annulis". When a Ram gets sick, hurt or is in stress due to lack for nutrition they will slow horn growth and create a"false annulis". Unless you have proper knowledge to identify this you will age a ram a year older than it should be my mistaking the "false annulis" as a years growth ring. The compulsory registration information while nice to have should not be used as data to create a LEH, there are far to many errors in the data collected.

3.1.4 Commercial Use.
The department will encourage and environment that promotes the growth of the tourist industry. Hunters are not considered tourists but we are you unpaid stewards of the back country. In my years in the mountains I have seen less and less trail maintenance and surveillance by F&W. I find myself every year packing a chain saw into the back country and cleaning out trail systems as well as camps. You get all this free labour from hunters because we want to spend our $51 and get out there to scout for our fall sheep hunts. F&W and Alberta Parks could never keep up to all the trail maintenance required without the hunters. We are helping to keep the back country open for tourism year round, free of charge. Changing sheep hunting to an LEH will decrease the amount of hunter activity in the back country and the deterioration of the trail systems will be noticeable almost immediately.

3.1.2 Resource Allocation
2a) The wildlife resource, as a crown resource will be utilized in a manner which contributes the most benefit to the citizens of Alberta......I do not believe that Alberta will be acting in a manner that most benefits the citizens of Alberta if sheep hunting is changed to an LEH. If sheep hunting goes to a LEH they will be acting on a Hunter Management Plan not a Sheep Management Plan. There is no where near data collected to consider such drastic changes all while stating that resources will be utilized in a manner that most benefits citizens of Alberta. I believe that it would be an irresponsible use of power to make a change in sheep regulations just because some parties feel that a change is needed. A long term study needs to be conducted on multiple sheep management units as well as inside the park as no selective effects of trophy hunting will be present to manipulate the study findings.

I would like to offer what I feel is a "happy medium" that will help Alberta Environment and Parks reach their goal of increasing body mass and horn size, 5% ram recruitment as well as maintain overall herd health. I feel we need to increase the amount of non-trophy tags available in Alberta in the sheep management units that require the population density to be lowered. This will increase the sheep habitat by less completion for nutrition and a end result will increase the body mass, horn growth and health of the animals. I also believe that a full curl general season will work to keep more young fast growing 4/5 rams on the mountain increasing their chances to reach peak body mass and horn horn growth, in turn increasing their chances to pass their genes onto the next generation. To supplement the full curl general season a 4/5 LEH "cull hunt" should be used to remove old rams that have reached their peak body mass but will never reach the full curl requirement. Removing the older slow horn growing Rams will decrease the breeding competition for the fast horn growing rams. All while increasing the ram recruitment percentage and stabilizing bighorn densities. I believe the above purposed regulation changes will "utilize the resource in a manner which contributes the most benefit to the citizens of Alberta" as well as increase trophy quality in 5 years as it did in WMU 400. Another valuable resource to help with the management plans of bighorn sheep should be hunter reports. It should be mandatory that any hunter who purchased a bighorn tag should send a report to AlbertaRelm following the bighorn season. Example of the report would be "Willmore Wilderness, Corrall Creek, 2 3/4 Rams, 1 4/5 Ram, 10 Ewes, 6 Lambs". This information collected would supplement ariel surveys and clarify information on what areas need further management or enhancements. Any hunter that purchases a bighorn tag and does not report this information will have their WIN number suspended from purchasing a bighorn tag the following year. With proper predator management, habitat management/improvements as well as genetic rescue we can keep Alberta the pinnacle sheep hunting province in North America.

As a member of the Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta I would like to invite you and your colleges to addend the annual meeting and fundraiser on March 5, 2016 at the Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer. I think observing the passion and dedication the organization and members put toward the preservation of bighorn sheep and bighorn habitat would be a great benefit for you.

In closing I would like to express how much the opportunity of freely accessing the back country means to myself and my family. Hunting, fishing, site seeing and packing in the mountains has been a long tradition of ours and a tradition I would like to pass down to my young children. The mountains are where I find peace, serenity and are referred to by my wife as "my church". Bighorn sheep represent the mountains and I care deeply for there overall health and longevity of bighorns in Alberta. I want my children to have the same experiences I have enjoyed for 15 years. I would look forward to hearing from you and thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy email. Please feel free to contact me if you can any questions or concerns.

Regards,










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[saskfly]

Originally Posted by Luckwell

Honourable Shannon Phillips,

Re: Possible changes to the current bighorn sheep regulations in Alberta.

Please accept this email letter on behalf on myself, my family and my friends. We are all passionate outdoorsmen, ranchers and most of all a conservationists.

I am reaching out to you hoping to bend your ear regarding the possibility of bighorn sheep changes in Alberta. As NDP prides themselves on being a proactive party regarding Alberta Environment and related resources I believe your party will be acting on what they feel is the right thing for the province, the people as well as the resource. What I am hoping to express to you and your colleges is my intimate understanding of bighorn sheep as well as my concerns with possible regulation changes.

The below points will be pertaining to the negative effects of the purposes Limited Entry Hunt (LEH) which may take place for the 2016 hunting season. All references are taken directly from the June 25, 2015 Bighorn Sheep Management Plan written by Alberta Environment an Parks.

In the Alberta Bighorn Sheep Management Plan I kept reading that the goal was to maintain a 5% ram recruitment rate after the hunting season as well as increase the average age of rams being harvested due to a decreasing trend of average body mass and horn size.

The goals of Alberta Environment and Parks are simplified below but not limited to:

1) Sustain bighorn populations on native ranges.
2) Sustain benefits for Albertans through optimum allocations.
3) Sustain the recreational benefits and enjoyment for Albertans. Includes hunting.
4) Provide commercial benefits for Albertans through tourism and non-resident hunting.
5) Protecting and enhancing habits using tools such as wild fires in sheet habitat.
6) Ensure Bighorn sheep habitat is maintained and managed.
7) Promote and encourage scientific and educational activities.
8) Ensure new and existing motorized access to sheep habitat is carefully managed.

I do not believe that all of these goals can be reached by Alberta Environment and Parks by going ahead with a LEH.

2.1.5.3 Effects of Density.
Body mass was negatively affected as density increased. Ewes were affected until the age of 2 years while rams were affected into their 7th year. 6-7 year old rams in low density populations reached 4/5th curl 61-73% of the time while rams in high density populations reached 4/5th curl 33-35% of the time. If you look at the numbers Alberta has had quite a high population of sheep since the 1970 kill off. It would appear we are approaching the bighorn sheep habitat carrying capacity causing sheep to have a harder time finding the nutrition they need to properly develop body mass as well as horn size. Decreasing harvests will only magnify the problem due to more sheep on the mountain with the same amount of habitat available. Think of it as overgrazing a pasture with cattle. Can't do it while maintaining over all heard health.

2.2.1 Sheep Numbers and Distribution.
Ariel surveys are conducted every two years in certain areas and only for a very short period of time as flying conditions allow. Alberta Environment states themselves that too much times passes in between flights and surveys to provide proper replication of actual numbers and sizes of rams. Determining the size of a ram would be extremely difficult from the air as well as mistaking a yearling ram for a ewe. Alberta Environment also states that every year they underestimate the numbers they report due to the poor accuracy of ariel surveys. One should interpret that the numbers of sheep are even higher than the reported number in 2008 of 11470. Again LEH will increase the number of sheep, the completion between sheep and the overall downward trend of body mass and horn size will continue.

2.2.2.5.2 Ram Harvest Relative to Availability.
5% ram recruitment is the goal after hunting season. As stated above ariel surveys will always underestimate, so if we receive a number after the survey of 4% should we interpret that as a 6-7%?. It is also stated in your Bighorn Sheep Management Plan that 3-4% of 3/4 rams will make 4/5 by the following hunting season. Should that not be accounted in the ariel surveys? The number of recruitment Rams could be more in the ball park of 9-11% based on the data collected? Why would a LEH need to be introduced if we are still well above the goal of 5% ram recruitment?

2.2.2.6 Harvest Pressure on Trophy Rams.
Trophy sales decreased by 50% in 1987 when the licence cost jump $20, but the harvest rate didn't decrease on success harvest rates until approximately 2005 (Figure 28). 2386 resident hunters took to the rocks in 2014, of those 2386 hunter that purchased a trophy tags I would venture to guess that over 80% of licence holders didn't not spend more than 3 days or 3 miles away from a motorized vehicle. I personally know of 3 people that had a licence and didn't spend a day in the field. One could assume that these numbers are being misinterpreted between buying a licence and active pursuit. LEH will only magnify this problem as hunters will apply for this tag with out the resources or experience to actively pursue these animals which will decrease your harvest rates increase the sheep numbers and stress the sheep habitat available to the sheep existing on these ranges. Again decreasing the body mass and horn size and increasing chances of diseases such as lung worm and pneumonia.

2.2.2.7 Potential Causes of the Decline in Trophy Ram Harvest in Alberta.
This portion of the management plan is based on the selective effects of trophy hunting in Alberta. The theory behind this is that fast growing young 4/5 Rams are being harvested while the slow growing 3/4 rams are the ones surviving and passing on their genes of slow horn growth to the next generation. The data behind this has been collected from 30 years of compulsory registration of harvested rams. During the registration measurements are taken such as age, base circumference and total horn length. My concern with this study based on the compulsory registration data is the inaccuracy of the personal conducting the measurements. Are they trained professionals? Are they Biologists? In most cases the answer is no. Fish and Wildlife train there own personal to age and measure the harvested animal. A friend of mine recently harvested a nice mature broomed Ram which we guess to be in the age category of 7.5-8.5 years of age. The fish and wildlife officer said this ram was 5.5-6 years old. When we asked him how he could possibly come up with that number he stated that he doesn't count the broomed off section of the ram because he didn't want to speculate how much the ram had in fact broomed off. Older rams will consistently broom off 1.5-2 years of horn growth also known as the "lamb tip". The other example of how this data is falsely represented is a "false annulis". When a Ram gets sick, hurt or is in stress due to lack for nutrition they will slow horn growth and create a"false annulis". Unless you have proper knowledge to identify this you will age a ram a year older than it should be my mistaking the "false annulis" as a years growth ring. The compulsory registration information while nice to have should not be used as data to create a LEH, there are far to many errors in the data collected.

3.1.4 Commercial Use.
The department will encourage and environment that promotes the growth of the tourist industry. Hunters are not considered tourists but we are you unpaid stewards of the back country. In my years in the mountains I have seen less and less trail maintenance and surveillance by F&W. I find myself every year packing a chain saw into the back country and cleaning out trail systems as well as camps. You get all this free labour from hunters because we want to spend our $51 and get out there to scout for our fall sheep hunts. F&W and Alberta Parks could never keep up to all the trail maintenance required without the hunters. We are helping to keep the back country open for tourism year round, free of charge. Changing sheep hunting to an LEH will decrease the amount of hunter activity in the back country and the deterioration of the trail systems will be noticeable almost immediately.

3.1.2 Resource Allocation
2a) The wildlife resource, as a crown resource will be utilized in a manner which contributes the most benefit to the citizens of Alberta......I do not believe that Alberta will be acting in a manner that most benefits the citizens of Alberta if sheep hunting is changed to an LEH. If sheep hunting goes to a LEH they will be acting on a Hunter Management Plan not a Sheep Management Plan. There is no where near data collected to consider such drastic changes all while stating that resources will be utilized in a manner that most benefits citizens of Alberta. I believe that it would be an irresponsible use of power to make a change in sheep regulations just because some parties feel that a change is needed. A long term study needs to be conducted on multiple sheep management units as well as inside the park as no selective effects of trophy hunting will be present to manipulate the study findings.

I would like to offer what I feel is a "happy medium" that will help Alberta Environment and Parks reach their goal of increasing body mass and horn size, 5% ram recruitment as well as maintain overall herd health. I feel we need to increase the amount of non-trophy tags available in Alberta in the sheep management units that require the population density to be lowered. This will increase the sheep habitat by less completion for nutrition and a end result will increase the body mass, horn growth and health of the animals. I also believe that a full curl general season will work to keep more young fast growing 4/5 rams on the mountain increasing their chances to reach peak body mass and horn horn growth, in turn increasing their chances to pass their genes onto the next generation. To supplement the full curl general season a 4/5 LEH "cull hunt" should be used to remove old rams that have reached their peak body mass but will never reach the full curl requirement. Removing the older slow horn growing Rams will decrease the breeding competition for the fast horn growing rams. All while increasing the ram recruitment percentage and stabilizing bighorn densities. I believe the above purposed regulation changes will "utilize the resource in a manner which contributes the most benefit to the citizens of Alberta" as well as increase trophy quality in 5 years as it did in WMU 400. Another valuable resource to help with the management plans of bighorn sheep should be hunter reports. It should be mandatory that any hunter who purchased a bighorn tag should send a report to AlbertaRelm following the bighorn season. Example of the report would be "Willmore Wilderness, Corrall Creek, 2 3/4 Rams, 1 4/5 Ram, 10 Ewes, 6 Lambs". This information collected would supplement ariel surveys and clarify information on what areas need further management or enhancements. Any hunter that purchases a bighorn tag and does not report this information will have their WIN number suspended from purchasing a bighorn tag the following year. With proper predator management, habitat management/improvements as well as genetic rescue we can keep Alberta the pinnacle sheep hunting province in North America.

As a member of the Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta I would like to invite you and your colleges to addend the annual meeting and fundraiser on March 5, 2016 at the Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer. I think observing the passion and dedication the organization and members put toward the preservation of bighorn sheep and bighorn habitat would be a great benefit for you.

In closing I would like to express how much the opportunity of freely accessing the back country means to myself and my family. Hunting, fishing, site seeing and packing in the mountains has been a long tradition of ours and a tradition I would like to pass down to my young children. The mountains are where I find peace, serenity and are referred to by my wife as "my church". Bighorn sheep represent the mountains and I care deeply for there overall health and longevity of bighorns in Alberta. I want my children to have the same experiences I have enjoyed for 15 years. I would look forward to hearing from you and thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy email. Please feel free to contact me if you can any questions or concerns.

Regards,










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well stated...

[Luckwell]

Thanks saskfly.

Nobody else wants to post one of their letters? I enjoy reading them. If your shy I will take a PM as well.


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