California Bighorn Sheep Lamb Count

Spend your days riding your horse across the mountain tops and glassing the slopes for California Bighorn Sheep for mountain sheep viewing opportunities. Record the location, age and sex of all sheep that we see to build up detailed records of the sheep herds to assess annual herd recruitment. Actively contribute to the development of wildlife management practices that help maintain Bighorn sheep populations at a sustainable herd size.

Why are California Bighorn Sheep at risk?

50% of lambs and 20% of yearlings die from starvation, predation (particularly from cougar, wolf and coyote), accident and disease each year. Bighorn sheep frequently contract pneumonia from domestic sheep. While its relatively harmless for domestic sheep, it can be fatal to California Bighorn sheep, mostly lambs and older sheep.

How can we contribute to their conservation and stewardship?

Together with the Chilcotin Ark Institute, Wilderness Trails organizes lamb counts. On each lamb count, we carefully record the location, age and sex of all sheep that we see. This allows us to build up detailed records of the sheep herds to assess annual herd recruitment and assess if lamb death is more likely a cause of predation, disease or due to other reasons. From this, we shape our conservation management practices to help maintain Bighorn sheep populations at a sustainable herd size and contribute to Canadian wildlife conservation.