Desert Bighorn Sheep Program Update

DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP PROGRAM UPDATE

 By Danielle Glass, CDFW Environmental Scientist

California Department of Fish and Wildlife is excited to announce the publication of The Conservation and Management Plan for Bighorn Sheep in California. The plan covers all bighorn sheep in California but focuses mostly on the non-endangered desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni). It provides an overview of the bighorn sheep in California, presents specifics about desert bighorn habitat ecology and recreational hunting opportunities, and describes CDFW’s goals and objectives for the management of desert bighorn. The plan also identifies six Bighorn Conservation Units (BCUs) for which CDFW will develop individual management plans. The plan can be found on CDFW’s website at: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/ Mammals/Bighorn-Sheep . CDFW’s desert bighorn program is also happy to announce changes to the hunting regulations that will increase hunter opportunity. Starting in the upcoming 2025-2026 hunt season, the Zone 7 White Mountain and Zone 10 Newberry, Rodman, and Ord hunts will have split seasons with hunters applying to hunt in a given season. The White Mountain seasons will be August 16-September 28 and January 3-February 1. This splitting of the White Mountain hunt will diversify hunting opportunities, as the White Mountain bighorn utilize somewhat different areas of the hunt zone in these two seasons. The Newberry, Rodman, Ord seasons will be December 6-January 3 and January 4-February 1. This splitting of the Newberry, Rodman, Ord hunt will facilitate hunters having the opportunity for solitude in their once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn hunt. There is also a modification to the hunt zone boundary of the Zone 6 Sheep Hole Mountains. This boundary was adjusted to include more habitat used by rams during the hunt season and to remove unoccupied habitat. This change was based on four years of GPS data from collared Sheep Hole rams. Lastly, language was adjusted for all three fundraising tags, ultimately allowing CDFW to maximize fundraising opportunities while ensuring sustainable harvest levels. CDFW’s desert bighorn program has remained busy over the past few months. Based on last year’s camera data, we made hunt tag quota recommendations to the Fish & Game Commission. We also made significant progress installing this year’s trail cameras, placing cameras in the Inyos, Last Chance, Tin Mountain, Grapevine, Hunter Mountain, Argus, Panamint, Nopah, Kingston, North Bristol, and Granite Mountains. We still plan to install cameras in the Old Dad, Marble, Orocopia, Cady, Newberry-Rodman-Ord, and Piute Mountains. In March, we collaborated with the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep to fix the Fay Dee Wildlife Water Development in the Orocopia Mountains. Looking forward, CDFW’s desert bighorn program has two new Scientific Aides starting soon. The Marble Mountain and White Mountain ground surveys, as well as the 2025 hunter orientation, are coming up. Staff time will also focus on completing scientific research, discussing water management with the Bureau of Land Management, and preparing for fall capture and helicopter work. Onwards!

Postscript: “This plan brings together traditional, ecological, and historical knowledge of bighorn sheep across California, but focuses specifically on the conservation and management goals for the non-endangered desert bighorn populations,” said Paige Prentice, CDFW’s Statewide Bighorn Sheep Coordinator (media release April 25, 2025)