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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2020)
A10 OUTDOORS Wallowa County Chieftain Wednesday, May 6, 2020 Biologists monitoring sickness in bighorn sheep By Jayson Jacoby jjacoby@bakercityherald. com A bacterial illness has spread through Baker County’s biggest herd of bighorn sheep, but a state wildlife biologist said it won’t be clear until later this year how severe the death toll is likely to be. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) employees continue to monitor sheep in the Look- out Mountain unit in east- ern Baker County, said Brian Ratliff, district wild- life biologist at the agen- cy’s Baker City offi ce. Ratliff said he and other biologists have seen big- horns coughing — some- thing the sheep rarely do unless they’re suffer- ing from pneumonia — throughout the range of the Lookout Mountain herd. With close to 400 sheep, it’s the largest herd of Rocky Mountain bighorns in Oregon. The state also is home to California bighorns, mostly in the central and southeast parts of the state. Baker County has a herd of California big- horns in the Burnt River Canyon between Durkee and Bridgeport. Until this winter the Lookout Mountain herd had apparently been healthy. But on Feb. 13 ODFW received a report of a dead bighorn ram lying on the Snake River Road near Connor Creek, about 18 miles north of Huntington. Ratliff said sam- ples from the sheep were tested, and a lab confi rmed the animal had been infected with a strain of Mycoplasma ovipneumo- EO Media Group fi le photo Baker County is home to two bighorn sheep herds, the California subspecies of bighorns in the Burnt River Canyon and the Rocky Mountain subspecies in the Lookout Mountain Unit. “BIGHORN SHEEP ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO A LOT OF THINGS. THEY’RE NOT THE STRONGEST SPECIES OUT THERE.” Brian Ratliff , Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist at the agency’s Baker City offi ce niae bacteria that had not been found before in big- horns in Oregon. There are more than 50 strains of that bacteria, and they have varying lev- els of lethality. The test results prompted ODFW to can- cel the two bighorn hunts scheduled this summer and fall in the Lookout Mountain unit. Those hunts included three tags — two for Ore- gon hunters and one for a nonresident. Ratliff said ODFW has confi rmed 10 to 12 big- horns have died, the most recent being found on April 5. Of the carcasses that were fresh enough to be tested — two had decomposed too much — all were infected with the same strain of bacteria. Biologists don’t know — indeed, they might never confi rm — how the herd was infected, Ratliff said. Two people who have domestic sheep in the Lookout Mountain unit volunteered to have some of their animals tested, but results are pending. Even if the domes- tic sheep are carrying the bacteria, that wouldn’t be conclusive proof that the bighorns were infected by contact with domestic sheep, Ratliff said. He said ODFW will pay to test domestic sheep, and he encourages own- ers to call the agency at 541-523-5832. Ratliff said ODFW also tested one llama, which did not have the bacteria. ODFW will continue to monitor the Lookout Mountain herd through the summer. The agency’s strategy will depend on how many sheep die, Ratliff said. One option that has proved successful in other bighorn herds infected with virulent diseases is the “test/cull” strategy. The goal is to test as many bighorns as possible and fi t them with identify- ing collars. Sheep that are infected would be euthanized to prevent them from sicken- ing other bighorns. Collaring the sheep would allow biologists to capture those animals later and test them again. That’s important, Ratliff said, because some sheep are likely to be “intermittent shedders,” meaning they carry the bacteria but shed it only some of the time. Those sheep might test negative but then later begin shedding and pos- sibly infecting other big- horns, he said. Intermittent shedders might also need to be euthanized to protect the herd. The Lookout Moun- tain herd was established in the early 1990s when a few dozen bighorns were captured elsewhere and released along Fox Creek. The animals have thrived in the steep canyons on the breaks of the Snake River. “It’s been the healthi- est herd in Oregon,” Rat- liff said. The only previous con- cern among Lookout Mountain bighorns was a minor rash of pneumo- nia that lasted a couple of months in 2012, he said. Those illnesses were caused by a virus rather than a bacteria, but it was a mild type that killed few bighorns, Ratliff said. Although the Lookout Mountain bighorns aren’t known to mingle with the Burnt River Canyon herd — the two generally are more than a dozen miles apart — ODFW is mon- itoring the Burnt River bighorns for coughing or other signs of pneumonia. So far the biologists haven’t seen any such evi- dence, Ratliff said. Like the Rocky Moun- tain subspecies, the Cal- ifornia bighorns are vul- nerable to a variety of bacterial and viral infec- tions that can lead to fatal pneumonia, Ratliff said. “Bighorn sheep are sus- ceptible to a lot of things,” he said. “They’re not the strongest species out there.” ODFW allows non-resident Happy Mother’sDay fi shing and hunting Hailie! People who don’t live at the coast should not travel there for clamming or crabbing while travel ban is in eff ect Oregon Dept. Fish and Wildlife I love the memories we are making as our family continues to grow. Today I celebrate you! I love you, Jared GETTING HELP FOR PROBLEM GAMBLING TAKES GUTS take the first step and contact us Non-residents may fi sh and hunt in Oregon again beginning Tuesday, May 5. Recreational clamming and crabbing will remain closed to non-residents until further notice. ODFW is lifting the non-resident restrictions in line with some loosening of restrictions on outdoor recreation in the state and region. Washington state will also reopen to most fi shing on May 5. Oregon and Washing- ton will reopen salmon and steelhead fi shing on the Columbia River next week. The states are holding a Joint State Hearing this week to set the reopener. Due to concerns about increased travel to the coast during the summer months while the COVID-19 pan- demic continues, crabbing and clamming will remain closed to non-residents for now. Oregon residents who do not live on the coast should also not travel there to crab or clam when the Stay Home, Save Lives restric- tions against travel are in effect. Beach access may also be closed. “We want to thank non-residents for their understanding of the tempo- rary closure,” said ODFW Director Curt Melcher. “We are also announc- ing a special refund pol- icy for non-residents who purchased fi shing license documents between April 6-15, which is about the time when Washington announced their extended closure of all hunting and fi shing.” All hunters and anglers are reminded to: Check for access before you go. Fishing is open but the boat ramp or park where you want to go might be closed. ODFW does not control access to land or facilities it doesn’t man- age so check with the land manager or facility owner where you want to go about what’s open. Stick close to home. Don’t travel far to hunt or fi sh. Most places are closed to overnight camping/ lodging. Be prepared. Restrooms and other facilities may be more limited. Bring your own soap, water, hand san- itizer, toilet paper, food, etc. Buy your license online before you go. Stay home if you are sick. Avoid crowds. Go some- place else if your destina- tion looks crowded. Practice social distanc- ing. Keep six feet between you and anyone who doesn’t live in your imme- diate household. Wash your hands often. Keep up on personal hygiene and bring your own water, soap, and hand sanitizer with you. Pack out what you pack in. Take any garbage with you, including disposable gloves and masks. Growing Generations ations Together Let’s plan for your next 75 years of growth. ENTERPRISE Lobby 101 Hogan Street (541) 426-4205 Drive-up 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Call us for tment. an Appoin John Bailey Ag & Commercial Loan Officer 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (M-FRI) Drive-up 8:30 AM-6:00 PM (FRI) Currently, we may be limiting access in our lobby. If the branch entry is locked during business hours, please wait a moment and we’ll let you in. call 541-426-4524 or 1-877-MY-LIMIT (24 hour helpline) It's Free - It's Confidential - It Works. 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