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RAC requests wildlife board explore depredation-style options for 'once-in-a-lifetime' sheep amid disease concerns
Summary
Southeast RAC urged the wildlife board to direct DWR to examine faster or depredation-style opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime sheep tags when herds face die-offs from disease or drought; the RAC also approved DWR's once-in-a-lifetime permit recommendations.
The Southeast Regional Advisory Council voted unanimously to send a recommendation to the state wildlife board asking the Division of Wildlife Resources to study "depredation-style" or rapid-response opportunities that would let hunters use once-in-a-lifetime (OIAL) or similar permits when bighorn sheep herds experience disease die-offs or other sudden declines.
John Baer of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife described recent local die-offs and urged the RAC to consider mechanisms to quickly put hunters on the landscape to take vulnerable rams rather than let them die and be lost to the population. Baer said, "let's find a way to get somebody to go out and put a tag on that ram" when an outbreak is discovered.
DWR presenters said they prefer herd-health-first approaches but acknowledged that, when possible, agency removal is not the only tool and that bringing in hunters can be an effective alternate response: "When we have these die-offs...we'd much rather a hunter come in and take care of that problem than us," Rusty said.
The RAC also accepted the DWR's once-in-a-lifetime permit recommendations as presented.
Why it matters: OIAL sheep tags are extremely limited and prized; the RAC's motion does not create policy but asks the wildlife board to instruct DWR to study mechanisms that could increase opportunity for hunters to address localized disease events and reduce wasted animals.
Next steps: The RAC's motion asks the board to solicit DWR to return with options; DWR and the board would need to design eligibility, notification and welfare safeguards before any change.
Ending: The RAC approved the DWR recommendations and voted unanimously to ask the board to explore depredation-style options for OIAL species.
