The North Dakota Game and Fish Department recently reported the results of their 2024 bighorn sheep survey, which counted a minimum of 350 bighorn sheep in western North Dakota. While this number is down 4% from 2023, it remains 6% above the five-year average. Biologists counted 105 rams, 199 ewes, and 46 lambs during the survey. The northern Badlands population saw a slight decline, while the southern Badlands population increased slightly but remained near its lowest level since bighorns were reintroduced in 1966.
Big game biologist Brett Wiedmann expressed satisfaction with the population remaining near record levels for the seventh consecutive year. The decline in lamb recruitment in 2024 was attributed to a combination of factors like drought, predation, and ewes needing to recover after years of high lamb recruitment. Currently, there are around 480 bighorns in North Dakota managed by various entities. A bighorn sheep hunting season is tentatively scheduled for 2025, with the status to be determined after a summer population survey.
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