Mountain Sheep 



Up to the present time there have been 1 1 

 mountain sheep placed in the Gates of the Moun- 

 tains area on the Missouri river. Five were cap- 

 tured and released during the spring of 1942, and 

 the remaining six this fall. These mountain sheep 

 were taken from the Sun River herd. 



Mountain sheep were abundant on the Gates 

 of the Mountains range during pioneer times. 

 Heavy hunting depleted their numbers. The last 

 report of this band was during the severe winter 

 of 1919-20. 



Transfer of Rams 



On November 27, 1942, a three-year-old ram 

 captured in the Sun River Canyon area was 

 transported to the Gallatin Canyon and liberated. 

 The ram was released on the west side of the 

 river at the mouth of Deer Creek in close prox- 

 imity to the mountain sheep of the Gallatin Can- 

 yon band. This was in accordance with a pro- 

 gram involving the eventual exchange of sev- 

 eral rams between the Sun River, Gallatin and 

 Libby herds in an effort either to prove or dis- 

 prove the theory of inbreeding as it may be af- 

 fecting the natural increase of this species, which 

 is now represented by small isolated groups. 



On December 27, 1942, this ram (as identified 

 by a tag in the ear) was seen with 22 other moun- 

 tain sheep on the west side of the Gallatin river 

 approximately one mile above the mouth of Deer 

 Creek. 



A five-year-old ram was captured in the Gal- 

 latin Canyon at the mouth of the West Fork and 

 on December 27, 1942, was transported to the 

 Sun River Canyon where he was released at 

 the mouth of Hannan Gulch in the proximity of 

 other mountain sheep. 



Deep snows in the vicinity of the trap during- the spring- of 



1942 necessitated packing- goats on horseback in specially 



designed crates. 



The eleven mo 

 Mountain area 



l sheep planted in the Gates 

 captured in pens similar to tho 

 for goats. 



