When More Isn’t Better: A Community Forum on Bighorn Sheep Management

Next Thursday, April 23, 2026, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the Draper Museum of Natural History, and the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation are co-hosting a film screening on bighorn sheep, followed by a forum and community discussion. The discussion will focus on bighorn sheep conservation and management in a disease landscape.

The free, public evening will start at 5:30 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The screening of the 13 minute film Carrying Capacity: The Hunt for Resilience”; illustrates how research on bighorn sheep has driven the decision to include ewe harvesting in management of some herds.

Following the film screening, local wildlife biologist Sam Stephens will give a presentation on the Devil’s Canyon Bighorn Sheep Herd, located northeast of Lovell in the Bighorn Mountains. This herd suffered a disease die off from a pathogenic strain of bacteria Mannheimia haemolytica, known to cause lethal pneumonia in bighorn sheep in 2022 and 2023.

The evening concludes with a panel question-and-answer session. The panel will include local biologists, wildlife disease specialists, a bighorn sheep hunter, and a representative from the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation.

Bighorn Sheep Hunts – A Need to Keep the Herd Healthy

Hunting is one of the tools wildlife managers use to manage populations. For the Devils Canyon herd, a Type 2 tag for rams that have less than ¾ curl horns, is being used to reduce the likelihood of bighorn sheep dispersing onto new ranges and bringing pathogens back to the main herd. Reducing the risk of disease will be accomplished by harvesting younger rams that are more prone to wander and come into contact with disease pathogens.

A Controversial Answer: Harvesting Ewes/Lambs

It sometimes hits hard to think of limiting the part of the herd that reproduces, as that’s not what one typically thinks about when hunting, but it is an effective management tool that helps protect the health of the herd.

This has drawn some criticism from both hunting and non-hunting communities, contrary to the historic philosophy that more sheep is always better.

While the film explains the science behind the decision to harvest ewes in some Wyoming populations, the presentation and discussion will focus on two local herds, the Absaroka herd and the Devils Canyon herds.

Our goal is to have a conversation with the community on how these herds are managed. We hope people will come to enjoy the film screening and stay for the discussions with biologists and other experts afterward. It’s a great opportunity to stay connected to the iconic wildlife we all care about.
                                                    – Tony Mong, Wyoming Game and; Fish Wildlife Biologist.

Panel Discussion

Corey Anco, Curator of the Draper Natural History Museum will moderate the panel discussion

Panelists for the Cody event:
Sam Stephens – Greybull area Wildlife Biologist (Manages the Devils Canyon Bighorn Sheep Herd near Lovell (Hunt Area 12), Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Katie Cheesbrough – Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation Executive Director and an executive producer of the film
Jessica Jennings – Wildlife Disease Specialist – Laboratory Manager, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Health Lab
Tony Mong – Cody area Wildlife Biologist (Manages the Absaroka Bighorn Sheep Herd near Cody) Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Jane Gates – Worland area hunter who hunted using a Type 2 license in Bighorn Sheep Hunt Area 12

The Details

Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026
Time: 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Schedule:

• Hors d’oeuvres, Cash Bar
• Film Screening
• Presentation on the Devils Canyon Herd
• Panel Discussion – Q &; A

This event is made possible through the generous contributions of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, the Wyoming Outdoorsmen, the WYldlife Fund and the Draper Museum of Natural History.

This article is proudly sponsored by