AK_Skeeter
WKR
In Alaska the typical annual harvest has been about 700 rams a year for the past 25 years. 800+ is a high year.I wish it was just a local problem. With the exception of a few smaller pockets of sheep that seem to be doing OK, the trend across the state is most populations are down 40-70% over historic averages. Several areas that have historically supported small populations of sheep are without any animals at all. I know of two examples from this years surveys where that is the case.
Another troubling trend that seems to be emerging over the last few years is the average age of rams killed. I've been hearing of lots of 6-7 year old sheep getting killed, potentially half or more of the total. The current "science" and management practices say that the FC/8/broomer harvest requirements limit harvest to old rams that aren't needed to maintain/sustain herds on a population level. Seems like we might have to take a look at that if a bunch of 6-7yo rams are dying each year.
To think that not long ago, we were seeing 1200+ rams taken each year. My how things have changed.