Dall Sheep Total Annual Range

[YukonSean]

Does anyone know the average annual range for Dall Sheep in KM squared? I have looked around the site a bit and the internet but have not found anything concrete.

 

[Sourdough]

I am not clear "Exactly" what you are wanting to know, So please clarify your request as much as possible. And I'll try to help. I don't want to spend a lot of time answering the wrong question, or the correct question, with a misunderstood answer.

 

[Bambistew]

Id say about 20km2. The guys who fly and spot them then whine about how hard it is to kill one... are generally members of RHAK.

 

[oenanthe]

I think it really depends on the area. In some rugged glaciated ranges Dall rams might only move a mile or two all season, but in open hill country without much escape terrain I've watched rams move 5-6 miles in a single day, unpressured.

 

[YukonSean]

I am not clear "Exactly" what you are wanting to know, So please clarify your request as much as possible. And I'll try to help. I don't want to spend a lot of time answering the wrong question, or the correct question, with a misunderstood answer.

I have been studying mapping software of large swaths of sheep habitat in the Yukon where I hunt. I'm looking to try to break the mountain ranges into smaller pieces teasing out specific home ranges for sheep. From there I want to work on breaking these home ranges down on a smaller scale to try and pin point where the rams will be throughout the year within each.

I figured if there was an estimated home range size that would aid in my initial breakdown of the map. For example if the average home range of a sheep was 150km squared, I could use this as a reference tool on Google Earth which allows you to trace an area and it auto calculates it's square kms.

 

[Sourdough]

I have been studying mapping software of large swaths of sheep habitat in the Yukon where I hunt. I'm looking to try to break the mountain ranges into smaller pieces teasing out specific home ranges for sheep. From there I want to work on breaking these home ranges down on a smaller scale to try and pin point where the rams will be throughout the year within each.

I figured if there was an estimated home range size that would aid in my initial breakdown of the map. For example if the average home range of a sheep was 150km squared, I could use this as a reference tool on Google Earth which allows you to trace an area and it auto calculates it's square kms.

I (Long-a-go) would fly Dall Sheep count surveys, I also guided Dall Sheep hunters in that same mountain range. We also few supplies through much of that range into mining camps, and geological research camps, and residents. So over the years we, really got where we had names for several Dall Sheep, and knew where they could be found.

I have also spent much of the last 50 years living in remote cabins in Alaska, where I can watch and study Dall Sheep right from the window of the cabin. I have hunted Dall Sheep, and Guided Dall Sheep hunters for 40'some years, in every mountain range in Alaska.

The bottom line is they simply don't move very much. If there is food there, and if that location is near terrain they can quickly escape predators.......They are happy sheep, with little motivation to move. Yes, come deep snow they will move a little distance to the "wind blown" slopes where there is little snow, and easier access to food. Yes, they will come down to a valley, and go up the other side to feed, but this is very dangerous for them.

They just don't move any great distance. They do come "slightly" down to lower elevation as it get dark, for feeding, but return to the same bedding area at daylight.

One compelling evidence that they stay in the same small area, is the "beds". The "beds" and the amount of sheep droppings (poop) shows they live there. And if they moved very much there would be sheep "beds" everywhere, and there simply is NOT.

There may be research where they have collared sheep to study their range, but I have never see them. It would not surprise me if 90% of the Dall Sheep are born and die, and never travel more then five miles range. (I could be wrong).

That's my story, and I am sticking to it.

 

[Bear_Hunter]

Does anyone know the average annual range for Dall Sheep in KM squared? I have looked around the site a bit and the internet but have not found anything concrete.

Google scholar is a pretty handy tool, these papers took only a couple minutes to find:

Seasonal Ranges of Dall's Sheep, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories by M. Simmons

Dall Sheep Movement and Mineral Lick Use by W Heimer

Population Dynamics and Seasonal Movement Patterns of Dall Sheep in the Atigun Canyon Area, Brooks Range Alaska by B. L. Summerfield

You could probably turn up 30 plus papers easily on Dall Sheep movement if you look in the right places

 

[Jacques Etcheverry]

Id say about 20km2. The guys who fly and spot them then whine about how hard it is to kill one... are generally members of RHAK.

Some of us still hike for them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[YukonSean]

I think it really depends on the area. In some rugged glaciated ranges Dall rams might only move a mile or two all season, but in open hill country without much escape terrain I've watched rams move 5-6 miles in a single day, unpressure

I (Long-a-go) would fly Dall Sheep count surveys, I also guided Dall Sheep hunters in that same mountain range. We also few supplies through much of that range into mining camps, and geological research camps, and residents. So over the years we, really got where we had names for several Dall Sheep, and knew where they could be found.

I have also spent much of the last 50 years living in remote cabins in Alaska, where I can watch and study Dall Sheep right from the window of the cabin. I have hunted Dall Sheep, and Guided Dall Sheep hunters for 40'some years, in every mountain range in Alaska.

The bottom line is they simply don't move very much. If there is food there, and if that location is near terrain they can quickly escape predators.......They are happy sheep, with little motivation to move. Yes, come deep snow they will move a little distance to the "wind blown" slopes where there is little snow, and easier access to food. Yes, they will come down to a valley, and go up the other side to feed, but this is very dangerous for them.

They just don't move any great distance. They do come "slightly" down to lower elevation as it get dark, for feeding, but return to the same bedding area at daylight.

One compelling evidence that they stay in the same small area, is the "beds". The "beds" and the amount of sheep droppings (poop) shows they live there. And if they moved very much there would be sheep "beds" everywhere, and there simply is NOT.

There may be research where they have collared sheep to study their range, but I have never see them. It would not surprise me if 90% of the Dall Sheep are born and die, and never travel more then five miles range. (I could be wrong).

That's my story, and I am sticking to it.

Thanks for your expertise Sourdough. You have definitely cleared some things up for me. I am fortunate enough to have bought property where I can leave my cabin by foot, quad or snow machine and get to decent sheep country in short order. I plan to live out my days right here so am looking forward to getting to know the sheep in my area and finding out where they are spending their time season to season.

It's amazing to think they can spend their entire lives in one general area.