Domestic Sheep Effect

[COSA]

Was checking one of my favorite drainages in Idaho, and there were ~500 sheep and associated horses, dogs, herders in the basins. Of course I did not see any bucks - will the bucks return after being displaced this late in the summer?

 

[fngTony]

About 3 to 4 days later in my experience. That's in national forest with cattle as well. When I hunted in sage brush country it was only a day. I think the cattle play into it too.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Range maggots mess it up for a while.

 

[Mmcan]

Worst thing is they chomp down a bunch of forage for the wildlife, and the flies are even more numerous.

 

[Jimmy]

I've seen random sheep that got left behind. Too bad I didnt have a tag

 

[Drifli]

I have noticed high country cattle have almost the same effect. The difference is the cattle are usally more dispersed than the sheep herds.

 

[back country]

I think how long the sheep have been/will be in there also plays a part into how quick the deer come back, or if they come back at all. A buddy of mine is after a sweet buck in a hollow where they have typically run sheep in the past before the archery season starts and then the sheep are gone by time the archery opener rolls around. This year there's a new sheepherder and he did things a little 'out of the ordinary' compared to his previous compadres. He only ran the sheep in the hollow where this buck lives for 1 day, maybe 2, and then he moved on. I know this because I talked to him and he said he was done running them in that specific hollow.

Anyway, the day after he quit running the sheep down there, my friends buck was a no show...actually all the bucks in there were no shows. But the day after we found him back in his normal spot with all his friends. That's why I think the length of time the sheep are in there plays a part in it. And it probably is due in large part to how badly they decimate the available feed I would think.

 

[PWCGray]

couple days. If you can find where the hearder is basing out of early in summer, those can be great areas once they move on. sheep guys put the hammer down on predators in any drainage they stay in for more than a day or two.

 

[focker34]

I haven't run into sheep in the high country yet, but I have seen my share of cows. At different times I've seen deer and cows living side by side like they were the same species. At other times I've seen cows overtake a series of basin's without a single deer around.

 

[robby denning]

Sheep always screw it up in the short term.

 

[sagebuster]

Been archery hunting a sweet little micro-habitat in southwestern Idaho for better than 30 years. Sheepherders always pass thru in early August, then return in late September. Those sheep absolutely decimate that landscape, driving out the deer and elk for a week or more. Its a wonder any animals come back at all. But by the first of September, the elk and deer are right back in there. If the area you are wanting to hunt gets mutton-mauled, don't give up hope. Give it a rest, and if it is prime for deer and elk, they will be back.

 

[BennyBeaver]

I took this picture a couple of years ago while scouting some high country in Idaho, my tent is in the background. I had the area to myself until evening time when these sheep came pouring into the area. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep that night with the guard dogs barking, coyotes howling and sheep trying to check out my tent.

 

[Kebler]

so how long does it take deer to return to these Areas, the unit I am trying to learn and hunted this year was decent, good enough for this flat lander.

but it appears the sheep are there annually