Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists want to learn more about the distribution of bighorn sheep in the Rio Grande County area during different times of the year and will soon start a project to fit the animals with satellite GPS collars in the La Garita area.
CPW will use helicopters to locate bighorn sheep for the study, an operation that might be visible to the public. The goal is to place 10 GPS collars on bighorns in Bighorn Sheep Unit 55, northwest of Del Norte. The project involves the Natural Arch and Carnero Creek herd. Location data provided by the collars will help inform biologists about bighorn distribution across the landscape during different times of the year.
“We need to better understand where our wild sheep from these groups are in proximity to nearby domestic sheep grazing allotments,” said CPW biologist Brent Frankland. “These collars will help CPW make more informed management decisions.”
The project is slated to begin in late January or early February. For more information, contact the CPW Monte Vista office at 719-587-6900.