Pneumonia outbreaks in bighorn sheep have become a conservation and management issue for wild sheep herds across North America. However, not all pneumonia outbreaks effect sheep populations the same and not all populations carrying pneumonia related pathogens have outbreaks.
We suspect that the susceptibility of a bighorn sheep population to a pneumonia outbreak may be dependent on the nutritional quality of their landscape, and therefore the nutritional condition of the sheep on that landscape. We are studying how disease, habitat, and numerous other factors interact to influence adult and lamb survival.
Main Questions
How do nutrition and disease affect survival and raising offspring?
To investigate the influence of maternal condition and disease status on survival and raising offspring, we pair information on the nutritional condition and disease status of mom with knowing how long lambs survive after birth.
Do moms transmit disease immunity to lambs at birth?
Lamb recruitment can be a limiting factor in population growth, especially after a pneumonia outbreak. Immunities gained from mom could increase their chance at survival, but it is unknown if mom can pass such immunities on to her offspring. We are comparing antibodies–a way to measure immunity–between moms and newborn lambs.
How does habitat quality affect nutritional condition and immunity?
Pneumonia-causing pathogens are present in most bighorn sheep populations in Wyoming, but some populations are more resilient to outbreaks than others. Sheep with access to high quality forage tend to be in better nutritional condition and may be better buffered from the effects of pneumonia-causing pathogens, when compared to sheep with limited access to high quality forage.
Communications
Scientific papers
“Effects of helicopter net-gunning on survival of bighorn sheep” by Brittany L Wagler, Rachel A Smiley, Alyson B Courtemanch, Gregory Anderson, Daryl Lutz, Doug McWhirter, Doug Brimeyer, Patrick Hnilicka, Cody P Massing, David W German, Thomas R Stephenson, Kevin L Monteith. Published 2022 in the Journal of Wildlife Management.
“Heterogeneity in risk‐sensitive allocation of somatic reserves in a long‐lived mammal” by Rachel A Smiley, Brittany L Wagler, Tayler N LaSharr, Kristin A Denryter, Thomas R Stephenson, Alyson B Courtemanch, Tony W Mong, Daryl Lutz, Doug McWhirter, Doug Brimeyer, Patrick Hnilicka, Blake Lowrey, Kevin L Monteith. Published 2022 in Ecosphere.
To see the other scientific papers that have come from this research, visit our list of peer-reviewed publications.
Press
“Facing a ‘die off,’ bighorn sheep get airlifted for a health checkup,” by Hannah Merzbach for Wyoming Public Media, 2023. Link.
“Bighorns in the Upper Green captured for research,” by Mark Gocke for Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 2023. Link.
“Biologists worry about die-off after ewe hunt failed to substantially cull pneumonia-prone bighorn herd,” by Billy Arnold for Jackson Hole News & Guide, 2023. Link.
“Amidst the rocky crags,” by Emily Reed for Modern Huntsman, 2021. Link.
Outreach and engagement
Each year, we travel to Reno, Nevada, to share our work and talk with sheep enthusiasts at the Sheep Show. We also share our work with K-12 students, whether at camps with the National Bighorn Sheep Center or in classrooms around the state, whenever possible.
Project leads
Jack Gavin
Rachel Smiley
Brittany Wagler
Collaborators, partners, and funders
This project is conducted in close collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory. This project is supported by the Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, Wild Sheep Foundation, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, Bowhunters of Wyoming, Wyoming Wildlife Livestock Disease Research Partnership, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board, United States Forest Service, Teton Conservation District, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and Mountain View Resort, Lodging, and RV Park.