Replace bighorn mountain sheep GOS with LEH

The public is invited to comment on the proposed hunting regulation described below.

Status: Proposed

Region: 7a and 7B

Management unit (MU): 7-18, 7-19

Regulation type: Limited Entry Hunting

Species: Mountain Sheep

Closing date: 16:30, March 22, 2024

Decision statement: Pending

Current regulation

There is currently an Aug 15-Sept 30 general open season for full curl big horn mountain sheep in MUs 7-18 (Omineca Region) and 7-19 (Peace Region)

Proposed regulation

Replace the general open seasons with Limited Entry Hunting, retain the full curl restriction and season dates. 

Rationale

Bighorn sheep occur in the Kakwa/Torrens area which encompasses MU 7-19 in the Peace Region and MU 7-18 of the Omineca Region, as well as management unit (MU) 445 in Alberta. The few infrequent known occurrences of bighorn sheep observed in MU 7-18 are considered wandering animals from the core range in MU 7-19 and MU 445. This is the northernmost population of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Canada.

Currently, bighorn sheep in MU 7-19 and MU 7-18 are harvested through a general open season (GOS) from August 15th to September 30^th for full curl rams. The successful harvest of bighorn sheep in MU 7-19 is limited by the difficult access to sheep habitat and the historic maximum harvest of 5 sheep per year (overall harvest by non-resident and resident hunters). In Alberta, the population in MU 445 is subject to more liberal harvest requirements with GOS of ¾ curl bighorn rams.

The Procedural Manual, BC Management Guidelines and Harvest Management Rules – Bighorn Sheep Harvest Management, states that the Regional Section Head should consider closing a harvest season where < 75 mountain sheep have been observed in population over three consecutive surveys.

The bighorn sheep population in MUs 7-18 and 7-19 is trans-boundary with Alberta and the size of the population in BC varies by year and season. The population shifts seasonally, with movements to the west in the summer and fall, making the effective population in BC potentially larger, or smaller, during those seasons than in the winter when the surveys are typically conducted. Since 1976, the population has fluctuated annually, however the most recent population inventories conducted in winter 2022 estimated roughly 38 bighorn sheep in MU 7-19, and 129 bighorn sheep in the overall Kakwa/Torrens area (MU 445 and MU 7-19).

Recent population inventories indicate declines in the combined BC/AB bighorn sheep population, and in BC alone. The most recent inventory suggests that subpopulations (Nekik, Kakwa, Torrens, and Sulphur) are sitting well below the minimum viable subpopulation size for bighorns (50) as discussed above.

As per the Bighorn Sheep Harvest Management Procedure (FLNRO 2014) the recommended lamb:ewe ratio is ≥30 lambs:100 ewes for a stable population. The lamb:ewe ratio for the most recent 2022 inventory observed only 22 lambs:100 ewes. This indicates a lower recruitment of lambs than what is required for stable or increasing bighorn sheep populations.

Additional information