The diversity of fish and wildlife in North Dakota is impressive.
From Missouri River paddlefish and freshwater sturgeon to the recent re-population of trophy catfish and Red River sturgeon, North Dakota is home to mountain lions, moose and elk, as well as unique furry fauna such as river otters, fishermen, bobcats and American martens.
Though few outside the state are aware of the species, North Dakotans are proud to share the waters and land with these unique residents, one of the most well-known being the bighorn sheep.
The story and history of the bighorn sheep is equally impressive.
“The last known native bighorn cattle in the state were killed in Magpie Creek in 1905,” said Brett Weedman, a big game management biologist with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. “We know that Theodore Roosevelt hunted bighorn cattle in North Dakota in the late 1800s and killed one at Bullion Butte, but by that time bighorn cattle numbers were low.”
Fast forward to 2024, and the latest count recorded 364 bighorn sheep on the western North Dakota grasslands, a 5% increase from 2022 and 16% above the five-year average. This number surpassed the previous record of 347 bighorn sheep in 2022.
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Department biologists count and classify all bighorn sheep in late summer, then count the lambs again the following March as they approach one year of age to determine the new population.
In total, biologists counted 106 rams, 202 ewes and 56 lambs. This number does not include the approximately 40 bighorn sheep that live in the northern part of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the bighorn sheep that were introduced to the Fort Barthold Indian Reservation in 2020.
Wiedmann was pleased that the survey results marked a sixth consecutive year of increase.
The Northern Badlands population is up 5% from 2022, the highest on record. The Southern Badlands population has declined to its lowest level since bighorn cattle were reintroduced in 1966.
“We are encouraged that adult ram numbers were at record highs and adult ewe and lamb numbers were also near record highs,” Wiedman said. “Unlike the population declines observed for most other large game species after the harsh 2022-2023 winter, the increase in bighorn sheep populations is due to two factors: higher than expected adult and lamb survival rates under harsh 2022 winter conditions and higher than expected lamb production and survival rates in 2023. Essentially, bighorn sheep are incredibly hardy animals that can thrive in North Dakota's coldest winters.”
Currently, the bighorn deer population managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the National Park Service, and the Tri-Affiliated Tribes Fish and Wildlife Agency is about 490 deer, just shy of the state's bighorn deer population benchmark of 500 deer.
North Dakota's bighorn sheep are a success story: Only 50 years passed between the time the last known bighorn sheep was killed in Magpie Creek and the time they were reintroduced by the Game and Fish Department in 1956.
“A lot of the credit goes to Game and Fish officials back in the mid-1950s,” Wiedman said, “our state was one of the first states where bighorn sheep were extirpated, and they took the initiative back then to reintroduce the species, and since then, bighorn sheep have been successfully introduced into the Badlands.”
The turning point, undoubtedly, came when the Game and Fish Department introduced bighorn cattle from Montana to the Badlands in 2006 and 2007.
Regarding the importation of bighorn sheep from Montana in 2006, Wiedman had this to say: “Habitat-wise, we look for locations that are as close as possible. This is the first time since 1956 that we've imported bighorn sheep from a location that's so similar to ours. This is important because bighorn sheep are creatures of habit. Our hope is that when the sheep hop off the trailer, they'll realize that the Badlands has the same grass they're used to eating and the same clay soil they're used to walking on. It'll just feel like home.”
A bighorn sheep hunting season is scheduled to open in 2024. Season status will be determined September 1st following a summer population survey.
