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Author Topic: Montana Sheep - Pneumonia  (Read 1866 times)

Offline 6x6in6

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Montana Sheep - Pneumonia
« on: January 27, 2010, 11:32:04 AM »
Just got off the phone with my parents who live near Clinton Montana, 25 or so miles east of Missoula, on lower Rock Creek to be exact.
Monday morning they were having breakfast in the town of Bonner.  Sitting at the booth next to them were 2 FWP officers talking about the sheep situation around that area.  So my Dad ask whats up since they have quite a fair amount of sheep that are around there place on the lower creek, in fact, they were on their deck while they were over here at Christmas time.

Anyway, the report from these 2 FWP officers is that the herd that resides just north of Bonner and east of the Blackfoot River is in it's final stages of complete removal of all animals due to pneumonia.  The lower Rock Creek herd has numerous cases of the cough and these animals are being selectively taken right now but they are anticipating that a total herd elimination may be inevitable here too.  FWP agents have been seen every day by my parents this week now watching herd's in the fields of Rock Creek and the hills above looking and listening for the cough.
As of right now, the upper Rock Creek herd that resides near the Willow Creek and Squaw Creek area has not been diagnosed with pneumonia.  Some good news, at least.
Dad also said that there was a herd in the upper Bitterroot, he can't remember where but the thinks it was the East Fork area, that had to be completely eliminated due to pneumonia also.

Sad!!!  :(

Just thought I'd throw this out there for those thinking of applying for these areas.  I'll see if I can find a link at FWP or in the Missoulian that discusses this.

Dad has said that he's going to stop and chat with them to keep tabs on what's going on, particularly with their lower and upper Rock Creek herd's.

Offline 6x6in6

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Re: Montana Sheep - Pneumonia
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2010, 11:36:28 AM »
Here's the Bonner area herd article, the West Riverside herd.
Sounds like it might be worse than the article from just last Friday.  :(

http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_3322d298-06f8-11df-90b9-001cc4c03286.html

Offline Basket Rack

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Re: Montana Sheep - Pneumonia
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2010, 02:28:26 PM »
There is an article in today's Missoulian about the Rock Creek Herd and an update on the Sheep located near Bonner.  Sounds like they are going to take out that entire Westriverside herd that hangs just north and west of the Blackfoot, 90 animal or so.  It is definitely a sad, sad deal.  It has been a rough winter for Montana's sheep, with all the pneumonia and a few weeks ago somebody killed 8 or so on the highway near Butte when they were licking the salt on the road.

Offline GoldTip

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Re: Montana Sheep - Pneumonia
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2010, 04:28:40 PM »
Thats a damn shame, although not the area that grows the biggest Sheep in MT, there were some dandies taken there every year.  Now there will be no hunting for them for another 20 years most likely.  They will have to decrease hunting in other area's as they will trap some up in Thompson falls or over in the breaks and relocate them to the area's they are now killing them.  This will have a wide spread effect on the chances of sheep hunting in Montana for probably 20 years.  Sad, sad deal.

Only thing that could save this from affecting the tags in other area's would be if they went and trapped and relocated them from Wild Horse island on Flathead.  Not sure if they would do that or not.
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Offline catdogs

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Re: Montana Sheep - Pneumonia
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2010, 05:13:30 PM »
I live in Rock Creek, it does suck - than you have this guy, who runs over 8 sheep in his truck, 7 were rams and 2 were bookers... :(

http://mtstandard.com/articles/2010/01/12/area/hjijjiihjhffhb.txt

Offline Machias

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Re: Montana Sheep - Pneumonia
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2010, 09:37:56 AM »
Holy smokes, talk about devastating a herd.
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Offline Pathfinder101

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Re: Montana Sheep - Pneumonia
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2010, 09:50:14 AM »
Man, that sucks. :bash:
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.  That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

 


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