Yakama Nation Sheep Tags

[X-Force]

A lot of talk about only 2 (more/extra) tags for this year.....what if that is the new norm? 2 extra kills this year shouldn’t put the herd in a nose dive, but, 5 a year is prolly to many I would guess.

The herd is at the high end of its population objectives and the total number of harvests discussed are 4% if the total population.

Source please.

I have been unable to find data on what the bio's believe is the max objective and ratio.
I'd also like to know what the Tribe bio believes is the max objective and ratio.

I have been under the belief that 4% was the max harvest objective for sheep and goat but I cant find where Sheep are included in that percentage. It would make sense that with a 4% harvest is set for goat and goat harvests are either sex that a Ram only hunt at 4% population would have even less effect on the overall population.

Survival and Mortality
From  1996  to  2000,  the  Swakane  bighorn  population  increased  slowly  (Table  1).      In  2001,  the population  was  estimated  at  51  sheep,  representing  a  46  percent  increase  from the  1992-2000 average. The increased count in 2001 resulted after Swakane bands began using the cliffs/breaks along the  Columbia  River  and  SR  97A,  allowing  for  better  monitoring. The  proliferation of residential developments  and  their associated  ornamental plantings  along  the  west  shore  of  the Rocky Reach pool may have enticed bighorns to cross Highway 97A with increasing frequency.  For  over  30  years,  no  bighorn  mortalities  were  attributed  to  vehicle  collisions.    However,  44 Swakane  bighorns  have  been killed by  vehicles  on  SR  97A  (18 rams, 21 ewes,  5  lambs)  since  2002. The most recent ground count for the Swakane herd documented a minimum of 156 animals.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01961/wdfw01961.pdf
There were  an  estimated  155-165  bighorn  sheep in  the  Swakane  herd  as  of  autumn  2016.   The short-term  objective  for  the  Swakane herd is  to  maintain  a  population  size  of  130-170  animals  (http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/game/); long-term, we estimate the habitat could support 150-180 animals.   

The current 2016 counts are based on multiple opportunistic aerial and ground  based  surveys,  but  we  suspect  animals  were  missed.

The risk  of  disease  transmission  from  domestic  sheep  is  substantial  for  both  the  Swakane  and Chelan Butte herds. Domestic sheep were documented 6 times within the core habitat of Swakane bighorns  from  2000-2007. Domestic  sheep  were  euthanized  by  WDFW  (with  permission  from owners) in 2003 and 2007. 

[jackelope]

I'm really truly all for the tribes exercising their rights. I just want to know that there's more behind the permits than just throwing some out there simply because the tribe can. And I don't just mean from the tribe. I mean a joint effort between the state and the tribe by qualified people working together and set a reasonable harvest number. I know that is not an easy egg to crack, but I/we can hope I guess.

[idahohuntr]

I'm really truly all for the tribes exercising their rights. I just want to know that there's more behind the permits than just throwing some out there simply because the tribe can. And I don't just mean from the tribe. I mean a joint effort between the state and the tribe by qualified people working together and set a reasonable harvest number. I know that is not an easy egg to crack, but I/we can hope I guess.

The social and political desires behind those numbers might not be aligned.  Maintaining a trophy class hunt and maximizing sustainable harvest are very, very different numbers.  So how do you decide what the harvest should be? 

[jackelope]

I'm really truly all for the tribes exercising their rights. I just want to know that there's more behind the permits than just throwing some out there simply because the tribe can. And I don't just mean from the tribe. I mean a joint effort between the state and the tribe by qualified people working together and set a reasonable harvest number. I know that is not an easy egg to crack, but I/we can hope I guess.

The social and political desires behind those numbers might not be aligned.  Maintaining a trophy class hunt and maximizing sustainable harvest are very, very different numbers.  So how do you decide what the harvest should be? 

No clue. I'm not qualified to make those decisions. I can tell you what services are due on your Ford truck though if you have one.
Are you a biologist? If so, perhaps you could shed some light on how those numbers are reached.

[PlateauNDN]

I agree that for conservative purposes they should increase government-to-government consultation in this particular subject of wildlife management and it should be in the wildlifes best interests.

If both user groups came together and took into account each others concerns, short and long term management goals and any other issues I think it could benefit everybody. 

But until the day that the State recognizes and treats Tribes with the same level of respect as it does with the other governmanetal group, I.e. Federal Government then there will co tongue to be issues amongst the groups.

[PlateauNDN]

Another thing, did the clemans, tieton, Yakima canyon (umtanum & selah butte) and quilomene sheep herds tank after we began issuing permits for those areas?

[idahohuntr]

I'm really truly all for the tribes exercising their rights. I just want to know that there's more behind the permits than just throwing some out there simply because the tribe can. And I don't just mean from the tribe. I mean a joint effort between the state and the tribe by qualified people working together and set a reasonable harvest number. I know that is not an easy egg to crack, but I/we can hope I guess.

The social and political desires behind those numbers might not be aligned.  Maintaining a trophy class hunt and maximizing sustainable harvest are very, very different numbers.  So how do you decide what the harvest should be? 

No clue. I'm not qualified to make those decisions. I can tell you what services are due on your Ford truck though if you have one.
Are you a biologist? If so, perhaps you could shed some light on how those numbers are reached.

Managing for trophies v. Max sustainable harvest is not a biological question, it's a values question.  As a co-owner of this states wildlife your opinion is just as important as anyone elses...whether you're a mechanic or a biologist.

This question could be the barrier to successful comanagement...do the tribes values align with the states? Maybe plat or others have some insight on the tribal side...do the yakamas want to maintain this as a trophy unit? Or do they just want to have some additional harvest?

[jackelope]

Another thing, did the clemans, tieton, Yakima canyon (umtanum & selah butte) and quilomene sheep herds tank after we began issuing permits for those areas?

Pretty sure a couple of them tanked, but not for the reasons you questioned.

[jackelope]

I'm really truly all for the tribes exercising their rights. I just want to know that there's more behind the permits than just throwing some out there simply because the tribe can. And I don't just mean from the tribe. I mean a joint effort between the state and the tribe by qualified people working together and set a reasonable harvest number. I know that is not an easy egg to crack, but I/we can hope I guess.

The social and political desires behind those numbers might not be aligned.  Maintaining a trophy class hunt and maximizing sustainable harvest are very, very different numbers.  So how do you decide what the harvest should be? 

No clue. I'm not qualified to make those decisions. I can tell you what services are due on your Ford truck though if you have one.
Are you a biologist? If so, perhaps you could shed some light on how those numbers are reached.

Managing for trophies v. Max sustainable harvest is not a biological question, it's a values question.  As a co-owner of this states wildlife your opinion is just as important as anyone elses...whether you're a mechanic or a biologist.

This question could be the barrier to successful comanagement...do the tribes values align with the states? Maybe plat or others have some insight on the tribal side...do the yakamas want to maintain this as a trophy unit? Or do they just want to have some additional harvest?

You keep bringing up trophy potential. How's about lets first address not tanking the herd. Then we can talk about trophy potential.

It seems as though the herd count is right in the middle of the range that the state wants it at, but the overall goal is for a higher sheep count in the Swakane. Hopefully it will at least maintain.

[Rainier10]

Another thing, did the clemans, tieton, Yakima canyon (umtanum & selah butte) and quilomene sheep herds tank after we began issuing permits for those areas?

I am not sure about that but I had mentioned in an earlier post that the herds that have been hunted by both user groups in the past show both groups harvest numbers in the survey so there is some sort of communication between the two groups about harvest at least.

[Rainier10]

@jackelope can you post page 220 of the report?  That shows the harvest numbers for the region 3 sheep.  Tribal harvest is included.

[PlateauNDN]

@jackelope they didnt have numbers for the umtanum & selah Butte herds?

[X-Force]

I'm really truly all for the tribes exercising their rights. I just want to know that there's more behind the permits than just throwing some out there simply because the tribe can. And I don't just mean from the tribe. I mean a joint effort between the state and the tribe by qualified people working together and set a reasonable harvest number. I know that is not an easy egg to crack, but I/we can hope I guess.

The social and political desires behind those numbers might not be aligned.  Maintaining a trophy class hunt and maximizing sustainable harvest are very, very different numbers.  So how do you decide what the harvest should be? 

No clue. I'm not qualified to make those decisions. I can tell you what services are due on your Ford truck though if you have one.
Are you a biologist? If so, perhaps you could shed some light on how those numbers are reached.

Managing for trophies v. Max sustainable harvest is not a biological question, it's a values question.  As a co-owner of this states wildlife your opinion is just as important as anyone elses...whether you're a mechanic or a biologist.

This question could be the barrier to successful comanagement...do the tribes values align with the states? Maybe plat or others have some insight on the tribal side...do the yakamas want to maintain this as a trophy unit? Or do they just want to have some additional harvest?

You keep bringing up trophy potential. How's about lets first address not tanking the herd. Then we can talk about trophy potential.

It seems as though the herd count is right in the middle of the range that the state wants it at, but the overall goal is for a higher sheep count in the Swakane. Hopefully it will at least maintain.

The graph you provided is a 2014 herd count and a 2015 report. The herd has maintained a population of 130-150 animals since 2012 and the most recent report (2016) estimated, "There were an estimated 155-165 bighorn  sheep in  the  Swakane  herd  as  of  autumn  2016."

Vehicle deaths were and the threat of domestic sheep are a FAR bigger issue than the harvest of 4-6 rams taken this year.

[Rainier10]

@jackelope they didnt have numbers for the umtanum & selah Butte herds?

Yes on page 220, I just asked him to post that chart.  I am not as tech savvy as he is.  He is a year younger than me so he is better at that stuff.  I'm old school. 

[X-Force]

@jackelope they didnt have numbers for the umtanum & selah Butte herds?

Yes on page 220, I just asked him to post that chart.  I am not as tech savvy as he is.  He is a year younger than me so he is better at that stuff.  I'm old school.