Hybrid sheep bust in Montana

[Sitka_Blacktail]

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/montana-man-pleads-guilty-creating-003000858.html

[elkrack]

Argali in montana!!!!

[GWP]

That is nuts!
At 80, and with the guy pleading guilty, it makes me wonder if he is just looking for free healthcare and lodging? Maybe he is ill?
On the other hand, if this is his first offense, and a non violent crime, figures to be released?
Quite a high tech operation.

[time2hunt]

We need pics


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[92xj]

That is nuts!
At 80, and with the guy pleading guilty, it makes me wonder if he is just looking for free healthcare and lodging? Maybe he is ill?
On the other hand, if this is his first offense, and a non violent crime, figures to be released?
Quite a high tech operation.

Dude is funding importing DNA, cloning and embryo creation of Marco Polo.  I could be wrong, but doubt he is hurting for money and looking for free healthcare and lodging. 
He's old, bored, loves killing big sheep and doing something incredible, yet illegal.

[LDennis24]

I wonder how I could get my hands on a straw of that semen for my Icelandic sheep? Imagine a sheep that's 300+ pounds and how much wool it would produce! It would be gorgeous! And terrifying when it was rutting!

[Rainier10]

That is crazy. The guy had to have some decent money to pull that off.

[GWP]

Anyone that has NOT been butted by a even a smaller horned critter is really missing out and needs to experience it first hand! Bigger critters are very much worse.
Agreed the guy has some cash.
Still surprised he plead guilty. What did they drop to get him to do that?

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/montana-man-pleads-guilty-federal-wildlife-trafficking-charges-part-yearslong-effort-create

[Fidelk]

Anyone that has NOT been butted by a even a smaller horned critter is really missing out and needs to experience it first hand! Bigger critters are very much worse.

I've had that experience......butted me in the solar plexus and lifted me right off the ground. I guess the ole boy got tired of waiting for that OIL tag.

[andrew_in_idaho]

“The sheep are endangered and protected by both international treaties and U.S. law.”

Anybody else notice this line in there, gotta love sensationalist media who have no clue what they are talking about. Marco Polo sheep are definitely not endangered or protected by law


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JWBINX]

I wonder what kind of Sheep (ewes) he was impregnating? Regular domestic, exotics??

[LDennis24]

 

It says he was selling semen to other people as well so will they even be able track the sales and find all the sheep? Did the guy keep good records of all sales and shipments? Here is the ram he was using.

[Barehunter]

I hope they killed everyone of these abominations and burned the carcasses. just think if a breeding pair got loose in the wild.
could be like nutria or any of the other non native critters.

[time2hunt]

That looks more like a spin off a mouflon sheep than a Marco Polo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Houndhunter]

I'd be ok with argali running around Montana  ...

[LDennis24]

I hope they killed everyone of these abominations and burned the carcasses. just think if a breeding pair got loose in the wild.
could be like nutria or any of the other non native critters.

Oh just imagine how awesome that would be! I hope there's one out there somewhere creating hybrid dall sheep with double curls and stone sheep with horns 4 feet wide!

[Barehunter]

I hope they killed everyone of these abominations and burned the carcasses. just think if a breeding pair got loose in the wild.
could be like nutria or any of the other non native critters.

Oh just imagine how awesome that would be! I hope there's one out there somewhere creating hybrid dall sheep with double curls and stone sheep with horns 4 feet wide!

so your ok with hybreeds competing with native species for the same resources.

[SuperX]

maybe someone will breed an elk that preys on wolves 

[jackelope]

That looks more like a spin off a mouflon sheep than a Marco Polo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think that's part of the point... They're a spin-off of all kinds of who knows what sheep breeds.

[LDennis24]

Marco polo sheep

[LDennis24]

Mouflon sheep... 

[andrew_in_idaho]

I hope they killed everyone of these abominations and burned the carcasses. just think if a breeding pair got loose in the wild.
could be like nutria or any of the other non native critters.

I would think that if a breeding pair of these got loose and established a population and they proved to be hardier than bighorn sheep, and could serve the same function in the ecosystem they would be a great facsimile for what we currently have which is a species that is very expensive and time consuming to keep on the landscape. I’m not saying this will ever happen as all wild sheep seem to be born looking to die but I don’t think a few of these loose on the landscape would create the ecological nightmare that other non natives such as nutria, wild hogs or horses have


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I hope they killed everyone of these abominations and burned the carcasses. just think if a breeding pair got loose in the wild.
could be like nutria or any of the other non native critters.

I would think that if a breeding pair of these got loose and established a population and they proved to be hardier than bighorn sheep, and could serve the same function in the ecosystem they would be a great facsimile for what we currently have which is a species that is very expensive and time consuming to keep on the landscape. I’m not saying this will ever happen as all wild sheep seem to be born looking to die but I don’t think a few of these loose on the landscape would create the ecological nightmare that other non natives such as nutria, wild hogs or horses have


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They probably thought the same thing when Mt Goats were transplanted into the Olympics.  Unintended consequences.

[Bob33]

"Montana Rancher Who Created Giant, Hybrid Sheep Sentenced to Six Months in Prison"

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/montana-rancher-who-created-giant-hybrid-sheep-sentenced-to-six-months-in-prison-180985194/

[bearpaw]

I think I recognize the name, I think he had an elk ranch in Montana before the state outlawed them. The guy should have moved to Texas where they do a lot of that kind of stuff. You just can't mess around breaking wildlife laws, especially if it involves crossing a state line or international, it will eventually catch up to you!