A NATIVE DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP RANGING FROM DISEASE TO HABITAT DEGRADATION AND COMPETITION FOR FORAGE AND WATER SOURCES HAS CHALLENGED TO THE RISE OF EXOTIC BARBARY SHEEP ( AOUDAD ) IN THE SOUTHWEST.
Another challenge is mistaken identity according to officials with the Wild Sheep Foundation.
Hunters who believed they were shooting an aoudad have accidentally killed several plain bighorn lambs. Moose numbers are affected by this, which can result in major legal issues for hunters.
An aoudad ewes.
To assist hunters in making informed decisions, WSF and its companions, the Texas Bighorn Society and the New Mexico Wild Sheep Foundation, have produced a booklet.
DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP
These native sheep have a thicker, sleeker, light brown to black body with smooth fur. Hue around the tail, belly, and muzzle is light. Rams have substantially larger, curling ears, while ewes have horns that just slightly slope and can be 8 to 15 inches long.
AOUDAD
On the lower parts of their system, Aoudad are reddish brown. Some older pets may turn grayish-brown in colour. Most aoudads have whitened inside legs and a portion of their stomach. Some, however, did have a bit of light around the mouth. The hairy beards of lambs run from a few inches below the scalp to the chest, with the ewes being less noticeable than rams. The hair may run down the length of a mature ram’s legs to form what hunting frequently refer to as” fellas.”
Click here to learn more and save a.pdf of the entire booklet.
