PRIVATE RANCH FINDS BENEFITS IN WORKING WITH DOW ON SHEEP PROJECT

The DOW and a large ranch in the San Luis Valley are buidling on a cooperative relationship that serves wildlife statewide.

When the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) needed bighorn sheep to restore the animal to the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area near Walden, the Forbes Trinchera Ranch in southern Colorado was happy to offer to help.
 
A large herd of bighorn sheep live on the Forbes ranch, but is starting to outgrow the available habitat.
 
Trapping operations at the Forbes over the past two weeks have captured 41 sheep that have been relocated more than 300 miles to the north.
 
"We got some of our sheep years ago in a similar transplant operation," said Forbes Trinchera ranch manager Ty Ryland. "Our local herd has done so well that we're actually sending out more bighorns than were brought in to start the population in the early 1990s."
 
Over the past month, Forbes' staff members have worked with the DOW to trap sheep for transplant. But the ranch's commitment to the project goes further than just giving up sheep.
 
"Ty and the Forbes Trinchera staff have been great to work with," said Tom Spezze, DOW southwest regional manager. "Beyond giving us access to the sheep, they plowed roads, baited traps, hung nets, and helped physically catch the sheep."
 
"Trapping a large number of sheep is a major operation," added Bruce Watkins, DOW terrestrial biologist for the southwest region. "For the protection of the animals, you need enough people to get to each animal quickly when the net is dropped to make sure the sheep are restrained and safe."
 
The sheep trapped on the Forbes Trinchera Ranch generally winter on the lower Forbes and spend the warmer seasons in the nearby mountains. Beyond just providing sheep for the new herd, the trapping operation also helps the existing herd.
 
"We're at the carrying capacity of what our bighorn winter range will support, so giving the sheep to establish a herd somewhere else is a great management tool," said Ryland. "Not only does this herd remain healthier, the citizens of Colorado benefit by getting another population of these magnificent animals."
 
The Forbes Trinchera Ranch has been involved with the DOW for a number of years. The ranch is enrolled in the DOW's Ranching for Wildlife program, which encourages large landowners to manage their lands for wildlife benefits. The Ranching for Wildlife program was established by the Colorado Wildlife Commission in 1985 and has opened more than a million acres of prime private land for limited public hunting.
 
Ryland serves on the local Mt. Blanca Habitat Partnership Program committee. The Habitat Partnership Program is designed to help alleviate crop, rangeland forage and fence conflicts between big game animals and livestock on private and public lands.
 
In addition to bighorn sheep projects and big game habitat improvements, the Forbes Trinchera staff has worked with DOW aquatic biologists to improve stream habitat for cutthroat trout. Discussions are also occurring to see if the ranch can assist with other species protection and recovery projects.
 
"Wildlife is the single biggest thing we do at the ranch," Ryland emphasized. "Last year we were able to sign a conservation easement to protect 81,000 acres. We're glad to be working on a wildlife legacy that will last in perpetuity."

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