Yellowstone News and Information

  DNA study provides new information on Teton bighorn numbers Biologists see reason for optimism and continued conservation efforts JACKSON, WY— Preliminary findings from an on-going DNA study suggest there may be more bighorn sheep in the Teton Range than biologists previously believed, a breath of good news as public land and wildlife managers work to conserve this small, isolated and vulnerable population. “By analyzing the DNA in scat samples collected in the high country of the Tetons in 2020 and processing that data with statistical models, we estimate about 178 bighorn sheep lived in the range that summer,” said National Park Service wildlife biologist Carson Butler. Biologists have closely watched the Teton bighorns for decades. They believe the herd is vulnerable because it is small, geographically isolated, and because it has lost traditional migration routes and winter ranges. “This number is preliminary and is only a snapshot in time,” Carson said. He also emphasized he...

  Grand Teton National Park to conduct aerial operations to cull non-native mountain goats Date: February 22, 2022 Contact: C.J. Adams, 307.739.3431 MOOSE, WY— Beginning February 23, the National Park Service will cull non-native mountain goats using aerial methods in Grand Teton National Park in order to conserve a native and vulnerable population of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the Teton Range.  During aerial operations an area encompassing the northern portion of the Teton Range from Cascade Canyon to Berry Creek and extending from the base of the range west to the park boundary will be closed. Additional locations may be closed if mountain goats are located in other areas of the park. Bighorn sheep have occupied the Teton Mountain Range for thousands of years, but today this native population is small, isolated from other nearby populations, and at risk of local extinction. As one of the smallest and most isolated herds in Wyoming, currently estimated at approximately 1...

NEWS RELEASE Working Group asks skiers to avoid Teton Range Bighorn Sheep Winter Zones Map of zones available for download and backcountry use bighorn sheep with snow covered background NPS Photo/C. Adams Release Date: January 14, 2022 Contact: C.J. Adams, 307.739.3431 MOOSE, WY— The Teton Range Bighorn Sheep Working Group including Grand Teton National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department invite backcountry users to join in stewardship efforts to protect bighorn sheep. The Working Group released a map today of Teton Range Bighorn Sheep Winter Zones and is asking skiers to voluntarily avoid these sensitive bighorn sheep winter habitat areas during winter 2022. The georeferenced map is available for download at www.tetonsheep.org and can be displayed on smartphone mapping apps. As recreationists and outdoor enthusiasts, we all play a critical role in protecting and conserving public lands and the wildlife that call t...

  News Release Qualified volunteers to continue culling of non-native mountain goats in Grand Teton National Park Second year of program part of efforts to protect native bighorn sheep NPS Photo/B. Day Subscribe | What is RSS News Release Date: September 21, 2021 Contact: CJ Adams, 307-739-3431 The culling of non-native mountain goats from Grand Teton National Park will begin September 22 as part of a multi-year management plan to conserve a native and vulnerable population of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the Teton Range.    Mountain goats are not native to the Teton range and can carry bacterial diseases that are lethal to bighorn sheep. The Teton Range bighorn sheep population has been relatively isolated and is therefore likely ‘naïve’ to these diseases. Without immediate intervention, the mountain goat population is expected to grow and could contribute to the potential extirpation of the native bighorn sheep.    ...

  News Release Grand Teton Park Continues Efforts to Protect Bighorn Sheep Qualified volunteers from 2020 invited to cull non-native mountain goats this Date: July 23, 2021 Contact: Denise Germann, 307-739-3393 Contact: CJ Adams, 307-739-3431 MOOSE, WY— Grand Teton National Park is continuing a multi-year program to eradicate non-native mountain goats as part of a management plan aimed to conserve a native and vulnerable population of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the Teton Range.   The program includes a qualified volunteer culling program this fall, September 22-October 25, to remove non-native mountain goats from the park. The use of qualified volunteers is a tool identified in the National Park Service’s 2019 Mountain Goat Management Plan. There is widespread interest among local, state, and national stakeholders in conserving the Teton Range bighorn sheep herd. The National Park Service is working on this project in cooperation w...