Bighorn sheep tagged with collars as part of study

The Colorado Department of Wildlife will begin tagging about 25 bighorn sheep next month as part of a multiyear study of sheep in the Black Canyon Wilderness. About 75 sheep are estimated to live on the northern end of the Uncompahgre Plateau around Black Canyon ridge.

The DOW will use a low-flying helicopter over the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness to capture and collar many of the sheep, though the agency won’t do that in Colorado National Monument, where such flights are forbidden.

The helicopters may disturb hikers and horseback riders in the wilderness, but the DOW believes the study is worth the distraction, Area Wildlife Manager Dean Riggs said.

Read the full story in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel by clicking here.