The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-11-20

5nificance.
spent several months In close Oh
servation of the sheep In m ~
tempt to learn the reason why The
numbers Of these fine animals %
not increase more rapidly. He ha1
recently submitted lengthy report
covering his studies, report TINT
is most interesting to the person In
terested In conservation OF wild
life.
~ Head In Band
Conditions did not permit m
actual count Of the bighorns In the
Ural-Tweed band" says Mr.. Brink.
However, from the results o6 thto
study, the observer estimates there
is in the neighboorhood Of 100 head
'sOn each field trip an effort un
made to determine the age and ~
OF each animal SEEM" he continues
"A study of these frequency tab-
ulations indicates that there are ~
proximately so mature ewes, = ma-
ture rams and Is yearlingx. Theee
figures do not include the 1871
lambs"
In reporting on. what Is holding
down the number Of the bl9hor14
Mr.. Brink reports on several fnctprA
Although coyotaa are abundant "a
the sheep range, he i inclined -
Iholieve they "a MT XIII n rnN
t1rgk3 a1ll5R NJ llsGf5. l
| ~ Irresponsible TT lhrl11h 1gp1a
population ne tl1at four G111c
Northern passenger trains p1ng 0MtlY
along the arn1 at or near meal dina
Food scraps thrown from thoDE
trains induce the coyotes to inh1h1e
that district The trains also kill
domestic stock and deer, which are
eagerly devoured by the cnyoteA
And no intensive trapping Of cag-
otes has been done because Of III
high percentage OF NANCY coyotes
He recommends = 50 per cent ~
duction Of coyotes on the sheep
range.
| He says the mountain lion is def
initely out OF the picture - that
animal is almost extinct in that
area Only one lion track was seen
on the area, he says.
Eagies Not 70 Blame
He does not think bobcats and
lynx play any important part in
the killing of the bighorns. Neither
does he believe the golden eagle il
to blame, although some think It
helps keep down the number OF
sheep by killing the lambs Only
two or three OF those birds we're
seen near the area and none Of them
on the lambing range, he reports
. An extensive study of infection
: by parasites was made. Remnants
I of five skeletons were examined
| One crippled yearling ram was shot
and its carcass taken to the Rocky
| Mountain Laboratory at Hamilton,
. Mont, for examination. This was
I on March s, 1941. Large numbers
of engorged and engorging wood
ticks were collected from the skin
of the animal, So specimens OF
which were preserved 1t was also
{ infested with winter ticks. Two
nymphs and 81 adults Of this spe-
! cies were preserved. Ear ticks were
. found deep in the ears. The lobes
:, of both lungs were diseased and nu
merous worms were found in tht
; bronchial tubes. DR.. r. A. Cooley
: of the Rocky Mountain Laboratory
!, wrote Mr.. Brink: From your poin
: of view it is probable the presenc,
), of the ear ticks was the most in
! teresting point because this tick be
Z comes quite injurious when abund
ant
, In speaking of diseases transmit
q ted by domestic sheep, Mr.. Brinl
: says, Two parasitic diseases appea
: to have played an important role Il
# mountain sheep reduction Thes
: diseases, (scaGbies caused from tn
scab mite, and pneumonia, cause
. by infestation with lung worms an
! bacteria, are found in both dc
= mestic and wild sheep, the sam
20 species of lung worms occurring
~ bighorns has not been found in d.
a mestic sheep"
- In speaking of poaching by ma
Mr.. Brink says, 1T is felt that TIL
j. is contributing to our losses to .
unknown extent, but as sing
:, factor, it does not Seem responSib
a. for the lack of increase
an
no HOW hDouA AnoT0S
ed In discussing inbreeding, N
Ter Brink says: There seems little da
an ger of inbreeding in wild anims
O. where conditions permit free NOV
for ment and mixing. However. whe
he small number of one species
CONTINUED on page al