Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: New Mexico
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

New Mexico Project


Survival and cause-specific mortality of neonatal desert bighorn sheep in New Mexico

August 2011 - May 2014


Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
  • T & E, Inc.
Desert bighorn lamb in Peloncillo Mountains, New Mexico

Based on recent population growth due to active recovery efforts conducted by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) have been removed from the state’s threatened and endangered species list. As a result of this delisting, desert bighorn sheep populations will be subjected to increased harvest in New Mexico. The NMDGF has identified the need to obtain estimates of lamb survival, recruitment and cause-specific mortality as part of ongoing efforts to manage for the continued growth of bighorn sheep populations in New Mexico. Our objectives are to: 1) estimate lamb survival and determine cause-specific mortality of neonatal desert bighorn sheep in the Peloncillo Mountains, New Mexico; and 2) continue ongoing monitoring efforts to determine causes of mortalities of adult bighorn sheep in the Peloncillo, Big Hatchet and Little Hatchet mountains.

Research Publications Publication Date
Smith, J.B., D.P. Walsh, E.J. Goldstein, Z.D. Parsons, R.C. Karsch, J.R. Stiver, J.W. Cain III, K.J. Raedeke, and J.A. Jenks. 2014. Techniques for capturing bighorn sheep lambs. Wildlife Society Bulletin 38:165-174. | Download March 2014
Karsch, R.C., J.W. Cain III, E.M. Rominger, and E.J. Goldstein. 2016. Desert bighorn lambing habitat: Parturition, lamb nursery, and predation sites. Journal of Wildlife Management 80:1069-1080. | Download July 2016
Presentations Presentation Date
Karsch, R., J.W. Cain III, E.M. Rominger, and E.J. Goldstein. 2013. Desert bighorn sheep lamb survival and cause-specific mortality in the Peloncillo Moutains, New Mexico. Desert Bighorn Council Meeting, April 17-20,2013 Las Cruces, NM April 2013
Karsch, R., J.W. Cain III, E. Goldstein, and R. Rominger. 2014. Desert bighorn sheep lamb survival and cause-specific mortality in the Peloncillo Mountains, New Mexico. 47th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Pinetop, Arizona, New Mexico, USA. February 2014
Karsch, R.C., J.W. Cain III, E.M. Rominger, E.J. Goldstein. 2015. Parturient desert bighorn sheep survival strategies: environmental characteristics at female parturition sites and lamb nursery and predation sites. 48th Joint Annual Meeting of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapters of The Wildlife Society, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. February 2015