CPW biologists in helicopters to survey bighorn sheep, mountain goats in Sawatch Range

Aug. 5, 2024 Bill Vogrin
Southeast Region Public Information Officer
719-466-3927
/ [email protected] CPW biologists in helicopters to survey bighorn sheep, mountain goats in Sawatch Range
Elk run across a field in the shadow of a Colorado Parks and Wildlife helicopter carrying biologists surveying the herd in this file photo. Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Aug. 5, 2024

CPW biologists in helicopters to survey bighorn sheep, mountain goats in Sawatch Range

SALIDA, Colo. – Beginning Aug. 12, Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists in helicopters will begin surveying high-elevation bighorn sheep and mountain goat populations in the Sawatch Range in Chaffee and Lake counties.

The flights will last just 3-4 days, depending on weather. The flights will occur in the Sawatch Range from Mount Ouray to Leadville. Disturbances by the flights typically only last a few minutes in any one area.

“The helicopters will only spend a brief amount of time in a specific area to count and categorize individual herds and then move on, searching for more bighorn sheep and mountain goats,” said Julie Stiver, senior wildlife biologist for CPW’s Southeast Region, based in Colorado Springs.

“Every year, CPW biologists inventory thousands of big game animals statewide to develop a picture of the productivity and composition of big game in Colorado. The data is critical to our work of forming population models, management strategies and to set future hunting license numbers.”

For more information on CPW’s wildlife population objectives, visit: cpw.state.co.us/ThingsToDo/pages/HerdManagementPlans.aspx

For information about the policies CPW uses to guide its decisions to collar animals for movement studies, visit: cpw.state.co.us/conservation/Pages/CON-Transport-Corridors.aspx

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.