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Stone Sheep

Ovis dalli stonei

Joseph Hall

Also known as: Thinhorn Sheep, Stone's Sheep

Description

• Dark grey or brown to charcoal colour fur. 
• Male Stone's Sheep have thick horns that grow larger and spiral with age.
• Female horns remain small and slender.

Behaviour

Stone's Sheep spend the summer grazing in alpine meadows atop the peaks.  In the fall the sheep move to their winter range a few kilometers away where the wind keeps the snow shallow and the sun warms south-facing slopes.  They will use the same migration routes for generations and return to the same protective cliffs to give birth to their lambs every year.

Diet

Grasses, twigs, leaves, buds, Pasture Sage

Sights and sounds

Scat Round pellet (0.8 cm)	Signs Mineral lick
	Alternative content - radio interview
Tracks 14.8 x 6 cm	Sound Sheep braying

Mammals and People

• Thinhorn Sheep have long been prized for their delicious meat. First Nations would traditionally hunt sheep with bow and arrows or set snares along frequented travel routes. Sheep fleece was used to make blankets, jackets, and winter pants and horns used for ladles and dishes.
• During the Gold Rush years sheep populations were nearly wiped out from the demand for meat to feed the new settlements.  Later, road crews building the highways also greatly decreased sheep numbers. 
• Today sheep numbers have recovered through protection and management considerations, though not to their original numbers. 

Viewing Opportunities

• Stone’s Sheep are only found in the absolute southern reach of Yukon and into northern British Columbia. 
• Highway travellers can set up spotting scopes trained to south-facing slopes or alpine meadows for sneak a peak at sheep.  Keep an eye out for small patches of snow on the mountainside that suddenly start to move.
• Venturing into the alpine for a day hike will give you the greatest chance at seeing sheep. Bring your binoculars to have a look as it is best to not get too close. 

Links

• Full mammal profile
• Wildlife Key Areas
• Flying in Sheep Country
• Yukon Thinhorn Sheep: Horn Growth, Genetics and Climate Change