The Nebraska Game and Parks Department has released 51 Big Horn Sheep on private land in the Wildcat Hills near the Flying Bee Ranch south of McGrew, Nebraska. These sheep were native to the Wildcats in the 1800's but died out due to exposure to domestic sheep and their diseases.

Because of an over population of these sheep in the Missouri Breaks near Havre and Great Falls, Montana the sheep were donated to several states for transplanting.

A helicopter pilot and crew from New Zealand, experienced in capture of wild animals, were used to acquire these sheep. They flew over and shot a net on each animal to entangle it. The mugger then jumped out of the helicopter and blind folded and hobbled each animal. Then they are transported to a working site where vets and park employees take blood tests, vaccinate, worm and check the health of each animal. Radio collar and ear tags are put on each sheep for tracking purposes. The sheep are finally loaded in a stock trailer and transported directly to the release site just west of our ranch in the Wildcat Hills of Western Nebraska.

Game and Parks employees will continue to monitor the sheep with an antenna they can carry on foot or mount on their pickups. Each radio collar emits a different frequency associated with that particular animal and ear tag number. After the lambs are born this spring they will capture them and put collars on them also.

Conrad has already seen one of the rams on our ranch and we hope to see many more in the future. We're really excited to be part of this historic event.