Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep In Sequoia Kings Canyon - Big Arroyo

Big Arroyo herd movement data

S287 - Ewe (kml)

S202 - Ram (kml)

Recent Events

• 5/27/2023 All collared animals are believed to have died this winter, during heavy snows.
• 6/26/2021 Surveyed Big Arroyo and saw a group of 7 adult females, 2 yearlings, and 5 lambs in the Chagoopa Bowl.
• 10/20/2020 3 females were captured and collared during the fall capture.
• 4/3/2019 During winter in the Big Arroyo most bighorn move to areas with wind scoured slopes to find vegetation to eat.
• 5/10/2018 Several ewes primarily used the east-facing slopes above the Kern River near Funston Creek.
• 7/13/2016 3 ewes and 3 lambs were seen near the Black Kaweah. There was a lot of good forage in this area.
• 6/8/2016 13 sheep were observed on the south facing slopes of the Big Arroyo, including 3 lambs!

The Big Arroyo herd was reestablished in 2014 with the translocation of 14 Sierra bighorn from the Mt. Baxter and Wheeler Ridge herds. Access to this herd is difficult, which gives us limited opportunity to monitor the bighorn on foot. Difficulties are compiled by the large amount of distance between different groups of bighorn in this herd unit.

Two years after translocations, our best count of this herd was a total of 22 animals. In 2020, we counted a total of 28 animals in the herd.