HELENA – The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission closed bighorn sheep hunting in Hunting District 622 during an emergency meeting on Monday.
The closure was proposed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks after biologists conducting a spring survey last week only counted five sheep. One ram died while the biologists were conducting the survey. The ram is undergoing a necropsy at the wildlife health lab in Bozeman.
HD 622 is located on the north side of the Missouri River Breaks in northeast Montana. Concerns over bighorn sheep populations in the hunting district have mounted over the past two years as biologists have noted a decline in spring counts, and in 2024 hunters noticed a decline in sheep within the hunting district.
“Hunters and landowners alike expect us to respond immediately when we see situations like this within our wildlife herds,” said FWP Director Christy Clark. “Our staff is working hard to investigate the situation so we can determine how to best move forward.”
The deadline to apply for bighorn sheep permits is May 1. About 2,000 hunters have applied for a bighorn sheep license in HD 622. FWP will contact those hunters and offer them the opportunity to adjust their application or receive a refund.
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