Home » Research » Northwestern Exposure, Feb. 21, 2019: Bringing in the Sheep

Northwestern Exposure, Feb. 21, 2019: Bringing in the Sheep

Northwestern Exposure HeaderOne of the most impressive conservation projects I’ve photographed each of the past six years is the capture of wild bighorn sheep. Watching a helicopter as it darts in and out of rugged terrain and arrive to the processing site with sheep tethered below does not get old. Neither does watching the team of wildlife professionals take samples, install tracking equipment and release the animals back to the wild.

With single-digit temperatures, this was the coldest bighorn sheep capture I’ve photographed. Despite the weather, the team persevered.

Here is some imagery that I captured Feb. 18-19 in the Wildcat Hills and the Pine Ridge.

As much as I enjoy photographing these captures, I hope that our Nebraska bighorn sheep herds will someday become healthy and resilient enough that such monitoring efforts will not seem necessary.

About Justin Haag

Justin Haag has served the Commission as a public information officer in the Panhandle since 2013. His duties include serving as regional editor for NEBRASKAland Magazine. Haag was raised in southwestern Nebraska, where he developed a love for fishing, hunting and other outdoor pursuits. After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Chadron State College in 1996, he worked four years as an editor and reporter at newspapers in Chadron and McCook. Prior to joining the Commission in 2013, he worked 12 years as a communicator at Chadron State, serving as the institution’s media and public relations coordinator the last five. He and his wife, Cricket, live in Chadron, and have two children.

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