Fox News Flash top headlines for March 30
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.
Bighorn sheep are taking over North Dakota.
The state's Department of Game and Fish announced the results of its most recent bighorn sheep survey. For the second year in a row, the number of bighorn sheep in the state has set a new record.
North Dakota is considering a bighorn sheep hunt for later in 2022. (iStock)
State officials conducted the survey in March and counted 335 bighorn sheep in western North Dakota. In a press release, the department confirmed that this is 15% above the five-year average for the state.
WHY COLORADO HUNTING HAS RISEN SIGNIFICANTLY IN POPULARITY
The North Dakota Department of Game and Fish confirmed that the number of bighorn sheep is 15% above the five-year average for the state. (iStock)
It's also up 4% from last year's results, which was itself a record-setting year.
Brett Wiedmann, big game biologist, said, "We were encouraged to see the count of adult rams increase to near-record levels, and adult ewes were at record numbers. Most encouraging was a record lamb count corresponding with a record recruitment rate."
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
The Bighorn Sheep totals were up 4% from last year's totals, which was also a record-setting year. (iStock)
Some areas of the state did see a decline in the bighorn sheep population, however. The southern badlands region saw the lowest number of sheep since 1996.
State officials had also been concerned about the spread of a deadly pathogen Mycoplasma, which was first documented in the state's bighorn population in 2014. While the department noticed a number of sheep coughing during the survey, which would suggest that the pathogen is still active, it appears to have a low prevalence.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The state is considering a bighorn sheep hunt for later in 2022. It will make a final determination by September 1, after it analyses the results from its summer population survey.