Colorado Parks and Wildlife conducting bighorn sheep herd survey on Pikes Peak
Aug 05, 2026
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) biologists, wildlife officers and trained volunteers and staff will spread across Pikes Peak Wednesday as they start their annual look at the population of bighorn sheep.CPW officials said the s
urvey will document one of Colorados most recognizable bighorn sheep herds while helping biologists collect data used to track the herds long-term health and population trends.Before sunrise, observer teams dispersed across Pikes Peak to 10 established survey routes, CPW officials said. Some hiked into remote observation points, while others drove to designated locations off the Pikes Peak Highway.From certain vantage points, CPW officials said observers scanned surrounding cliffs, alpine slopes and drainages, recording each bighorn sheeps location, movement, sex and age classification.Wednesdays survey is the second of two annual observation days, CPW officials said. Biologists combine observations from both surveys to develop the annual population estimate, helping account for changes in weather, animal movement and other factors that can influence what observers see on any single day.The annual survey provides a snapshot of the herds population. CPW officials said this, combined with decades of survey data, helps biologists monitor long-term population trends, evaluate herd health and develop future management recommendations.Results from this years survey will be released following completion of Wednesdays survey, CPW officials said._______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
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