17 Wild Cat Hills, NE

In 2001 22 bighorn sheep were reintroduced into the Wild Cat Hills of Nebraska. In the fall of that year one sheep developed hoof deformities, as did several other sheep during subsequent years. These sheep came from Colorado springs CO. None of the sheep from the source herd in CO showed any sign of hoof problems. These deformities look like the hoof problems suffered by elk in WA, moose in Utah, and moose in AK. With no signs of the affliction in the source sheep, an environmental cause in the sheep’s new home would explain the hoof rot. The Cedar Canyon WMA where these hoof deformities were discovered is relatively small, and completed surrounded by agriculture. The Scotts Bluff County weed control authority that covers the area around the WMA takes a pretty hard line on weeds, and fines land owners that do not control them.