Watch: Bighorn Sheep Update 2025!

North Dakota’s bighorn sheep are in their heyday—but it’s been a long road to get here. In a new field update, Game and Fish biologist Brett Wiedmann walks through decades of lessons, from struggling transplants and devastating disease to record counts and thriving herds. With rugged Montana genetics, a strategic highway underpass, and GPS collars guiding precise surveys, the herds in the northern Badlands are growing strong. But threats like pneumonia and habitat limitations remain. ND Game & Fish is writing the book in wildlife recovery, persistence, and smart management, and this is the chapter on Big Horn Sheep. Watch below.