The bighorn sheep population is holding steady in the Catalina Mountains, a year after a record fire and a punishing dry spell.
The ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Game and Fish Department estimates a population of between 55 and 70 sheep in the mountains north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, based on the results of a two-day helicopter survey of the herd.
Biologists spotted 35 sheep during flights Monday and Tuesday. That’s down from the 40 animals that were observed during the last aerial survey in 2019, but Game and Fish spokesman Mark Hart called the difference “statistically insignificant.â€
“The best way to characterize the population is stable,†he said.
This was the first aerial count since the Bighorn Fire scorched almost 120,000 acres in the Catalinas.
Bighorn sheep scramble away from the helicopter during a recent aerial population survey in the Catalina Mountains. Video courtesy of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Game and Fish Department.
The wildfire — sparked, coincidentally, by a lightning strike on an outcrop near Pusch Ridge known as Bighorn Mountain — temporarily displaced the herd, Hart said, but wildlife officials found no evidence that any of the animals were caught up and killed by the flames.
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“We spent a lot of time during and after the fire trying to get eyes on them,†he said. “They were able to move away from the fire.â€
Biologists wanted to count the herd from the air as soon as the flames were out last year, but all such flights were canceled because of COVID-19 restrictions, Hart said.
The largest blaze in Pima County history was immediately followed by one of the driest monsoon seasons ever recorded in Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

A group of bighorn sheep with a lamb at the center gathers around a saguaro in an aerial photo taken during a helicopter survey of the Catalina Mountains on Monday. The two-day survey resulted in an estimated sheep population of between 55 and 70.
Hart said the drought probably impacted the herd more than the fire did, reducing the survival rate of lambs due to the lack of food and water.
“Conditions on the mountain were pretty austere until the monsoon†this year, he said.
The Catalinas have since turned a deep shade of green, with ample forage that biologists believe could lead to a bumper crop of healthy lambs next year.
Hart said any boost the herd gets from the third-wettest monsoon on record probably won’t show up in the population numbers until the next aerial survey in a year or two.
State game officials are keeping close tabs on the bighorns in the Catalinas because they have a lot invested in the animals.
The range’s last native bighorn sheep herd disappeared sometime in the 1990s, prompting wildlife managers to try to restore the species.

Two bighorn rams stare out at a helicopter during an aerial sheep survey in the Catalina Mountains on Tuesday. The ram with the colored tag in its ear was among those released into the range between 2013 and 2016. The one without a tag was likely born in the Catalinas.
Between 2013 and 2016, 110 sheep from thriving herds elsewhere in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ were captured and released into the Catalinas. To keep the transplanted bighorns from being eaten, game officials authorized the controversial killing of eight mountain lions over the same four-year period.
Since then, the sheep have settled into the steep, rocky slopes along the southern and western faces of the range, roughly from Sabino Canyon to Catalina State Park.
“They can be really hard to spot from the air, and they’re really good at taking cover,†Hart said.
All of the sheep released into the range were fitted with tracking collars designed to unlock and fall off once the batteries die, Hart said. Only a handful of those devices are still functioning today.

Bighorn sheep were photographed in the Catalina Mountains during a helicopter survey Tuesday. Biologists counted 35 sheep and estimate the total population to be between 55 and 70 in the mountains north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
Several of the animals spotted from the air this past week still sported the color-coded ear tags they were given when they were released into the range. Hart said at least one of those surviving sheep comes from the original group of 30 that was set free in the Catalinas in 2013.
A look back at the Bighorn Fire in photos
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A DC-10 air tanker or VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker) dumps thousands of gallons of retardant on the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest east of Rams Canyon subdivision on June 6, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A Chinook heavy lift helicopter passes smoke from the Bighorn Fire burning along Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on June 6, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Smoke from the Bighorn Fire shrouds granite formations of Pusch Ridge in Coronado National Forest north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on June 6, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

People watch the aerial ballet of helicopters and air tankers on the Bighorn Fire from the safety of Oro Valley Marketplace on June 7, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A DC-10 air tanker spreads a line of retardant high atop Pusch Ridge as fire managers tried in vain to keep the the Bighorn Fire confined to the West end of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on June 6, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

The Bighorn Fire burning above Catalina State Park in the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on June 7, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Dark smoke from the Bighorn Fire in the upper elevations of Pima Canyon obscures the rising sun above the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on June 9, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A helicopter dips into Rose Canyon Lake for water while fighting the Bighorn Fire still burning in the west end fo the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 9, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

The Bighorn Fire consumes thick vegetation in crags above Pima Canyon within the Santa Catalina Mountains in Coronado National Forest north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on June 9, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A Chinook helicopter drops a load of water on the Bighorn Fire as is moves into the top of Finger Rock Canyon and up Mount Kimball, on June 10, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

The Bighorn Fire burns up into juniper, mesquite and heavier fuel as it approaches Mt. Kimball in the Santa Catalina Mountains, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., June 10, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Adam Hutton with the Smokey Bear Hotshots of Ruidoso, New Mexico tosses away brush being cut near the mouth of Finger Rock Canyon as a precaution against the growing Bighorn Fire being fought in the Santa Catalina Mountain Range, on June 10, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

The Bighorn Fire breaks onto the southern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains and burns over a pair of homes in the foothills just west of the Finger Rock Trailhead, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., June 10, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

The Bighorn Fire churns through brush, creating a smoky mess in Pima Canyon and Finger Rock Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A DC-10 air tanker (VLAT) drops fire retardant behind homes in the Cobblestone Estate during the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Residents watch a Neptune Aviation air tanker drop fire retardant behind the Santa Catalina foothills north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A hot shot fire crew hikes a ridge near Finger Rock Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains during the Bighorn Fire on June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Keith Lencke of the Blue Ridge Hotshots watches the air attack on the Bighorn Fire in the Cobblestone Estates neighborhood in the Santa Catalina foothills on June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Qin Chen talks with Tom Lemmons of the Pima County Sheriff's Office Auxiliary, about "Go" orders given to evacuate her home in the Cobblestone Estates neighborhood due to the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A Chinook helicopter dumps water on a slope during the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 11, 2020. Pinkish-red fire retardant coats the rock faces of the mountain range.
Bighorn Fire - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A DC-10 air tanker (VLAT) drops a line of retardant on a ridge above homes east of Pima Canyon in the Santa Catalina foothills during the Bighorn Fire on June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A DC-10 VLAT makes a final drop in the fading light over the homes in the area between Swan and Alvernon during the daylong struggle to keep the Bighorn Fire out of the neighborhoods of the Santa Catalina Mountain foothills, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

People watch from Oracle Road just north of the entrance to Catalina State Park as Chinook helicopters drop water on the Bighorn Fire which is burning for its seventh day in the western Santa Catalina mountain range, on June 12, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Smoke billows from the Bighorn Fire burning in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness, on June 12, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Two firefighting helicopters maneuver around one another while recharging at a dip site as the battle moves to the north to keep the Bighorn Fire from spreading, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A DC-10 VLAT drops below the ridge line as the aerial battle moves to the northwest and crews work to keep the Bighorn Fire from spreading through Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A Chinook helicopter drops water on the line of flames advancing through grasslands at the northwestern foot of the Santa Catalinas as crews work to keep the Bighorn Fire from spreading through Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 11, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

The Bighorn Fire's northwestern front looms over homes as it burns into the central Santa Catalina Mountains, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 13, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A group of friends hangout on a high rock at Windy Point Vista while smoke from the Bighorn Fire flows over Mount Lemmon north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on June 14, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A Pima County Sheriff Auxiliary Volunteer motions for a four-wheel drive Type 3 fire engine from Three Points FD to proceed to Mount Lemmon on the Catalina Highway on June 15, 2020..
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildfires

A DC-10 air tanker drops fire retardant along Samaniego Ridge just west of Mt. Lemmon Sky Center during the Bighorn Fire burning west of Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on June 16, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A Sikorsky firefighting helicopter drops water along a ridge top as the flames from the Bighorn Fire work their way onto the northern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., June 16, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

The same wind whipping the flags outside the Fairfield Inn & Suites on Oracle Road is whipping up the flames and smoke of the Bighorn Fire, Oro Valley, Ariz., June 17, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Flames break through the smoke as a finger of the Bighorn Fire scorches its way through a canyon on the west side of the Santa Catalina Mountains above Oro Valley on June 17, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

People use a wildlife exit along Oracle Road to get a view of the Bighorn Fire churning through heavy fuels like Ponderosa pines below Summerhaven on June 17, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

The Bighorn Fire became of machine of heat and wind, consuming incinerating large stands of trees on June 17, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A firefighting helicopter flies over a smoke filled canyon as it shuttles water to a line between the Bighorn Fire and Oracle, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., June 18, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

The Bighorn Fire burning in Ventana Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains as the fire became a daily spectacle, viewable from nearly anywhere in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, on June 18, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Traffic on Sabino Canyon Road drives under the glow of he Bighorn Fire as it claims Ventana Canyon on the south slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 19, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Flames on the outer eastern walls of Ventana Canyon as the Bighorn Fire continues burning the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 20, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Smoke would lay-in over the city on days with calm winds as the Bighorn Fire methodically progressed through he Santa Catalina range. Photo taken on June 21, 2020 from "A" Mountain.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Flames from the Bighorn Fire climb over a ridge near Esperero Canyon, silhouetting a stand of Saguaros as the blaze marches east on June 23, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Smoke from the Bighorn Fire clings to the foothills of the eastern slopes of the Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains and the cottonwood-willow forest and mesquite bosque running along the San Pedro River Valley, Cascabel, Ariz., June 30, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Bighorn Fire scar area: Cañada del Oro basin looking south at Sanmaniego Ridge in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on July 1, 2020. The summit of Mt Lemmon is at left.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Bighorn Fire scar area: Looking from East Ski Run toward Oracle Ridge, left, and Sanmaniego Ridge, right, in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on July 10, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Summerhaven sits like an island surrounded Bighorn Fire scar and Aspen Fire scar from 2003 in these aerial photos from July 15, 2020. The Mt. Lemmon Fire Station and control road jut out from a U-shaped turn of Mt. Lemmon Highway at upper left.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Bighorn Fire scar area: Charred debris from the Bighorn Fire moves down the Cañada del Oro Wash after a monsoon storm on July 15, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A burned section of the Catalina Mountains seen near Aspen Vista Point, on Aug. 1, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Deymo Fernandez, left, and Sara Hernandez, look at a burn scar from the Bighorn Fire on the North side of Mount Lemmon outside the Iron Door Restaurant in Mount Lemmon on August 2, 2020..
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

The burn scar from the Bighorn Fire on a portion of the North side of Mount Lemmon, as seen from the Mount Lemmon Fire Station on August 2, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Gregg Sasek, dispersed recreation manager for the Coronado National Forest Santa Catalina Ranger District, demonstrates how ground along the Palisade Trail has been burnt out making it easy for hikers to sink a leg into the soil, on Aug. 12, 2020. Various dangers are still being accessed throughout the Coronado National Forest as a result of the Bighorn Fire.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

A sign at the entrance to the Pima Canyon Trail warns hikers of dangers after the Bighorn Fire damages hiking areas on September 30, 2020.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Snow covers a burn scar from the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains outside of Summerhaven, Ariz. on Nov. 9, 2020. The Mt. Lemmon General Store in Summerhaven got about 1-2 inches of snow early Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Damage from the Bighorn Fire can be seen along the Marshall Gulch Trail on Mt. Lemmon in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 25, 2021.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Rosalind Perera walks along the Aspen Trail where damage from the Bighorn Fire can be seen on Mt. Lemmon in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 25, 2021.
Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 2020

Damage from the Bighorn Fire can be seen along the Aspen Trail on Mt. Lemmon in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 25, 2021.