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Dall Sheep Project
In response to local concerns over declining Dall sheep populations, AITRC launched a preliminary health assessment in collaboration with Tribal and local hunters. Samples from harvested sheep—including organs, hair, fecal, and nasal swabs—are being analyzed for essential and non-essenital elements, and disease prevalence.​
The results will help identify potential causes of reduced abundance and guide future fieldwork. Funding has been secured to continue and expand the project into the 2026 hunting season.
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Understanding the Health of Dall Sheep in Ahtna Territory.
In recent years, Tribal and local hunters have raised concerns about Dall sheep populations across Ahtna Territory. In response, AITRC launched a voluntary hunter-sampling program during the 2025 hunting season. This project is AITRC’s first effort to assess the health of Dall sheep populations in a portion of Ahtna Territory.
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By working directly with hunters, AITRC is gathering information that may help explain factors affecting sheep health, survival, reproduction, and abundance.
What are we asking for in our kits?
AITRC collects hunter-donated samples from legally harvested Dall sheep, including:
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Two-inch-by-two-inch liver
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Cross section from the middle of the kidney
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A similarly sized muscle sample
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At least 10 hairs with follicles
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Five or more fecal pellets
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A blood sample on filter paper
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A nasal swab from both nostrils
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Samples must be kept frozen until they can be delivered to AITRC.
Why this research matters?
Dall sheep populations can be influenced by many interacting factors, including nutrition, mineral availability, contaminants, disease, habitat conditions, weather, and predation. AITRC hopes this project will help determine whether concerns about local sheep abundance may be connected to mineral deficiencies, exposure to nonessential elements, poor nutrition, or disease.
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One disease of particular concern is caused by Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, commonly called M. ovi. This bacterium can contribute to respiratory illness and lung infections in wild sheep. AITRC’s sheep health project supports broader monitoring efforts aimed at detecting the presence and severity of M. ovi. infections in Dall sheep populations within Ahtna Territory.
Get Involved!
Do you go sheep hunting? Hunters planning to harvest Dall sheep in the project area can pick up a free sampling kit from the AITRC office before the hunting season. Each kit contains collection materials, storage bags, a harvest form, and instructions. After collection, samples should remain frozen until they are delivered to AITRC.​
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This research would not be possible without the participation of Tribal and local hunters. Hunters contribute both biological samples and valuable harvest information, including the harvest location, estimated age, body condition, observed deformities, and the number and types of sheep seen during the hunt.
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AITRC uses this information for research and data analysis. Personal information provided on collection forms is kept private and is not shared. Tsin’aen to the hunters who contribute their time, knowledge, observations, and samples to this project. Their participation is helping AITRC build a stronger understanding of Dall sheep health in Ahtna Territory.