The Safety and Cost-Effectiveness of Net-Gun Capture of Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni)

Abstract

Of the four most common techniques used to capture desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), net-gun capture generally causes fewer and lower-level stress-mediated shifts in physiological and biochemical parameters, the lowest mortality rate, and the lowest combined morbidity and mortality rate. Only one of 137 (0.7%) bighorn sheep net-gun captured between 1983 and 1986 showed signs of capture myopathy, and two (1.5%) died of injuries. Although net-gunning was found to be the safest method for capturing bighorn sheep, it does pose some serious hazards to the human user. Accidental discharge of the net-gun inside the helicopter, toward the main or rear rotor, or onto the skid can cause the helicopter to crash. Cost of net-gunning compared favorably with other methods of capture when the initial investment was amortized over 20 or more animals. An additional cost consideration is the versatility of the net-gun, as it can be used to capture several