CPW Bighorn Sheep Shapefile Download

Last Updated December, 2025 MIGRATION CORRIDORS: A specific mappable site through which large numbers of animals migrate and loss of which would change migration routes. MINERAL LICK: Specific natural sites known to be utilized by bighorn sheep for obtaining minerals to meet basic nutritional needs. OVERALL RANGE: The area which encompasses all known seasonal activity areas within the observed range of a bighorn sheep population. PRODUCTION AREA: That part of the overall range of bighorn sheep occupied by pregnant females during a specific period of spring. This period is May 1 to June 30 for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and February 28 to May 1 for desert bighorn sheep. SEVERE WINTER: That part of the overall range where 90% of the individuals are located when the annual snowpack is at its maximum and/or temperatures are at a minimum in the two worst winters out of ten. SUMMER CONCENTRATION: Those areas where bighorn sheep concentrate from mid-June through mid-August. High quality forage, security, and lack of disturbance may be characteristic of these areas to meet the high energy demands of lactation and lamb rearing. SUMMER RANGE: That part of the overall range where 90% of the individuals are located between spring green-up and the first heavy snowfall. Summer range is not necessarily exclusive of winter range; in some areas winter range and summer range may overlap. WATER SOURCE: Water sources known to be utilized by bighorn sheep in dry, water scarce areas. Up to a 1.6km radius should be described around a point source, and up to a 1.6km band be drawn along a river or stream. WINTER CONCENTRATION: That part of the winter range where densities are at least 200% greater than the surrounding winter range density during the same period used to define winter range in the average five winters out of ten. WINTER RANGE: That part of the overall range where 90 percent of the individuals are located during the average five winters out of ten from the first heavy snowfall to spring green-up, or during a site specific period of winter as defined for each DAU. fix(original) This information was derived from Colorado Parks and Wildlife field personnel. Data was captured by digitizing through a SmartBoard Interactive Whiteboard using topographic maps and NAIP imagery at various scales (Cowardin, M., M. Flenner. March 2003. Maximizing Mapping Resources. GeoWorld 16(3):32-35). These data are updated on a four year rotation with one of the four Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regions updated each year. These data are not updated on a statewide level annually.