The State - News from Aug. 17, 1986

Hunting of bighorn sheep would be allowed in California for the first time in 103 years under a bill which has won state Senate passage over protests of animal lovers. The bill by Assemblyman Richard Mountjoy (R-Monrovia), passed on a 21-13 vote and was returned to the Assembly for acceptance of amendments. Supported by the state Department of Fish and Game, the bill authorizes limited hunting of small numbers of the sheep on a trial basis for five years at two locations in San Bernardino County. Sen. Robert Presley (D-Riverside), who carried the bill in the Senate, said it affects only Nelson bighorn sheep, one of three species of bighorns found in California. Presley said the sheep’s numbers, about 3,000, have reached the point where hunting is feasible. The bill was fought by Defenders of Wildlife, the Fund for Animals and other animal protection groups. “Just to put a sheep head on the wall to show someone’s prowess in killing is demeaning to man and woman,” said Sen. Diane Watson, (D-Los Angeles), who opposed the bill.