The purpose of this study was to obtain population data on the bighorn sheep of Cardinal River Coals Ltd.'s surface lease and to document their spatial and seasonal use of the mine site south of Hinton, Alberta.

Bighorns congregated on the mine site for the pre-rut, rut and early winter. About half the ewes left to winter elsewhere for the late winter and early spring season. The remaining ewes left for lambing in the alpine in late May and did not return to graze on the mine site until late August for the pre-rut. Rams remained segregated on the mine site except during the rut.

The lamb:100 ewe ratio in the fall was 49:100, indicating a healthy population. Body weights were at the upper limit for sheep from this latitude. Lungworm levels were high and displayed heavy infection rates during the rut and early winter, but there was no outward manifestation of pneumonia, indicating healthy immune systems. High walls of the active or exhausted pits were used as escape terrain, for travelling, for lambing and for security by wounded sheep.