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Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is asking the public to report a missing hybridized female bighorn sheep last reported to have escaped from a permitted facility near Vaughn on Sept. 2. The facility belongs to Jack Schubarth, convicted in a federal wildlife-trafficking case tied to cloning and breeding Marco Polo sheep. Officials say the ewe could pose a disease risk to nearby wild bighorns; whether it is still loose is not known.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is asking the public to report sightings of a hybridized female bighorn sheep reportedly missing from a permitted private facility near Vaughn since Sept. 2. The facility is owned by Jack Schubarth, who was convicted in 2024 in a federal case involving the illegal cloning and breeding of Marco Polo sheep; wildlife officials say the missing ewe could threaten nearby wild bighorns if it contacts them.
In a Sept. 18 public notice, the department described the ewe as weighing about 120 pounds, primarily white, and wearing a red ear tag. The notice said officials were concerned about possible contact with wild bighorns in the area. Domestic sheep can carry pathogens that are capable of causing fatal disease in wild sheep, the report said.
According to Dave Hagengruber, public information officer for the department’s Great Falls regional office, the ewe was reportedly missing on Sept. 2, but wardens learned about it the following week. He said wardens spoke with Schubarth in mid-September, and that Schubarth told them he had meant to report the escape. Montana’s game-farm permit rules require owners to notify both Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the state Department of Livestock within 48 hours of an animal’s escape.
Schubarth told wardens the ewe may have escaped over a fence damaged by a windstorm or through a gate left open, according to the source account. He has been charged in Cascade County District Court with failing to report the escape. The charge is separate from his 2024 federal case; the supplied information does not state the outcome of the state charge.
Montana • Wildlife Alert • September 2026
“It’s Trailer Park Chemistry.” A Hybrid Bighorn Is On The Lam
A hybridized ewe reported missing from a permitted facility near Vaughn could come into contact with wild bighorns. Officials say its location is unknown and disease exposure is a concern.
“The threat of disease transmission is a significant concern.”
Dave Hagengruber · Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Identify the ewe
The department’s notice describes a female hybrid sheep reportedly missing from a private permitted game farm near Vaughn, Montana.
Primarily white
Look for a mostly white coat and a red ear tag. If you see a sheep matching the description, share the location with wildlife officials.
Female bighorn hybrid
The missing animal is a ewe. Officials say a ewe is less likely than a ram to travel widely, though its current whereabouts are unverified.
There is no confirmed report that the ewe has been found, sold, transferred, or seen near wild sheep.
Why officials are concerned
The central issue is potential contact between a captive or domestic sheep and free-ranging bighorns.
Pathogens carried by domestic or captive sheep can cause fatal disease in wild sheep. Officials have not reported that this ewe has infected, or even contacted, a wild herd.
Fish, Wildlife & Parks cited nearby bighorn populations as a reason to take sightings seriously. The distances below are approximate figures provided by the agency’s regional public information officer.
Wild herds in the region
Approximate distances from the facility area. Bars indicate relative distance, not travel routes or likelihood of contact.
From reported escape to public alert
The department says wardens learned of the reported escape the following week.
Reported missing
The ewe was reportedly missing from the facility near Vaughn.
Wardens informed
Officials say game wardens learned about the animal’s absence.
Owner contacted
Wardens spoke with Jack Schubarth, who reportedly said he meant to report it.
Public notice
Fish, Wildlife & Parks asked people to report sightings.
A current search with an earlier case in the background
The reported farm connection provides context, but does not establish that this ewe was part of the unlawful conduct.
Jack Schubarth pleaded guilty in 2024 to federal Lacey Act violations in a scheme involving genetic material from Marco Polo argali sheep brought from Kyrgyzstan. The case involved efforts to clone the sheep and breed offspring with captive bighorns.
The cloned ram, called “Montana Mountain King,” was born in 2017 to a surrogate bighorn ewe. Schubarth later bred its offspring with captive bighorn ewes at his facility west of Great Falls, according to the source report.
The missing ewe is reportedly an offspring from breeding at the farm. Available information does not establish that this animal was involved in the illegal importation or cloning conduct.
Schubarth has also been charged in Cascade County District Court with failing to report this escape. The supplied information does not state the outcome of that separate state charge.
What is known—and what remains unverified
Separating confirmed agency statements from unresolved claims helps keep the search in focus.
Escape and description
The ewe was reportedly missing since Sept. 2. The notice describes it as about 120 pounds, mostly white, and wearing a red ear tag.
Possible wildlife exposure
Officials are concerned about possible contact with wild bighorns and disease transmission. No infection or contact has been confirmed.
Current location
Whether the ewe is still loose is unknown. An out-of-state sale was speculation from unnamed sources, not a confirmed transfer.
How it escaped
Schubarth reportedly cited a fence damaged by wind or a gate left open. Neither route has been independently established in the supplied account.
Follow the response
A public sighting can help wardens assess whether the animal remains near the facility or has moved toward wild sheep habitat.
Key questions
The available report answers some basics while leaving the animal’s status unresolved.
What animal is missing?
A hybridized female bighorn sheep, described as about 120 pounds, primarily white, and wearing a red ear tag.
Where was it reported missing?
From a permitted private facility near Vaughn, Montana. It was reportedly missing on Sept. 2; the public alert followed on Sept. 18, 2026.
Has it been found or sold?
Neither outcome is confirmed. The animal’s current location remains unknown.
Why does the alert matter?
Officials say contact with wild bighorns could create a disease risk. They have not reported a confirmed contact or disease transmission.
Disease Risk Beyond the Game Farm
The immediate concern is not simply locating a privately held animal. Wildlife officials say an escaped sheep could come into contact with free-ranging bighorns, and disease passed from domestic or captive sheep can have serious effects on wild populations. That risk is why the department is asking the public to report sightings rather than treating the incident only as a permit matter.
Hagengruber said wild bighorns are found in several areas within possible reach of the facility. He cited a sizeable band near Cascade, about 30 miles away, bighorns in the Birdtail Hills roughly 20 to 25 miles west, and a herd along the Rocky Mountain Front about 60 to 70 miles west. He said the missing animal is a ewe, which is less likely than a ram to travel widely, but described disease transmission as a significant concern.
The episode also brings renewed attention to the oversight of captive wildlife breeding. Schubarth’s operation produced animals through a process that led to federal wildlife-trafficking charges, and the missing ewe is reportedly an offspring from breeding on his farm. The current public alert concerns the animal’s location and potential wildlife exposure, not a finding that it has infected any wild sheep.
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Schubarth’s Earlier Sheep Case
Schubarth pleaded guilty in 2024 to violating the federal Lacey Act in a scheme involving genetic material from Marco Polo argali sheep brought from Kyrgyzstan. The case concerned efforts to clone the sheep and breed offspring with captive bighorns. According to the source report, the cloned Marco Polo ram Schubarth called the Montana Mountain King was born in 2017 to a surrogate bighorn ewe, and Schubarth later bred its offspring with captive bighorn ewes at his facility west of Great Falls.
The federal case also involved Montana hunting outfitter John Lewton, who was sentenced in federal court in Billings the week before the report was published. He received a $20,000 fine and one year of probation, and was barred from outfitting or guiding hunters for a year. The missing ewe’s reported connection to the farm places the present search against that earlier case, but the available information does not establish that the animal itself was involved in the unlawful importation or cloning conduct.
““According to our records, the ewe in question reportedly escaped on Sept. 2, and our game wardens heard about it the next week.””
— Dave Hagengruber, Fish, Wildlife & Parks public information officer in Great Falls
The Ewe’s Location Is Unverified
It is not clear whether the ewe is still loose. Sources speaking to Outdoor Life on condition of anonymity speculated that it may have been sold to an out-of-state game farm, but the report offered no confirmation of a sale, transfer, or current location. That possibility remains an unverified claim, not an established account of what happened.
Officials also have not reported a confirmed sighting, contact with wild bighorns, or disease transmission. The precise escape route has not been established: the damaged fence and open gate were possibilities Schubarth reportedly gave wardens. The status and resolution of the state failure-to-report charge are also not provided in the source material.
Reports Could Guide the Search
Fish, Wildlife & Parks is asking anyone who sees a sheep matching the description to contact the department. A sighting could help wardens determine whether the animal remains near the facility or has moved toward habitat used by wild bighorns. The alert identifies the ewe by its mostly white coat, approximate weight of 120 pounds, and red ear tag.
Further updates would be needed to confirm whether the ewe has been found, whether it was transferred elsewhere, and how the state charge proceeds. Until officials verify its location, the department’s stated concern remains the possibility of contact with wild sheep in the region.
Key Questions
What animal are Montana officials trying to find?
Officials are seeking a hybridized female Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, described as about 120 pounds, primarily white, and wearing a red ear tag.
Where and when was the ewe reported missing?
The ewe was reportedly missing from a private permitted facility near Vaughn, Montana, on Sept. 2. Fish, Wildlife & Parks issued a public request for help on Sept. 18.
Why are wildlife officials concerned?
Officials say the ewe could come into contact with wild bighorns. Pathogens carried by domestic or captive sheep can be fatal to wild sheep, according to the report.
Has the ewe been found or confirmed sold?
The source report does not confirm either outcome. A possible sale to an out-of-state game farm was raised by unnamed sources as speculation, and the animal’s current location remains unknown.
Who owns the facility?
The facility is owned by Jack Schubarth, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to federal Lacey Act violations connected to a scheme involving Marco Polo sheep genetic material and cloning.
Source: outdoorlife.com
