Aoudad (Barbary Sheep): What They Are, Where They Live in the US, and Why Bighorn Are Losing Ground

By James Bigley | Originally published August 7, 2022 | Updated October 2026

The aoudad, or Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia), is a North African wild sheep that now lives free across parts of the American Southwest. Hunters prize it. Wildlife biologists worry about it. If you own, buy, or hunt rough western country, it’s worth knowing both sides.

Where Aoudad Come From

Aoudad are native to the dry mountains of North Africa, including the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and rocky country on the edges of the Sahara. They live in steep, broken terrain and use caves, crevices, and overhangs for shelter from heat and cold. That background is why they do so well in canyon and desert-mountain country in the US.

What Aoudad Look Like

• Height: about 110 cm (roughly 2.5 to 3.6 ft) at the shoulder
• Length: about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
• Weight: 30 to 145 kg (66 to 320 lb); rams are larger than ewes
• Horns: triangular in cross-section, curving outward, back, then inward; can exceed 76 cm (30 in)
• Coat: sandy brown, darkening with age, lighter belly, darker line down the back; shaggy hair on the throat that runs down to the chest on rams, plus a thin mane

(Measurements as quoted on the original page from the “Encyclopedia of animals” Source: Encyclopedia of animals [source link to be added].)

They eat grasses, shrubs, and cacti, and they climb cliffs most predators can’t follow.

Landowner tip: if aoudad are on your place, watch your feeders. They will batter triangle-style feeders to get at the corn.

Herds and Behavior

Aoudad run in mixed herds of rams, ewes, and young. Rams sort out rank by head-to-head fights, and the competition peaks during the rut. Herd size gives them an edge over native sheep sharing the same country.

Cultural History

In North Africa, aoudad have long been hunted for meat and hides, and in Berber tradition they’re associated with strength and endurance.

How Aoudad Got to the United States

Aoudad were released in the US on purpose, as a new big game animal. In Texas, the record is specific: in the winter of 1957–58, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) turned 42 aoudad loose in Palo Duro Canyon. They came from the McKnight Ranch near Picacho, New Mexico. Ten years later the department’s own biologist estimated about 600. (Evans, TPWD, SEAFWA 1967. A 1974 TPWD magazine piece and a later Texas Tech thesis give 44; we use the biologist’s 42.)

Correction note: an earlier version of this page said aoudad were introduced in Texas in the 1940s. The documented TPWD release in Palo Duro Canyon was 1957–58.

Free-ranging aoudad are also found in other states, including New Mexico, where the first wild release in the US took place in 1950 (Texas Tech, Mammals of Texas), as well as California and Oklahoma.

Aoudad vs Desert Bighorn: The Numbers

• About 100,000 free-roaming aoudad west of the Pecos River (TPWD estimate, cited by the Wild Sheep Foundation, Aug 27 2025).
• More than 1,800 desert bighorn in Texas about a decade ago, a record built by years of restocking.
• About 400 desert bighorn now (same WSF 2025 source).

Aoudad and bighorn use the same rough country and eat similar forage. Aoudad compete for that forage and for water, and they out-breed bighorn: an aoudad ewe can breed twice a year and usually has twins, while a bighorn ewe has one lamb a year (WSF 2025; TPWD research summary).

The same pressure applies wherever aoudad overlap with mule deer and native sheep: competition for the same food and habitat, and a threat to bighorn restoration projects.

The Bigger Problem: Disease

Competition is only part of it. In a 2026 Texas A&M and TPWD study, 80% of bighorn exposed to aoudad carrying Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and Pasteurellaceae bacteria died of pneumonia, while the aoudad mostly stayed healthy and kept spreading it. Sharing a water source was enough. Of 351 wild Texas aoudad tested, about 56% had antibodies, meaning they had been exposed. (Scientific Reports, 2026; Texas A&M Vet Med release.)

TPWD’s 2025 report calls reducing aoudad numbers one of the most important steps for bighorn recovery (as summarized by the Wild Sheep Foundation in “Good News Emerges for Texas Desert Bighorn Sheep”).

Aoudad in Texas

Texas holds the largest free-ranging aoudad population in the country, and it’s where the conflict with native desert bighorn is sharpest.

Where Aoudad Live in Texas

• Panhandle and Palo Duro Canyon: the original release site. TPWD released 31 southwest of Claude in Armstrong County and 13 more near Quitaque in Briscoe County (Texas Tech, Mammals of Texas). Aoudad now live along much of the eastern and southern edges of the Llano Estacado, following the Caprock Escarpment.
• Trans-Pecos: the core of the population today. TPWD says aoudad are found in most Texas mountain ranges, including Elephant Mountain, which is considered prime bighorn habitat (TPWD Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration media kit). In one aerial survey of the Chinati Mountains, biologists counted 7,881 aoudad, about one per 40 acres, against 508 mule deer (WSF, May 2025).
• Big Bend: aoudad live in Big Bend National Park, including the Deadhorse Mountains on the park’s northeast side, next to Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (Lone Star Outdoor News, Aug 2019).
• Hill Country and other regions: private introductions put aoudad on the Edwards Plateau and in the South Texas Plains, Rolling Plains, and Post Oak Savannah regions (Texas Tech, Mammals of Texas). In this part of the state they’re mostly found on private ranches.

Population and Spread

The documented starting point was 42 animals in 1957–58 (Evans, TPWD, 1967). The Texas Tech account later put the statewide population at more than 5,000. TPWD’s current estimate is about 100,000 free-roaming aoudad west of the Pecos River alone (WSF, Aug 2025). The Wild Sheep Foundation points out that this is more than the combined total of all bighorn (Rocky Mountain, California, and desert) in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Aoudad are hard to knock back. After an aerial operation removed 5,773 aoudad from the Chinati Mountains, the population was back to 3,420 within five months, mostly through lambing. Collared aoudad had annual survival rates of 94.6% in the Chinatis and 89.7% in the Quitman Mountains. Mule deer in the same areas survived at 57.5% to 72.6% (WSF, May 2025, summarizing a TPWD-led study with Texas A&M, Sul Ross State, and Texas Tech).

Legal Status: An Exotic, Not a Game Animal

Texas classifies aoudad as exotics, not game animals. On private land: – There is no closed season and no bag limit. – You can take them at any time by any lawful means. – You need a Texas hunting license and the landowner’s permission. – Hunting from a public road is illegal.

(TPWD Outdoor Annual; Texas Parks & Wildlife Code 62.015.)

The Bighorn Conflict in Texas

Texas lost its native desert bighorn once already. Black Gap WMA records put West Texas at roughly 1,500 bighorn in the late 1800s and about 150 by 1941. The last native ewe was seen in the Sierra Diablo Mountains in 1958 (TPWD, Black Gap WMA). Restocking began in 1957 with 16 sheep from Arizona at Black Gap, followed by more from Mexico, Nevada, and Elephant Mountain. In 2020 TPWD moved 74 bighorn from Elephant Mountain to Black Gap (KUT, Jan 2020).

The rebuilt herd hit a record in the late 2010s. Sources give different peak figures: 1,200 to 1,500 animals in 2019 (WSF, May 2025) and more than 1,800 about a decade ago (WSF, Aug 2025). Then Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae hit a herd at Black Gap and spread to other herds. Unlike most outbreaks, which trace back to domestic sheep or goats, this one came from aoudad. Texas lost more than half its desert bighorn in a short time (WSF, May 2025), and the count is now about 400 (WSF, Aug 2025).

Elephant Mountain is considered the only healthy broodstock source for bighorn restoration in Texas, and aoudad live all around it (TPWD media kit). To get a second herd away from aoudad, TPWD and partners moved disease-free bighorn to Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso in December 2024. The Franklins have no aoudad, and lamb recruitment there was high in spring 2025 (WSF, May 2025).

Management and Removal

• Zero tolerance on state land: TPWD keeps a “zero tolerance” policy for aoudad on Elephant Mountain and Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Areas (WSF, May 2025).
• Aerial removal: in August 2019, TPWD and Big Bend National Park used helicopter sharpshooters in the Deadhorse Mountains. Crews counted more than 100 aoudad in the areas flown and removed about 80. The work followed the park’s Exotic Animal Management Plan, finalized in June 2018 (Lone Star Outdoor News, Aug 2019).
• Private land work: TPWD’s aerial gunning and research in the Chinati and Quitman Mountains were done on private land with landowner cooperation. TPWD says it isn’t trying to wipe aoudad out of the region. Instead it manages them where it has the opportunity, since Texas is 97% privately owned (WSF, May 2025).

What It Means for Texas Landowners and Ranch Buyers

• Hunting value: TPWD’s bighorn program leader has acknowledged that aoudad hunting brings in substantial income for some landowners (WSF, May 2025). With no season or bag limit on private land, aoudad can be hunted year-round, which matters if you lease hunting rights.
• Forage and water cost: a big aoudad herd eats the same country your deer and cattle need. TPWD estimated that removing 5,773 aoudad from the Chinati Mountains saved 19.4 million pounds of forage in a single year. Overgrazed desert can take years to recover, which hurts mule deer, pronghorn, scaled quail, and javelina (WSF, May 2025).
• Middle ground: a TPWD biologist suggests taking more ewes while keeping trophy rams on the property for hunting (Lone Star Outdoor News, Aug 2019).
• Before you buy: in Trans-Pecos or Panhandle canyon country, ask how many aoudad use the property, where they water, and whether the place borders bighorn range or a WMA.

Aoudad and Agriculture

Aoudad have been seen feeding on winter wheat next to Palo Duro Canyon, and there is evidence they compete directly with mule deer for food (Texas Tech, Mammals of Texas). They are not currently considered significant agricultural pests.

Hunting Aoudad

Rules vary by state. Check the wildlife agency where you plan to hunt: – New Mexico Department of Game and Fish – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Texas rules are covered in detail in the Texas section above.

Can You Eat Aoudad?

Yes. The meat is lean and can be tough, but slow cooking makes it tender and it has good flavor.

Aoudad Range Map

Our US aoudad range map is updated from viewer sightings. Seen low-fence aoudad somewhere? Comment on our videos or email jb@jamesbigleyranches.com with the county and state, and we’ll add it.

Aoudad (Barbary Sheep) United States Range – Interactive Map

Aoudad (Barbary Sheep) Texas Range

FAQ

What is an aoudad? A wild sheep (Ammotragus lervia) native to the dry mountains of North Africa, also called Barbary sheep.

When were aoudad brought to Texas? TPWD released 42 aoudad in Palo Duro Canyon in the winter of 1957–58, sourced from a ranch near Picacho, New Mexico.

How many aoudad are in Texas? TPWD estimates about 100,000 free-roaming aoudad west of the Pecos River (cited by the Wild Sheep Foundation, 2025).

Why are aoudad bad for bighorn sheep? They compete for forage and water, breed faster, and carry pneumonia-causing bacteria. In a 2026 Texas A&M/TPWD study, 80% of exposed bighorn died of pneumonia.

Do you need a license to hunt aoudad in Texas? Yes. There is no season or bag limit on private land, but you need a hunting license and the landowner’s permission.

Where do aoudad live in Texas? Mostly in the Trans-Pecos mountains, including around Big Bend, plus the Panhandle canyons along the Caprock and private ranches in the Hill Country.

Is TPWD removing aoudad? TPWD keeps a zero-tolerance policy on Elephant Mountain and Sierra Diablo WMAs, and it has used helicopter removal on private land and in Big Bend National Park.

Is aoudad meat good to eat? Yes. It is lean and best slow-cooked.

Sources

• Philip K. Evans, TPWD, “The Aoudad Sheep: An Exotic Introduced in the Palo Duro Canyon of Texas,” SEAFWA, Sept 1967: https://seafwa.org/sites/default/files/journal-articles/EVANS-183.pdf
• Wild Sheep Foundation, “Aoudad in Texas – A Trophy or Scourge?” Aug 27 2025: https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/The-Latest/aoudad-in-texas-a-trophy-or-scourge
• Wild Sheep Foundation, “Good News Emerges for Texas Desert Bighorn Sheep”: https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/The-Latest/Sheep-Fever/good-news-emerges-for-texas-desert-bighorn-sheep
• Texas Tech NSRL, Mammals of Texas, Barbary Sheep: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/nsrl/mammals-of-texas-online-edition/Accounts_Introduced_Artiodactyla/Ammotragus_lervia.php
• TPWD Wildlife Research highlights: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/research/pittmanrobertsonhighlights2021.phtml
• Scientific Reports (2026), “Aoudad as disease reservoirs for bighorn sheep”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-51837-9
• Texas A&M Vet Med release: https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/press-releases/aoudad-spread-disease-bighorn-sheep/
• TPWD Outdoor Annual, Nongame/Exotic species: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/nongame-and-other-species
• Texas Parks & Wildlife Code 62.015: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=PW&chapter=PW.62&artSec=62.015
• TPWD, Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration Media Kit: https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/media-kits/desert-bighorn-sheep-restoration-media-kit/
• TPWD, Black Gap WMA history: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/wma/find_a_wma/list/?id=2
• Wild Sheep Foundation (Chester Moore), “Duel In the Desert: Aoudad Management Highlighted As Impact Proven To Extend Beyond Bighorns,” May 29 2025: https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/The-Latest/duel-in-the-desert-aoudad-management-highlighted-as-impact-proven-to-extend-beyond-bighorns
• Lone Star Outdoor News, “Aoudad removed at Big Bend National Park,” Aug 26 2019: https://www.lsonews.com/aoudad-removed-at-big-bend-national-park/
• KUT Radio, “Protecting Texas’ Bighorn Sheep Requires A Hands-On Approach,” Jan 7 2020: https://www.kut.org/texas/2020-01-07/protecting-texas-bighorn-sheep-requires-a-hands-on-approach
• Encyclopedia of animals (physical measurements) [source link to be added]

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