biostudies-literatureUnknown12(9)LaSharr TNThe influence of human harvest on evolution of secondary sexual characteristics has implications for sustainable management of wildlife populations. The phenotypic consequences of selectively removing males with large horns or antlers from ungulate populations have been a topic of heightened concern in recent years. Harvest can affect size of horn-like structures in two ways: (a) shifting age structure toward younger age classes, which can reduce the mean size of horn-like structures, or (b) selecting against genes that produce large, fast-growing males. We evaluated effects of age, climatic and forage conditions, and metrics of harvest on horn size and growth of mountain sheep (<i>Ovis canadensis</i> ssp.) in 72 hunt areas across North America from 1981 to 2016. In 50% of hunt areas, chanEvolutionary applications1823-1836https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6752155biostudies-literatureHunting and mountain sheep: Do current harvest practices affect horn growth?PMC6752155Krausman PRLaSharr TNKlaver RWHeffelfinger JRHolland AABrewer CEMonteith KLMuir JDBowyer RTBleich VCLong RASterling BShannon JMLehman CPCox MHubbs AfalseHunting and mountain sheep: Do current harvest practices affect horn growth?The influence of human harvest on evolution of secondary sexual characteristics has implications for sustainable management of wildlife populations. The phenotypic consequences of selectively removing males with large horns or antlers from ungulate populations have been a topic of heightened concern in recent years. Harvest can affect size of horn-like structures in two ways: (a) shifting age structure toward younger age classes, which can reduce the mean size of horn-like structures, or (b) selecting against genes that produce large, fast-growing males. We evaluated effects of age, climatic and forage conditions, and metrics of harvest on horn size and growth of mountain sheep (<i>Ovis canadensis</i> ssp.) in 72 hunt areas across North America from 1981 to 2016. In 50% of hunt areas, chan2019-01-01T00:00:00Z2019 Oct2025-04-18T15:01:24.591Z2019-10-11T07:07:39ZS-EPMC67521553154886010.1111/eva.12841