SNAP*Shot: Time Out On The Way with Bighorn Sheep

You know, sometimes an amazing thing happens along the road before you ever make it to the trailhead. Although I’m excited and expectant for the great walk I’ve planned for this first week of December, slowing down and looking around applies to the car trip too. The planned walk has to wait, this is too good to miss! See them?

That view of the mountainside was only the beginning. Driving a little further we were surrounded by Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Let’s pull over by that six-foot long, long-forgotten metal fence gate now enmeshed with sagebrush and tall, winter-withered grasses. Setting up my tripod I’m convinced I just blend. Hope so, but the car is close by for safety.

The Bighorns are ending their annual rut or mating season. November is their season to ensure the next generation, but on these first few says of December the rams are still on the “hunt” although hanging with other guys a bit too. Once rut is over, the rams separate from the herds of females and youngsters and live in small groups of two to five rams, some choosing to be alone. But for now . . .

The female Bighorn Sheep are called ewes and have much smaller horns. She’s at the left ignoring the action of the boys behind her. The ram’s horns continue to grow throughout their lives, so the larger the horns, the older the sheep.  Horn size can influence dominance and rank affecting relationships within herds.

The ram on the right is fully mature and clearly dominant. The young ram in the middle will submit to his older rival, but he never stops trying . . .

A mature Bighorn ewe can weigh about 130 pound. Their horns stop growing by the time they are five years old likely due to the nutritional cost of reproduction. The ewes have a life span of 10 to 14 years. They live in herds of females and young year round and can be seen on rocky ledges as well as meadows near mountains throughout the Yellowstone ecosystem.

I know he sees me. Think I’ll stand on the other side of the car to be safe. Ram’s typical life span is 9 to 12 years. A fully mature ram such as this boy can weight about 300 pounds. Those horns alone can weight 40 pounds. This is too late in the season for their famous head butting battles where they crash into each other at speeds between 25 and 40 mph and continue that activity for hours at a time . Their heads are designed with two layers of bone above the brain that acts as a shock absorber during those battles. After watching them, it is hard to believe they don’t get major headaches. Then again, they are built for this.

Careful where you walk. Although mature rams weigh about 300 pounds, occasional they reach 500 pounds. They stand between five and six feet tall. Although not known as runners, they certainly can rise to the occasion when disturbed. Their safety comes by their life on rocky crags and cliffs, but on this sunny day they are enjoying safety in numbers in the meadow and rest in the grass.

These boys are just so handsome, but one has lots of sticky seeds all over him spreading next season’s annoying weeds, but then again, life always finds a way.

Well, this has been a wonderful up-close (done safely) experience with such a magnificent ungulate (hoofed animal). It is hard to leave the beauty of the moment. Being part of their day-to-day life for hours–how can anything else we do today beat this experience? We took the time and were rewarded. What are you passing by when driving to that important destination?

Until next time, look around and enjoy!