Yeah, I don’t expect too many would challenge this guy for his spot as king of the hill – I know I wouldn’t. 😉 

Going back to the end of November for this capture. This handsome fellow and the rest of his herd were hanging out in a northern Colorado canyon. There wasn’t much action that day but the poses they gave were great and really helped to showcase how impressive the bighorn sheep is.

There are three subspecies of bighorn sheep with the Rocky Mountain variety like this one being the largest. These guys can weigh over 300 pounds with their horns alone weighing 30 pounds! Here in Colorado, they are our state animal and are incorporated into the logo for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

I figured that since I just had to have a tooth yanked yesterday, an image showing some teeth might be appropriate. 😉 

This image harkens back to November when the rut was going on and hormones were raging. This big boy was heavily checking out the nearby ewes, trying to determine if any of them were ready (and potentially willing).

He was doing the flehmen response, peeling back his lips and soaking in the scents. In doing so, we can see that his teeth are looking a bit rough and it might be time for a visit to the dentist.

The rut is hard work and sometimes the boys just need to take a break. This striking fellow was lucky enough to have a couple of ewes all to himself so he wasn’t particularly concerned about keeping an eye on the ladies. This allowed him time to settle down in the grass and take a brief nap, striking a Playgirl worthy pose in the process. 😉

Ah, quite the cutie, eh? This little one certainly didn’t mind having its picture taken and was kind enough to strike a nice pose for me. It was kind of “chunky”, perhaps putting on some weight as we headed into winter.

This was one handsome and impressive dude – and a bit intimidating. He staked out a spot about 20 feet high directly over the road where I was and stood there motionless, staring at me, for the longest time.

Certainly, I snapped my pics but have to admit I was a bit intimidated and concerned he may just come barreling down the mountain right at me. I did not want to be on the wrong end of those horns. 😉 

Thankfully, he was just curious and quite calm. Clearly this big boy has been battle tested judging by the condition of his horns. The closeup allows you to really take in the fine details of the horns, his coat and those mesmerizing eyes.

Sunday I again headed to the northern Colorado foothills to photograph the Centennial State’s official animal. The bighorn were more cooperative this time and the light better, giving me some nice poses as they hung around the side of a steep hill. Action, however, was a bit light.

I had hoped to get some headbutting between the rams and while one of the big boys attempted multiple times to engage other rams, no one wanted to play with him. One guy seemed tempted to battle but then turned and ran and as he did, the larger ram delivered a hard blow to the other’s butt and back legs.

It was a fun thing to see and looking at the pics, it sure seems like it had to have been painful to be on the receiving end of that!

This past week I tried someplace new to me for photographing bighorn sheep. As I arrived, off in the distance on the side of a cliff and straight into the sun, I saw the unmistakable form of a ram. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few quick shots, this being one of them. I really like his silhouette and the hint of light on the side of the cliff. I got many more shots that day at closer range and with “proper” exposure but this one is kind of cool.

Certainly, these guys’ agility is legendary and if you have ever seen them scale or descend the side of a cliff, you know that well. Needless to say, that means they can handle a four-foot-high chain link fence with ease. This big guy hopped the fence a few times while I was watching him, all with absolute ease – no run up, no effort – just up and over. Pretty impressive to say the least.

With warm weather on the Colorado Front Range, yesterday was a perfect day for spending time with these awesome creatures.

While the bighorn rut is just starting to heat up, action was pretty light unfortunately. However, I did manage some nice poses from them.

This handsome fellow was trailing a bunch of ewes and lambs and had them largely to himself. Some younger rams were in the area as well, but none that matched the stature of this guy.

There are three subspecies of bighorn sheep with the Rocky Mountain variety like this one being the largest. These guys can weigh over 300 pounds with their horns alone weighing 30 pounds! Here in Colorado, they are our state animal and are incorporated into the logo for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

As we flip the calendar to September, my mind starts thinking of all the fun, fall action to come.

Ungulates like elk, moose, deer and bighorn sheep will each be starting their rut and mating season will be in full swing. The testosterone of the boys will be raging and fights will be brewing. It truly is one of the most fun times to photograph wildlife in Colorado.

This image harkens back to November 1 of last year when the bighorn were taking their turn at wooing the ladies. Unfortunately on this day they weren’t much into head-butting but this handsome fellow was definitely “feeling the vibe” and rushing to catch up to the nearby ewes.