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.
Bighorn sheep ram head on and up close
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.
Bighorn sheep ram delivers a headbutt to a competitor’s butt
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!
King of the mountain silhouette
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.
Bighorn sheep ram takes the leap
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.
Bighorn sheep ram on the prowl for the ladies
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.
Bighorn ram on the run
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.
“What? My teeth? I have something stuck in my teeth?”
It has been a while since I have shared any pics of the Centennial State’s official animal so here is one going back to November.
That was the height of the rut and I was really hoping to see some serious head-butting but the guys were on their best behavior, instead opting to just eat and occasionally chase the girls rather than fight. It was a gorgeous fall day though and while the action was light, it was no less fun.
Video slideshow: Top shots 2020 – Wildlife
One last “top shots” video recapping my 2020 photo year. Today, I look back at some of the mammals that I photographed. From the tiny American pika to the massive moose, I was fortunate to spend time with some pretty amazing creatures. Two new animals that I had never photographed were highlights including a suburban bobcat family and the wild #horses of Sand Wash Basin. All images taken here in Colorado.
Sheep on a shelf
A wildlife version of Elf on the Shelf? 😉
While observing a few bighorn sheep rams, I kept hearing the bleating of another somewhere in the distance. A friend finally spotted the big boy, way up high on the side of the canyon wall across the river.
It stopped its decent briefly, surveying the situation below, seeming to debate whether it was going to come challenge the other rams or not. It did indeed come down, cross the river, and meet up with his buddies.
Unfortunately there were no big battles on this day but it was still a nice outing with lots of captures of Colorado’s official state animal.