Sunday, August 7th - Photo Of The Week... Early morning along any of our area roads one is likely to encounter some of our local wildlife. This week's photo features two young Bighorn Sheep playing on the rocks along Hwy 34 between Estes and Drake. "It's great to watch the hopping and playing. They are so free and full of joy", states photographer Darrell E. Spangler, "Today alone we saw a Red Fox, Bighorn Sheep and several Elk on the way into town. It is a truly wondrous world we live in." Bighorn Sheep are year-round residents and are often seen along the roadside. The male Bighorn are distinguished by their trademark Ram's Horns. These curls of horn grow larger with age eventually creating a complete loop. Bighorn sheep is the mammalian symbol of Colorado, and Colorado is home to the largest population of the species anywhere. The animals are 5 – 6 feet long with a tail 3 – 6 inches in length. Rams weigh 150 – 250 pounds, ewes 120 – 200. Males are about 3 feet high at the shoulder, ewes slightly less. Color is usually grayish brown, with a paler belly and a white rump patch. The massive, coiled horns of mature rams may make up 10 percent of the body weight. Ewes have spike-like horns. Bighorns are grazers, feeding in meadows, open woodland and alpine tundra. They often retreat to rest on inaccessible cliffs. Once they migrated from winter range at the edge of the plains and the foothills to the high mountains for summer. Many bands now spend all year near timberline on what used to be their traditional summer range. Transplants from crowded areas have restored bighorns in several places in the foothills where sheep have become easily "watchable" wildlife. The rut takes place in late fall, with rams butting their massive horns to assert their dominance, thus increasing their chances of breeding. Females breed first at 3 years, but rams usually are considerably older when they finally achieve sufficient status too mate. A single lamb is born in May or June after a gestation period of 6 months. Hunting of bighorns is carefully regulated. Approximately 100 sheep are harvested annually, but there is wide variation. Parasitic disease is common in bighorns. Coyotes, mountain lions and eagles prey on them, and some bighorns succumb to accidental falls. More photos and information on Bighorn can be found at Bighorn-Sheep.com |
