Chasing Bighorns

I want to share my experience from today with the bighorn sheep of Cedar Canyon. I had some unexpected time this afternoon and decided to go to Cedar Canyon. As I was driving into the parking lot I spotted a couple of sheep on the side of the butte just as you drive in. As I did some climbing and sliding to try to get in a position to get some pics the sheep came over a rise right towards me. They saw me and climbed higher and went past me and around the end of the butte. I followed, but not nearly as fast or agilely. By the time I got around to the other side they were 1/3 of a mile away across a very open area. It was so open that I did not hold much hope of getting near them, but I thought I would try. I put all the stalking technique I ever learned in to practice Walk diagonally not directly at them, walk very slowly, stopping a lot, watching their behavior, etc. After 1/2 and hour or more I had gotten to within about 20 yards of them and they were still putting their heads down and grazing. This was neat because they knew I was there because they would look up and stare at me from time to time. I just stopped and sat on a rock for a while and just enjoyed being so close to wildlife that was not showing any signs of fear or concern. I didn't go any closer because I did not want to cause them undue stress. It is so much fun to have a place to go and be able to interact with the wildlife. I am including a couple of images. One of a young ram and the other looks like a pregnant ewe. The reason I did not post these in the wildlife forum is the large collars they are waring. Thanks for taking time to listen to me ramble on.

Here is the ewe.

Richard, looks like it was really a fun outing here. Your close up takes of the bighorns provide a nice documentation for your stalking efforts too.

Our lower desert canyon areas as well as the very open Mojave Reserve area have a good stock of bighorns, but they are always being threatened by encroachment. Sadly, the Mojave territory had a significant loss of bighorn just a year back to stray domestic goats or sheep that are carriers and cause sever pneumonia outbreaks among the bighorn herds.

Mojave Bighorn

Richard, thanks so much for posting the images and sharing your experience with the Bighorns that day. Being able to interact with them as you did is exactly what drives many of us in our love of wildlife. Thanks so!

nice story and nice pics, richard. i for one wouldn't have minded if you had posted in the wildlife forum because such research (when done well and thoughtfully) is very useful for knowledge and, sometimes, conservation of wildlife ...