Bighorn Sheep

[MrTom]

These animals have been on my list of ones to see in the wild for forever. I've been to Yellowstone a bunch of times and always took time to try and spy one. No luck there. Mountain Goats, of heck yes. Sheep? Nada. I think I saw a pair once while on an Alaskan cruise ship. Still, I wasn't able to say I'd ever seen a live, wild Big Horn of any kind until last Saturday.

Ma and I took a tour to Rapid City, South Dakota last Weds to visit a couple of our grandkids that are attending the School of Mining and Technology. Friday we got the school tour and caught up on how the two are getting along in west. Saturday afternoon we took a drive out in the hill country about 60 miles and then came back to town to drop the kids off....Saturday, college kids....things they have to do ya know. Any way we were nearing Rapid City and Carole says "there's a sign that says to watch out for big horn sheep crossing the road". I thought she was joking until I saw another flashing lighted sign stating the same a bit further along. Actually we were only a couple miles from Rapid City's city limits when I saw the second sign and right there, and I do mean right there, in a guy's yard, stood 8 big horn sheep. I almost drove off the damned road. I got stopped in the driveway and got out for a picture but the sun was so bright in the late afternoon I couldn't make out what I had framed in the view finder but I shot 6 or 8 frames ....hoping one would turn out. And one did. Now I can scratch big horns off my list, but they sure as heck weren't found where I would have intentionally looked for them.

I'm sure Ron knows where this we were at to get this picture. He's likely seen these critters pretty close to where we did. They are certainly a beautiful animal.

 

[Idaholewis]

Pretty Cool Tom :yeah: I have only seen a few of those Critters myself, And That was in Montana.

 

[MrTom]

Crazy that they were in a yard. We were in Glacier park at the lodge up high and decided to walk to the glacier just to say we did. Half way there we had Mountain Goats begging for food. They come up and nudge you for a handout...something we didn't even take with us. Maybe some of our elite wildlife is TOO exposed to humans, ya think?

 

[Idaholewis]

Maybe some of our elite wildlife is TOO exposed to humans, ya think?

Very much so!! I see they are trying to Relocate Mountain Goats over on the Wa coast where i came from, I can’t remember where they are getting them from? Anyway, I’ve seen several posts on Facebook Groups in that area of Goat sightings on the Logging Rds, even seen a Video of a Goat Running up an Old Logging Rd in front of a Truck, They are confused and not sure what the Heck to do? It makes no sense, We had a THRIVING population of Mountain Goats on the Wa coast all of my younger life, up until a HUGE BOOM in Cougar population happened, which pretty much took the Goats to extinction levels, now they are trying to Re introduce them from other mountain Ranges, Something to feed the Remaining Cougars. I read where they wanted people to contact Fish & Game, But NOT to speak of Goat sighting locations publicly in fear of Poaching. That place was Truly the Land of plenty all of my Young life, and up until the Mid 90s or So. I seen it go from having an abundance of everything, to no reason in bothering to buy a Deer Tag, they were nearly gone

 

[ronlaughlin]

.....Ron knows where this we were at to get this picture......

One day very near where you took the photo, a bunch of them sheep were out in the middle of the highway feeding on something growing in the yellow center line; it was weird seeing that.

 

[Idaholewis]

.....Ron knows where this we were at to get this picture......

One day very near where you took the photo, a bunch of them sheep were out in the middle of the highway feeding on something growing in the yellow center line; it was weird seeing that.

Probably Salt coated