From: http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20...TAINMENT06/611190307 (NOTE: Photos are available on-line that I couldn't cut and paste into the below text.)

Bighorns flock to Big Thompson
By MILES BLUMHARDT
MilesBlumhardt@coloradoan.com


Looking for Ben Franklin's nominee for national symbol, instead I found the state mammal. Colorado, what a state.

With Thanksgiving just a few thousand calories away, my focus was on the wily wild turkey. I knew it was a longshot since the foothills near Fort Collins aren't exactly crawling with the fowl of feasting but I visited a few of the places where they've been known to hang out: behind the Masonville Mercantile, around Sylvan Dale Ranch and the fringes of Bobcat Ridge Natural Area.

A big fat nothing.

Remember that Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George can't think of a story line for their NBC pilot so they decide to do it on nothing? Well, I had visions of that. But since my editors kind of like something that they can edit, I went with a much surer bet: finding bighorn sheep. For the record, last winter I wrote the nothing story while failing miserably to find bighorn sheep up the Poudre Canyon.

This was different. I know where to find bighorn sheep in November and December and the good news is it's less than 25 minutes away and you won't have to leave the pavement and quite possibly even your vehicle to see them. This time of year, bighorn sheep rams are in a rut, or more appropriately in the rut (read breeding season). They move from higher summer ground to the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon to do battle for the right to spread their genes among the ewes.

Never understood why the ram rut doesn't receive the recognition that elk bugling does. Got nothing against elk, the bugling is cool and occasionally they'll fence each other with their antlers. Bighorn sheep might not bugle but when rams charge at each other at up to 20 mph while clinging to the precipitous cliffs right along U.S. Highway 34, the ensuing collision echoes in the canyon. Another bonus about bighorn watching is that they can be seen any time of the day. You don't have to get up at dawn or wait until evening

Last week at noon, I watched two rams of near equal size curling their lips to sense the ewe's receptiveness and jostling for position next in line behind her. I was hoping the rams would throw down, though they seldom do. Eventually the two rams somehow came to a nonphysical agreement as to who would be the suitor.

I was getting ready to leave when I got the feeling that something was watching me. I looked behind me across U.S. Highway 34 to see another ram standing on a boulder 20 feet above the highway staring at me. Later that afternoon around 4 p.m., I went back up to shoot some video for our Web site and was fortunate to find a ram and ewe eating grass along the highway.

Watching these magnificent animals is very kid-friendly, especially late afternoon when they often come down to the Big Thompson River to drink or roadside to eat. However, just remember that the rams can be as sensitive this time of year as you would be if someone invaded your space during intimacy. Another reason to keep your distance is the stress your presence produces when invading their space. This makes the animals very susceptible to killer pneumonia.

Thanksgiving is an ideal time for you and out-of-state friends and family to head to the Big Thompson Canyon and experience another of Colorado's wild options. If you wait much past mid-December, you might end up like my experience with the turkeys: a big fat nothing.



About bighorn sheep watching
Where: The first few miles of U.S. Highway 34 as it enters the Big Thompson Canyon. Your best bet is the south-facing slope.

When: Best viewing now through mid-December. Bighorn sheep can be seen throughout the day. They usually come down to drink from the Big Thompson Canyon and eat along the highway in late afternoon.

What to look for: Bighorns blend in nicely with their surroundings. Look for their bright white rump patch. Bring binoculars and cameras with telephoto lenses for optimal viewing and photographing.

Bighorn facts: Colorado is home to the largest population of bighorn anywhere with an estimated population of 8,000. Males are called rams, have curled horns and weigh 150 to 250 pounds. Ewes are females, have spiked horns and weigh 120 to 200 pounds. They breed in November and December with births in May and June. Rams typically live 9 to 12 years, while ewes usually live 10 to 14 years.

Caution: Watching bighorns along U.S. Highway 34 can be dangerous in the narrow canyon. Please obey all signs and keep your distance from the animals.