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Grazing Rams


Grazing Rams
Photo Information
Copyright: Rick Price (Adanac) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5208] (17609)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-05-12
Categories: Mammals
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/320 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-05-14 7:11
Viewed: 932
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This trio of Bighorn Sheep rams were grazing with a larger group of sheep in the Lamar Valley in N.E. corner of Yellowstone. Soon they will start shedding their winter coat and will start looking scraggly and they ewe will be having their lambs.

Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
General Description

By Gustave J. Yaki


The Bighorn Sheep has the distinction of being named Alberta's provincial mammal.

Its naming distinction does not stop there; nor does its Albertaconnection. The Bighorn Sheep had been seen by Europeans much earlier. The Spanish explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronado had met it in the American southwest between 1540-1552 and although it was well-illustrated in the 1691 account of southern California by the Spanish missionary Father Piccolo, it was not until 1804, after Duncan MacGillivray (of MacGillivrays Warbler fame) first encountered it on the Bow River, near Exshaw, AB. on 30 Nov. 1800 that the species was given its official scientific name. At the time of MacGillivray's sighting, he was with explorer David Thompson on his survey of the Canadian Rockies. Today, this species is perhaps the best known of all North

American mammals, worldwide. The magnificent head-battering battles of the rams during courtship have been repeatedly seen in films, aired on TV and even featured in corporate advertising. Banfield, in Mammals of Canada, described their jousting perfectly. "The contest usually begins with pushing and shoving at close quarters, often accompanied by slashing jabs of a foreleg. Then, according to an established ritual, the antagonists part and walk away about ten yards, turn, rear up on their hind legs, twist their head to one side 'as if sighting down their noses,' and advance slowly toward each other, still erect. As they approach, their pace quickens, and they lunge forward onto their forelegs, crashing head-on, horn to horn, with a crack [so loud] that it can be heard a mile away. So great is the impact that a shock wave ripples back the length of their bodies."

These courtship battles take place during the mating or rutting season. In Alberta, this occurs in late autumn. About 180 days later, in late May or early June, the ewes seek ledges on steep rocky cliff near mountain streams where they give birth to the lambs, usually single, occasionally twins. The lambs wear a creamy-fawn-coloured, soft, woolly coat and stand about 40 cm (16 inches) high on wobbly legs. The mothers hide them during their first week, but they soon are able follow her at a fast pace, nursing or nibbling grass along the way as they join the rest of the herd, which is always led by an old ewe. The lambs gambol and soon can climb expertly. At five to six months of age they are fully weaned. The ewes, lambs, yearlings and two year olds remain together as a group of about ten but sometimes as many as 100 individuals, all year. The young females reach reproductive maturity at two to three years; the rams at three years. The three-year old rams form into bands of their own, and led by an older, experienced male, migrate to separate, higher alpine summer pastures. Not until autumn do they rejoin the ewes.

Always alert, they can see movement a mile away. In areas where they are not hunted, such as in parks, they have become fearless, and will readily allow approach, especially in areas where there is escape terrain in the form of sparsely-treed, rocky cliffs nearby. They require salt and will travel miles to find a natural salt-lick. They have now learned that salt is applied to highways in winter and will often lick and eat debris along the road-edge, unfortunately setting them up for auto accidents.

The crowning glory of the Bighorn sheep is the ram's big horn, a massive brown spiral, which curls back and down, close to its head. The tips project forward and outward just below its eye. Because of it, the ram has a price on his head. The one with the biggest set is most sought be the hunting fraternity. Unfortunately, by always culling the biggest and best, the future generations will have ever diminishing-sized horns. The Bighorn Sheep have largely been eliminated from much of their former range, but some have been reintroduced successfully, most often with Alberta stock. Their distribution is in the drier areas of the mountainous country of western North America, from south of the Peace River in Alberta all the way into northern Mexico and eastward, formerly to the badlands in western North Dakota along the Missouri River, and to the Black Hills of South Dakota.
jaycee, mariki, eqshannon, pekkavalo1, nglen, maurydv, CeltickRanger, bobair, Jamesp, JPlumb has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-05-14 9:23]

Hi Rick,

What a nice scene showing this trio. We looked and looked for them while in Wyoming and never saw one! A good view of the ram's horn which is what makes them so special.

Jane

  • Great 
  • mariki Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1060 W: 61 N: 2306] (9467)
  • [2008-05-14 11:02]

Hello Rick,

Superb composition. Great POV, DOF and focus. I love the fine colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

Looks like you have seen some of Evelyn's territory and species...very nice there grazing ont eh grasses...We have some sort up in my wilderness but I am not sure what species...I shall have to look...well caught Rick...Very nice choice of trips...totally different direction that at first planned, but maybe for good reason!
Bob

Hi Rick,

Very good capture of these Rams. Rarely see pictures here on these. Very impressive horns! Nice composition, BG, sharpness of details. I like the deep DOF in this picture as the whole habitat of these animals seem to be in focus, which in this case suits well.

TFS

Pekka

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2908 W: 34 N: 8623] (32138)
  • [2008-05-14 12:06]

Hi Rick. Great set of horns the male has. Not the sorth of thing we have in the wild over here. good naatural colours. and detail well done TFS. good nates too.
Nick..

Bellissima cattura e bellissimo paesaggio naturalistico, ottimi POV e composizione, molto buona la nitidezza, bellissimi e naturali i colori. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

hello Rick

excellent image of these Bighorn Sheep rams, fine POV, DOF
and framing, excellent sharpness and details, and i love
that the image was shot when the animals are in food searching,

TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • bobair Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 397 W: 118 N: 1420] (5128)
  • [2008-05-14 19:59]

Hi Rick,
your trip is proving to be a fruitful one and this photo looks casual and natural at the same time.I like the subtle tones of colour in this shadowless photo that is clear and well focused.Thanks Rick for giving us another wonderful view and it looks good in the coming days weather wise so you will get the light that will make more photos happen.Great read your note is as well. Bob

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494] (16522)
  • [2008-05-14 22:56]

Hi Rick

Greetings from A Dhabi

A lovely shot of these Bighorn sheep. Nice composition and good detail. Well observed and captured. Last time I was there they were well into their mouit and looked quite moth-eaten.

James


James

Hi Rick, you live in some interesting country. A sight like this would be awesome. Since I don't live there, I'll settle for shots like this from yourself. What a great natural setting for these 3 rams. I like the composition here with these 3 roaming, with a lot of room. Beautiful detail seen here with great natural colour.

Thanks, John

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3065 W: 231 N: 6160] (21048)
  • [2008-05-15 23:38]

Hi Rick,
I like the composition of this idyllic scene.
Great capture of not one, but three bighorns.
Very impressive horns at that.
So peaceful.
TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-05-31 20:03]

Hello Rick

A lovely capture of these rams as they graze the rugged landscape.
Well composed,you have captured them in a beautiful natural setting.
Well focused with sharp details.
Excellent pov and dof.
Another amazing shot from your Wild America trip.
TFS

Rob

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