Bighorn Sheep??? (Pictures)

[AirForceDude]

Hello.  I hiked the Devil's Backbone Trail on Monday (7/16) where I took these pictures.  I'm a newbie to the region and don't know the wildlife so while I was snapping away pictures I thought it was a mountain goat lol, and only briefly considered the fact that it could be a bighorn sheep.  After some research I figured it's the latter.  I thought, as the name implies, that bighorn sheep have BIG horns.  Is this a young one or something?  Whatever it was it was very cool to see it!  It just ran right across the trail in front of me and I followed it for a 100 yards or so.  It would retreat when I got too close, but it wasn't too scared and it stared me down for a long time making me more afraid of it than it probably was of me.  I have a couple more pics from different angles as well, but I like these ones.  Thanks! -Adrian









You can see him/her on the trail in this one.  I took it mainly to document the exact location.

[clint]

Probably a ewe. The ewes have smaller horns. Also the ewes horns have a smaller spread than a ram. This could be a young ram but looks more like a ewe. There is mineral lick sort of near there. Don't wnat to say exactly where, also they use that trail as a Bighorn highway between Baldy and Wright mountain

[Hillbillies]

Poor ewes.  I did not know they had smaller horns.  Do they suffer from "horn envy?" Or "little horn syndrome?"  And why are they called ewes and not Little Horn Sheep ?

Thanks for sharing the photos.

[Bob C]

Poor ewes.  I did not know they had smaller horns.  Do they suffer from "horn envy?" Or "little horn syndrome?"  And why are they called ewes and not Little Horn Sheep ?

Is that like the "two yutes"? (Yute envy?)

[clint]

At least you could posted a Marissa Tomei photo instead of Joe Pesci

[AirForceDude]

A ewe.  Ok!   :)Thanks for your help!

[storm]

Clint--you mentioned a mineral lick.  Is is associated with a spring?  Is it natural--do the sheep lick the ground?  I wonder what the composition of it is.  What does it look like (colors)?  Thank you!

[Toolman]

It is amaxing how docile they can be. I once came upon 5 of them at Slover Cyn. and didn't have my camera with me that day.  They let me approach within 50 ft. and I sat in the pine needles and studied them for almost an hour.

 I try to make it back in there every weekend but unfortunately, sometimes chores/commitments come first. I posted these of my most recent spotting in another section of our forum for Big Horn Sheep. These guys were on the top of the Heath slide. This time of year I usually find them up there or the top of Wright Mtn. or Slover Cyn. Another area is Pine Ridge and on the backside of Pine Mtn. There is a water fall back there they like to get water from too. It's barely a trickle this year though.. 

[clint]

Storm's mineral lick question was addressed in a PM

[lolly]

 You all are invited to Volunteers of the Angeles NAtional Forest meeting.  The Special Guest Speaker Tuesday July 24 at the Methodist Church at 6:30 (time change) willl be Jim Lowery from EARTH SKILLS. Jim is an expert in animal tracking and survival skills of over 20 years (author of THE TRACKER's FIELD GUIDE). He has done many workshops for field biology professionals as well as high schools and middle schools in the tracking of specific mammals such as black bear, big horn sheep, elk, mountain lions and badgers.

[RobertW]

I've been involved with observing and classifying Bighorn sheep in the San Gabriels since 1990. 

I say this is definitely a ewe.  This is good, as the ewes are the future of the Bighorn Sheep population.

During this last "ground census" of the Bighorn population in February, the CDFG was encouraged with a lot more ewes and lambs being spotted and observed.

Frankly, the wildfires of recent years have done more for the preservation of the Bighorns and their habitat than anything man has been able to accomplish in the preservation of the Bighorns in the San Gabriels.

BostonBob and I had the privilage of seeing the remains of the oldest Bighorn known, in the San Gabriels.  We counted between 16 and 20 rings on the horn.  It was the very first Ram that was captured and fitted with a radio collar in the San Gabriels in recent times.  I'd post a picture but it is pretty graphic.  He fell off a 300 ft cliff and the impact was enough to break his left horn off.  (The horn is part of the skull.) He was well beyond his years as what is considred normal in terms of the lifespan of Bighorns.  There is nothing like observing a class IV ram in it's natural habitat.

Until you've seen and experienced the sound of these animals butting heads during the "rut", you haven't seen anything.

Wrightwood is privilaged to have such beautiful creature all around us in the moutains.

Nearly everyone that came along with us on the South Fork Canyon trip in Lytle Creek, saw Bighorns.  Think about volunteering for the next Ground Count next winter.

[cedar]

You all are invited to Volunteers of the Angeles NAtional Forest meeting.  The Special Guest Speaker Tuesday July 24 at the Methodist Church at 6:30 (time change) willl be Jim Lowery from EARTH SKILLS. Jim is an expert in animal tracking and survival skills of over 20 years (author of THE TRACKER's FIELD GUIDE). He has done many workshops for field biology professionals as well as high schools and middle schools in the tracking of specific mammals such as black bear, big horn sheep, elk, mountain lions and badgers.

Jim Lowery is a wonderful person, and a great speaker, I have taken quite a few classes from him over the years and can highly recommend him.  He also has a very complete series of workshops for people who want to get up close and personal with nature.

[Up Sheep Creek]

lolly,
Just read your post.  Can I attend your next meeting? 

[SenD-n-SpiN]

Great!  This post answered my question.

I'm happy to report there were 3 ewe / lambs scrambling up a scree gully off Hwy 2 this morning (around mile marker 72).