Bighorn sheep - a quest for a photo

asbufra · Post by **asbufra** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:28 am

My first sighting was on a trip to Cucamonga Peak in October. I started before sunrise which allowed me to be the first person and consequently the wildlife had not been scared away. The Ram was right on the trail. This was a magnificent beast. In person they look like a medieval mythical creature. I only had a small Kodak camera stuffed deep in my day pack and was only able to get fleeting shots from a distance.

I was hooked. I learned later that this was classic bighorn sheep escape terrain, steep rocky slope, which they use to evade predators. I also learned that the Sheep are in rut in late October through November and there would be more opportunity soon.
I continued to haunt the Ontario Peak Ridge for the next month until finally I spotted one, again right on the trail.
This one was wary and moved away quite quickly and I had “buck fever” and was shaky. I followed him along the ridge, but I never got a good picture.

I hike up Baldy every other weekend sometimes Ski Hut sometimes Bear Canyon. In early November I went to West Baldy using Bear Canyon. This day I wanted to be alone and avoid the crowds on Baldy.

Wenn you hike alone it's harder to see wildlife..only two eyes and you have to watch the rocks as you move. You need to be lucky to spot them.

On my way back I spotted another Ram..big with a beautiful set of horns. I moved closer partially hidden by a tree.

And just when I was about to pop out from behind the tree and get the perfect shot a runner came up the trail and scared him off.

I moved deeper into the woods and settled on a rock to steady the camera and continued to shoot pictures of His back side.

Then about 40 yards away He stopped

He waited a few seconds and the turned…

I took a few shots and He moved away, I had bothered Him enough and returned to the trail.

It isn’t a perfect shot and I still want to see the Males bang their heads and maybe film that, but that will have to be next year.

lilbitmo · Post by **lilbitmo** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:40 am

Nice shots no matter what.

I've kept my eyes open for them everytime I'm anywhere on the mountain and I've never been that fortunate.

Keep up the good work, it's nice to see pictures of our natural environment and it's beauty.

Great Job

EManBevHills · Post by **EManBevHills** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:13 am

Persistence rewarded. Very nice indeed.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:47 pm

Those are all great photos! Amazing looking animals. I've only seen one once, near the Baldy ski hut, and it was too far to get any kind of decent pic.

JMunaretto · Post by **JMunaretto** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 2:52 pm

Those are incredible photos. I've always wanted to see one, but frankly have probably never situated myself to do so. I probably hike with too many people and probably don't get started early off so they are probably scared off by then. One of these days...

I'm glad you got to see one, and at least enough time to take some really good shots. Congrats!

Post by **Taco** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:51 am

Very cool pics.

Rumpled · Post by **Rumpled** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:07 am

Man, those are some good shots.
That's a really mature ram, too!

I've only seen bighorns when I was on Lake Mead. They would come down to the lake in packs of 20-30 ewes and lambs to drink.

I did see probable bighorn poop on San Gorgonio, right on the trail.

kgw · Post by **kgw** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:54 pm

Wow, my only expression is silence. Wonderful experience, I'm sure 8)

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:41 pm

Tose are som awesome shots. to see an animal like that, in such a public, well travelled area, is absolutely awesome. You took some nice pics there. I've seen some before in East Fork San Gabriel and Lytle Creek areas, but never any in Baldy area.

asbufra · Post by **asbufra** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:05 am

Thank you for the compliments on the photos, I understand that nature gets the real credit. I just happened to be there.

For anyone intersted the photos were taken with a Nikon P80 that is available for around $250.00 . It is small, light weight, inexpensive and easy to use.

Cy Kaicener · Post by **Cy Kaicener** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:34 am

Those are the best shots of bighorns that I have seen. The best time to see them is at first light. Now is lambing season.
Here is a link that you will enjoy -- 34 pages

http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1450

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:52 pm

asbufra · Post by **asbufra** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:25 pm

I never left the car for this photo. Taken around dawn across from the trout ponds on Baldy road. Jan 2 2009

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:49 pm

asbufra wrote:I never left the car for this photo. Taken around dawn across from the trout ponds on Baldy road. Jan 2 2009

Sweeeett!! That's a real king o' the mountains there. His horns would curl around even more, but he has broken them off - probably in head-butting contests. I think when they look like that, the ram is over 5 years old.

I wonder why the fur looks a little rough - maybe it's just a thick winter coat?

Post by **Taco** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:15 am

Looks like he's carrying a coconut, as well.

Rumpled · Post by **Rumpled** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:00 am

cougarmagic wrote: I think when they look like that, the ram is over 5 years old.

Probably much older. Based upon this pic

He'd be full curl if he wasn't broomed on those tips - probably pushing that class IV. He's still got a lot of diameter at his tips.

Post by **HikeUp** » Sat May 02, 2009 1:59 pm

Saw this guy as I drove through the tunnels on ACH just west of Islip Saddle. He was standing on the edge of the road in that narrow chute between the two tunnels. I turned the car around to get a picture, but as I approached in the car he went over the edge. I quickly parked and went to the edge to snap this picture. He was already several hundred feet down the chute and I had to zoom in to get this...

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:34 pm

Cool!!