"Young Bighorn Ram in the High Desert"
By: Micheal Lee (Janesville, CA)
Living in Lassen County, California, it’s common for my wife and/or me to go to Reno, Nevada, to do some of our more major shopping. When we’re not in a hurry and weather conditions permit, we often take one of a few different dirt back roads across the high desert. You never know when you’ll see something wonderfully unique. Birds of prey of all sorts are common sightings, as are pronghorns and mule deer (including the occasional giant buck), along with wild horses and burros. On this December drive, the highlight had to be a herd of bighorn sheep. I’ve long known they are in the region and have friends who’ve seen them in the area, but this was my first—and, as of this writing, only—time seeing them in the wild. They were on the north side of a steep slope as the afternoon sun was low in the sky, as it is all day in winter, so getting a good image was a challenge. However, this ram was good enough to cooperate a bit by walking toward the top of the slope and getting a bit of sun on him. I’m clearly far from an expert but, based on some quick internet research and my gut, my guess is that this is a mature but relatively young ram. If you see a more mature ram, there will be much more pronounced curl to the horns, extending back forward past the ears even with the face and even back upward. The more mature animal would probably be far more battle-scarred than this handsome fella too, so I’m not unhappy to see and photograph him.
Camera Information: Canon R7 - Canon EF100-400II
Image Location: Washoe County Nevada
Category: Live Wildlife
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