Those glowing recommendations speak well for that local guide ... appreciate the information so far. I visited his web site and drooled over the photos of Bighorns posted there, right up until I read the cost ... $ 9,500 for a 10-day hunt. I suppose for folks who had paid $150,000+ for an auction Bighorn tag, that fee might be considered reasonable. But we are Po-boys ... If I had an extry $ 9,500 ... I’d probably hire a guide (in Africa) and shoot a Kudu and 5 or 6 other plains game to boot. My cousin would probably use it to trade-in/upgrade his ancient Dodge Diesel pickup. For the past 50 years, we have been serious DIY, public-land hunters ... and (with 2 exceptions), always packing the animals out on our backs or (when boned out) with his llamas. I can’t even spell “Gyde”
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In the meantime ... the reading/learning continues, as we uncover more about the secret lives of Bighorns ... From various videos, books, including Return of Royalty, Judging Bighorns, Wild Sheep Country, The Perfect Shot (North America) - Boddington, and other writings by Valerius Geist. Hey ... even some stuff from the Inner-Net <--- Cause everything posted there is always true ... (right) ?
22) The rut season doesn’t start till 2nd week of November and continues a week or two into December.
22) Mating rituals ... (if you’re the dominant male bighorn, you can sometimes kick a lessor Ram in his really-beeeg dangling nut-sack ... (rather than have to head butt him), to temporarily discourage him from further challenging for ewes. (Hey, I bet that would work in a biker-bar too ! )
23) Their complex multi-chambered digestive systems can allow bighorns to go 3-days without water ...
24) Due to their heavy “insulation”, their “neutral” body temp is when the outside air temp is around 20 degrees F. ... any warmer out and they are trying to cool-down.
25) They are (usually) more active in the evening than in the morning.
26) Rams can weigh up to 350 lbs, but are only 40” tall at the shoulder.
27) In order, they rely on Eyesight, Hearing and Smell ...ALL of which are Excellent
28) They will bed in timber (or cliff shade) in the daytime and often on open ridges, for the night
29) Average (good) rams in the unit are 165-175 ...
Questions:
When a group bugs-out ... do the largest Rams trail the group ... or usually break off and “stealth” away ?
Are the Rams solitary individuals, or in small bachelor groups ... or just hanging with the full herds ... (pre rut) ?
What’s a normal (daily) travel distance for an undisturbed group ?
How far will they travel for water (in September) ?
How “hard” was the 2015-16 Winter in the Laramie Range ? ... above/below snow/cold levels ?
Is this a good (water) year for horn growth ?
Silver Bullet
Even a Time-machine loses half it’s value ...
the minute you drive it off the lot.
