Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Bighorn sheep viewing

I'm hoping some astute campfire members can help me out there.

My mother has a hankering to go see the west before it's too late so I agreed to take her.

We are leaving from East Texas and going up thru the panhandle, thru CO, into WY, do the yellowstone/tetons thing for a while, over into ID and possibly MT and back home over the course of 3 weeks or so.

On her list of stuff she really wants to see are bighorn sheep. She's never really been to that part of the world at all.

Where is my best shot at her having a look at them without a really hard stenuous hike? I've seen them before and will probably have a good shot myself in some of the places I plan on hiking while out there but she will likely stay much closer to the truck on most days.

Any help?

Any other must sees that might be appropriate for my mother would be great as well. I've been thru the areas we'll be in on a few occasions for hunting trips but never as just true tourtist and sightseeing.

Oh yeah we leave on Sunday or Monday so it's a pure summer trip. Not fall which would be more ideal but it's what is available.

I was in Zion National Park in Utah in June. The Bighorns were just grazing along the main park road and you could walk up to about 20 feet from them before they moved.

I worked in Glacier NP in the early 1960's and we ran into Sheep, Mountain Goats and bears regularly as we covered trails in the backcountry, plus an assortment of other critters, like wolverines. Hard hiking, but great scenery.

Too bad you are not going further. Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta ain't too hard to look at, and you can often see bighorn sheep from the road. I have been there several times, and the sheep were so tame that you could get within 30 yards of them.

You would likely even do nearly as well in a wheelchair -- the sheep are that tame, and large parts of the park are really that easy for the mobility challanged).






and sometimes you can see the bighorn sheep even from the the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise (book a top floor -- the view is worth the cost!)
(the water really is that colour -- from the melting glacier).

John

if yah have the time i HIGHLY recommend taking her up to Glacier and take the Going To The Sun Highway.......in all of Montana its my favorite drive.....even if you dont do any hiking and just stop at the various turnouts, get out and see the view its one hell of a drive....if you can do some hiking you defiantly should, quite a few easy short hikes aswell as long more challenging ones...didnt see bighorns the last time we were there but saw some goats and a griz with a cub from the road as well as other critters....

I have been to Glacier and Baniff parks several times and never seen a bighorn. If you want a sure deal, I would suggest elsewhere. It is a long way to Baniff and Glacier to see beautiful country but no bighorns. Now, mountain goats are another thing. You can see goats very often on the Going to The Sun road in Glacier park. Never seen one in Baniff however.
Sure deals are hard to make.

hell my wife almost smoked a small herd bighorn east of Missoula on Interstate 90.....ive never seen one myself.....hard saying where they will be.....in all my driving around Montana ive never seen a moose but my sister almost smoked one between Williston and Minot ND on Highway 2......i have such chitty luck seeing anything but deer, speed goats and elk.......

As pointed out by others, it is easy to see bighorns if you go to where they live. Yellowstone use to be a sure thing but I haven't been there lately. Contact the park ranger's office and ask if and where they are seeing sheep. They should be able to put you close.

In Idaho:

There was (is?) a herd at North Fork Idaho along the Salmon river. These sheep were relatively tame and you can get some fine pictures with them. I would call the store in North Fork, there is only one, and ask if they are seeing sheep. Some where between the store and Corn Creek should be animals.

The Hells Canyon herd was in fine condition until domestic sheep were ran through but I believe they too have recovered. There are many jet boat operations offering canyon jet boat rides. You could call them and ask what they are seeing in the way of sheep, the jet boat ride is a real hoot.

You can rent a plane a fly the Owyhee River canyon. I would be surprised if you didn't see any during the flight. Of course it is difficult to get very close while flying.

Or contact the Wild Sheep Foundation and ask where the best/closest opportunities are for viewing wild sheep.

Good luck

I believe Banff and Glacier would be the most dependable for a casual car trip.

If you get to Yellowstone Don't miss the Bear Tooth HWY. IMHO it is better than Yellowstone it's self. It has been called the most scenic drive in America.

If you Make SW Idaho, Eastern Oregon give me a PM. I know a couple of places I see Sheep every time I am there. Last time was Feb. or March, we counted over 50, but no Large rams that trip. Both places are easy drives.

I've seen them often on the drive to the east entrance to Rocky Mtn. National Park. Once you get west of Loveland, CO and enter the Big Thompson river canyon there is good chance you will see them on one of the steep hillsides before you get to Estes Park. Its a nice drive that I think you would enjoy. Often times the sheep are very close to the road. Another location that I've seen them is in Custer State Park in SD. Just gotta keep your eyes open and drive slow. It is amazing what you will see. If you notice several cars stopped along the road, stop too. There is good chance they are looking at some type of wild critters.

Here's wishing you and your Mom a GREAT trip to the wild, wild West.

Chip

Georgetown, Colorado has a bighorn sheep viewing area. Chances are good you'll even see them grazing along I-70 on the drive from Denver to Georgetown. Another option would be driving to the top of Mt Evans. You'll see mountain goats for sure on Evans.

Not as glamorous as Banff or Yellowstone, but still quite pretty...

Mt Washburn in Yellowstone has a few BH. Used to see them on the hi-way but not much lately. Bear Tooth hi-way is a good place to look also. I have seen BH on the road from Cody to the east entrance of Yellowstone too, but this isn't especially the right time of the year for that.

I've seen them on I-70 there also.

Thanks for the input. She doesn't just have to see them as she's never seen a lot of the stuff out there. I was kind of suprised on the book and website for yellowstone that Pelicans was highly rated for wildlife viewing...I guess being from LA where our state bird is the pelican that kinda suprised me.

Yeah an ex girlfriend of mine lives in Denver and she mentioned the viewing station at Georgetown as a good area.

+2

Sinks Canyon near Lander, WY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPdLtRexwqw

I was out Sunday evening with the spotting scope, glassing hillsides from the truck window along the Bull River. Came upon this scene on the road...

Nice sheep photos, thanks for taking the time to post them. Not many get to enjoy such a sight. Kind of funny to see the cow in the last image.

I was lucky enough to hunt the Bull River drainage last season with Marty Lightburn. It is truely a spectaculor part of the world.

In addition to the places mentioned above, bighorns are commonly seen along Interstate 70 near Georgetown, CO. Another good place is Custer State Park in the Black Hills in South Dakota. I usually see them from the road there. (You can go to Mount Rushmore, too.) I have also seen them at Great Sand Dunes NP in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, but haven't been there in quite a while...

I can remember seeing Big Horn Sheep bedded down in the ravines between of Ravioli and Saint Ignesious (sp) on the west side of the highway in the National Buffalo Range when I used to haul seed potatos out of Ronan and Pablo on the Flathead Indian Reservation in the Spring. If memory serves me right I would see them there on almost every trip through that area but that was early in the spring and it was in the 70's.

I can remember seeing them bedded down with the Buffalo and Mule Deer.