Montana Bighorn Sheep Photos

[6mm Remington]

Very nice pictures!

[trkytrack2]

They all look like young rams except for the last one.

[Edelweiss]

Edelweiss, thanks for your input, and you are right that big rams do come from all different ranges throughout North America. I would disagree a little however that Rock Creek is a "Top" area in MT. Here is a quick break down of the top Counties/Areas in MT for B&C Bighorn Sheep entries over 175", according to the MT FWP website. Blaine 55, Lewis & Clark 53, Deer Lodge 50, Missoula 44, Fergus 42, Granite 40, Teton 38, Ravalli 36, Sun River 30, Beaverhead 20, Silverbow 17, Choteau 4, Powell 4 and I will throw in Rock Creek just because you mentioned it, Rock Creek 2. Then there are a few area that only had 1 or 2 entries. So in part, I do stand corrected myself, as a very large portion of these entries are from Western MT which could be classed as mountain hunts. I guess with living in Central MT I was a little biased as to the sheep that are from around here.

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/...ighorn%20Sheep

J, it's all good brother!

About 20 years ago Safari Video (long defunct hunting video company) shot some nice footage of rams in Montana and Alberta. They called them Montana and Alberta Argalis. They are collectivly the biggest rams in North America.

There are a couple rams that have been taken in Montana and Alberta that I consider to be a bigger deal than the Chadwick ram. I remember one ram that had his lamb tips and looked a lot like some of the Stones that were killed in the 1950s era that were over 47.

He didn't have the length, but his mass and beauty of curl brought melted my heart.

I wish I still had a copy of that VHS tape, it was wonderful. Looked a lot like a miniture Ovis Ammon ram from the 1990s. Too bad they don't get big rams in Mongolia anymore.

I reckon I'll get 4-5 bighorn sheep in my lifetime based on my points programs (total for all 3 species) and at least that many dalls once the kids get older we are moving back to Alaska.

I don't think I'll ever get a stone or any Mongolia ovis-ammon ram, as prices aren't for working class folks.

[hvfd21walker]

Hey jjenness theres only small sheep in the breaks. All the bigger sheep are in other places. Get my drift. LOL!!

[Elk Hunter]

Thank you everyone for your comments on the photos and for the information. I have been getting familiar with unit 501, trying to determine if it is worth the cost of a nonresident tag. From what I read and my own backpacking experience in the area its not going to be easy. Seeing sheep in the unit without to much problem, just no rams so far. Identifying a legal ram shouldn't be a problem, but I don't have a good feel for what a good ram would look like. These looked very good to me, just didn't know how good, and would perhaps be above average for unit 501.

For those interested I was using a Nikon D7000 with the 18-105mm lens.

[Edelweiss]

It's crazy how much color difference there is between the rams in Montana and the rams in Wyoming.