Desert Bighorn Sheep

Description:

This is a desert bighorn ewe, taken on a cliff overlooking Canyon Lake on the Salt River in Arizona. This is during the early summer for the Sonoran Desert when the desert sheep are moving toward water and starting to come into the rut for the season. Desert sheep come into rut during the summer so that they have their lambs during the rainy season in the desert.

Habitat:

Desert Bighorn live in fairly barren areas. They will live in rocky and craggy areas to allow them to escape from predators, as they can virtually run up the side of a cliff. They will eat any greens in the desert. As seen in the picture, there is a saguaro cactus with fruits developing on it.

Notes:

The shot was taken on an expedition from the Dolly Steamboat. It was a special tour put on by Arizona Game and Fish, the Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, and the Dolly. It is a program first put on in 2010 and again in 2011. I am awaiting word on 2012. It is hot to go to, but this is the time of year that the sheep are congregating at the waters edge. Where the sheep typically are is only accessible by boat.