Bighorn sheep have made their way to the Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole! Do not miss this opportunity to see these majestic yet somewhat skittish animals in person.

Bighorn Sheep get their names from the huge racks of horns that sit on the top of the males heads. They get to be about 30 inches long and curve back towards the head of the males. Ewe’s horns are shorter and not quite as curved. The animal itself is about 3 1/2 feet tall and weigh about 140-300lbs. 

Bighorn sheep generally live in the high mountains during the summer and come down to the valleys during the winter. They live in groups of about 5 to 15 lambs, ewes, and two-year-olds. The men live in much smaller groups.  The group that is on the Elk Refuge right now is about 20 different animals, including a few cute lambs.

Rocky Mountain Big Horn

This is their mating season and the males have definitely joined this group to woo the females. A little butting behavior happens when rams are competing for the female’s attention, resulting in sounds of cracking foreheads. This is a great battle to watch, so be sure to get out to the Elk Refuge to see it.

Bighorn Sheep have a winter diet that includes sage (quite prevalent on the Elk Refuge) but they also will partake in the grasses provided by the Boy Scouts. They will stay on the Elk Refuge through most of the winter and will leave again in the Spring when the sage and grasses in the highlands start to grow. 

If you are planning to come to Jackson Hole and would like to see Bighorn Sheep as well as other wildlife in the area, Bear Witness Safari offers several guided tours to these animals. Just give us a call and we will introduce you to the wonderful wild place that is Jackson Hole!