Bighorn sheep battle it out at Birch Creek
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DUBOIS — My friend Steve and I decided to run out to Lone Pine and see if the pocket of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep were still there and active on Wednesday morning. On the way out, we ran into several large herds of prong-horn antelope and stopped long enough to photograph a few of them.
As we pulled up near the farm ground just south of Skull Canyon, we could see a nice herd of the bighorns walking toward Birch Creek for an early morning drink. There were 38 ewes, lambs and a few young rams, but we could not see any large mature rams with them.
“Their rut must be over,” I commented to Steve, just a little disappointed.
But we did not have to wait long, by the time the herd got to the creek, two large rams came running across the pasture to join them. The rams checked out each ewe, but did not find any “ripe” ones, so they got their drinks and then began to graze with the ewes. The herd of 42 worked their way over to the hills, so we decided to drive up Skull Canyon to see if we could find more of the rams.
The trip up Skull Canyon was a bust, and we decided to drive up past the springs that create Birch Creek to look for some small flocks of snow buntings and black rosy finches that we had seen three weeks before. Due to most of the snow melting during this nice fall weather, the birds were not forced into the haystacks for cover and food. That jaunt also turned into a bust, so back to the sheep we went.
The herd had made it up onto the hillside, and while most of the ewes and rams were resting on the south slopes, enjoying the warmth of the sun, the kids were busy. Like their human counterparts, the young’uns were climbing the rocks and playing tag.
While watching the herd, we noticed two rams about a half a mile away running out toward Birch Creek. When we got there, we found them chasing an ewe back toward the hills. One by one, three other rams joined them, and the five rams harassed the ewe, but she resisted all of their intended affection.
Our count for the day was 48 bighorns, the most that we have seen this year. Three weeks earlier in the middle of the rut, we had counted 34. At that time, the rams were very busy chasing the ewes, and it was tough getting a good count of them.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are one of two species of wild sheep in Idaho. The Rocky Mountain sheep have been reintroduced to Central Idaho by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, while the California bighorns have been planted in the southwest corner of Idaho. The 48 sheep that we observed came from those that were reintroduced during the 1980’s. This herd, located in the #30 Population Management Unit in the Beaverhead Mountains, has fluctuated between 20 to 87 animals in the last twenty years.
One of the chief dangers for wild bighorns that may cause rapid population fluctuations, are healthy domestic sheep and goats, which carry pneumonia that is deadly for the wild animals. Studies show that #30 PMU could maintain about 250 animals under perfect conditions, but because the area is located near the Montana/Idaho line where domestic sheep allotments are allowed, the herd has stayed small.
The Birch Creek Valley along the Salmon Highway can be a beautiful and an interesting drive. On the way home, we had to stop for a herd of pronghorns to cross. On our earlier trip we encountered two coyotes hunting for food. Snow-covered Diamond Peak is stunning at sunset, sunrise and in its almost blinding brilliance on a sunny day. Steve and I will make a few more trips after we get some snow on the valley floor.
