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Big Draw mountain sheep crossing: time to slow down

By Maggie Plummer

The Hog Heaven Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep herd was in rare form in the Big Draw between Elmo and Niarada last week.

November and December are mating season for the sheep, and that means the large, mature rams are busy asserting their dominance.

Last Thursday afternoon the herd, which numbers more than 100 animals, was grazing along both sides of highway 28.

After a while, the large group of bighorns on the south side of the highway streamed across the road to re-join the main herd, jumping the wire fences and stopping traffic - which is known to rip through the Big Draw way over the speed limit.

So far, bighorn roadkill has not been a problem in the Big Draw, tribal wildlife officials report.

They are reminding everyone to slow down, take their time, and appreciate the view when driving in any wildlife area, including this one in the Big Draw. It's a rare chance to take in the beauty of these impressive animals - and, right now, to observe their behavior during the rut.

The incredibly agile bighorn sheep scramble up steep rock outcroppings and cliffs.

This time of year, the rams spar and sometimes pound each other with their massive horns. When mature bighorn rams charge, they can reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour. Their horns can weigh as much as 40 pounds.

The sharp, distinctive "CRACK" of the rams' huge crashing horns echoes off the rocks and is audible more than a mile away. In the silent Big Draw, a quiet visitor can also hear the powerful rams chasing ewes and other rams around up on the rocks just above the valley floor.

Then there were those other bighorns a little further west, serenely snoozing on the sun-warmed south-facing rocks.

These wild sheep summer up high in the Hog Heaven Range north of the Big Draw, but spend the winter down in valley areas.

The sheep population in the Big Draw was transplanted from the Little Money herd, which originally came from Wild Horse Island, according to officials.

This Hog Heaven herd is being monitored and assessed for potential future hunting. In fact, officials feel that this group's numbers have built up enough to possibly propose a fall 2007 hunting season on them.

But here and now, it's great to take the time to stop, watch and listen.