Was visiting with a Buddy the other day who travels the whole state of Oklahoma. He was way out at the end of the panhandle and reported seeing a group of about a dozen Bighorn Sheep.
First I have ever heard about them being in Oklahoma but I doubt its all that rare. Pretty cool though. Neat animals!
OkKeith
I live in the far southeast corner of CO and we have bighorns here. cool critters
I'm sure they wandered in from Baca County, CO. Or hunters pushed them in. He said almost all of them were full curl.
Its just neat someone was there at the right time to see them and the weren't way up on Black Mesa.
Clay... are there any over in New Mexico around Rabbit Ears?
OkKeith
there's a herd that has lived at Black Mesa for several years now. Have a friend who has property there.
Couldn't tell you about if their are any in that part NM or not. The ones I know of tend to stick around the same little stretch of canyon.
Brian-
That's a neat deal! I used to get out that way three or four times a year between work and play but not in the last several years. Its hard to believe that its in the same state as McCurtain County where you can see Saw Palmetto growing and have to dodge Alligators.
Clay-
They are a really interesting animal. It would be great to be able to see them every day.
OkKeith
I saw a bunch north of Yellowstone while I was trying to figure out how to get into camera range of some mountain goats. I was hoping to see some in the Bighorns, but all I found up there was elk and moose.
Finding Colorado sheep is not hard, but drawing the tag is major! This year I'll be applying for the 16th year.
Goats are pretty easy to approach but climbing to their preferred hangouts (some are literally hangouts) can be rough going.
Yes, when the freezing mist came over the ridge, I decided real quick that I was too much of an old cripple to apply for sheep and goat tags.
I remember seeing an article from OK Wildlife Department saying something about them periodically migrating in the state. I thin in the Black Mesa area usually. There is also an isolated pocket of Merriams turkeys in that area also. Wouldn't that be something!
Albert-
I have always dreamed of getting a Traditional Archery Turkey Slam in Oklahoma.
Eastern in Cherokee or Adair County, Rio Grande in Osage County and a Merriam's in either Texas or Cimarron County. It ranks up there with the chance to get a Pronghorn with a recurve or longbow.
Dreams are what stuff is made of...
OkKeith
Dang certain is! My sad story is I fell asleep with my stick bow in my lap and awoke to find fresh elk tracks less than 20yds in front of me, probably less than 15yds. Was on Ft. Sill where no drawing is needed. I tracked 3 elk about 400 yds & could hear them 75-100yds ahead of me in the brush. Walking into my spot I had made a "J" with the short part being where I set up. I then followed them back across my entrance and found hoof prints on top of my boots.