As late fall comes, it is getting colder and the snow that looms on the mountains is dropping lower and lower. Most of us head south or certainly indoors for warmth, but the Bighorn sheep and Elk are just warming up, so to speak. It is the rutting season for these big guys, jousting for dominance and impressing the girls with strength and maleness. That is not unlike most males in any species, however these guys really bang heads over the girls. I wanted to go and see them, and catch some of there reputed efforts of jousting.
With a little help from one of his buddies, possibly to be more aggressive, the three-some cracked heads. There is a lot of pushing and kicking of under bellies. But in the end it is a show of who is who, with no apparent winner. These three repeatedly took turns provoking each other to butt heads all morning only to take a panting rest to look around, and then start over again. In the cold air, the sound of smashing horns echoed against the mountains above to announce that the rut is on.
The area I was in, had over 30 large Bighorn males. The group was spread out all over the hillside, allowing me and a few other photographers to wander around them, with no apparent threat. Females mingled about as if to say... boys keep playing, once you are done we are over here! A spectacle for anyone wanting to capture Bighorn's in action.
With the Bighorn Sheep doing there ritual, others in the area were also out and wandering around.
The Elk who has just finished the peak of their rut, were still bugling about, displaying their herd of female followers. Many large 5 and 6 point males were seen on the grassy plains of the Athabasca River. They seemed more elusive and certainly more aggressive to be near, but that can be the case with most wildlife.
On the cliffs above Hwy 93 many Mountain Goats can be found through binoculars, with an occasional one nearby for photos. As the snow lowers in elevation the Goats will follow the snow line down, and stay until it accumulates on the valley floor, and then trudge back to ridge levels for the winter. A risky time as predators will be around to hunt them and the others.
With the changing seasons, these animals can be seen in their new winter woolies, ready for the cold to come..
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