Rocky Mountain rams, also called bighorn sheep, are a popular game animal. The challenging hunt, along with the reward of a beautiful trophy mount, helps explain why hunters enjoy pursuing this animal. Here is an overview of Rocky Mountain rams.
Bighorn sheep are found throughout the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the desert Southwest. This geographic origin accounts for the name “Rocky Mountain rams” that is also commonly used for these animals.
Rocky Mountain rams are renowned for their horns. These horns, which are often large and curled, can weigh as much as 30 pounds. While hunters often appreciate being able to display trophy horns after a successful hunt, the horns play an important role for rams in the natural environment. Rocky Mountain rams engage in dominance challenges to establish mating rights. These challenges involve male rams charging at each other at up to 20 miles per hour and crashing together head first. Eventually one of the rams will abandon the challenge, though it may take hours of butting heads before this occurs.
Rams migrate between higher and lower elevations depending on the season. During summer weather, rams are often found at higher elevations in steep, rugged terrain. Their hooves allow them to move about in formidable terrain. During winter weather, the rams move to lower elevations where it is easier to find forage.
Fortunately, you do not need to travel to the western U.S. to hunt Rocky Mountain rams. Tioga Ranch manages a large herd of these sheep here in Pennsylvania. Enjoy hunting these amazing animals on our ranch amid sprawling woodlands, hills, and valleys. Our rams thrive in this environment where they grow large and develop impressive horns. Tioga Ranch rams average 180 pounds and usually has 1 ¼ curl horns. Contact us at 570-835-5341 to learn more or to reserve your Rocky Mountain ram hunt.