Close Knit, For Now

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#1

Close Knit, For Now
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A small group or mob of bachelor Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), shedding their heavy winter coats in early Spring, roam the grasslands of Badlands National Park. After their first year with their mothers, dominance relationships become evident. These behavioral interactions are closely tied to dominance rank. Direct reproductive benefits of high rank, in terms of more breeding opportunities, are obvious and the individuals become serious in their efforts to display their dominance.

Technical Details

Composite: No
EF 70-200mm + 2x @ 210mm; f/8 @ 1/125 sec, ISO 250

1 Like
#2

Nice shot of the bros. I just saw a pair of them in Badlands last week and managed to get very close to a big male like the ones here and have a couple decent shots. Those horns are unreal. Just amazing.

#3

Thank you, Ms. Smith. Good to see you made it to Badlands. I trust, based upon your brief description, it was worthwhile. The size and configuration of their horns are where their name comes from. I believe my closest encounter was about 3 feet. Great for portraits/head shots.