Bighorn Headbutting Battle in Canada's Rockies

These Bighorn Rams have been feisty for about a month and a half now during their rutting season, and something triggered them into a Headbutting battle here. The competition began as these fellas came back into a territory with a lot of other Bighorns, including many females possibly still in estrus. These Males did a lot of lip curling, body kicks and tongue flicking before this headbutting battle started; we suspect females in this area is indeed what triggered this fight for dominance. Three Rams turned into four, with the attraction seemingly to be the sound of other Rams headbutting. This Bighorn Sheep Ram Battle took place until sunset, when they decided to begin moving up in altitude for the night. We are showing the highlights here, which is almost all headbutting of one of the most extraordinary Wildlife days in the Canadian Rockies.

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Bighorn Sheep Rut Season

When is the Bighorn Sheep Rut Season?

The Bighorn sheep rutting season or breeding season in Canada and the American Rockies is from October to January. During the bighorn rut, Rams fight for dominance by clashing heads in very physical battles. Each group of Bighorn Sheep will have a dominance order, with high ranking Rams(males) doing most of the breeding. Like Elk bulls after their rutting season, energy expended leaves bighorn rams in poor winter condition, resulting in a higher mortality rates among dominant rams.

During the bighorn rut, ram battles take place for the right to collect a harem of ewes(females). Bighorn Sheep Ram challenges can be a combination of show and bluff. When bluffing is matched, two rams will face each other, rearing up onto their hind legs, and smash their horns together with enourmous force. The battle sounds of these impacts are often compared to the reverberation of a high powered gunshot.

Dominant Bighorn Sheep Rams

Very large, dominant bighorn rams often have horns that make a full curl, continuing past they eye. It takes 7 or 8 years for Rams to reach this mature dominant stage and such animals are quite rare outside of protected areas.

Bighorn sheep ram horns can weigh up to 15 pounds on each side, meaning bighorn sheep males might have 30 pounds of horn on their head. Horns are rarely used for defense, but more for rutting season battles to establish breeding rights among the herd of ewes. Bighorn sheep ram fights are a wild animal experience not to be missed.

Bighorn Rut in Canada & America

Bighorn Rut Season in Nature..

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